An official with the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC) of the State Council said here Monday that 48 big state-owned companies plan to recruit employees from overseas.

At a scheduled recruitment meeting organized by SASAC, the 48 enterprises, including four of the world's top 500, will provide 146 posts for 228 professionals, said Zhao Zhao, a SASAC official.

More than 1,200 people who studied abroad, most of whom have master's or doctoral degrees, applied for the posts, Zhao said. Some of the candidates have worked for well-known multinationals.

"We welcome overseas professionals back to their motherland to work in big state-owned enterprises," Zhao said. "They might find exciting opportunities here."

Mandated by the State Council, the SASAC controls and oversees 186 big state-owned enterprises, which are vital to China's national economic and social development.