Xuzhou city in Central China's Jiangsu province has an ambitious plan to recruit global talents from world-class universities, said Yang Shiyun, municipal Party chief in charge of human resources.

Yang heads a delegation to Cambridge, which includes more than 10 local entrepreneurs seeking graduates to help them in business, as well as heads of local schools that hope Cambridge graduates may join them in promoting local education.

Lei Fengyun, vice director of the cultural and education experts department at the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs (SAFEA), praised Xuzhou's efforts. China needs to use global human resources for its development, he said, adding that the SAFEA has always recruited experts from around the world and he hopes Xuzhou can benefit too.

Robin Driver, chairman of the UK China Cultural exchange society, an NGO with 20 years' history, said Cambridge welcomes China to find the talents it needs. Having traveled to China 20 to 30 times, Driver knows Xuzhou is an important city in terms of industry and agriculture and he said graduates and experts from Cambridge can help boost its development.

Jeremy Benstead, deputy mayor of Cambridge, said he was impressed by a video of Xuzhou it stressed a friendly living environment and green technology.

"Cambridge is a city founded on education, an old city that goes back a thousand years, but also a young city, because the university brings a huge number of young people", Benstead said.

The tour could not be more beneficial to enterprises like his, said Liu Ye, manager of Xuzhou-based Huari Chemical Industry Co, Ltd. Talents are of special importance and he is confident they will get what they need from the tour.