The Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement has further promoted the exchange of human resources between Shanghai and Hong Kong. And by November 23, 2003, the first batch of professional personnel introduced from Hong Kong had received all of their required documents from the city government.

There are 11 people involved and all mainly work in the service sector.

Their positions include financial investment managers, senior physicians, hotel managers, and a government posting.

It is the first time the municipality has absorbed Hong Kong professionals to work in local government positions, according to Lu Min, director of the Shanghai Municipal Personnel Bureau's project.

Hong Kong resident Fu Minsheng will step into the position of division chief of the Shanghai Municipal Civil Affairs Bureau, to head up social welfare affairs - especially those concerning the city's senior residents.

According to Wang Fumao, a top official of the bureau, Fu has a rich experience in dealing with social issues such as senility.

Wang added: "Fu obtained his bachelor degree at Shanghai Fudan University and his Master's in Britain majoring in sociology, thus his educational background not only enables him to understand the situation of Shanghai but allows him to see problems from an international perspective."

Shi Youyi, president of Shanghai Yunhai Industrial Co Ltd - which employed two hotel managers from Hong Kong - pointed out that besides their wealth of exposure to international practices, the Hong Kong recruits have more enthusiasm for their work and show great professionalism when compared with local personnel.

The rest of the employers shared the same opinion.

Lu said not only local employers but many Hong Kong professionals had shown great interest in the project.

She said since the recruiting information to hire 1,015 Hong Kong professionals was posted on the Internet on October 28, more than 3,500 people have responded.

Over 700 candidates had tele-interviews via the Internet for the first batch of positions.

Steve Lai, one of the 11 successful applicants, said: "I am very honoured to be invited by the Shanghai Huashan Hospital to work in the city."

Lai said there were dozens of reasons why he wanted to work in Shanghai.

"However, the biggest reason is that I really love the city and Shanghai is improving rapidly," he said.

Lai illustrated Shanghai's improvement by using taxi drivers as an example.

He has been to the city three times and during visits in 1996 and 1999, he was ripped off by drivers and given unsatisfactory service. Whereas in 2000, the attitude of the drivers had greatly changed.

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