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    1. #1

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      Chinas Green Card

      China may give permanent residency to more foreigners, as the country's rapid economic growth attracts increasing numbers of expats.

      According to the state-owned China News Service (CNS), the Chinese government is considering widening the pool of people who are eligible for China's equivalent to the American green card.

      Currently, less than 5,000 foreigners are believed to have permanent residency.

      Qu Yunhai, a spokesman for the Ministry of Public Security confirmed on Sunday that a large number of foreigners had appealed to the Chinese government to relax its strict criteria, CNS reported.

      "Now the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are working together to draw up management measures for the system, which is expected to be released soon and will make a large impact on the administration of green card applications," he added.

      China only introduced its green card system in 2004, but foreign residents who do not have a family connection to China, such as a Chinese spouse, are rarely able to gain one. According to the Chinese government's website, candidates must satisfy a large number of criteria, such as having a highly responsible job, investing into the country and having made a “great and outstanding contribution to China”.
      Many applicants for the card are in fact overseas Chinese who, because they have foreign nationality, are denied Chinese citizenship.
      Gilbert van Kerckhove, a Belgian expat who has lived in China for over 30 years, said that it was “virtually impossible” to obtain a green card under the current system.
      The businessman only gained permanent residency in 2008, despite having acted as an advisor to the Chinese authorities, winning prizes for his contributions to the country, and being married to a Chinese woman.
      “China claims you can get a card according to a set of conditions, but in fact they rarely agree to grant one,” he said. “Beijing has given out a grand total of around 700, but keep in mind the majority went to returning overseas Chinese or were given as prestige gifts to VIPs who then do not reside here and lose their status quickly. People like me are a minority.”
      Foreigners barely account for a million of the Chinese population of 1.3 billion. But the Middle Kingdom's booming economy is increasingly drawing foreign businesses and workers.
      Experts have encouraged the Chinese government to view skilled foreign workers as an asset. However, some expats believe that growing anti-foreigner sentiment in the country – fuelled by a number of videos showing foreigners behaving badly which went viral after being posted online earlier this year – makes it unlikely any changes to the residency system will be in their favour.
      “What the Chinese government declares and what it does in practice are very different things,” said Mr van Kerckhove. “Overall, the feeling of expats here now is that foreigners are not so welcome anymore.”

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    3. #2

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      China has become an economical giant where Chinese have to give the permanent residency to foreigners. Now many people want to come their for education and for business as well and for the stability and more growth,Chinese must have to open their door for the purpose and for the betterment in trade and the business. So i must say that it is necessity and the bad need of the China too.
      Byron Quarter Holiday Apartments
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    4. #3

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      Permanent retirement in China is almost impossible and not very practical unless you are content to never own property mate. Health insurance for foreigners here in China is super costly and the health service provided is sub standard. If you are under 40, China is a blast and jobs are plentiful. As you age however, you become less and less employable. Even if you marry a local Chinese girl does not give you residency in China. They are not keen of foreign immigrants living permanently in their communities - in general. This attitude will grow as East-West tensions grow in the coming years as well.

     

     
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