Cityregisters10000thhaigui

From: Shenzhen Daily

Updated: 2007-08-22 00:08

THE number of Shenzhen-registered haigui, or Chinese nationals who have returned to the motherland after working or studying overseas, has reached 10,000.

Ling Xingyuan, who returned from the United States with a doctorate in biology, became the 10,000th registered haigui as he received a certificate from the city"s Executive Vice Mayor Liu Yingli on Monday, the Shenzhen Special Zone Daily said yesterday.

Ling, 44, who studied in Germany, Canada and the United States for seven years, said he was attracted by Shenzhen"s development.

"I was impressed with the government policies in attracting overseas returnees, the environment and good atmosphere for starting companies on my first visit to the city earlier in June," Ling said in the Daily report.

Ling said he hoped to land a job in the city"s entry-exit inspection and quarantine bureau.

Shenzhen has set aside more than 30 million yuan (US$3.95 million) each year since 2001 to help overseas returnees start their own businesses in the city.

Registered haigui enjoy a package of benefits from the government, including subsidies for buying homes and cars, and priority access to jobs.

The city"s administration of foreign experts told the newspaper that 80 percent of haigui in Shenzhen have a master"s degree or above, and 30 percent have chosen to set up their own companies.

A total of 730 enterprises have so far been set up by overseas returnees in Shenzhen, with a total investment of 3 billion yuan.

Next year, the city government will hold job fairs in Australia, and European and American countries to attract more Chinese professionals to return to work in Shenzhen.

Haigui, or "turtle," is the Chinese term for those who leave China to study and work overseas and come "swimming home" to take up high-level positions at multinational companies.

Since 1978, more than 1 million students have left the Chinese mainland to study abroad. But just a quarter of them had returned by the end of last year, statistics from the Ministry of Personnel reveal.

To lure overseas Chinese back to the motherland, the Ministry of Personnel and other Central Government agencies issued a joint document in March, promising a "green passage" for acclaimed scientists, engineers and top company executives who are willing to return to the mainland.