Chinese authorities are traditionally cautious: the residence permit is not permanent, and for now it is issued for a term of three or five years. However, according to Australian Laurinso Carlos, one of the first to receive a green card, this makes life easier and saves a lot of bureaucratic formalities. Laurinso has lived in China for 11 years, and he had to renew his visa 11 times. In addition, green card holders receive the right to visa-free entry into the country. “Living in China permanently is my long-standing desire,” Carlos told Xinhua with delight, showing the coveted document with a green cover.
Chinese officials say that issuing foreigners residence permits in China is China's most significant step in reforming the entry-exit and residence regime for foreigners in the PRC since 1949. For a long time after the founding of the PRC, various kinds of restrictions existed here with regard to foreigners. For example, in some parks they had a different entrance ticket price. They were allowed to live only in strictly designated hotels. In the early years of the reform and opening-up policy, special money was introduced for foreigners - the foreign exchange equivalent of the Chinese yuan. Now China has decided to take such a radical step to attract foreign specialists and foreign investment needed by the country's economy.
On the first day of issuing green cards, citizens of 12 foreign countries received residence permits in China, including the USA, Germany, France, Japan, Switzerland and Singapore. One of them has been living in Beijing for 20 years, reports NEWSru.