The number of foreigners living in Shenzhen of South China's Guangdong Province has been increasing drastically in the past years.

There are now 6,990 foreigners who live in Shenzhen City as permanent residents, said sources from exit and entry section of Shenzhen Public Security Bureau.

Shenzhen, which faces Hong Kong across a local river, is also one of the country's five special economic zones.

According to the sources, the rise in the number of foreigners in this southern Chinese city is a result of the increase in overseas-financed businesses which employ more foreigners as employees and a growing number of foreigners being hired to teach foreign languages at local schools.

China's economically developed coastal province of Guangdong is considering giving more foreigners with senior management or technical expertise the permits to stay permanently in the country.

In an interview with reporters, Cao Junming, head of Guangdong Provincial Administration for Foreign Experts Affairs, disclosed that his establishment, together with the provincial personnel bureau, has submitted a report about the subject for approval to the provincial government.

Cao explained that Guangdong, where export-oriented economy has been highly developed, has felt a more urgent demand to import talents from other countries and regions following China's entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO).

In the meantime, foreigners who have obtained permanent residence permits in China will enjoy national treatment and will find more convenience with their lives in the country.

In 2000, some 600,000 people from overseas worked in China, of whom, 160,000 were employed in Guangdong, which borders both Hong Kong and Macao.

Up to now, only 67 foreigners have been given the permits to stay permanently in China since 1989, said sources from the Chinese Ministry of Public Security.

According to the same sources, China will borrow the experience from international common practice and build a regular system of giving more qualified foreigners permits to stay in this country permanently or be allowed to enter China without a visa before 2003.

Permanent Residence is considered to be the highest honor for foreigners in China, who can enjoy favorable policies on visa and other issues.

In accordance with Chinese law, a foreigner acquired the qualification is entitled to enjoy the most favorable treatment when entering and exiting Chinese land, as well as traveling and residing in China. His spouse and children can also be approved to take up residence in China.

(People’s Daily December 7, 2001)