A lottery is held at the award ceremony for an expats' composition competition in Xiamen, East China's Fujian province on Nov 13. [Photo/xmnn.cn]
An award ceremony for an expats' composition competition was held in Xiamen, East China's Fujian province on Nov 13.
Themed "Home Away From Home", the competition was hosted by the city's bureau of science and technology and the exit-entry administration, and featured stories written by China-based foreigners that revolve around their experiences of living in the country.
Fifty-five expats from 25 countries shared their stories at the competition. Ten participants from India, Hungary, the Philippines, the United States, South Africa, France, Spain and Czech received awards.
Among these foreigners are students, community workers, teachers, merchants and those who have been devoted to promoting international exchange.
The results were based on the number of likes and views received by their works on social media, as well as an online vote.
"Xiamen is a unique city, either for its charming natural scenery or clean environment. Its sustainable development is impressive," said an award winner Smita, who along with her husband came to Fujian from India in 2007.
Smita is currently a community worker. She said she has witnessed significant changes in China since the reform and opening-up and has established a deep friendship with the people of Xiamen.
The local government departments have in recent years been working together to introduce a series of measures to help expats live a more convenient and comfortable life in Xiamen.
For example, a one-stop service window for expats to apply for work and residence permits was set up at Xiamen Software Park in 2020. This window is the first of its kind in Fujian that integrates administrative procedures from different departments.
Xiamen was also one of the first four cities approved by the State Administration of Foreign Exchange to pilot a policy that allows foreigners to enjoy more convenient access to currency exchange services for their salaries at local banks.
Officials said that more efforts will be made to improve services related to medical treatment and education for expats.
China announced and implemented on May 15 a policy allowing visa-free entry of foreign tourist groups aboard cruise ships via all cruise ship ports along the country's coastline.
China and Georgia are set to waive visa requirements for travelers starting May 28.
