Beijing granted 13 foreigners permanent resident status Tuesday, local police sources said.

Since China adopted a policy akin to the "green card" policy in the United States last year, Beijing has given a total of 131 foreigners permanent residency, according to Ma Zhenchuan, head of the Municipal Public Security Bureau.

"The 'green card' simplifies the procedure of applying for a Chinese visa and renewing it over and over again," said Wu Ying, the Chinese-American CEO of the US technological giant UT Starcom, who is among the 13 new green card receivers.

According to Du Taiyuan from the municipal public security bureau, Beijing has seen a surge in the number of overseas visitors recently. In 2004, the city's Exit-Entry Administration office recorded foreign visitors of 2.58 million person-times, 30 times as much as the number in early 1990s.

(Xinhua News Agency November 24, 2005)