For the fourth consecutive year, Guangzhou has won the title of most popular city among foreigners, sending out 1,220 green cards in 2016 to attract foreign talents, the Guangzhou Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau announced in a meeting on Feb 23.

Guangzhou witnessed an influx of high-level talents in 2016. Sixteen experts have been successfully recommended to receive special government allowances from the State Council, nine innovation bases have been set up for post-doctors and 15 High-End Foreign Experts Projects have been launched.

The city has received huge attention for its move to green light a total of 1,220 foreign experts to build a smart city.

Guangzhou will continue helping and supporting high-level talents who come to Guangzhou to find jobs, as well as initiate programs for college students to find employment and start businesses.

In order to improve the city's core competitiveness, Guangzhou has endeavored to build a supporting system integrating government, market and finance for overseas Chinese and foreigner talents wanting to start a business or realize their innovative ideas in Guangzhou.

Guangzhou has also held several competitions, technical exhibitions and talent programs to attract first-rate talents at home and abroad, including the formation of a cooperation demonstration zone for Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao.

China's most influential and largest overseas talent project exchange platform, the 2017 Convention for the Exchange of Overseas Talents and the 19th Guangzhou Convention of Overseas Chinese Scholars in Science and Technology, will also soon be held.

Additionally, Guangzhou has introduced a "green channel" this year for high-level talents to function in the role of a "green card".