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More than 4,000 people from outside Shanghai were granted residence permits in this bustling metropolis before Oct. 1. and celebrated their first National Day holiday as locals.

Their adopted city released on June 15 a residence permit regulation which stipulates non-Shanghai residents can enjoy the same treatment as locals once their applications for residence permits are approved.

The regulation is the first of its kind in China. The granting of urban citizenship in the country, in large cities such as Shanghai and Beijing in particular, was extremely strict for a tight control of urban population.

Since its implementation, the regulation has been widely welcomed. Some 40 permits are granted each day, meaning about 10,000 new comers will settle down here every year.

According to the regulation, the Shanghai Bureau of Personnel is to issue a list of required qualified personnel of high caliber each year.

Insiders here say this measure reflects the city's eagerness to embrace more talented qualified people and the new concept of making special talents and experience more important than academic qualifications.

Shanghai has been working hard for some years to build up its talent pool. It is one of the cities in China with the most flexible residence permit systems.

Nearly 20,000 people bringing with plans for outstanding projects and technological achievements have become new Shanghainese last year.

Official statistics show that some 1.79 million people with special skills and talents are working in Shanghai, including 148 academicians from China Academy of Sciences and China Academy of Engineering which account for more than 10 percent of the country's total.

Some 17 leading scientists are here to conduct several national key projects. And the figure of nearly 1,000 post-doctor candidates is expected to grow at an annual rate of 20 percent.

Shanghai has set its ambitious plan that it will establish a talent-flow system in accordance with international standards for metropolitan cities to attract more talents both from home and abroad.