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A proposal for improving the laws and regulations for foreigners working in China was submitted to the National People's Congress (NPC) on March 9, and preparation to amend the Law on Control of the Entry and Exit of Aliens is now under way.

Currently, the law stipulates how to punish foreigners who are illegally employed in China but not how to manage those who legally get jobs here.

As more expatriates come to China to work, such regulation is necessary, said Zhang Guangning, an NPC delegate.

He proposed introducing such changes to the law at the recently concluded annual NPC session in early March and also said the consequences for illegally employed expatriates in China should be more severe than they are now.

"Some expatriates come to China on tourist or business visas, but work here after entering the country," Zhang said.

Work and business visas should also come with tighter restrictions, which would encourage foreigners to find work in certain industries but steer clear of others, he said.

Zhang did not specify which industries the authorities should try to open to foreigners and which they should restrict.

Zhang suggested that, in the future, expatriates wanting to work in China should apply for work permits through labor administration agencies before getting visas at police stations.

According to the exit and entry administration of the Beijing municipal public security bureau, there are about 110,000 foreigners staying in the city for longer than six months, including 40,000 workers, 30,000 students, 30,000 foreigners who are not on a work or study visa and 10,000 diplomats or immediate relatives of diplomats.

The latest data released by the Beijing statistical bureau shows the population of Beijing is 16.5 million, with foreigners representing 0.6 percent.

However, some Chinese experts have said that foreigners need to account for at least 10 percent of the population before Beijing can call itself an international city.

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（中国日报网英语点津 Helen 编辑）

About the broadcaster:

Nelly Min is an editor at China Daily with more than 10 years of experience as a newspaper editor and photographer. She has worked at major newspapers in the U.S., including the Los Angeles Times and the Detroit Free Press. She is fluent in Korean and has a 2-year-old son.