SHANGHAI: Eighteen foreigners and overseas Chinese were awarded permanent residence permits yesterday at the Shanghai Municipal Public Security Bureau.

Ten of them came personally to receive their Alien Permanent Residence Permits, also referred to as Chinese "green cards," the first permits to be issued in Shanghai.

A ceremony to present the permits was attended by city leaders and consulate officials.

The group includes expatriates working as company heads or university professors in Shanghai, their families and people who are recognized by the Shanghai municipal government as having made a great contribution to the city.

"I feel very honoured to become one of the first people to be given a permit. This will definitely ensure more convenience in travelling and living in China," said Chen Yiyao, a 73-year-old Chinese American.

Chen migrated to the United States in 1945 and started to travel between China and the United States for business.

"I even needed to apply for passes to travel inside the country when I first came back to China in 1979," Chen told China Daily.

Chen held a residence permit before he acquired his Chinese "green card."

"I had to renew my residence certificate once in a while with the old permit," said Chen.

And with the old-style permit, foreigners can only live in the city where they acquire residence.

The new permit allows its owner to enter and leave China as long as he or she shows a passport and the permanent residence permit.

The term of the new permit is five years for people under 18 years old and 10 years for people above 18.

"When it expires, the owner simply has to renew it at a local entry and exit department," said Lou Pengying, an official from the Entry and Exit Department under the Public Security Bureau.

"And with the new permit, people can live in other cities in the country."

He added, "For the children of permit holders, they can apply for school just like local students. They don't have to bother with complicated procedures."

"Shanghai has been very supportive of foreigners and with the new permit I can enjoy almost the same conveniences as I would if I lived in New York," said Peter Borger, executive vice-president of Siemens Shanghai.

Borger said he still wants to come back to Shanghai even after retirement, hoping to contribute more to Sino-German business development.

Last August, the State Council issued a regulation on granting the new permit to foreigners in China.

'Green cards'

Beijing Municipality and Guangdong Province each issued 11 and six Chinese "green cards" respectively last month.

"Foreigners in China can go to local entry and exit departments to apply for the permit with required documents showing they have invested above US$500,000 in China and have good tax records," said Lou.

"Or if they work in important positions in big enterprises or top universities, or they need to come to China for family reasons."

More than 160 foreigners in Shanghai have applied for the permanent residence permit, he added.

There are reported to be around 74,000 foreign residents in Shanghai, one-third of the more than 200,000 in the country.

(China Daily 04/13/2005 page3)