Beijing, May 28 (IANS) A total of 721 foreigners have been granted the permanent resident status in Beijing in the past nine years, authorities said.

Since 2004, 852 foreigners had applied for green cards in Beijing and 721 have been approved as of May 26, the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau said.

Foreigners who obtain the permanent residence permits can freely enter and exit China without any additional visa procedures.

A growing number of foreigners work and live in Beijing.

According to China's public security ministry, 4,752 foreigners nation-wide had received permanent residence permits by the end of 2011, Xinhua reported.