LANZHOU - Gansu province in northwestern China on Thursday granted two foreigners with permanent residence cards, or the Chinese version of "green cards."

It is the first time for the province to grant such cards since 2004, when China allowed issuance of permanent residence cards to foreigners.

According to the exit and entry administration under the public security bureau of Lanzhou, capital city of Gansu, the two foreigners were Fu Qiang and Wang Muyin, a scholar and his spouse.

Fu and Wang are American-born Chinese, and their green cards were granted based on an overseas talents program of Lanzhou University.

Yao Hanzhong, head of the administration, said the issuing of the green cards is to bring more overseas talents to Gansu to start businesses or to improve the research work of local research institutes.

The number of foreigners who permanently stay in Lanzhou is continually on the rise, over 1,000 at present, and among them 160 are professors or scholars.

Foreigners who hold Chinese green cards can stay in China without time limit and are entitled to skip the visa procedures when they cross the border.