Immigrant numbers rise in cities

Business opportunities, better living conditions are seen as key attractions on the Chinese mainland

Major cities on the Chinese mainland are attracting a growing number of immigrants, although the rate is still low compared with major international metropolises such as Singapore, Sydney and New York.

Wang Huiyao, president of the Center for China and Globalization, says the number of people born in foreign countries who work and live in Beijing rose by more than 50 percent between 2000 and 2013, and now accounts for about 0.5 percent of the population.

"The figures are similar in Shanghai and Guangzhou," Wang said during the presentation of the World Migration Report 2015 in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province, on March 17.

The population of immigrants in major international cities ranges from 20 to 80 percent, according to the International Organization for Migration. In Sydney, London and New York, for example, they account for more than one-third of the population.

In the Asia-Pacific region, Singapore ranked highest in the percentage of immigrants, who account for 34.7 percent of its labor force and 38 percent of its permanent residents.

Wang says major cities in China, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Dongguan, also Guangdong province, will continue to attract a growing number of foreign talent and immigrants.

In addition to vast business opportunities and improved living conditions, many Chinese cities have introduced preferential policies and rewards to lure foreign experts and technicians to settle there, Wang predicts.

"Mainland cities undergoing urbanization drives need to attract foreign talent to help support their economic growth," he adds.

The government issued a document in February to lower the threshold for Chinese green cards, or permanent resident permits, making more foreigners in different industries eligible to apply and in a simpler way.

Jill Helke, director of international cooperation and partnership at the International Organization for Migration, says economic development and globalization mean new economic centers and developing countries are attracting more immigrants.

"The immigrants have contributed to the economic construction, and social and cultural development in local cities," she says.

Gao Xiang, a spokesman for the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs, says: "Compared with before, the contribution by foreign talent to China has been recognized significantly. This shows the importance we attach to talent and helps to build Chinese attractiveness to global talent."

Wang suggests the government should establish a special department to help handle the influx of immigrants. Currently, the Ministry of Public Security handles all immigration affairs.

zhengcaixiong@chinadaily.com.cn