Over 1,500 expats granted work permits in Hainan

China's island province Hainan has granted work permits to 1,507 overseas talents from more than 80 countries across the world by the end of October, according to statistics from the Hainan Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs.

Mainly hailing from South Korea, Russia, the US, Thailand, Canada, and the UK, the expats have devoted themselves in tourism services, education, transportation, business services, as well as other industries and fields of Hainan. More than 80 percent of them hold bachelor degrees or above, and they have also injected great vitality into Hainan's development. 

Among the work permit holders, teaching and research personnel accounted for about 30 percent, corporate management personnel made up about 20 percent, while professional and technical personnel were among the rest. 

Since April of last year, Hainan has been actively engaged in attracting more overseas talents through various ways, including carrying out pilot reforms of international talent management, exploring the establishment of a global talent recruitment and service management system in line with international standards, implementing preferential policies for personal income taxes, as well as exploring convenient methods in the introduction of practical talents.

As the province pushes ahead with its construction of its pilot free trade zone and pilot free trade port, it has seen a significant increase in the number of talents from the countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative like Russia, Singapore, and Malaysia.   

Currently, the South China province is improving its management and services for expats by expanding the scope of applications for permanent residence of foreign talents, relaxing the scope of targets for issuing long-term visas and residence permits, broadening the areas of foreign talents introduction, as well as exploring the establishment of immigration service centers and sites in areas where there are dense populations of foreigners. 

Promising industries attract talents, who will in turn boost the development of the former. The relevant departments of Hainan are stepping up the formulation of foreign talent standards that are in short supply during its economic development, as well as relaxing the examination and approval procedures for the introduction of foreign technical personnel to work or start a business in Hainan.

They have also worked to promote the establishment of branches of world famous maker spaces in the province and support research institutes, as well as domestic and foreign universities in setting up special centers for technological transformation and R&D.

Foreigners dressed in traditional tangzhuang pose for a photo at a tourism attraction in Hainan. [Photo/hinews.cn]