Foreign employees with work permits will be able to enjoy the same social insurance benefits as Chinese nationals after China's Social Insurance Law takes effect on July 1, said the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security.

There were about 231,700 foreigners with work permits in China at the end of 2010. Most of them were covered with only work injury and basic medical insurances, said Xu Yanjun, Deputy Director of the ministry's Social Security Center.

The new law specifies all workers have the right to five forms of insurance: basic endowment insurance, basic medical insurance, work injury insurance, unemployment insurance and maternity insurance.