The State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs (SAFEA)
confirmed that China's first law on recruiting and hiring experts
from abroad is being considered. The new law may be promulgated as
early as this year to improve recruitment and protect foreign
employees' rights, said SAFEA Deputy Director-General Li Bing
Li told Xinhua in an interview that SAFEA has already prepared a
draft for consideration. It is designed to promote
internationalization and standardization of hiring practices and
improve recruitment procedures.
Senior experts in the fields of finance, law, international
trade and high technology are particularly sought after, according
to Li, especially in the western and northeast regions of the
country.
According to the National Statistics Bureau, every year China
hires more than 240,000 foreign experts. Since embarking on its
opening and reform program in the late 1970s, the country has
employed more than 2.5 million people from overseas in the fields
of agriculture, education, manufacturing and media.
Li said that in addition to their direct contributions,
international personnel exchanges promote mutually beneficial
cooperation between China and other countries.
"Through telling their experience in China, they let people in
their countries know more about China," Li said. "We welcome more
foreign experts to join us, and make full use of their knowledge to
assist China's economic development."
(Xinhua News Agency April 18, 2005)