Zhang Qian

    zhqcindy@163.com

    EXPATS who are living in Futian District or have made special contributions to the district’s vigorous development are expected to share their stories with local media.

    The campaign, organized and sponsored by the Futian District Government, was initiated at the media center of the district office Friday. Lasting for nearly two months, a series of different activities will be held.

    Finding suitable expatriate candidates is the campaign’s first activity. The activity targets expatriate residents from all walks of life in Futian District who are willing to share their interesting stories and feelings of living and working in the area.

    Seven candidates have been confirmed for the interview list, said Huang Qingshan, a senior reporter from the Shenzhen Economic Daily who is responsible for organizing media interviews, at the launch ceremony.

    The confirmed expats include an American anthropologist who has been doing research on urban villages in Futian for years, an Indian ophthalmologist who has helped treat young cataract patients from rural areas, and an economic analyst who works at Futian CBD.

    Together, seven expats filmed a short promotion video to briefly talk about their feelings on residing and working in Futian. Some speak fluent Chinese on the video.

    When the task of finding suitable candidates is completed, a themed forum complete with media coverage, a presentation featuring all the interviewees and an award ceremony for expatriate elites in Futian District will be held over the following weeks, according to Huang.

    Futian District, the city’s central business district and a hub of companies’ headquarters, has attracted an increasing number of expats to live and work there. Nearly 10,000 expatriate residents now call Futian home.

    The Donghai community is one of the largest expatriate enclaves in Shenzhen, with Korean residents representing almost 70 percent of the expat population.

    The district is also trying to gain global recognition by becoming sister cities with an increasing number of cities and areas abroad. Futian District has already formed friendship cities with four districts in Japan, France, Russia and South Korean, as well as eight other cities around the globe.

    Expatriate residents who wish to volunteer to be interviewed or join in the series of activities can register by joining the QQ group with this ID number: 582160185.