Qingdao: A living paradise for foreign experts

Qingdao: A fairyland. Photo by Shi Zao hua

Qingdao, an economic hub and tourist resort in East China's Shandong province, has become a living paradise for foreign experts to live and work.

It was ranked as the fifth most attractive Chinese city by international professionals in a recent survey named 2014 Amazing China - The Most Attractive Chinese Cities for Foreigners, released by China's State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs (SAFEA).

The survey began from July 2014, and nearly 77,000 online ballots were collected from foreign experts in China, and a 33 person foreign expert panel voted with signatures, including Nobel laureate Craig C. Mello, winners of the Friendship Award, which is given to foreign experts who have made outstanding contributions to China's economic and social progress, and experts introduced into China under the Recruitment Program of Foreign Experts, a sub-program of the Recruitment Program of Global Experts (1,000 Talent Plan).

Living environment wins favor of foreign experts.

The city's living environment is the primary reason that foreign experts come to live in Qingdao, which includes excellent city planning, friendly residents, a natural environment and good education for foreign children, said Chen Huabei, director of the information center of SAFEA.

"In addition, its fast-growing economy also presents great career opportunities for foreign experts and business opportunities for investors," added the director.

Eric Blocher, director of communication at the Qingdao Amerasia International School, said he has lived in Qingdao for over ten years, and the city has charmed the world for the past century and is blessed with a favorable natural environment. Its beautiful beaches, sailing events and a wide range of other water sports, as well as an increasing number of skyscrapers, a garden-like city vista, great seafood and international cuisine all add to its charm.

"People here are proud of their heritage but welcoming to outsiders. Local people love to share their Tsingtao beer with visitors. The city is growing and changing every moment, with new amenities and infrastructure, but it still manages to feel rather calm and settled."

Professor Wolfgang Kubin, chairman of the German language and literature department at Ocean University of China, who won the 2013 Johann Heinrich Voss Award for Translation, the highest honor for translators in Germany, said he fell in love with the city when he discovered Badaguan, a picturesque health resort featuring well-preserved historic villas and floral scenery throughout the year.

"The city's German heritage leaves it a remarkable bonanza of century-old European architecture where I can find the historic and cultural connections between my hometown and China, and that's why I chose Qingdao to work and stay," he said.

"Modern facilities and international services have made life much easier for foreigners and it doesn't feel like being in a country that is thousands of miles away," the professor added.

The city has nine five-star and 30 four-star hotels, 12 international schools, 28 foreign financial institutions, and a number of international supermarkets and convenience stores. Many hospitals offer English, Korean and Japanese language services and the first foreign-invested hospital, United Family, which accepts foreign healthcare insurance, recently opened in Qingdao, and can offer great convenience to foreign friends.

Clean air is also essential when foreigners consider where to live. With no heavy industries in the downtown area, Qingdao's residents saw 262 days of blue sky last year.

Improved entrepreneurial environment and entrepreneur-friendly policies facilitate foreign experts’ careers in Qingdao.

A foreign entrepreneur and his family are living happily in Qingdao.

As the city plays an increasing role in implementing China's Belt and Road Initiative - to boost trade and cooperation across a vast region spanning Europe, the Middle East, Southeast Asia and East Asia, Qingdao faces immense investment and development opportunities for people from around the world. Qingdao is implementing a new round of city development strategies by accelerating industrial restructuring and promoting the development of the national-level West Coast Economic New Area.

In 2014, 2,688 foreign experts were recruited for positions in Qingdao, taking the number of certified foreign experts in the city to 12,000. The Qingdao Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs approved 42 talent recruiting projects with 8.51 million yuan ($1.37 million) funding in 2014, an increase of 24% and 39% in projects and funding respectively, which has facilitated the development of high-end projects in this city such as 3D Printing, industrial robots, and graphene.

Foreign experts recruited by Qingdao city have achieved a lot. To date, four foreign experts were introduced from the Recruitment Program of Global Experts (1,000 Talent Plan); 11 foreign experts were winners of the Friendship Award of the Chinese government; 34 were winners of the Friendship Award of Shandong Province; one was the winner of the International Science and Technology Cooperation Award; About 30 foreign experts were approved for High-End Projects for Foreign Experts. Moreover, 46 foreign experts were dispatched to tackle difficult problems for local enterprises in Qingdao in 2014.

Building an international platform to attract foreign talent.

The 2014 China Ocean Economic International Talent and Industry Academy Research Cooperation Conference in Qingdao signed 78 major contracts and 540 letters of intent among a large number of businesses, research and development institutions and business incubators, an increase of 59%. Letters of intent were also signed for 20 professionals to settle in Qingdao through the "Recruitment Program of Global Experts" (1,000 Talents Plan).

To attract more foreign professionals, Qingdao city has reached beyond its borders and set up 11 recruiting stations in areas with a concentration of universities and research institutions in countries including the United States, Britain and Germany. The city has also provides the services of a high-end innovation center, and offered a series of entrepreneur-friendly services to optimize the entrepreneurial eco-system.

At home, Qingdao has streamlined procedures for foreign professionals to obtain legal documents to live and work in the city and 32 high-level foreign experts were granted long-term working visas ranging from three to five years in 2014.