Yiwu denies taking in refugees

‘ Residence permits not targeted’ at specific countries

Local officials in Yiwu, East China’s Zhejiang Province on Wednesday refuted rumors that they had granted temporary residence permits to people mainly from war- torn countries, adding that the permits are open to all foreigners who meet the qualifications.

Every foreigner who has visa and legal documents required to come and stay in China could apply for the permit, an official surnamed Wu from the publicity bureau in Yiwu, told the Global Times on Wednesday, implying that the permit is not exclusively or mainly targeting at foreigners from war- torn areas.

Wu’s comments came after a media report claimed that China is welcoming refugees rejected by some Western countries, which sparked security concerns among many.

Reuters reported Monday that Yiwu is welcoming people from war- torn countries such as Iraq, Yemen, Syria and Afghanistan while Europe and the US are refusing them.

The report sparked discussions in China’s social media with many people expressing their fears and disappointments toward the Yiwu government for issuing such a policy.

“Haven’t they learned any lessons from the European countries? So many terrorist attacks, so many innocent people dying because of the government’s ‘ good deeds.’ We must say no to refugees,” a Sina Weibo user named “60suizha-oyangshang” said, which was echoed by hundreds of other Weibo users.

“For Chinese citizens, family planning policy; for refugees, door wide open, really?” quipped “kuaizidiedie” on Sina Weibo.

However, China is very cautious when granting foreigners with residence permit or visa, so the refugee crisis in European countries is unlikely to happen in China in a foreseeable future, said Mei Xinyu, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation of the Ministry of Commerce.

Moreover, the government has adopted stricter visa examination procedures for people from countries with high risks, said Mei, adding that it is unlikely for a large number of refugees to seek shelter in China.

He also said that having more legal businessmen is good for a commercial city such as Yiwu, as long as the government can verify their documents and regulate them carefully.

Yiwu issued 9,675 residence permits in 2016, an increase of 16.81 percent compared with that of the previous year, and registered entries of more than 487,000 foreigners coming from 195 countries and regions during the year, according to the city’s government website.

Meanwhile, Yiwu also issues foreigners who are doing business in the city shangyouka ( business friendly card), to make their life and business more convenient, Wu added.

In July 2016, the Yiwu government handed the first patch of shangyouka to 15 foreigners, according to the government.