Campaign 'about exchanges' in expats community
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E-mail China Daily, June 21, 2012
Many Beijingers refer to a community in Wudaokou, in the northwest part of the capital, as the"United Nations".
Surrounded by educational institutions, including the prestigious Peking and Tsinghuauniversities, and conveniently reached by the subway network, the Huaqingjiayuan communityis often the first choice for overseas students and many expatriates.
Of the nearly 10,000 residents, more than 1,300 are foreign nationals, coming from 43countries, though the largest contingents come from South Korea and the United States.
Unlike Sanlitun, the popular bar and restaurant area, where police are largely focused onkeeping track of foreign residents and maintaining order, Huaqingjiayuan's exit-entryadministration service center relies more on volunteers and community partners to help with itsmanagement.
Not only can residents get free daily lessons in Korean, Chinese or English, but Wang Qi, thepolice officer in charge of foreign affairs, has enlisted eight foreigners to act as unofficialdeputies.
"It's all about exchanges and cooperation," Wang said, as he led me to the area where thelessons are held and grabbed an application form for classes.
The 24-year-old college graduate has been in the job for just over a year, although the servicestation has been open since 2006.
"We have so many residents from overseas, these language exchanges are important. All theteachers are volunteers from the community," he said. Wang learned to speak English atcollege and is studying Korean with a couple living nearby.
"When I talk with foreigners in their own language, I feel closer to them and believe it's easier tosolve disputes. Language shouldn't be an obstacle, it should be a lubricant."
As we stood chatting about the language course, on the afternoon of June 13, Oh Ji-ye, a 21-year-old Korean, came in and sat down on the sofa to wait for her Chinese tutor.
"I'm a student at Tsinghua University and have been in the city for about four years," she said. "I study Mandarin, but if my Chinese friends speak quickly I still have difficulty understanding.So I come here at least once a week to practice.
"It's a good way to improve my Chinese and learn about Chinese regulations on foreigners,"she added.
After the 100-day crackdown on foreigners who illegally enter, work and stay was launched inBeijing, the number of calls to the hotline about suspected rule-breakers has risen, accordingto Beijing exit-entry administration.
Getting involved
Wang and his three full-time assistants are responsible for an area of 0.9 square kilometersthat includes 27 residential buildings, a kindergarten, and several stores, bars and cafes.
The service center, which is equipped with an advanced printer and passport scanner, candeal with more than 1,000 accommodation registrations a day at peak times, usually in the run-up to the new semester in August and September.
To better promote regulations on visas, freebies likes hand fans and eco-friendly bags onwhich the regulations are printed are also distributed among residents.
However, unlike in the Sanlitun exit-entry service center, where the official said he likes toachieve high visibility, Wang said he prefers to stay low-key and rarely patrols the communityon foot.
"Our way to serve foreigners is to let them manage themselves," he said. "I prefer to getinformation regularly from volunteers instead."
Wang has appointed eight foreign residents in a kind of community watch system, with most ofthem managers of bars and restaurants in Huaqingjiayuan.
"I'll go to inspect only if they call," said the police officer. "It's weird and can affect (people's)business if I appear in a (bar or restaurant) in my uniform. The volunteers are more familiar withforeigners and can communicate with them more smoothly."
We went to visit one of these volunteers, Falah Alali, a businessman from Jordan who co-ownsan Arabic restaurant near Wudaokou subway station.
"If there is a dispute in or around my restaurant, I'll call Wang to tip him off," the tall 39-year-old,who has lived in China for more than two decades, said in a mixture of English and Mandarin.
However, he said he would avoid calling in the police whenever possible.
"I prefer handling things in a private way," Alali said, adding as an example: "In 2005, a manriding a bicycle hit my car and asked me for compensation. If I'd called to the police, the casemay have taken a long time to solve, because Chinese legal procedure is complicated."
Although he said he tells friends, employees and customers to carry their passports at all times,as required by law, he agrees with many expats in Beijing who say accommodation registrationdocuments should be enough, because the loss of a passport can lead to trouble.
To prove his point almost, while Wang and I chatted in his office, the policeman was handed ayellow wallet that had been found in the street by a resident.
Inside was an accommodation registration document, which allowed him to identify the owner asan 18-year-old Mexican student. Wang contacted his landlord and the wallet was returned thenext day.
"That's why it is essential for foreigners to update their accommodation information," Wangsaid. "It's good for us, but it's also helpful for foreigners if they have any difficulties in the city."
Wang's service center shares information with eight universities, including Tsinghua andPeking, and 13 companies on a secure website to prevent illegal employment, one of thetargets of the 100-day crackdown launched by Beijing's public security bureau in May.
When foreign students graduate or work at a company, the college or employer should reportthat to the police officer to ensure that the information platform is up to date.
Wang also updates the employment information of the companies twice a year and carries outsurprise inspections to check employees' visa information.
Foreign students who want to intern should go to the exit-entry administration to upgrade to awork visa if they want to stay in Beijing, he said.
"If students have a tourist or F visa, they can't legally be employed by a company, and if theywere employed, both the foreign student and the employer would be fined up to 500 yuan($79)," he said.
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