Beijing's leading high-tech hub, the Zhongguancun Science Park, has vowed to attract more senior managers and money from overseas by making exit-entry services more convenient.

Starting next month, Beijing exit-entry administration authorities will adopt measures to decrease formalities and red tape for overseas talents and investors that enter the park, said Zhang Shuying, head of the Division of the Exit-Entry Administration of the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau.

The park was approved in May 1988 by the State Council. It is the first state-level development zone and boasts of the largest concentration of intellectual and science resources in the nation.

Foreign high-tech talents and senior administrative personnel and their families will be given residence cards ranging from one to three years and corresponding multiple-visas that can be renewed after they expire.

Five-year residence cards and multiple-visas could also be issued to those investors who have put more than US$10 million into the park.

Foreigners who enter China with tourist visas can apply for working visas so long as the host organizations provide testimonials.

Those too busy to apply for Chinese visas in their home countries can go through the formalities for port visas at the Beijing Capital International Airport by showing testimonials issued by the park's administrative committee.

And those who want to go to the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions for business will no longer face limitations on tariff and foreign exchange profits from exports.

Exit-entry administration division officials also said they would provide emergency services for the issuance of exit-entry certificates.

The new policies will spur development of the park, administrative committee officials said.

The park has maintained a more than 30 percent economic growth in the last decade.

The policies will be sped up to meet the demands of the World Trade Organization, now that China is a member.

(China Daily January 23, 2002)