A police officer checks a truck driver's passport at Horgas land port between China and Kazakhstan, Oct. 17, 2005, in Horgas, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, China. (Photo : Getty Images)
China is set to streamline the rules and processes for issuing permanent residence certificates to foreigners with "favorable treatments."
The reform serves to help the nation develop talents and respond to social concern, according to a statement issued by the Central Leading Group for Deepening Overall Reform on Monday.
The meeting approved proposals for the strengthening of local governments' foreign affairs work and the reform of supervisory mechanism of Chinese government agencies stationed abroad, the statement said.
President Xi Jinping, which heads the Central Leading Group, said senior officials should play key roles in pushing for and prioritizing new reforms related to foreign affairs.
In 2016, 1,576 foreigners became permanent Chinese residents, an increase of 163 percent over the previous year, according to the state-owned Xinhua News Agency citing official data.
"The reform should serve the nation's talent strategy, address concerns of the public, optimize the design of the credentials and improve the information system," the statement said.
The meeting also discussed reforms in training foreign affairs workers and foreign aid.
Current recruitment and selection should be enhanced to foster a team of workers involved in foreign services that are politically steadfast, professional in work, have a fine work style and strict in following discipline, the statement said.
The strategic layout of foreign aid should be optimized and the management of the funds and projects should be improved, it added.
In addition, the statement urged for the standardized development of non-government think tanks, asking them to prioritize social responsibility and study major projects of the Party and the state.
Participants in the meeting also agreed to improve the personnel system, payment, performance assessment, and dismissal systems within the country's major state media.
The reform should boost the sense of belonging and loyalty of state media personnel so as to foster the long-term and healthy development of journalism, the statement said.
The statement also tasked leading government officials to spearhead reforms and implement the reform decisions by the Party without delay and make sure the Central Committee's reform missions are properly carried out.
