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China's 'Christmas factory' town dismisses rumors of hosting Syrian, Iraqi refugees

(People's Daily Online)    14:21, April 27, 2017

Local authorities in Yiwu, Zhejiang province have denied rumors the city is taking in refugees from war-torn Middle East countries, adding that most of the city's resident expats are business-people and their relatives.

“Currently, there are around 8,000 foreign residents living in Yiwu -- mainly entrepreneurs and their families. Some have been doing business in Yiwu for over 10 years. It’s simply untruthful that the local government is accepting refugees,” read an article released on April 26 by Jhnews.com, a news portal affiliated with the local government.

This response came on the heels of reports by some media outlets that Yiwu had issued temporary residence permits to refugees from countries including Syria and Iraq, which sparked safety concerns among the public.

Local government officials said they issued the first batch of business-friendly cards to foreign business-people in 2016, in an effort to provide them with better service. The cards, unlike temporary residence permits, only entitle foreigners to limited rights, and are accessible to all foreigners -- not just those from war-torn areas.

As one of China’s most renowned commodity centers which has been dubbed China's "Christmas factory" town, Yiwu is naturally attractive to foreigners. However, due to the government’s cautious attitude toward granting foreigners residence permits or visas, it is unlikely that the country will experience a large influx of refugees in the foreseeable future, experts said.

“Obtaining a Chinese visa is difficult for foreigners, not to mention getting a residence permit. China has adopted even stricter visa procedures for applicants from war-torn nations, making it very unlikely that the country will loosen its immigration policy to accept refugees,” Hu Jiayin, director of a Beijing-based tourist and visa agency, told the People’s Daily Online. 

(For the latest China news, Please follow People's Daily on Twitter and Facebook)(Web editor: Kou Jie, Hongyu)

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