Shanghai, China's largest commercial center, has attracted 20,000 foreign experts to its financial and high-tech sectors in recent years.

A local government official said the experts are working on the city's 814 major projects involving economic consultation, high- technology development, and management and reform of state-owned enterprises.

The experts are from a dozen developed countries such as the United States, Britain, France, and Japan.

"These experts have played an important role in local social and economic development," a local education administrator said.

They have helped a number of local industrial giants to upgrade production technology and develop products in line with market demand.

To attract more foreign experts to the city, Shanghai has carried out a series of encouraging policies to provide favorable working and living conditions for them.

At the same time, the city has established a special fund for the experts' research in high-tech development and the reform and upgrading of local enterprises.