The move is part of efforts to improve the overseas investment environment in the province.

The 61 foreign experts, from Japan, the United States, Germany, France, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Malaysia and Madagascar, are senior executives and professionals at the foreign-funded enterprises in the provincial capital's Hangzhou Economic and Technological Development Zone.

"The foreign-expert certificates improve our social status in China," said Kazuho Oishi, general manager of a Japanese-invested medical products company.

Import of foreign talents is a long-term policy for China to push forward its opening-up drive, Wang Ying, deputy director of the Department of Economic and Technological Experts of the State Bureau of Foreign Experts, said at the certificate issuing ceremony.

According to the rules of the certificate, the holder does not need to have an employment card for working in China and may apply for a multi-entry visa to the country.

More than 3,000 foreign experts came to work in Zhejiang in each of the past few years.

Nearly 9,000 foreign-funded enterprises have gone into operation in Zhejiang, most of which are located in eight national and 53 provincial economic and technological development zones.

(Xinhua News Agency September 12, 2002)