Most foreign employers in China's economic hub of Shanghai regard their local employees as shrewd and capable, according to a latest survey.

By the end of last year, 1.55 million people had worked in foreign-invested companies in Shanghai.

According to findings of the questionnaire-based survey, which were unveiled on Monday, 59.6 percent of the 213 foreign-funded companies polled said the most outstanding characteristics of their local employees were shrewdness and competence.

About 40.4 percent of the respondents said the employees' mindset of daring to compete impressed them most, which was followed by diligence, honesty and awareness of teamwork.

The survey was jointly conducted by the Shanghai consulting center for WTO affairs and the Shanghai association of foreign-invested companies.

Official statistics show that the 1.55 million local employees in approximately 40,000 foreign-funded enterprises in Shanghai last year earned 57.9 billion yuan (US$7.2 billion) in salaries.

(Xinhua News Agency August 8, 2006)