IN RESPONSE TO MOUNTING COMPLAINTS about the policy of the Beijing bureau of human resources and social security to encourage employers to recruit more locals, Liu Xiaojun, an official from the bureau, said on Saturday that this policy will only give priority to unemployed Beijing residents regarding some newly added posts, and it is not designed to discriminate against non-locals. The unemployment rate of local citizens, Liu explained, is much higher than that for migrants in many industries. Comments:

By encouraging employers to hire more local residents, Beijing's bureau of human resources and social security will make migrants less likely to get a job in the capital, thus forcing them to go elsewhere to make a living. Such a discriminatory policy, if it comes into effect, could be at the cost the city's openness and other capabilities.

Dai Xianren, a guest commentator with Southern Metropolis Daily, April 4