Shanghai luring top Beijing graduates

Graduates from two top universities in Beijing will be granted fast-track Shanghai household registration authorization if they choose to work in the financial hub, according to a new policy issued by the city's education commission.

Under a pilot program, those with bachelor's degrees from Peking University or Tsinghua University who have been offered jobs in Shanghai will be granted preferential treatment in their applications for Shanghai household registration permits, or hukou, which afford holders a full range of benefits including pensions, healthcare and child education stipends as well as auto and apartment purchasing quotas.

The policy comes at a time when a long list of Chinese cities - including Beijing, Tianjin and Shenzhen - have offered to provide various incentives to attract talent, including hukou privileges.