Four foreign businessmen were recently granted permanent resident status in Tianjin， a municipality neighboring Beijing， as a reward for their contributions to China's economic development.
The four are Malaysian Pin Yong Lai， president of Motorola （China） Electronics Ltd.， Pung Jo Kwon from the Republic of Korea （ROK）， vice president of LG Chemical Ltd. and director of business in China， Tamura Tadashi from Japan， general manager of Mitsumi （Tianjin） Electric Co.， Ltd.， and Ho Bon Jun from ROK， chairman and general manager of Samsung （Tianjin） Electro-Mechanics Co.，Ltd.
Pin Yong Lai said he had always dreamed of gaining permanent resident status in China.
The Tianjin-based branch companies have become Motorola's important manufacturer of pagers and cellular phones. Last year，Motorola invested additional US$1.9 billion in these Tianjin-based factories and companies.
According to new rules set forth by the Chinese government，foreigners who make contributions to China's technological and cultural development are eligible for a Chinese "green card，" which exempts them from needing a visa to travel abroad in a five-year period. Their spouses and children are also welcome to live in China.
This is the third time Tianjin has bestowed permanent resident status to foreigners. One of the five former recipients is Shiing-shen Chern， a world-famous Chinese-American mathematician.
(Xinhua 02/18/2001)
