Liaoning Provincial Overseas Chinese Affairs Office announces new initiatives to attract overseas Chinese to live and start businesses in the province at a meeting held in Shenyang on March 12.[Photo/Chinanews.com]

More efforts will be made in 2018 to attract overseas Chinese to work and start businesses in Liaoning province, Northeast China.

“More preferential policies should be enacted as a way to encourage overseas Chinese to contribute further to the province's economic and social development,” according to Ying Zhongyuan, director of Liaoning Provincial Overseas Chinese Affairs Office, at a meeting held on March 12.

Liaoning plans to establish an innovation and entrepreneurship base in Liaodongwan New Zone in Panjing city, dedicated to serving overseas Chinese who have intentions to start businesses in the province.

Meanwhile, Liaoning will invite experts on entrepreneurship to establish training courses and offer guidance to people who are not familiar with its business environment.

Liaoning had already made significant achievements in attracting investment and projects in 2017.

Statistics from Liaoning Provincial Overseas Chinese Affairs Office reveal that six overseas projects with a total investment of 9 billion yuan ($1.42 billion) were signed in 2017. Meanwhile, a batch of joint projects have settled in cities such as Shenyang, Panjing, Dalian and Dandong.

It is anticipated that Liaoning will become more popular with overseas Chinese thanks to the preferential policies on offer.