During the Spring Festival holiday, the municipal Party secretary and mayor of Qitaihe specially visited representatives of external talents from various sectors who had returned to their hometown for family reunions. They engaged in discussions about the changes in their hometown and shared visions for future development. This longstanding emphasis on talent has consistently created more development opportunities for the city.

Shortly before New Year's Day, the Talent Work Leading Group Office of the Qitaihe Municipal Committee held a special seminar titled "Gathering Elites in the Champion City, Uniting Hearts to Write a New Chapter." During the event, nine projects brought by external talents were signed on the spot. This achievement is a direct result of the innovative efforts by the Qitaihe Municipal Organization Department to establish a "Database of External Talents from Qitaihe" and build an intellectual engine driven by external talent.

Harnessing the Strength of Expatriates According to information from the Qitaihe Municipal Organization Department, the Talent Work Leading Group Office has focused on developing external talent resources. Under the theme "Emotional Ties to Hometown, Discussing Development Together," they published "A Letter to External Talents from Qitaihe" on media platforms. Phrases in the letter, such as "We 'Seven'ly await your return, 'Tai'ke the city's spirit higher, and 'He'reate a better future with you," resonated deeply with many hometown expatriates striving elsewhere. Over 500 individuals proactively submitted their information, joining the external talent database.

The Qitaihe Municipal Organization Department assigned specialized personnel to conduct a comprehensive survey of the external talent information collected both online and offline. They systematically categorized and included 743 external talents originally from Qitaihe, covering fields such as economics, education, technology, and healthcare, laying a solid foundation for precise talent recruitment and utilization in the future.

Addressing the practical challenge of attracting high-end talent, Qitaihe innovatively introduced a "Specially Appointed Expert Talent" system. Certificates of appointment were issued to five leading figures in critical sectors including energy planning, ice and snow design, competitive sports, and healthcare. Flexible talent introduction mechanisms, such as "migratory bird" and "project-based" models, have achieved the flexible efficacy of "talent not necessarily being owned by us, but utilized for our needs." This approach reduces institutional costs associated with talent mobility while precisely aligning with urban development needs, providing a replicable model for talent reform.

External talents have not only brought technology and capital but also high-quality resources from upstream and downstream industrial chains. Nine cooperation projects in areas like digital infrastructure, biotechnology, healthcare, and agricultural product sales were signed on-site at the "Gathering Elites in the Champion City" seminar. This virtuous cycle of "attracting business through talent and revitalizing industries with talent" is transforming the talent dividend into industrial advantages, accelerating Qitaihe's progress in upgrading its coal chemical industry and cultivating emerging sectors. From "intellectual convergence" to "industrial implementation," Qitaihe is constructing a new framework for talent work amidst its transformational development.

Giving Back to Hometown Development The strong desire for talent from the Qitaihe municipal Party committee and government and the enthusiasm of talents to contribute to their hometown have created a mutual commitment through various对接 activities involving external talents. World champion Xu Aili has been a visible presence at significant sporting events held in Qitaihe, such as selection trials for the nation's first twelve-year consistent short-track speed skating sports school at the grassroots level and the inaugural "Ice Super" torch relay. Whenever her hometown calls, she appears without hesitation.

At a forum for external talents, Xu Aili stated, "Every step of my growth is indebted to the nurturing from my hometown. What particularly warms my heart is that the Qitaihe Municipal Committee awarded me the title of the first 'Qitaihe Elite' in the new era. This recognition not only gives me strong confidence to pursue my dreams but also allows me to genuinely feel the profound atmosphere in my hometown that respects, cares for, and helps talents achieve success. As a daughter of Qitaihe, I will continue to leverage my influence, actively participate in the construction of my hometown's sports initiatives and the promotion of the city's image, and wholeheartedly share the champion stories and development narratives of Qitaihe. I am also willing to do my utmost to provide technical guidance and share experiences with the youth of my hometown, helping more children realize their ice and snow dreams."

Han Dong, Deputy Director of the Planning Department at the Hydroelectric and Water Resources Planning and Design General Institute, was honored with the title of the second 'Qitaihe Elite' in the new era at the end of last year and was appointed as a Specially Appointed Expert Talent for Qitaihe City. Since 2022, applying his expertise, Han Dong has been deeply involved throughout the technical work related to the Boliji九龙 Pumped Storage Power Station project, with a total investment of 8 billion yuan. He contributed to the project completing its pre-feasibility study in 2023, achieving inclusion in the plan in 2024, and expects approval in 2025. The project is scheduled to commence construction this year and is projected to be fully operational by 2032. Upon completion, it will not only act as a "stabilizer" for the Heilongjiang power grid, accommodating surrounding wind and solar power integration, but also directly create employment opportunities. More excitingly, leveraging the upper, middle, and lower Jiulong reservoirs, Boliji County can develop the Jiulong Tianchi Tourism Area, integrating landscape scenery and snow sports, turning barren hills into tourist attractions and enabling local residents to increase their income right at their doorstep.

Han Dong remarked, "No matter how far I go, the changes in my hometown always tug at my heartstrings. Returning this time and witnessing my hometown's gradual transition from a 'coal city,' with its increasingly beautiful ecological environment, the gradual rise of emerging industries, frequent good news in sports, and the improving livelihoods of the people, fills me with immense pride. The Qitaihe Municipal Talent Office has established an excellent platform, giving us the opportunity to serve our hometown. I look forward to more fellow townspeople joining in the construction of our hometown, bringing back external technologies, ideas, and resources to form a powerful synergy for building our home together."

Co-creating a Brighter Future Every individual from Qitaihe striving elsewhere is a reliable "external brain" and "external support" for their hometown. Returning home and encountering the strong atmosphere of seeking talent and the vast stage for development, the expatriates feel a deeper love for their hometown and a stronger drive for entrepreneurship, all expressing their desire to contribute to Qitaihe's future development.

Zhang Jiaxin, President of the Jilin Province Heilongjiang Chamber of Commerce, said, "The Jilin Heilongjiang Chamber of Commerce brings together numerous enterprises in manufacturing and services. We are willing to take the lead in establishing a platform for industrial对接 between Jilin and Heilongjiang, promoting technical cooperation and production capacity complementarity between our hometown's advantageous industries like coal chemicals and new materials and relevant enterprises in Jilin. Simultaneously, we will organize Jilin-based enterprise delegations to visit Qitaihe for investment inspections, assisting our hometown in extending, supplementing, and strengthening its industrial chains."

Ding Quanyou, Chairman of Shandong Weijing Technology Chemical Co., Ltd., stated, "Weijing Technology is willing to take the initiative, collaborating with Shandong University of Science and Technology and park enterprises to jointly establish a pilot platform for fine chemicals, promoting the application and transformation of continuous flow technology. This technology can reduce production footprint by 90% and save energy consumption by 50%, injecting strong momentum into the green transformation of Qitaihe's chemical industry."

Zhuo Weiming, President of the Dalian Qitaihe Chamber of Commerce, said, "We will systematically analyze the alignment points between industrial transfer trends in Dalian and the Bohai Rim region, technological conversion achievements, and the needs of our hometown, providing precise investment information and cooperation leads. The chamber will also serve as a talent liaison station for Qitaihe in Dalian. While maintaining good contact and services for Qitaihe-origin experts, scholars, and entrepreneurs in Dalian, we will provide full support for Qitaihe's talent recruitment, intelligence gathering, and training activities in Dalian."

The high-quality development of Qitaihe requires gathering the powerful synergy of "one city, one family, one heart, working together, destined to win." The various activities for external talents have made every "homecoming" for Qitaihe's expatriates warmer, more meaningful, filled with greater anticipation, and more impactful.