In accordance with the country's 2002-05 professional personnel-building program, the new laws will allow long-term and permanent residence for overseas professionals working in those Chinese industries involved with new and much-needed technology.
The program emphasizes that relevant departments should frame and implement action plans to attract people with skills the country urgently needs. They include expertise in information technology, biotechnology, new materials and manufacturing technology, as well as aviation and aerospace technology.
The government will provide foreign professionals with high pay, special laboratories and research facilities.
To attract and employ senior overseas professionals, a government job-vacancy website will be set up. And more intermediary agencies will be set up to help them find appropriate jobs.
Preferential policies to encourage Chinese students abroad to return to the homeland, or to contribute in some way to its development, are also part of the government's framework.
The students could serve the country through co-operative projects, part-time work, academic inspections, lectures and vacations, or act as professional consultants to domestic firms.
Local governments should keep trying to improve services for fledgling high-tech ventures and businesses set up by returned students.
The program emphasizes that governments should fully trust returned students, give them enough responsibility to demonstrate their skills, and promote well-trained professionals to the administrative ranks.
(China Daily June 13, 2002)
