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QINGDAO TODAY
在线翻译:
szdaily -> Shenzhen -> 
Shekou aims to be 2nd home for expats
    2019-07-29  08:53    Shenzhen Daily

This is the first of a series of reports focusing on Shenzhen’s latest efforts to build international communities.

Wang Haolan

Holly_cn@163.com

ACCOMMODATING the largest population of expatriate residents in Shenzhen, Shekou Subdistrict is striving to forge itself into a second home for foreigners living thousands of miles from their homeland, stated Lan Tao, secretary of the Shekou Subdistrict CPC Work Committee, on July 12.

The Shekou Management and Service Center for Expats (MSCE) is an internationally minded office, furnished in a bluish tone and suffused with the scent of coffee. Standing next to a reception area with bilingual handbooks on display, Lan told the Shenzhen Daily that all of the expats living in the subdistrict should be served according to the same standards as local residents.

Therefore, there is much to be considered by the subdistrict in order to enable the seamless integration of expats into the local community.

“Shekou is quite livable for foreigners. The expats living here have also formed their own community, yet it is not isolated from the local neighborhood, as the authority has made great efforts to let them feel at home — we set up MSCE two years ago; we put up bilingual road signs and maps across the subdistrict; we established a volunteer team consisting of both local residents and expats; and we also called up joint efforts between public security departments and multilingual volunteers to guide expats in their work and daily life,” said Lan.

One example frequently cited by Lan is the analogy between Shekou and the China Towns in other metropolitan areas around the world. “In China Towns, you can enjoy authentic Chinese cuisine from every cooking style. In Shekou, you can also taste the essence of food from the world over. Some of the restaurants even put up a reminder, lest the food is ‘too authentic’ for local tastes. This also reflects our endeavor to build a truly international community.”

Besides some major villa compounds accommodating a large number of foreigners, Lan noted that general housing estates and even urban villages are also homes to expats. The subdistrict is currently forging ahead with the renovation of urban villages and setting up liaison offices in those communities for expats in need of help.

Brian, an American, and Tuk Chamberlin from Thailand have been living in Shekou for three years. At first, the couple chose to live in the subdistrict for the short commute between home and their daughter’s middle school.

“Now our girl is off to the Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen). So, we have the flexibility to move anywhere in the city, such as Bantian in Longgang District, which is quite near to my workplace at Huawei, but we chose to stay in Shekou on consideration of the convenience in life, the beautiful landscapes, especially the sea view, and the international atmosphere here that is not overshadowed by any dominant culture,” said Brian.

Currently a housewife, Tuk is applying for a work visa and taking part in a collection of social activities organized by MSCE during this interval. She sees the center as her second home in Shenzhen, because working as a volunteer helps her greatly by relieving her stress and anxiety.

Interestingly, a win-win situation has been achieved in Shekou, as local residents have also had their horizons broadened and social circles extended by their exchanges with expats at social events.

Wu Ying, a resident who has been volunteering at Shekou’s community service center since retirement, recalled the zongzi wrapping event organized by MSCE during this year’s Dragon Boat Festival. “Over 100 expats signed up for the event on Dragon Boat Festival. We taught them how to wrap zongzi in Chinese as we were not so fluent in English, but they picked up the skills very fast. The center has quite a lot of activities attended by expats. I also bring my granddaughter to the English corner events to broaden her horizons,” said Wu.

According to official statistics, about 7,135 expats from 106 countries and regions have registered at the Shekou Subdistrict Office, accounting for 11 percent of the total expat population in Shenzhen.

The city is mulling building its first 15 pilot international blocks by 2022 and generally forming a network of these by 2025, according to a session on the development of Shenzhen’s international blocks held July 19.

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