Liu Zhihua, Vice Mayor of Beijing Municipality, said on January 16 that the Government is making more preferential policies for the returned postgraduates from abroad to carve out a career in Zhongguancun. He also presented "three gifts" for them, namely, "Regulations on Zhongguancun Science Park", offering more favorable terms and conditions for attracting talents and cutting housing prices in Zhongguancun.

Liu Zhihua made the aforesaid remarks at the Spring Festival Reception held for the returned students who are working in the Zhongguancun Science Park now.

Liu expressed that the Government is considering on more important moves for them.

The three gifts briefed by Liu are as following: first, breakthrough will be made in the new regulations to the ones prevailing now in China in over 10 aspects so as to provide the returned postgraduates from oversea with a better environment of legal security. Secondly, the government will furthermore give green light to enterprises set up by the returned students, i.e., any staff member in a suchlike enterprise, regardless of his/her permanent residence or nationality, s/he can apply to relevant departments for a permenant residence in Beijing if s/he is to going to be re-employed provided s/he has worked in the enterprise for three years on end. Lastly, the government will reduce the housing price to a reasonable level through macro-control, thus to minimize the inconvenience entailed by excessive high prices or rents of office buildings, apartments and dwellings.

As reported, since the announcement of the "Program for a Systematic Service to Returned Postgraduates for Starting up Careers in Zhongguancun Science Park" on June 22, 2000, 149 enterprises established by the returned postgraduates from overseas have obtained their business licenses already, indicating a positive trend of development.

(People's Daily 01/19/01)