A total of 51 foreigners in Hangzhou, capital of East China's Zhejiang province, have been granted permanent residence status in China, according to a symposium held on June 12.

China's State Immigration Administration, officially set up in this April, have issued a total of 1,881 "green cards", or permanent residence permits to eligible expats over the past two months, including 51 residing in Hangzhou.

The permanent residence policy, an effort to draw global talents, is a significant move for the Chinese government in its attempts to further reform and open up, said an official from the Hangzhou Public Security Bureau.

The 51 expats who have got the "green cards" in Hangzhou are scientists, leading researchers, entrepreneurs, managerial staff and their families.

Restrictions have been loosened for certain applicants, according to the new policy. Expats who work in Hangzhou with a doctorate or above degrees, or have been working in the city for four consecutive years with at least 6 months period of stay, can apply for the permits.

A Russian woman whose Chinese name is Lu Aijia is one of the permit holders. Her husband is Chinese and she applied for the "green card" so they can live together as a couple in China. "With the residence permit, I'm going to work as a part-time teacher, to teach Russian or Chinese in Hangzhou," she said.

In the future, the Hangzhou Public Security Bureau will further streamline the application procedures for permanent residence permits to provide more convenience for expats, in the hope of building the city into a magnet for overseas professionals.

Expats who have been granted permanent residence status in China pose at a symposium in Hangzhou, capital of East China's Zhejiang province, on June 12. [Photo/zjol.com.cn]

Chinese permanent residence permits are issued to a total of 51 expats in Hangzhou, capital of East China's Zhejiang province. [Photo/zjol.com.cn]