进入英语学习论坛下载音频

The local government in China's most populous city is cracking the door wider for those wanting to make it their permanent home.

Shanghai unveiled new rules Wednesday, elaborating on a policy that, for the first time, offers the option of permanent residency to talents from outside the city of 18 million.

But the rules immediately drew criticism for discriminating against many migrant workers.

The Shanghai municipal government announced in February it would approve permanent residency for qualified talents, easing its strict population control measures for the first time.

Details of who might qualify and who can apply were announced Wednesday.

To qualify for permanent residency, applicants must have held a Shanghai residency certificate and have been in the city's social security system for at least seven years. They must also be taxpayers, have obtained a vocational qualification at medium or high levels, have never violated family planning policies, and have clean credit and no criminal record.

Mao Dali, deputy director of Shanghai's municipal human resources and social security bureau, said more than 270,000 people from other provinces have been issued residency certificates since 2002 and 3,000 have held certificates for seven years.

In an online poll garnering opinions from among more than 1.6 million netizens on web portal eastday.com, more than 88 percent disagreed with the rules, saying Shanghai could not afford a bigger population. Nine percent said they were looking forward to finally becoming permanent residents and 1.28 percent said the rules were still too strict.

A netizen from Guangdong province said the drafters of rules were narrow-minded.

"It discriminates against poor people from other provinces," the netizen wrote.

"What about the six million migrant workers in Shanghai, who have contributed to the city's fast development?"

By the end of this year, Shanghai will have a population of 19 million, 6 million of whom will not have permanent residency.

（英语点津 Helen 编辑）

About the broadcaster:

Siberian-born Kristina Koveshnikova is a freelance journalist from New Zealand who has worked in print, television and film. After completing a BCS degree majoring in journalism, she won an Asia NZ Foundation/Pacific Media Centre award to work for China Daily website. Kristina previously did internships at ABC 7 News in Washington DC and TVNZ in New Zealand and has written for a number of publications, including The New Zealand Herald and East & Bays Courier.