Shanghai Labor and Social Security Bureau has launched a new
English service channel on its website, officials announced on
Thursday.
The new channel (www.12333.gov.cn)
will provide information on the city's employment news and
policies, the bureau's responsibilities and downloads of work
permit applications. Tips for working in Shanghai will also be put
online for foreigners preparing to work in the city.
By 3 PM Thursday, more than 10,000 people had visited the site,
about 40 percent of whom had consulted it on labor policies and
laws, the bureau said.
At the moment 60,000 expats work in the city and this number is
expected to increase by 20 percent annually.
The city is also looking forward to launching its first English
language television channel next year, when Shanghai Media Group is
expected to obtain approval for it from the authorities.
Dragon TV Network, a satellite television division of SMG, is
the only local station that provides English language programs at
present. It will develop its existing English programs for the
country's second English channel, after Beijing-based CCTV-9.
The new channel will cover news, business, culture, tourism and
city life. Broadcasts will be live eight hours a day, and half the
programs will be produced by the group itself, according to the
network's international service division. It will be received by
satellite systems in expat communities and hotels.
(eastday.com November 12, 2004)