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The first one is Bernard L. Feringa, a Dutch chemist who won Noble prize in 2016, he currently leads research team in East China University of Science and Technology.

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The another one is Kurt Wüthrich, a Swiss scientist who won Nobel prize in 2002, he currently leads a study team doing researches on G-protein-coupled receptors in Shanghai Tech University.

The two examples make many expats working in China envious, they complain disappointedly “ do we really need to win a Noble prize to get Chinese green card?”

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August 2004, China released the Administrative Measures for Expats’ Permanent Residence.

The document, which in line with international permanent residence mechanisms, rules explicitly the detailed preconditions for obtaining permanent residence, or Chinese green card, in China. (PS. The applicants should have no criminal backgrounds)

Following are the four preconditions, expats who in line with one out of four are eligible to apply the China’s permanent residence.

• An expat who has over 2 million RMB worth of direct investment in China, the investment is stable in three consecutive years and the expat has a good tax history.

• An expat who has titles like vice manager, vice plant manager, associate professor/researcher or enjoy other equivalent treatments. The tenures for all these titles should be at least four years and has a good tax history in at least three years.

• An expat who has special contribution to the country’s social or technological development.

• Spouse, offspring or relatives of an expat who has already obtained the permanent residence in China.

Due to the high threshold, only a few expats have successfully acquired a Chinese green card. In 2016, the Chinese Ministry of Public Security permitted permanent residence for another 1576 expats. 

And until then, the total number of Chinese green card holder just only reached nearly 10000, but there are more than 1 million expats working and living in China. Thus, holding Chinese green card is a true honor for expats.

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A report from Reuters says that China is now adding more importance to Chinese green card to attract more foreign talents to work in China. Those expats who have Chinese green card will find it more convenient to live in China.

June 2017, the Chinese government rolled out the Reform Plan on Facilitation of Expats’ Permanent Residence Certificate, it updated green card’s name from Residence Certificate to Residence Certificate Identity Card. 

Inside this card there is an in-built chip which can be identified by China’s 2nd generation ID card reader. 

That was a big move, meaning that the Chinese green card share some functions with average Chinese ID card and it can be used in more areas to make green card holders’ life in China more convenient and colorful.

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In the upcoming future, Chinese green card holders cannot only take high-speed train in China, but also can enjoy the same treatments to Chinese in many aspects of life. 

That includes purchasing a house, dealing with financial serves in banks, applying drive license or hotel register. Besides that, with the help of the green card they can also have social benefits like social insurance and public accumulation fund.

With fast-growing economy, China welcomes more foreign talents to the country, but it will continuously be strict on issuing green cards to make every green card count.

Reference:观察者（www.guancha.cn）

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