Going for green

A Yemeni computer-science engineer and entrepreneur shares the story with Zhang Zefeng of how he became one of the first foreigners to get permanent residence through a pilot program in China's "Silicon Valley".

Yemeni Ahmed Alsayadi never imagined he'd join a rare species among expatriates in China when he decided to study in the country after graduating from high school in 2005 - that is, a Chinese "green-card" holder.

He knew little about the country before attending university in Hefei, East China's Anhui province, but had noticed the rising profile and was curious about its history.