SHANGHAI: The local government in China's most (populous) city is cracking the door wider for those wanting to make it their (permanent) home.

People walk on Nanjing Xilu, one of the (busiest) streets in Shanghai. China's most populous city announced detailed rules Wednesday to allow some holders of temporary residency permits to become permanent residents, a move that is (designed) to attract talents but that was lambasted by some people as being (discriminatory) against migrant workers. 

Shanghai (unveiled) new rules Wednesday, elaborating on a policy that, for the first time, offers the option of permanent residency to (talents) from outside the city of 18 million.

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But the rules immediately (drew) criticism for discriminating against many migrant workers. 

The Shanghai municipal government (announced) in February it would approve permanent residency for qualified talents, easing its strict population control measures for the first time.

Details of who might (qualify) and who can apply were announced Wednesday.

To qualify for permanent residency, applicants must have (held) a Shanghai residency certificate and have been in the city's social (security) system for at least seven years. They must also be taxpayers, have obtained a vocational qualification at medium or high levels, have never violated family planning policies, and have clean (credit) and no criminal record.

Mao Dali, (deputy) director of Shanghai's municipal human resources and social security bureau, said more than 270,000 people from other (provinces) have been issued residency certificates since 2002 and 3,000 have held certificates for seven years.

In an online (poll) garnering opinions from among more than 1.6 million netizens on web portal eastday.com, more than 88 percent disagreed with the rules, saying Shanghai could not (afford) a bigger population. Nine percent said they were looking (forward) to finally becoming permanent residents and 1.28 percent said the rules were still too strict.

A netizen from Guangdong province said the drafters of rules were narrow-minded.

"It (discriminates) against poor people from other provinces," the netizen wrote. "What about the six million migrant workers in Shanghai, who have contributed to the city's fast development?"

A Shanghai netizen complained that "eight (out) of 10 Shanghai residents (around) me are out of a job and others earn 1,000 yuan ($146) a month".

"Why are only people from other provinces (considered) talents?"

Some worried the changes would (heap) pressure on public services and traffic.

Li Xiaoping, a researcher with Shanghai Institute of Public Administration and Human Resources, said the rules (may) need to be refined.

"More explanations are needed to (stipulate) how employees of foreign and privately-owned companies, who are not qualified for technical job titles that are (awarded) in government institutions only, are handled," he said.

But Zhang Xiongwei, from Qidong of Jiangsu province, said the change gives him, and other (migrant) workers, hope.

By the end of this year, Shanghai will have a (population) of 19 million, 6 million of whom will not have permanent (residency).

Question)
1. How do you think of the lately-issued policy in Shanghai ?
2. How bridge the gap between the developed and undeveloped area ?