Evolving policy and law on migration

1980 The Nationality Law of The People's Republic of China allowed foreign nationals or stateless people to apply for Chinese citizenship or have it restored.

1983 The Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council jointly promulgated the Decision to Introduce Foreign Talents to Facilitate the Four Modernizations, and established the introduction of foreign experts as a strategic guideline for accelerating the Four Modernizations.

1985 The Law of The People's Republic of China on Entry and Exit of Aliens was adopted to facilitate international exchanges.

1996 The Ministry of Labor, the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation issued the Regulations of the Employment of Foreign Nationals in China and laid down specific administrative requirements for the employment of foreign nationals.

2002 The CPC Central Committee pointed out in the 2002-05 Guideline for National Talent Development that laws regulating investment and skilled immigration should be enacted to provide legal assurance to attracting and employing high-level overseas experts.

2002 The Ministry of Public Security and another eight ministries jointly promulgated the Regulations on Facilitating the Entry and Sojourn of Foreign Investors and High-level Talent which simplified the procedures for entering and leaving the country.

2003 China planned to formulate laws on skilled immigration.

2004 The Ministry of Public Security and Ministry of Foreign Affairs jointly promulgated the Administrative Measures for the Examination and Approval of Permanent Residence of Foreign Nationals in China and its Rules of Implementation, which established skilled migrants, investment migrants and family-reunion migrants as three categories of permanent residence in China.

2007 The State Administration of Taxation released Related Issues in Specifying Income Tax of Foreign Nationals, exempting foreigners from paying part of their income tax.

2008 The Recruitment Program of Global Experts (1,000 Talent Plan) was adopted to recruit top overseas scientists and experts back to China in the following five to 10 years.

2008 The Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee and other departments jointly distributed the Interim Measures of Introducing High-end Overseas Talent, Rules to Provide High-end Overseas Talent with Corresponding Work Conditions and Rules of Providing Special Living Conditions to High-end Overseas Talent, further supplementing the legal framework for skilled immigration.

2010 China's Medium- and Long-Term Talent Development Plan (2010-20) proposed implementing more-open talent policies and exploring skilled-immigration policies.

2011 The Recruitment Program of High-end Foreign Experts, an important supplement of the Recruitment Program of Foreign Experts, initiated by the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs, aims to recruit non-ethnic Chinese experts.

2012 The Exit and Entry Administration Law of the People's Republic of China was adopted.

2013 The Law of the People's Republic of China on Entry and Exit Administration of Foreigners was annulled on July 1.

China Daily

(China Daily Africa Weekly 06/27/2014 page15)