I applied after being recommended by a friend who worked there. I got lucky, but I was far from a shoo-in - the process as a whole was very stringent and comprehensive. As I did not reside in Shanghai at the time, I initially had a Skype interview with a recruiter, which went well, after which I 'moved up the application pyramid' and had two more sessions with the two heads of department respectively. Questions were, for the most part, relatively standard, but each interview was rather extensive in terms of sheer number of questions; they left no stone unturned. Presumably they want only those genuinely serious and (mentally) prepared for relocation, and I represented that rather well. Do your research, know what you're getting yourself into!