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Experts: better services for Africans in Guangzhou to promote China-Africa cooperation专家:进一步改善对广州非洲人服务,促进中非合作

BABY Aly Sidy, an African merchant living in Guangzhou for over 6 years, is doing business with a local supplier in Dashatou [Photo/Steven, Newsgd.com] 

The Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) 2018 Beijing Summit is scheduled for Sept. 3rd to 4th in the Chinese capital.

Established 18 years ago in Beijing, the FOCAC has achieved fruitful results and has become a significant symbol of China-Africa cooperation.

Many experts share their analyses on African businesspeople in Guangzhou who have facilitated China-Africa trade, and offer suggestions on improving services for these Africans to promote China-Africa cooperation.

 

Text by Heather

Edited by Olivia, Simon, Nan


Africans living in Guangzhou. (File photo from thepaper.com)

Guangzhou as an “El Dorado” for Africans

Professor Mao Guomin of the Guangdong University of Foreign Studies (GDUFS) describes Guangzhou as an “El Dorado” for Africans—63.1% of the 13.1 thousand Africans in Guangzhou are involved in commercial activities.

With a good environment, high openness to the outside world and in particular a small-commodity market that provides a full range of goods at lower prices and offers higher profits, Guangzhou has attracted many African businessmen for over 20 years.

Professor Zhang Zhenjiang and Post-Dr. Niu Dong of Jinan University (JNU) believe that Guangzhou, as an important international port city and center of transportation, logistics, goods and information, provides business opportunities and serves as a perfect transfer city for African businesspeople.

Furthermore, living in Guangzhou, a city near Hong Kong and Macao, can reduce the transportation cost needed for the renewal of the China business visa (M visa).

According to Professor Zhou Daming and Dr. Zhou Aihua of the Sun Yat-sen University (SYSU), most Africans own small or medium-sized enterprises back in Africa set up for China-Africa trade. They stay in Guangzhou for a month and return home after purchasing large quantities of goods including low-end electronics, textiles, and construction materials, etc.

Some stay here for temporary transit and leave after purchasing small quantities of goods.

Others staying in Guangzhou for more than 3 months are on long-term business postings for major African multinational corporations, or have their own companies registered in Guangzhou. Some of these Africans even got married or gained residency in China.


Tabou rendered the famous Chinese song 'Jasmine' on 2018 Africa Day, Guangzhou [Photo / Steven, Newsgd.com]

Tabou presented singing performance on 2018 Africa Day, Guangzhou [Photo/Steven, Newsgd.com]

Introduce policies and institutions to attract foreign talents

As for improving services for Africans in Guangzhou, Professor Zhou and Dr. Zhou of SYSU made the following proposals.

According to them, strengthen immigration awareness on all fronts. Governments should introduce policies and institutions to attract international talents, especially skilled workers and investors, and set up service agencies in immigrant communities. It is the role of the media to help the public know more about immigrants’ cultures.

The second proposal is to regulate the development of immigrant communities. An excellent example is Dengfeng Community, which has become a new highlight of Guangzhou through improved regulation.

Meanwhile, outsourced non-governmental social service agencies should be involved deeply. For instance, Dengfeng Community Family Integrated Services Center is paid by the government to provide services including housing rental consultancy, translation, policy consultancy, medical assistance, etc., according to diverse needs of foreigners living in the city.

Professor Mao of GDUFS adds that more services should be improved by enhancing M visa policies, letting African overseas students volunteer in service programs for foreigners, and providing more Chinese courses for Africans in Guangzhou.


专家:进一步改善对广州非洲人服务,促进中非合作

    “随着中国改革开放,经济、社会发展迅速,历届中非合作论坛的成功举办,至上世纪90年代末,第一批非洲商人来到广州,将廉价的中国商品运往非洲物资短缺的国家销售,赚取高达数倍的利润。”这批非洲人,成为了中非贸易交流的其中一道桥梁,也受到了来自广州多家高校专家学者的关注和开展长期研究。

    广东外语外贸大学的毛国民教授将广州称为非洲人梦想中的“淘金圣地”。他指出,广州城市环境好、开放程度高、气候适合非洲人,最重要的是小商品市场品种齐全、价格更低、利润更高,这让非洲人在过去20多年不断来到广州经商。

    毛国民教授在其研究中指出,根据相关部门2017年9月25日数据,在广州的非洲人数量为1.31万,调研发现其中63.1%是从事商贸活动。

    来自暨南大学的张振江教授和博士后牛冬认为,广州不仅有联通世界的重要港口,而且是中国南方重要的交通、物流、货物、信息等资源的集散地,能够为那些富有创业精神的非洲人提供白手起家的商机,也成为那些在这里停留而去往中东、欧洲和北美的非洲人的中转地。

    他们认为,促使非洲人来到广州的另外一个重要原因就是广州毗邻香港、澳门,而那些持短期签证,尤其是持“M”字签证(也即贸易签证)的非洲人一般每隔30天就要离境一次,居住在广州可以最大限度降低更新签证的交通成本。

    谈到签证,中山大学的周大鸣教授和周爱华博士指出,来广州采购的非洲人,按持有签证分,可分为三类。多数根据签证规定的居留时间在穗的停留时间是一个月,他们多是来进行正常的贸易商品活动,在穗采购大批量的货物之后就用国际物流运回国,包括低端电子产品、轻纺织品、五金产品和家用电器以及一些建筑材料等,这类商人在他们本国一般都办有一些中小型的中非贸易的企业,短暂在华采购后就回国。有小部分商人是临时过境,顺便进行小型货物采购随即离开。有一部分长期居留的商人由于国内大型跨国公司长期派驻或者在广州已注册公司而留在广州的,停留的时间在3个月及以上,有的甚至在中国娶妻生子或获得中国居留权。

    如何加强对在广州的非洲人的服务,让他们成为促进中非交流的桥梁,是专家们研究的重要方向。

    毛教授建议从政府、社会、文化和技术层面提升对在穗非洲人的服务。例如完善签证政策,特别是M类签证,让非洲留学生成为相关服务工作的志愿者,向在广州的非洲人提供更多汉语课堂等服务。

    中山大学的周大鸣教授和周爱华博士则从培育移民文化、规划移民社区和依托社工机构开展服务等三个方面提出建议。

    一是从各层面培育移民文化。在政策和制度上应当进一步吸引国际人才尤其是接受过良好教育的技术型和资本型移民。政府部门改善服务,如在移民社区设置小型的、专业、较为全面的管理和服务机构有助于缓解此种局面。在媒体和社会层面应当认识多元文化的存在。

    二是积极管控、引导和规划移民社区。如登峰街,进一步引导和规划也可以成为城市新的人文名片,亦是中非友谊的示范区。

    三是依托社工机构开展服务。调研发现来自不同祖籍国的外籍人员在广州生活和工作的需求因群体不同而存在差异,比如在广州有稳定生活的家庭则有医疗卫生、儿童教育等需求,来穗开展贸易的商人则需要中文学习和有关签证和法律知识的学习,这些都可以由社工机构等来开展针对性服务。如登峰街家庭综合服务中心位于非洲人在广州的聚集区,成立于2012年,外国人服务为该中心特色服务,由政府购买其服务,为来穗外国人提供租赁房子咨询、游玩广州、信息翻译、法律咨询、基础的汉语知识学习等服务,对于长期居住在广州的外国人还提供系统的中文学习、跨文化交流、政策咨询、医疗帮扶等服务。社工机构这种小型的、专门性、非官方机构更适合在流动性较高的外国人聚集区开展有针对性的服务。

 

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