Rotaract fun evening in Houhai

Posted on by Gilbert Van Kerckhove

As I am now the Rotaract liaison person for the Beijing Rotary Club I frequently join their meetings.
On 28 August Rotaract organized a relaxed evening in Houhai, dinner at “Lao Han Zi” followed by a one hour boat trip on Houhai Lake. The weather was great for once, not to hot. The Houhai area has become very popular with locals and foreigners alike and being a Saturday evening there large crowds everywhere.


Most fun was to see the typical Chinese chaos with all the boats trying to pass under a bridge, everyone blocking everyone. But our boat guy used his skills to ram his way through (the boat being the biggest one did help…).
I also experimented a bit more with my Panasonic Lumix to make night pictures. Looks like finally I am succeeding.
Peter and his wife also joined, along with Sun and Valerie.

China Daily 25 Aug 10 “Foreigner communities”

Posted on by Gilbert Van Kerckhove

This is my comment sent to China Daily on the following article:
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/usa/2010-08/25/content_11201956.htm
First of all I doubt your figure of 20,000 Green Card holders in 2004 is correct. Official figures published in 2009 indicate a grand total of 311 Green Card holders in Beijing. Figures for Shanghai most probably are similar but a bit higher. As a matter of fact China now has stopped giving out the Cards, applications are accepted but rarely if ever granted. One can wonder why the system was even started. A consequence of the near non-existence of Card holders is the humiliating experience when using it. Most airport security people ignore its existence and require to show a passport. I normally refuse; in Beijing Airport I normally have few problems. As the Card is the proof of visa, a passport alone is not enough. The lack of training of security people and others makes Green Card holders feel discriminated while it should be rather an honor.
If some Chinese people start worrying about the impact of foreigners in China and try to draft a new “Immigration Law” to even limit more the influx of foreigners, it will show a bad image for China as being unwelcoming. Reliable figures do not exist about the foreign community in China. Beijing is said to have over 110,000 long-term foreign residents; Shanghai figures are much higher. The latest official China figures (2007) reported 538,892 foreigners lived in China for more than 6 months. I believe real figures are much higher, considering foreign students and many uncounted foreigners. Some estimate that the Japanese, South Korean and Taiwanese communities alone by far exceed the official total.
Even if we assume a total of 1.5 million, that is a drop in the ocean compared to a Chinese population of over 1.3 billion. There are probably more Chinese living in the USA than foreigners in China.
If China wants to be an open and international country, part of the world community, some of our Chinese friends should think it over.
Gilbert
Green Card holder

INCAR Dansspektakel in Beijing

Posted on by Gilbert Van Kerckhove

The dance company Incar from Lebbeke in Belgium, was founded 50 years ago. As the years went by, Incar managed to make itself known as a reliable value within the Flemish cultural landscape.
See their website for further details: http://www.incar-dansspektakel.be/
See here one of their postings:
Incar Dance Company tours China!
Incar Dance Company from East Flanders, Belgium, will tour China this summer. During our 19 day stay we will visit the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai where we will perform in front of the Belgium Pavilion. From there the company will travel to Shaoxing where we will participate in the 6th “World Choir Games”. Delegations from 26 different countries have confirmed their presence at the festival. Our next stop is Xi’an, famous for the terra cotta army that has been excavated. We will end our visit in Beijing.
On 23 July 2010 the Belgian Embassy in Beijing organized a party for the Belgian National Day. In a stifling heath (typical Beijing sauna weather), far over 200 people up, many ambassadors in suits – not me, thanks. I came out from my retreat to join the party, have some Belgian beer, meet friends and enjoy the performance of Incar. They might not be the new “Mamma Mia!” but their enthusiasm is obvious. See the pics.


Thanks to our ambassador Patrick Nijs and his wife for a great event, but next time, ask the skies to spare us.
The video on YouTube:

Beijing’s 12th Five Year Plan: new appointment

Posted on by Gilbert Van Kerckhove

On 2 July I had a meeting in the Mayor’s office, with Mayor Guo Jinlong, Vice Mayor Ji Lin, and others from the Beijing Government. I was appointed (the only foreigner!) as “Committee Member of the Specialist Working Group for the Beijing 12th Five Year Plan”.


It was the first meeting, where the Mayor and others reviewed the main issues and concerns for the 12th FYP as well as a view back on the results of the 11th FYP.
Details cannot be provided as they are confidential. But one issue was already in the press the same day – the merging of 4 Beijing districts into 2: Xicheng + Xuanwu and Dongcheng + Chongwen. I am also the Senior Adviser of Dongcheng District.
I had met the Mayor officially on 20 May in his office on the occasion of the presentation of the 2010 Great Wall friendship Awards.
The Award Winner’s meeting was chaired by Mr. Liu Zhi (sitting next to the Mayor and toasting with Bashar Samra of ING/Bank of Beijing). Mr. Liu was my boss when I was working in the Beijing Development and Reform Commission; he is now deputy secretary of the Beijing Government (Fu Mishu Zhang). During the meeting I delivered a short report on how to improve traffic management in Beijing.
pics
The award is given to foreigners (“foreign experts”) for their contribution to the city’s social and economic progress. It is the top honor for foreigners in Beijing, already given to 145 foreign experts from 28 countries. I received the award from the then Mayor, Wang Qishan, in 2004; he is now vice Premier.