The city of Wuxi was not the first choice to locate Phoenix Semiconductor Telecommunication (Suzhou) Co Ltd.

"But it ended up as the best choice for us," said Qu Zhijun, general manager of the semiconductor company.

Qu had been the senior designer at International Rectifier Corp in the United States since 1998.

He returned to China in January 2008 with a technical team equipped with advanced technology skills and immediately started up Phoenix Semiconductor, which is being supported by Phoenix Arts Group in Wuxi.

Within a year after the company was established in 2008, the company had completed seven patent applications, and their products were ready for market.

The company expects sales to total more than 50 million yuan in 2010 and total more than 5 billion yuan in the following three years.

Qu said Wuxi`s municipal government provided the young company plenty of assistance when Phoenix Semiconductor first arrived.

"We feel they are enthusiastically looking forward to developing high-end technology industries in the city," he said.

Qu is not the only successful "sea turtle" (a Chinese person who has worked overseas and then returned to China) in Wuxi.

He is part of an aggressive talent-search program launched by the city in Jiangsu province.

The city`s project, the Thousand Talents Program, was first launched nationwide by the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee in January. The goal was to attract top international talent to work on the Chinese mainland.

Wuxi plans to invite 1,000 overseas professionals to start a business in Wuxi in the next five years, and expand that target to 2,000 invitations by 2020.

City leaders said the goal is to shift the region`s business focus from traditional manufacturing to original design, research and development work to become the "Eastern Silicon Valley" of China.

A shortage of high-end professionals has always been a challenge for China`s smaller cities such as Wuxi, which wants to attract sensor technology, new energy, new materials, biological medicine and software industries.

A mobilization conference was held by the Wuxi municipal government on Nov 16, attracting the participation of 100 local enterprises.

"After all, the key to competition between regions and countries is the level of professional talent," Yang Weize, secretary of a Wuxi municipal committee, said during the meeting.

To attract more skilled professionals and compete with other cities, Wuxi is offering benefits to startups that choose to stay, including 400,000 yuan to 1 million yuan in startup funds, offices at least 100 sq m in size and apartments for company employees.

"Wuxi has an abundance of private enterprises that are more flexible and efficient to co-operate with, compared with large State-owned enterprises," Qu said.

He received access to a 15,000 sq m semi-finished factory from the municipal government, which saved him time.

"Beyond business, they also helped in our daily life," he added.

For example, Qu said, he was able to easily switch from a US driver`s license to a Chinese driver`s license.

"Wuxi is not a big city like Beijing and Shanghai, but we got more attention and respect here as a new starter," he said.

Qu also received a two-bedroom apartment in the city`s Wan Ke high technology district, and he is also a shareholder, with a 30 percent stake in the company.

Wu Wei, the CEO of Cynovo Inc, is another successful applicant to Wuxi`s Thousand Talents Program.

"I appreciate the measures the municipal government has taken, which are based on the quality and the standards of the company instead of the length of time the company has existed," Wu said.

His company was established less than a year ago.

"Wuxi has the most mature environment for high technology industries." he said.