Immigrant numbers growing in China's big cities, but pales to global meccas

Major cities on the mainland are attracting a growing number of immigrants from around the world, although the rate is still very low when compared with major international metropolises such as Singapore, Sydney and New York.

Wang Huiyao, president of the Center for China and Globalization, said the number of immigrants in Beijing had increased by more than 50 percent from 2000 to 2013 and now represents about 0.5 percent of the Chinese capital's total population.

"The figures are similar in Shanghai and Guangzhou," Wang said on Thursday during the presentation of the World Migration Report 2015 in Guangzhou, Guangdong's provincial capital.

More than 20 percent of the population in major international cities are immigrants, according to the report. In Sydney, London and New York, immigrants account for more than one-third of the population.

In Asia, Singapore ranked first in the percentage of immigrants: 34.7 percent in terms of the labor force and 38 percent of the country's permanent resident population.

Jill Helke, director of the International Co-operation and Partnership with the International Organization for Migration Headquarters, said economic development and globalization mean new economic centers and developing countries are now attracting more immigrants.

"The immigrants have contributed to the economic construction, social and cultural development in local cities," Helke said.

Wang said major cities in China, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Dongguan, will continue to attract a growing number foreign talent and immigrants in the years to come.

In addition to vast business opportunities and improved living conditions, many Chinese cities have introduced special preferential policies and rewards to lure foreign experts and technicians to settle down, Wang said.

"The mainland cities which are undergoing urbanization drives need to attract foreign talent to help support their economic construction," he added.

He urged the government to establish a special immigration department to help handle the influx of immigrants from around the world. Currently, immigration affairs on the mainland are managed by the public security department, while the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and Taiwan have created immigration departments.

"The immigration department can learn from successful experiences abroad to improve the management of immigrants and help them integrate with their local communities," Wang said.