China's largest metropolis of Shanghai attracted more foreign nationals for work this year, the municipal department of labor and social security said on Monday.

A department official said 68,648 overseas nationals were working in Shanghai as of late November, up 12 percent from a year earlier.

Of the total, 25,157 were from Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao.

Most foreign nationals were from Japan, the United States, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Germany, France, Canada, Malaysia, Australia and Britain.

In 1996, fewer than 5,000 foreigners registered for work, the official said.

(Xinhua News Agency December 30, 2008)