Shanghai eases visa regulations

China's most populous city had on July 1 implemented new visa regulations in an attempt to lure top foreign talent to aid its bid in becoming a global technological and innovation center. Under the new rules, the visa processing period has been shortened and foreign workers who have an invitation or endorsement from a high-tech company will no longer need to leave China before they can obtain their work visa. One of the other benefits includes a lower threshold for permanent residency application - foreigners who have worked in Shanghai for four consecutive years, drawing an annual income of 600,000 yuan and paying 120,000 yuan in individual income tax per year, can now apply for a China green card if they have resided in the city for more than six months in each of those years.

More flights launched between LA & Shanghai

Delta Air Lines have since July 9 started providing daily flights between Los Angeles and Shanghai. This is the carrier's fifth daily direct flight between Chinese mainland and the United States. According to Marketing Information Data Tapes, flight bookings for travel between China and the US are expected to increase up to 80 percent from 2010 to 2016, largely due to the reciprocal 10-year visa validity for citizens of both nations.

Minimum wage in Shanghai hits 2,020 yuan

As of July 1, at least 14 regions in China have raised their minimum wage, with Shanghai and Shenzhen of Guangdong province hitting 2,020 yuan and 2,030 yuan respectively, according to Chinanews.com. In terms of hourly wages, Beijing has the highest with 18.7 yuan. This is followed by Shenzhen (18.5 yuan), Tianjin (18.5 yuan), Guangdong (18.3 yuan) and Shanghai (18 yuan). Despite a slowdown in economic growth, as many as 19 regions in the country have raised their minimum payment standards in 2014, according to data from the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security.

Chinese enterprise wins patent lawsuit

A jury in the District Court of Maryland has ruled that China's Changzhou Kaidi Electrical Co Ltd did not infringe the patent by Okin America Inc. In the case, the Chinese company was sued for infringing US Patent Number 5,927,144 - a drive for adjusting parts of seating and reclining furniture. "The victories are significant because it is rare that a Chinese company wins at both the International Trade Commission as well as before a jury in district court in the United States," said Henry Wang, a partner of Mayer Brown LLP, which defended Kaidi on the case.

Australia taps Chinese online travel

Tourism Australia on June 29 inked a three-year partnership agreement with Alibaba Group's travel arm Ali Trip as it looks to tap on the burgeoning online travel market in China. As part of the agreement, Tourism Australia will become the first long-haul destination to have its own dedicated sales page on the website, and both parties will be spending a combined AUD$2 million ($1.5 million) in their first year of cooperation on marketing and promotional efforts.

China Daily

(China Daily USA 07/10/2015 page7)