Vice Head of Organization Department of Xiangyang Municipal Party Committee Liu Guoan notes that attracting outside talents has been a time-honored practice in Xiangyang, which had assembled more than 10,000 scientific research talents at the end of 1950s and 1960s to help build three railways, namely, Jiaozuo-Zhicheng, Hanxi-Danjiangkou, Xiangyang-Chongqing railways, and more than 40 defense and industrial enterprises and institutions. To hasten its development in the new epoch, the city once again opens its door to talents. A RMB50 million worth of talent fund, and RMB1 billion worth of industry development fund are well in place in the city. RMB200,000 of subsidy will be given to PhD degree holders who are engaged as vice-county level cadre, and RMB80,000 of subsidy will be given to master degree holders who are engaged as section-level cadre. A total of 618 high-end talents have been absorbed by the city from Tsinghua University, Peking University, Fudan University, and Huazhong University of Science and Technology.

Zhang Erli is one expert of national One-Thousand-Talent Scheme. Based on the bio-medical public technical platform Xiangyang has built for him at a cost of RMB6 million, Zhang and his team have made great breakthroughs in R&D of anticancer drugs and antilipemic agents, winning over RMB10 million of venture capital.

On April 3, Hubei Taihang Xinghe Aircraft Manufacturing Co., Ltd. obtained the manufacture patent and marketing license for its third commercial aircraft mode imported from USA, marking that Xiangyang is the hosting city to the first private enterprise in the nation capable to produce airplanes with eight seats per row. As early as last year, discloses Chairman Liang Shaofeng, the aircraft manufacturer has successfully invited Mr. and Mrs. Jack Joseph, former chief designers of one famed USA aircraft manufacturer, to his company in charge of R&D department.

Last year, Xiangyang has infused RMB288 million to Xiangyang City Talent Fund, accounting for 2.96% of general budget revenue. The figure will exceed 3.5% this year, far above 2%, the average provincial level and close to or even surpassing some eastern advanced regions.

Meanwhile, forceful reform measures also have been adopted by local government.

According to Guo Yi, Head of Xiangyang Administration for Industry and Commerce, new policies highlighting "six zero", namely zero restrict to investment main body, zero threshold for designation registration, zero down payment for registered capital, zero constraint on business scope, zero charge for registration, zero hindrance for license approval and issuance, have been put into effect in Xiangyang. At least 50 new business licenses have been issued on daily basis last year. About 61,000 new business players have entered into Xiangyang market last year, a 68.44% up over last year and nearly 40% higher than the average level registered in Hubei Province. Some 103,700 new jobs have been created in the city last year. Once again, Xiangyang was recognized by Forbes as the best city for start-ups in mainland China last year and is the finalist city surging quickest in ranking (up 9 spots in ranking order). The vital index of private economy is 0.578, the highest one in the province. In the first four months alone this year, additional 35,246 business players have been added to Xiangyang's market, a more than double rise over the same period of last year.

It is introduced by Zhang Xingrui, Vice Director of Xiangyang City Economic and Information Technology Committee, RMB200 million of fiscal investment has been earmarked to a fund dedicated to supporting start-ups from all spectrum of the society. University students having their internship in Xiangyang can be granted with an allowance of RMB500 monthly. The small-sum guaranteed loan available to private business owners increased from RMB50,000 to 150,000. As to mini-sized enterprises, 30% of their registered capital will be covered by government and 50% of the income tax they have paid within three years will be returned back as subsidy. In last year alone, Xiangyang has provided RMB94 million of subsidy to start-ups, RMB270 million of small-sum guaranteed loan, and exempted RMB22.8 million of various charges.