Departments (Commissions and Bureaus) of Science and Technology of all provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the Central Government and sub provincial cities, Bureau of Science and Technology of Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, relevant departments and institutions directly under the State Council, institutions of higher learning subordinate to ministries and commissions, and the foreign expert administration divisions of relevant group companies,  

Recently, the outbreak of novel coronavirus has been reported in many parts of the country. General Secretary Xi Jinping has devoted much attention to the epidemic outbreak and made a series of important instructions on the planning of the epidemic prevention and control, requesting that the safety and health of the people be the top priority and efforts put in resolutely curbing the spread of the epidemic. The party group of the Ministry of Science and Technology attaches great importance to the epidemic prevention and control and is very much concerned about the health and security of foreign experts working in China. The following notice is hereby issued:  

I. Reaching a common understanding and boosting confidence: Epidemic prevention and control shall be taken as the most important task at present. All competent departments in charge of foreign experts related affairs should enhance the “four consciousness”, firm the “four self-confidence” and achieve the “two maintenance”, identify their thoughts and actions with the important instructions of General Secretary Xi Jinping and the decision-making and deployment of Party Central Committee, attach great importance to and do a good job in their service to the foreign experts working in China on the prevention and control of novel coronavirus, and convey to the latter the care of the Party Central Committee and its epidemic prevention and control arrangements in order to build up their confidence and pull together in the fight against the coronavirus epidemic. 

II. Conducting thorough medical screening to get to a true picture of the situation, implementing all the prevention and control measures without any reservation and establishing an epidemic reporting system. All competent departments in charge of foreign experts related affairs should take full responsibility in conducting medical screening of foreign experts working in their jurisdictions or departments, implement the prevention and control measures and tasks deployed by the superior authority, make clear the main responsibility of the employing unit, and relay relevant policy measures to foreign experts. Efforts should be made to screen foreign experts who have recently passed by or traveled to areas hit hard by the epidemic, keep on the corresponding records and report in time according to the requirements of major public health emergency prevention and control measures. Suspected cases and close contacts shall be observed as per the medical requirements, and fever cases shall be sent to fever clinics in time. Proper arrangements shall be made for those who have been released from medical observation, with necessary assistance provided to them.

III. Making scientific arrangement and comprehensive planning to eliminate dead ends and hidden dangers in the epidemic prevention and control among foreign experts. As for the foreign experts who are already working in China, they should be requested to protect themselves in accordance with the relevant epidemic prevention requirements, arrange their work and life properly, and staying home as much as possible. As for the foreign experts who have to leave China in accordance with their work arrangement or who have requested to leave China recently, they should be provided with necessary assistance and relevant cautions. And their trips should be recorded and reported to the health department in a timely manner. As for the foreign experts who are required to come to China in the near future according to their original work plan, the employing unit should explain the current situation to them, strictly implement the protection measures, and adjust their work plan if necessary in order to postpone their coming to China. 

IV. Coping with the new situation positively and optimizing the working procedures so as to do a good job in the processing of permits for foreigners to work in China: All local foreigners’ work permit processing agencies in China shall promptly announce their adjusted working hours through their websites, Weibo, WeChat public accounts, and acceptance windows, to make it easy for employers and foreigners working in China to handle related matters. In view of the severe situation of epidemic prevention and control, permit processing agencies in various regions can process permits online to reduce onsite office work according to their specific local conditions and through ways such as accepting online applications and mailing permits to applicants etc. Except for application for work permit for the first time, all other businesses can be handled by “making commitment first and then supplementing materials later on”. After receiving the electronic materials and related commitment letters online, permit processing agencies can start the processing procedures. After the epidemic prevention and control situation is stabilized, relevant paper materials can be submitted, and the relevant credit records can be filed and spot-checked. (Contact person for work permit for foreigners to come to China: Xian Xi and Su Yan, Introduced Talents Administration Department of the Ministry of Science and Technology, Tel: 010-58884226, 58884227) 

V. Offering effective guidance to boost confidence and carrying out propaganda through official channels to guide foreign experts not to believe or spread rumors. All localities and departments should release official authoritative information and communication channels to foreign experts in a timely manner, make known public consultation telephones, publicize information about fever clinics which receive suspected novel coronavirus cases, release official bulletins on the novel coronavirus epidemic and the prevention and control guidelines etc., through the official epidemic prevention and control website, media and WeChat public accounts etc., and provide multilingual services if necessary. 

VI. Adopting joint defense and control, pooling the wisdoms and efforts of everyone and cooperating fully with the fight against the coronavirus epidemic by the foreign expert administration system. All competent departments in charge of foreign experts related affairs should coordinate with the health department to take timely actions, make early arrangements, clarify responsibilities, and take pragmatic, caring, and in-place measures to help foreign experts and employers solve practical difficulties and relieve their worries. From the date of issuance of the notice, all competent departments in charge of foreign experts related affairs shall establish a reporting mechanism and promptly report to the Ministry of Science and Technology on the epidemic prevention and control situations among foreign experts within their jurisdiction as well as major issues facing them. All competent departments should summarize the advanced experience and effective practices accumulated in the epidemic prevention and control in a timely manner and gather the strong positive energy that unite everybody to go all out to overcome the difficulties, so as to complete key foreign experts related tasks in this special period of epidemic prevention and control and hand over a quality answer sheet that reassures the Party Central Committee and satisfies the people.  

Contact Persons:

Geng Peng, Huang Furong

Foreign Expert Service Department of Ministry of Science and Technology

Tel: (010) 58884367, 58884387 　

Email: gengpeng@safea.gov.cn

The General Office of the Ministry of Science and Technology