Hong Kong's immigration authorities granted visas to 660 top-notch talents since last April under a quality immigrant admission scheme, which more than doubled the number of visas granted during the preceding 12 months.

The accumulated number of visas granted under the scheme since its launch in June 2006 was 1,058 out of 2,797 applications, local media reported Monday, citing statistics of the Immigration Department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government.

In a breakdown, 149 applications were approved in the first 9 months ended March 31, 2007, followed by 249 in the next 12 months period ended March 31, 2008.

The number of visas granted so far in this year was 172, more than the trend over the past two years and a half but in line with expectations after authorities announced a relaxation of the minimum requirements for applications to succeed in early 2008.

Most of the applicants had been from the Chinese mainland or ethnic Chinese from elsewhere, local newspaper Wen Wei Po quoted an immigration consultant as saying.

Successful applicants from the mainland include well-known actresses Zhou Xun, Zhang Ziyi, who starred in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and Tang Wei, who is known for her role in Ang Lee 's Lust, Caution, as well as pianist Lang Lang.

(Xinhua News Agency March 16, 2009)