Five/Ten-Year Visa Firstly Issued by Hangzhou Govt- How to Apply
Francisco was a winner of the 2014 West Lake Friendship Award. Established by the Zhejiang government, the award is conferred biennially in recognition of outstanding contributions to economic and social developments and personnel training made by foreign experts.
"Coming to Hangzhou will be as easy as booking a flight ticket and going back home. I can also have my family around. I love Hangzhou," Francisco said.
Their spouse and children who are minors can obtain a relative visa with the same validity.
Application materials:
Application form for Confirmation Letter for High-Level Foreign Talents
An invitation letter issued by a relevant entity in China
Supporting documents in accordance with the eligibility criteria for the R visa
Passport or international travel documents
A passport photo of oneself taken within the past six months
Application system:
Service system for foreigners working in China: http://fwp.safea.gov.cn/
Chinese mainland reports 7 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, all imported
The Chinese mainland on Wednesday recorded 7 new COVID-19 cases, all were imported, according to China's National Health Commission. No new deaths were reported.
A total of 2,346 imported COVID-19 cases were registered on the Chinese mainland and 2,148 have recovered.
The total confirmed cases stand at 84,895, with 4,634 deaths and 352 asymptomatic patients are under medical observation.
China-developed COVID-19 vaccine ready to go onto market this Dec
Inactivated COVID-19 vaccine candidates developed by a Chinese pharmaceutical company are likely to be on the market by the end of December, at a price of less than1,000 yuan ($144) for two doses.
The marketing review procedure will start after overseas phase three clinical trials have been completed, Liu Jingzhen, chairman of the China National Pharmaceutical Group (Sinopharm), was quoted as saying by media on Tuesday.
The price of the vaccines will not be high after they go onto the market, with every two doses costing less than 1,000 yuan, according to Liu.
Not all 1.4 billion Chinese people need to be vaccinated, Liu said, suggesting that students and those working in cities should take the injections while people who live in rural areas with comparatively smaller populations do not have to.
Expats welcome Chinese concept on ecology
Yiwu in Zhejiang province is offering expats lectures on garbage sorting measures and environmental protection efforts under the Chinese concept that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets."
On Aug 13, expats from eight counties, including the United States, Sweden, and India, gathered at Yiwu's Jimingshan Community for a lecture on protecting the environment in one's daily life, especially when it comes to garbage sorting and resources recycling.
Expats pose before the slogan of "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets" at Jimingshan Community in Yiwu, Zhejiang on Aug 13
The lecture was presented by the municipal foreign affairs office, local environmental protection authorities, Yiwu Industrial & Commercial College, and Jimingshan Community to promote the city's garbage sorting practices and the Chinese concept of "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets."
The idea reflects China's governmental philosophy in pursuing the synergy between economic development and environmental protection. It has been translated into the practice of the building of an ecological civilization as part of the country's development strategy.
Expats visit garbage sorting sites and disposal facilities after the lecture on Aug 13, 2020
In the country's small-commodity hub of Yiwu, it has been a common scene that expats are contributing their efforts and wisdom to the city's development and social governance.
Many of them have also taken part in community activities. Some have even been hired as "street chiefs" along with local residents to patrol areas to see if there are any environmental or traffic issues.
Zhejiang explores more environment-friendly development
Putuo District, Zhoushan, Zhejiang province, has made great efforts to pursue a more environment-friendly development in recent years.
Such efforts could be seen from the mangroves planted in the mudflats beside the district’s Shenjiamen port.
As the mangroves can purify the seawater, prevent wind and waves, fix and store carbon, and help maintain biodiversity, the district planted them to deal with ecological degradation in mudflats.
It has also planted reeds, seepweeds and other plants on a large scale to restore the ecology of the wetlands.
To improve the quality of seawater, Putuo District investigated the sewage outfalls of all industrial enterprises and clusters in the district in 2017.
It identified a total of 21 sewage outfalls and tailored treatment plans for each of them. Fourteen of the outfalls were removed, and the rest had been remodeled according to relevant regulations by 2019.
Shenjiamen port was deeply troubled by marine deposition after years of development. To improve the environment of the port, Putuo District carried out an overall dredging in the area.
As of April, 2020, the district had disposed of a total of 3.52 million cubic meters of silt, demolished 18 abandoned wharves, removed 92,000 square meters of abandoned structures, and renovated and restored shorelines with a length of 6.14 kilometers.
It has also built coastal ecological corridors, island parks, and real-time monitoring systems to help restore the ecology of the sea.
Mayi Island in the district is known for its production of dried shrimps. Wood and coal used to be the major fuel to dry the shrimps.
In 2017, 60 dried shrimp processing enterprises on the island upgraded their equipment and replaced coal and wood with petrol, which has improved the quality of both the air and the products.
When Zhao Lijun, who was once a designer, came to Putuo’s Baisha Island for the first time, he was astonished by the blue sea there, a place 25 minutes' boat ride from the shore. Later he became a frequent visitor of the island, and decided to open a B&B there together with his friend.
Last year, the island received a total of 90,000 visitors, with a maximum daily capacity up to 2,000 tourists during the peak season.
While developing tourism, Putuo District has pursued a greener development path for other industries.
Taking advantage of its geographical location, ports and waterways, as well as wharves and shorelines, the district has developed a large-scale marine industrial cluster represented by ship repair and construction and aquatic product processing industries.
The greener repairing technique has brought fame and fortune for the ship enterprises. “The ship repair workshop of our company has been operating at full capacity and the net profit grew by 50 percent year on year from January to June,” said the general manager of a ship repairing and building company in the district.
Lishui to hold Guyan Huaxiang art festival
Liandu district in Lishui, Zhejiang province, held an activity in Shanghai on Aug 17 to preview its 2020 Guyan Huaxiang Art Festival which will run from Aug 28 to 30, local media reported.
Guyan Huaxiang, as a cradle of the Lishui Barbizon school, a local school of painting based on the Barbizon school in France, inspires many painters and is a typical example of driving local development through culture.
The festival, which has been held for five years, has two parts – a painting conference and a music festival.
This year, more than 100 domestic and foreign first-class experts, scholars and artists from the Central Academy of Fine Arts, China Academy of Fine Arts, Xi'an Academy of Fine Arts and other art colleges and universities, as well as top experts in the industry such as those from the Chinese Oil Painting Society and the Chinese Artists Association are invited to the festival.
For the music festival, several famous singers and bands in China have confirmed their attendance.
The festival has become the most popular and influential art festival in southwest Zhejiang every summer, attracting artists, music lovers and tourists from home and abroad.
For Expats in Zhejiang