beijing name your price this is the message to the worlds top scientists and technologists form the chinas central government which announced a special plan to lure 1000 foreign specialists in different disciplinesthe obvious purpose is to shop for the best brains at a time when the financial crisis has made specialists in many disciplines look for alternative jobs the government has already stated the basic price it is ready to offer by way of subsidy to local institutions for hiring one foreign specialist it is 146000 it has also offered them fundamental social security facilities that include medical care and pensionsit is looking for professionals who have developed technologies or patents and those who have set up their own businesses abroad and are familiar with international rules in a certain industry they need not remain struck in china all the time chosen candidates need to promise they would spend at least six months in a year in this country there is no deadline for sending applicationsthe announcement comes from the organizational department of the communist party of chinas central committee which makes appointments to most sensitive posts including senior positions in the government it also prepares profiles and dossiers that form the basis in the selection of ministers in central and provincial governmentsthe government recently made it clear it was keen on stocking up new technologies and encourage local companies to buy the latest in hightech equipments at a time when prices are falling due to the economic slowdown chinese premier wen jiabao announced a 24 per cent rise in budgetary allocation on technology development and offered interest rate subsidies to companies buying new technology to be selected a candidate must pass two appraisals by experts within the candidates same profession and a group of noted scholars entrepreneurs and venture investors xinhua news agency quoted a party official as sayingeligible candidates must be at least 55 years of age they should have an academic title equivalent to professor or currently work as a senior managing staff with a wellknown international company or banking institutionchinese employers have been permitted to appoint the new hires to be leaders of colleges research institutes central governmentcontrolled companies stateowned banking institutions or governmentfunded key research programsthe party has advised candidates to get in touch with local institutions involved in central governmentfunded innovation programs laboratories companies or stateowned banking institutions and hightech parks they may also send application directly to the ministry of human resources and social security the state administration of foreign experts affairs the allchina youth federation the china association for science and technology and the western returned scholars association