Labour mobility is one of the engines that drive globalization. And the Chinese are the largest group of people on the move.

A United Nations report released on Tuesday by Secretary-General Kofi Annan found that China sent the largest group of migrants 35 million people abroad last year.

And China has been emerging as one of the new destinations for foreign migrants.

Part of the reason for this is that China, along with Australia and Japan, has attracted an increasingly large number of foreign students in pursuit of a higher education.

In addition, recent years have witnessed the massive return of overseas-trained Chinese. In a reversal of the century-old pattern of Chinese immigrants leaving their families to seek their fortune in foreign countries, these overseas-trained Chinese, or "sea turtles" as they are nicknamed, are swimming back home.

This signifies that the development of their homeland is sufficient to match their ambitions. This number of returnees is expected to be higher in the future, mainly as a result of the steady growth and greater stability of the Chinese economy.

Favourable business policies and better job opportunities are the main attractions.

In addition, China has opened itself to those foreigners who can assist its development. It started its own "green card" system in 2004, allowing foreigners to apply for permanent residence in China.

This significant move was taken by the Chinese Government in order to adapt to economic globalization.

Eligibility for permanent residence in the country mainly applies to high-level foreign personnel who hold posts in businesses which promote China's economic, scientific, technological or social progress, foreign citizens who make relatively large direct investments in China, foreigners who have made outstanding contributions or are of special importance to China, and foreigners who come to China to be with their families.

The government's policies to open the country wider to the outside world have facilitated our growth on all fronts.

In addition, migrants from China are of great significance to this country. The remittances they sent home totalled US$21.3 billion in 2004.

The example of China is the positive note in Annan's 90-page report about the world's 191 million migrants, a report which urges all nations to take better advantage of the huge spurt in their numbers.

The document will serve as an important source of information for UN member states, who are set to put their heads together for two days in September on how to co-ordinate immigration policy worldwide, the first time the General Assembly will consider this issue.

Annan's report offered proposals to reduce human trafficking, lower the cost of sending money back home and figure out new ways to entice highly educated citizens to return home.

Given that 2.94 per cent of the world population is on the move, broad international co-operation is necessary to assure that the rapid growth in global migration should help, not harm, all countries.