Chen Xiaochun

654789759@qq.com

EYESHENZHEN (www.eyeshenzhen.com), Shenzhen’s first English-language portal website, was awarded as the “Most Influential Foreign-language Version of a Government Website in 2018,” according to the result of the recommendation and assessment of the comprehensive influence of excellent e-government platforms in China in 2018.

China Informatization Research and Facilitation Network joined hands with Guoheng Smart Mobile Big Data Alliance, China Daily, China High-tech Industry Herald and Taihao International Internet Rating Co. to launch the assessment in June 2018.

In 2018, China reaped many fruits in international cooperation and held a series of major international events, including the Boao Forum for Asia, Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit, Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, China International Import Expo and World Internet Conference, which demonstrated the new image of an open, innovative and inclusive China to the world.

Against this backdrop, the foreign-language versions of government websites play an increasingly important role in international communication, business and investment attraction, and the upgrading of the government’s international image.

Over 600 foreign-language versions of government websites applied for the assessment this year, which is a significant increase compared with last year.

Nowadays, government departments at different levels are attaching greater importance to building foreign-language websites, aiming to showcase rich tourism and culture resources, quality living environments, and their dynamic and enticing business environments via the e-government platform, thus enhancing their international image and attracting more expats to travel, live, work or invest there.

As a result, the building of foreign-language versions of government websites is undergoing rapid development in China. However, the quality of the websites in terms of design, content and operation varies.

Among the assessed websites, some of them stand out due to their international design, content that suits the reading habits of expat readers and timely updates that tell China’s story in a suitable and efficient way.

With a purple color scheme to represent Shenzhen’s city flower, the bougainvillea, EyeShenzhen features an internationalized design and rich content.

It consists of seven parts, namely news, services, culture, videos and photos, business, innovation and travel, serving as a comprehensive window into Shenzhen. In addition to this, EyeShenzhen has designated special sections for visitors, investors and expat residents in Shenzhen to provide information in an efficient and intuitive way.

Run by a professional media team, a large number of original articles and high-quality photos and videos are produced for the news portal. Major events, including the China Hi-Tech Fair, China (Shenzhen) International Cultural Industries Fair, Shenzhen Belt and Road International Music Festival, Shenzhen Design Week, China Cup International Regatta and WTA Shenzhen Open, have been covered by the EyeShenzhen team, delivering timely updates on the news that most engages Shenzhen’s international community.

One example of EyeShenzhen’s stellar coverage is the special report on the 2018 Shenzhen Belt and Road International Music Festival, which has received a total of 330,000 views since its release. “Pride of Shenzhen,” one of the many bilingual videos on the music festival produced by the EyeShenzhen video team, has amassed over 60,000 views on YouTube.

Another highlight of the news portal is its services function, which covers education, tourism, medical services, transportation, checkpoints, hotels, and cultural and sports facilities, making the life of expats easier here in South China.

Apart from its role as an information provider, EyeShenzhen also organizes a variety of events for the purpose of engaging its readers in real life, such as the Shenzhen Expats Chinese Talent Competition and the International Etiquette Contest. It has also launched an event series called “Join Us for Fun” in which foreign residents are invited to grab a bite to eat or try their hand at traditional local activities like crafting or acting out dramas and customs.

EyeShenzhen, sponsored by the Information Office of the Shenzhen government and run by the Shenzhen Daily, is a major project in the Implementation Measures for Shenzhen’s Cultural and Innovative Development by 2020.