Officials with foreign workers' office say Deng's policy boosted nation

China has gone from being a country with few foreigners to an emerging hub that has drawn global talent in the past three decades through the foresight of late leader Deng Xiaoping, say officials with the department that oversees attracting and managing international professionals.

Deng's talks that set out China's strategy of recruiting overseas talent remain inspiring and instructive even today, said Zhang Jianguo, director of the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs.