SHANGHAI: Overseas professionals in Shanghai were lauded by the local government yesterday for having a positive impact on the city's development.

At the end of 2006, more than 178,000 returning Chinese who studied abroad, foreign experts and Chinese from places such as Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan held jobs in various fields in the city.

So far, Chinese returnees have registered more than 3,600 enterprises in the city and more foreign experts are arriving every day.

Paul Brookbanks, an architect with the Australian firm Edaw, has been in Shanghai for four years. "China is developing fast and has a different culture, and I want to be part of it," he said.

Shanghai is home to the highest number of foreign professionals in China, the Shanghai Municipal Personnel Bureau reported.

They were cited for making a difference in the city's technology innovation and economic development.

For example, overseas experts played a key role in the original design of SAIC Motor's first locally produced sedan, a release from the bureau said.

In addition, they played roles either as supervisors or leaders of projects involving the construction of Yangtze River tunnel and bridge, the widest spanning bridge and tunnel, the construction of Yangshan Deepwater Port, development of clean energy-powered car and the development of Chongming Island.

Lin Yufeng, a manager with the Yangtze River tunnel and bridge construction project, said that overseas professionals were key to the project's success.

"They took control of the construction quality since it started and have warned us in advance of some potential problems," he said. "We've also learned a lot of advanced concepts from them, which will help our company expand in the future."

The Shanghai municipal government has been trying to attract overseas talent with good financial offers.

This year, the city is offering a 500,000 yuan ($64,683) subsidy to qualified overseas professionals to join a large passenger jet assembly center in Shanghai, reported the local Labor Daily.

In 2003, it announced a program to recruit talent from abroad and offered better social benefits and subsidies for those who wanted to launch a business or do scientific research.

Source: China Daily