The city of Lishui in East China's Zhejiang province recently held a matchmaking conference for overseas Chinese from the city, during which more than 10 overseas Chinese businessmen had face-to-face conversations with officials from relevant local government departments.

They talked about policies aimed at encouraging overseas Chinese to return to their hometown and start businesses, as well as other related issues.

Lishui is a major hometown of overseas Chinese, with 415,000 overseas Chinese from the city living in more than 130 countries and regions. Eighty percent of the city's foreign exchange settlement funds are overseas Chinese funds, and its annual settlement of foreign exchange is $2 billion.

The municipal government has been striving to incentivize overseas Chinese to return to the city in recent years, and has issued a series of documents to help them start their own businesses.

At the end of January, a document encouraging overseas Chinese to return for entrepreneurship and innovation was released. It includes 30 preferential policies in seven categories, including a matching support of up to 10 million yuan ($1.56 million) for new research and development institutions established by overseas Chinese returnees.

Lishui is also planning to establish an overseas Chinese entrepreneurship and innovation service center, create a European style corridor, build an overseas Chinese museum, and set up an overseas Chinese venture fund, among other things.

According to the latest survey of overseas Chinese resources, there are 141 foreign-funded enterprises invested by overseas Chinese in Lishui, with a total investment of $828 million.

Statistics also show that in recent years, overseas Chinese from Lishui have donated 2 billion yuan to public welfare undertakings in their hometown.