Immigrants to China more diversified

Beijing (CNS) -- The 21th century is seeing more foreigners emigrating to China to settle down here by choice, according to Professor Li Minghuan at Xiamen University, Tuesday.

During the last century, most foreign immigrants were dispatched to China rather than personally selecting their new home. In the recent two decades however, foreigners have come to China for investment opportunities, studies, teaching positions, even job hunting or electing to retire here. Marriages draw them, or simply the inclination to find a Chinese spouse. Li's study on foreign communities on the Chinese mainland reveals this and more.

Non Chinese residents mainly hail from Korea, Vietnam, Arabia, Nigeria, Libya and Congo. They have shaped their respective urban "tribes" and renamed popular residential zones , such as Korean City in Beijing, the Mideast Street in Yiwu of east China's Zhejiang Province, and Chocolate City in Guangzhou , south China's Guangdong Province.

Unfortunately, China still lacks precise official statistics, and it has yet to make laws for a population that is increasingly integrating into the Chinese society.

Chinese legislators and administrators are called upon to make laws and regulations in light of a globalizing country, commented Li.