A bird's-eye view of Nantong. [Photo provided by Xu Congjun to en.nantong.gov.cn]

Permanent residence permits for foreigners, or Chinese "green cards", epitomize Nantong's efforts to attract overseas talents and further open up to the outside world.

When opening-up policies began to be implemented in China in the late 1980s, numerous foreign businesspeople complained about the complicated procedures required when applying for Chinese visas and the short validity.

Huang Hequn, the then deputy secretary-general of the Nantong CPC Municipal Committee, said that a number of foreign businessmen in Nantong asked for simplified entry and exit procedures, and that their desire to become a member of the city also grew stronger.

Issuing permanent residence permits to foreigners in Nantong was something of a novelty at that time.

However, as regulations were implemented in the country, it gradually became possible. In 2004, president of Toray Sakai Weaving & Dyeing (Nantong) and two other South Koreans became the first foreigners to receive the permit in Nantong.

Huang explained that the introduction of a permanent residence system for foreigners in Nantong will not only make the city more open, but turn it into a magnet for foreign investors and high-level talents, thereby contributing to the city's economic development.

The benefits of the permanent residence permit policy are now being effectively realized in Nantong, providing many foreigners with access to high-quality and efficient services in both work and daily life.

Currently, nearly 100 foreigners in Nantong have been granted permanent residence permits, around 70 percent of whom are high-caliber talents.