Overseas Chinese offered longer stays than before

Overseas Chinese will be able to apply for longer periods of temporary residence in China from June 1, the exit and entry administration bureau said Sunday.

"There are growing numbers of Chinese with foreign passports coming to visit relatives or put their kids through education in China over recent years, but they can normally only be granted with a temporary visa of up to one year," said a press release from the Bureau of Exit and Entry Administration of the Ministry of Public Security.

The bureau said there were 16,000 temporary visas granted in Beijing in 2009, with another 5,000 in the first five months of this year.