A science commission senior official believes that Shanghai is in need of more "open and flexible" policies to attract more international experts into the city in order to expand its global clout.
Shanghai Science and Technology Commission Director Shou Ziqi announced the city's plan to introduce brand new policies that conform to global practices in order for the city to attract more professionals from the international community.
According to Shou, the city needs to establish "a relaxed cultural atmosphere" if it wishes to attract specialists into Shanghai, which could help them achieve their goal to become a globally competitive and respected city in the world.
As part of this move, Shou vowed to the Shanghai People's Congress that professionals would be given ample "opportunity to achieve their goals and be fully respected, as well as live in a comfortable environment."
To support this, Shanghai Foreign Experts Affairs Administration Deputy Director Huang Weimao declared that the local government would be offering foreign professionals more "supporting preferential policies" such as commercial medical insurance.
"These policies aim to ensure foreign professionals have fewer troubles and can settle down in the city," he added.
Furthermore, the government should commit to lending a hand to foreign professionals, especially with their social security, medical necessities, their children's education and their accommodation, Shanghai's leading political adviser Wu Zhiming explained.
"Only a better environment can attract more international professionals and see them settle here," Wu added.
As of recent records, foreign experts living in Shanghai have already reached 88,000, with 626 of them working for the national government, while most of them are currently working as consultants and professors in local universities, state-owned companies and several research facilities.