Chinese ambassador hands tier R visa to Axel Schweitzer. (Photo: ALBA Group)

Berlin (People's Daily)- China on Tuesday gave Axel Schweitzer, the chairman of the ALBA Group, a tier R or "high-end foreign experts" visa in Berlin, making him the first in Germany to be granted such a visa.

Chinese Ambassador to Germany Shi Mingde gave the visa to Schweitzer.

With new regulations on issuing tier R visas taking effect on Jan. 1, top scientists, international entrepreneurs and other talent with specific high-level skills in need in the development of the country's economy and society would be allowed to stay in China for up to 180 days at a time, with multiple entries on a visa valid from five to 10 years. The R visas are also available for spouses and children of the R visa holders.

"Implementing the policy on the R visa is a key measure to carry out Chinese President Xi Jinping's strategic theory of 'gathering talented people from all over the world to contribute to the development of China'. I hope the ALBA Group and China will strengthen cooperation on third generation waste disposal technology and sustainable economy," Zhang Jianguo, the chief director of the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs, said in his congratulatory letter to Schweitzer.

ALBA Group, whose headquarters are located in Berlin, is one of the firms that excel at recycling technologies and services. The ALBA Group's core concept is,"from disposal to supply."