China is attracting more "foreign experts" to work in the country due to rapid, stable economic achievement and improved working environment.

The annual number of foreign experts has risen to over 400,000, said Zhang Jianguo, deputy director of the State Bureau of Foreign Experts Affairs.

In the early years of the opening-up, foreign experts worked mostly in the fields of production, education and news publishing, said Zhang. However, he added, nowadays their choices extended to law, finance, major projects and governmental affairs covering all Chinese provinces, autonomous regions and cities.

Zhang was speaking at a seminar marking the 20th anniversary of Deng Xiaoping's speech on "utilizing foreign intelligence and expanding the opening to the outside world" held in Lanzhou, capital of Gansu Province, northwest China.

In 1983, late senior Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping spoke of the importance of utilizing foreign intelligence to speed up China's modernization drive. "China must invite foreign experts to major projects and developments in all fields," said Deng.

Since then, the number of foreign experts working in the country has increased rapidly. And more than 600 foreigners have been given "Friendship Awards" by the Chinese government.

China would continue to improve legal systems and the working environment so as to attract more foreign experts, Zhang said.
 
(Xinhua News Agency September 24, 2003)