The policy stipulates that college graduates urgently needed byHong Kong financed hi-tech enterprises or Beijing-Hong Kong joint ventures can easily get Beijing "Hukou" or permanent residency even though they are not Beijingers.

Beijing, with a population of more than 13 million and a large number of people outside its area seeking entry every year, exercises strict controls on the granting of residential rights.

The green light shown to Hong Kong investors is part of a municipal government move to hasten exchanges between skilled personnel from both areas in order to improve economic cooperation.

Recently, Beijing mayor Liu Qi, on behalf of the municipal government, presented six major steps to stimulate Beijing-Hong Kong economic cooperation.

Statistics show that as a major economic partner and the largest investor in Beijing, Hong Kong had set up 6,230 enterprises in Beijing by the end of September, with total contract investments of nearly US$16 billion.

(eastday.com November 16, 2001)