IN the government report delivered at the opening meeting of the first session of the 14th National People's Congress, Premier Li Keqiang said China will channel more medical resources towards the community level to improve the life quality of residents and improve the governance capacity at the grassroots.

李克强总理在第十四届全国人民代表大会第一次会议开幕会上所作的政府工作报告中指出，推动优质医疗资源扩容下沉，改善居民的生活质量。报告同时指出，要提升基层治理能力。

In Shenzhen, construction of the international blocks has become one way to improve its public services and management capabilities at communities in its drive to build an internationalized modern city.

在深圳国际化建设进程中，国际化街区的建设已成为深圳提升基层公共服务和国际化管理能力重要举措。

Stewart Hansen from New Zealand in a volunteer vest poses for a photo at a volunteer event Sunday. Courtesy of the interviewee

At a plaque-awarding ceremony last week, Shenzhen's foreign affairs office commended the first batch of 20 international blocks, which had been regarded as a platform for expats to integrate with local people and a way to improve their quality of life.

深圳市外办上周对首批20个国际化街区进行了集体授牌。这些街区被认为是外籍人士融入本地生活的平台，是提高他们生活质量的重要途径。

“The building of international blocks has enhanced communications with the expat community, improved the quality of expat life in Shenzhen and tightened the exchanges between the local and expat communities,” said  Stewart Hansen, an expat from New Zealand who had lived in the city for seven years.

“国际化街区的建设加强了与外籍人群的互动，提高了外籍人士的生活质量，密切了本地和外籍人士社区的联系，”来自新西兰的斯图尔特-汉森（Stewart Hansen）在采访中说。

Hansen during volunteer service.

Hansen was commended as one of the top 10 volunteers for the year of 2022 by Shenzhen Municipal Committee of the Communist Youth League of China at a theme activity to mark the 18th Shenzhen Volunteers Day, which fell on March 5.

在3.5深圳第18个“深圳志愿者日”的主题活动上，汉森获团市委表彰，获得“2022年度十大志愿者”称号。

When Hansen came to Shenzhen in 2016, he felt that expats in Shekou were isolated from the local community, and there was insufficient authoritative and timely information available for the expat population.

2016年汉森来到深圳时，他感觉外籍人士社区与本地社区很少互动，他们也很难获取及时和权威的信息。

But with the establishment of the Shekou Management and Service Center for Expats in 2017,he said life quality of expats had been improved thanks to the Chinese language classes, information seminars, free legal services and free psychological counseling sessions provided to the expat community.

之后不久，随着蛇口外籍人士管理服务中心的成立，外籍人士的生活质量得到了改善，这得益于为外籍人士社区提供的中文课程、信息讲座、免费法律服务和免费心理咨询等课程。

“The various activities like crafts, culture trips, food, music, sports and festive events had enhanced communications among the expat and local communities,” said Hansen, adding it had helped transform how expats live in their community.

“各种活动，如工艺品制作、文化之旅、美食、音乐、运动和节日活动，加强了中外社区之间的沟通，”汉森说。“这也改善外籍人士的社区生活，”他补充道。

Hansen talks to a staffer with Shekou Management and Service Center for Expats during a campaign to remove inappropriate English translations in public places.

“Over the past couple of years, more international kindergartens and schools have been built or expanded to offer more choices and meet the demand of expats in the community,” said Hansen. In Shekou, expats from different countries can send their children to different international schools like the schools for Korean, Japanese and English-speaking families.

“在过去的几年里，蛇口片区新建和扩建了许多国际幼儿园和学校，它们给外籍人士提供了更多的选择，满足了他们的需求。在蛇口地区，来自不同国家的外籍人士可以将他们的孩子送到不同的国际学校，如韩国人、日本人和英语家庭子弟的学校。”

“In medical services, in addition to some international clinics, it is easy for expats to access local hospitals like Shekou People's Hospital and Nanshan People's Hospital because they provide English translation service,” said Hansen.

“在医疗服务方面，除了一些国际诊所外，外籍人士可以到本地医院就医，如蛇口人民医院和南山人民医院，它们可以提供英语翻译服务，”汉森说。

During the pandemic period, local expats can make appointment for COVID-19 vaccinations through multilingual app channels, according Hansen. The high quality and good standard schools and medical services attracted foreign talents and businesspeople to settle and call Shekou home away from their home.

比如在疫情期间，外籍人士可以通过多语言应用程序预约COVID-19接种疫苗。高质量、高标准的学校和方便的医疗服务吸引了许多外籍人才、商务人士在蛇口落脚，并把蛇口当做他们的家。

The improvement of the public service at the international blocks will attract more international talents to settle in Shenzhen, who will contribute to the city's economic development.

国际化街区的服务的提升将会吸引更多的外籍人才来深， 他们会对深圳的经济发展做出贡献。

The economic growth is one of the top priorities of the Chinese Government. “In the government report, China has set a goal to achieve an economic growth of around 5% in 2023, attract foreign investment, expand market access and give priority to the recovery and expansion of consumption. These incentives will benefit China, and the world as well,” said Hansen.

发展经济是中国政府今年的工作重心之一。“在政府的工作报告中， 中国设定经济增长目标、吸引外资、扩大市场准入、扩大消费，这些政策也将使世界受益，” 汉森说。

“Take New Zealand, which is known for its fruit and formula milk, as an example. Exports of New Zealand products to China will increase if the consumption [in China] picks up, and the tourism industry of New Zealand will also benefit if the outbound travelers from China increase,” said Hansen.

“比如，新西兰以水果和奶粉著称。中国消费能力的增强将促进新西兰产品的出口。中国境外游的增长，新西兰的旅游业也会受益，”他说。

Hansen said he feels at home in Shenzhen, and wanted to make the city even better by contributing his part.

汉森非常享受在深圳的生活，他说也想尽自己的绵薄之力让深圳变得更好。

He has joined a volunteer program in Shekou. “The international volunteer program developed by the Shekou Management and Service Center of Expats have given us an opportunity to contribute to our local community. It is good to get involved in community activities,” said Hansen.

“蛇口外籍人士管理服务中心开发的国际志愿者项目给了我们一个为当地社区做贡献的机会。参与社区活动是件好事。”汉森说。

For his voluntary work over the years, Hansen was awarded with a unique badge with the number 001 in March 2020, when Shekou International Volunteers Team was registered as a district-level team of the Shenzhen Volunteers Association.

2020年3月，蛇口国际志愿者团队被注册为深圳市志愿者协会的区级团队，由于他多年来的志愿工作，汉森被授予了一个编号为001的独特徽章。

（原标题《Expat: Grass-root services help improve life外籍义工： 公共服务提升在深生活质量  》）

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