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More than 1 million Shanghainese are residing overseas, either living or studying in 159 countries and regions around the world, with the United States being the most popular destination, authorities said recently.

The number of overseas Chinese with Shanghai hukou (permanent residence permit) and Shanghai native with foreign citizenship reached 1.02 million, surging 50 percent within the past eight years, according to the latest report.

The report, released by the Shanghai Overseas Chinese Affairs Office, is the third large-scale study on overseas Shanghainese in the past three decades, following previous studies in 1985 and 2004.

Among the 1.02 million people, 41 percent have acquired foreign citizenship.

The US, Australia, Japan and Canada are the top four destinations as about 71 percent of overseas Shanghainese live in these countries, according to the report.

About 33 percent of the working overseas Shanghainese are technical professionals, with the majority working in computer software, education and cultural industries.

The city also has 1.08 million returned overseas Shanghainese, including students who once studied abroad and their spouses, a number that soared about 48 percent compared with the figure in 2004, according to the report.

via 1 million Shanghainese reside overseas — Shanghai Daily | English Window to China New.

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