Proposal aims to attract foreign talent

Members of the Shanghai Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) pushed Monday for the local government to make it easier for foreign professionals to come work in the city.

Although Shanghai is home to one-quarter of China's foreign residents - the largest number in China - they account for only a tiny fraction of the city's overall population.

"Immigrants make up about one-third of the local populations in most of the world's international metropolises, yet foreigners account for less than 1 percent of Shanghai's population," said CPPCC member Su Wenjun, vice president of YK Pao School in Shanghai. "There is a lot of room to grow."

Shanghai had about 173,000 foreign residents at the end of 2012, up by 6.7 percent from the previous year.

Su is an Oxford University graduate who grew up in Hong Kong. He has worked in London and in Silicon Valley in the US. He has been living in Shanghai for the past six years.

In his proposal to the municipal government, Su recommended that the city change its existing policies governing foreign professionals who work in Shanghai.

Su wants Shanghai to attract more new foreign graduates who might not qualify for visas under the current rules, which require work experience.

"Currently, recent graduates from overseas universities cannot apply to work in Shanghai until they have had two years of related working experience," Su said.

Katherine Arnold, 25, from the US, hopes the policy will become more open for foreigners. "We have to work in the same industry for two years to get a visa in China, but most of us change jobs frequently in related industries," she told the Global Times Monday.

Su suggested that Shanghai follow in the footsteps of other countries that have succeeded in attracting talented young professionals. He gave the example of the Optional Practical Training program in the US, which allows overseas students to work in their field in the US for one year after they graduate.

He also suggested that the city could put more effort into creating a more comfortable living and working environment for foreign professionals. "In Hong Kong, foreign teachers on average work for seven years in the region, while it is only three years in Shanghai. Many foreigners tell me that it is difficult to stay in Shanghai for a long time because they feel the city is not tolerant enough of foreigners," Su said.　

As an international city, Shanghai should be able to attract a more diverse group of professionals.

"For example, the well-known English National Ballet has seven main actors, none of whom are British. But in Shanghai, four major actors are all local Shanghainese," Su said.