China to Adjust Immigration Policy to Attract Overseas Skills

Xinhua, 12 June 2002

BEIJING, June 12 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese government will draft new immigration rules in an effort to create more favorable conditions for skilled foreigners to live and work in China, according to the country's 2002-2005 professional personnel- building program.

Under the program, the new laws will allow long-term and permanent residence for overseas professionals working in China's industries involved with new and much-needed technology.

The program emphasizes that relevant departments should frame and implement action plans to attract those skills the country urgently needs. They include expertise in information technology, bio-technology, new materials and manufacturing technology, as well as aviation and space technology.

Such sectors as finance, law, international trade, science and technology management are also on the list.

The government will provide the professionals with high pay, key laboratories and research facilities.

The government will also offer preferential policies to encourage Chinese students abroad to return to the homeland or contribute in a specific way to its development, such as serving the country through cooperative projects, part-time work, academic inspections, lectures and vacations, or professional consultancies to domestic firms.

Governments at various levels should keep trying to improve services for fledgling high-tech ventures and businesses set up by returned students.

The program emphasizes that governments at all levels should fully trust returned students, give them enough responsibility to demonstrate their skills, and select elite professionals to administrative ranks.

The state will improve policies on housing, medical care, children's education and employment of family members of returned students, and make policy adjustments concerning salary, residency permits and investment matters, in order to create favorable living and working conditions for them as soon as possible.

To attract and employ senior overseas professionals, a government job-vacancy web site will be set up to help them with employment. More intermediary agencies to help them find appropriate jobs in China.