How China Attracts Top Tech Talent With Astronomical Salaries ?

© Unsplash/Alejandro Luengo

Engineers' salaries tripled in an attempt to attract the best talent from Silicon Valley. Chinese companies are sparing no expense in the race for AI and other emerging technologies. Enough to scare the major Western powers and their intelligence services. Let's take stock.

The race for talent

In a fascinating investigation, our colleagues at the Wall Street Journal first return to a fact. European and American governments are trying to reduce China's access to the most sensitive technologies. According to them, companies in the Middle Kingdom are getting around this problem by trying to attract the best engineers, particularly in the fields of AI and semiconductors.

Some companies even go so far as to open local branches where they disguise their Chinese origins to slip through the cracks and attract key employees from technology firms.

Many engineers are reluctant to accept these offers. They fear in particular for their reputation and their integration into companies with Chinese culture. But, by multiplying attempts, resorting to headhunters and taking out the checkbook, some end up being convinced.

200% Deposit Bonus up to €3,000 180% First Deposit Bonus up to $20,000

The intelligence services alert

This approach works at first glance, because in Europe and the United States, the mentality is quite open when it comes to recruiting employees by rival companies, wherever they come from. Except that intelligence officials are starting to sound the alarm about these practices. Uncle Sam even considers that this is a deliberate tactic by this rival country to try to become a scientific and technological superpower.

The American newspaper cites in particular the case of Germany where these recruitments have taken on a political aspect. A new law was even almost voted in to prevent these poachings by companies from the Middle Kingdom. However, the fall of the government led by Olaf Scholz has complicated things.

Friedrich Merz, the leader of the Christian Democratic Union, who could well succeed him next year, wanted to be firm on this subject. He thus affirms that “German companies are also a target. And that is not acceptable.”

As expected, the Chinese Foreign Ministry is in complete denial. While it does acknowledge that China’s interaction with tech talent exists, it is no different from that practiced by other major powers. He also rejects the idea as a means of stealing intellectual property, calling it a “baseless slander”.

📍 To not miss any Presse-citron news, follow us on Google News and WhatsApp.

[ ]