Stewart Hansen, an international volunteer from New Zealand, offers suggestions at a seminar Friday. Chen Ziying
Expats working and living in Shekou offered their suggestions on the construction of international blocks at a seminar organized by Shekou Management and Service Center for Expats (Shekou MSCE) on Friday.
Shekou, the densely populated area of expats, has been chosen as one of the 20 areas in Shenzhen to pilot an international block program.
Under the three-year program, Shenzhen will complete construction of at least 15 international blocks by the end of 2022, with great improvements to workplaces, life, ecology and the humanistic environment.
They include Xiangmihu, Huaqiangbei and Shenzhen-Hong Kong S&T Innovation Cooperation Zone in Futian; Shekou, Zhaoshang, Yuehai and Taoyuan in Nanshan; Meisha and Haishan subdistricts in Yantian; and Cuizhu, Dongmen and Guiyuan in Luohu.
The blocks will set an example for the city’s international block network that will be formed by 2025.
According to the program, Shekou will focus on foreigner-related management and services, as well as cultural exchanges. More effort will be put into international medical services and international education.
After listening to the briefing by Yan Yang, director of Shekou MSCE, Caroline Rugaba, a French woman who has been in China for more than 15 years, said, “As an expat in China, I want to learn more about China. In the construction of international blocks, more Chinese elements reflecting Chinese traditions and customs should be added to community activities and festivals.”
Stewart Hansen, an international volunteer from New Zealand, suggested it is important to have separate spaces for pets and children.
“In communities and housing estates, it is better to separate children from dogs to keep clean and safe. Meanwhile, dogs can have their own space for fun,” said Hansen.
Barry Wilson, an Englishman who settled in Shekou 10 years ago, has witnessed remarkable changes in Shekou. He suggested that Koreans and Japanese that make up more than 50 percent of the expat population in Shekou should get more involved in community affairs.
In the construction of international blocks, some special or thematic activities targeting expats from specific countries would be more appealing, according to Wilson.
The Shenzhen Municipal Foreign Affairs Office began research on building international blocks in 2018 and implemented the program at the end of last year, according to Shekou MSCE.