To qualify for the Green card, you need to fulfill at least one of the following criteria:

I Be a high-level foreign expert holding a post in a business that promote China's economic, scientific and technological development, or social progress.

II Have made outstanding contributions, or are of special importance to China.

III Have made large direct investment of over 500 thousand US dollars in China.

IV Come to China to be with your family, such as husband or wife, minors dependent on their parents, and senior citizens dependent on their relatives.

So far, I have only seen reports of people with cat. I, II, and III receiving a Green Card. Myself, I am cat. IV, as are most other people I know, and would be interested to see if anyone else who is cat IV has received one, in Kunming.

@tiger: Interesting. I would have thought cat IV would be common. A friend, US citizen born in KM, has a 10 visa and returns to China at least once a year. Since the US now issues 10 year visas to Chinese, a friend who lives in Beijing has one, I assumed it would be easier these days.

The 'married to a Chinese' visa doesn't allow the visa holder to work(?). Is the 10 year 'permanent residence' green card the same?

"China Daily points to the fun fact that Korea has issued 1 million green cards, Japan 1.5 million, and China 4700." 2012

lawandborder.com/[...]

@ Geezer....the Greencard/"permanent resident card" allows you to work with no work permit.

Your undated Beijing link must be a few years old now..

"About Chinese Green Card
With the approval of China's State Council, the Minister of Public Security, Zhou Yongkang, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Li Zhaoxing, jointly endorsed Decree No.74 and officially issued the Regulations on Examination and Approval of Permanent Residence of Foreigners in China for implementation on August 15. "

Zhou Yongkang retired years ago and in the last year or two was caught up in the Bo Xilai anti-corruption sweep.

The family visa, does not exist as such, (unless this has changed) but is the same as the old tourist/visitor 'L' visa (reason for travel, visiting family). You are correct, it does not allow you to work. The Green Card does allow you to work.
I believe the 10 year visa for US citizens is the equivalent of a tourist/visitor visa, but is valid for 10 years, however the maximum stay is limited, after that time the visa holder must exit, and re-enter China. However, I stand to be corrected.

On tonight's news it showed a story of Kunming PSB now issuing these.

My Chinese is not good enough to catch the details.
If anyone saw it and can add to the information, please do.
Yunnan TV Channel 2

english.yunnan.cn/html/2017/consulgeneral_0907/12363.html

Apparently yunnan are now issuing the new style green cards. But, as how to get one I've no idea ;)

Thanks Scottishguy. Following the link, the news is still not promising.
The first guy to recieve one has been on the China Thousand Talents Program (candidates with full professorships or the equivalent in prestigious foreign universities and R&D institutes, or with senior titles from well-known international companies or financial institutions) for 10 years.
The other 35, it looks like they already held a green card and are updating to the new one.
Still not much hope for mere mortals by the looks of it.

@rainfly1 - it's not hard? care to elaborate?

Also: "From 2004, when the permanent-residence permit system was first adopted, to 2013, only 7,356 foreign nationals reportedly received Chinese “green cards”. In 2016 alone, 1,576 were reportedly issued, almost tripling the previous year’s total."

www.chinausfocus.com/[...]

My impression is most of these new cards are going to Overseas Chinese, like my friend, with no mention of this being the case. The subjective determination of "high-caliber talents of foreign nationalities" would include placing more value on "Ethnic Chinese."