China has quietly revived its elite scientist recruitment program, the Thousand Talents Plan (TTP), under a new name and format called Qiming. The revamped initiative aims to attract foreign-trained scientists to accelerate China’s technological proficiency and achieve self-reliance in semiconductors amid US export curbs.

Qiming offers attractive perks such as home-purchase subsidies and signing bonuses ranging from $420,000 to $700,000. Despite concerns about intellectual property theft and political risks, thousands of applicants have applied, many with doctorates from top US universities, including MIT, Harvard, and Stanford.