David Nagy, managing director for China at the Chicago-based executive search firm DHR International, said his company has noticed that overseas executives are more willing to work in China nowadays because the Chinese economy is still growing while the recovery in the US is still fragile and Europe is still in a recession.

Also, with the Chinese market growing, companies are investing here to capture growth opportunities, so global executives are attracted to challenging and rewarding career opportunities that are forward-looking, he added.

The Ministry of Public Security said in April 2012 that the number of expats entering China has grown by an average 10 percent annually since 2000.

"In general, we are seeing that overseas executives are more open to spending longer periods of time on assignment in China compared with several years ago, when many rotated in and out on two-to-three-year assignments," Nagy said. "Many foreign executives view it as an opportunity to expose their children to living in an international environment."

Moving to Shanghai

But the concern of air quality, together with other environmental problems, did have some bearing on foreigners' cities of choice, as some of them moved from Beijing to Shanghai.

Devitre and Somani are a typical example.

After two years in Beijing, they went back to the US. However, they came back to China around four years ago, by which time their boy-and-girl twins were only 2 years old.

When they made the decision to come back to China, Somani's parents said simply, "Don't go".

"I love Beijing because I have good memories there. But life is now easier in Shanghai. And the air quality matters a lot because we have little children," Devitre said.

"Each time I come, I have had tougher requirements as to how developed I want it to be. Shanghai has suited my needs in many different ways."

Beijing saw more than half the days in October polluted, according to the Beijing Municipal Environmental Monitoring Center. It was worse in September, with only six pollution-free days.

On the other hand, Shanghai ranked 10th in terms of air quality among all 74 monitored cities in September. No day had severe pollution in Shanghai in the first six months.

When staying in Shanghai these days, they talked from time to time whether Devitre's company needs her to go back to the States, and whether the family will stay or not. The answer is they would like to stay here.

"We have comfort in air quality," she laughed.

Nagy of DHR International said Shanghai is usually the first choice. "Beijing was popular, but recent problems with air quality have made it less attractive, especially to executives with young children," he said.

Jonathan Edwards, a partner with Antal International Business Consulting (Beijing) Company Ltd, is now based in Shanghai. When asked about where he would go if he's given the chance to choose, he said he wouldn't go to Beijing because concern about the environment is always his top priority.

shijing@chinadaily.com.cn