Russian businesswoman Tatun Sofia becomes the 10,000th expat in Yiwu to enroll in China's basic medical insurance. [Photo/Jinhua Media Group]

On Dec 17, Russian businesswoman Tatun Sofia became the 10,000th foreign national in Yiwu, a county-level city of Jinhua, Zhejiang province, to enroll in China's basic medical insurance, making Yiwu the first county-level city in China to achieve this milestone.

In May, Yiwu launched a reform measure allowing expats with two-year or higher residence permits to enroll in medical insurance as flexible workers, with the same benefits as Chinese citizens, addressing a gap in China's insurance system for international flexible workers.

With trade links to over 230 countries and regions, Yiwu is home to more than 30,000 overseas merchants. Inspired by international trade reforms, Yiwu has introduced innovations in medical insurance for expats, allowing international children in local schools to join Yiwu's basic and major illness insurance plans.

According to Lou Jun, director of the Yiwu medical insurance bureau, the city has modernized its billing systems and streamlined registration processes to improve access to healthcare, with workers from 126 countries currently benefiting from medical treatment in Yiwu.

Since 2019, the Yiwu medical insurance bureau has processed more than 95,400 reimbursement claims for international enrollees, with disbursements totaling more than 24 million yuan ($3.41 million).

Yiwu's people-centric approach is fostering an inviting business environment, attracting global entrepreneurs, and boosting economic growth. In the first 11 months of this year, the city received 621,000 inbound visits, a 20 percent increase, helping raise its import and export value to 702.35 billion yuan, a 26 percent growth year-on-year.