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A handbook published in Beijing is expected to assist the growing number of expatriates living here.

 

The 160-page, pocket-sized Handbook for Foreigners in Beijing is the result of a joint effort between the Beijing Foreign Affairs Office and foreign experts based in the capital city. It was officially released on Saturday.

 

 

The handbook provides information on entering and exiting the country, residential registration, housing, automobiles, traffic rules, employment, schooling, medical services, travel, marriage, and adopting children.

 

The book is expected to offer valuable guidance to visitors during the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. The current edition is in Chinese and English, but the municipal government is planning to publish other versions.

 

"An increasing number of non-English-speaking foreigners, such as Koreans, Japanese, French, and many others, have been visiting China," said Yang Liuyin, director of Beijing Foreign Affairs Office. "We will conduct market research before the Games to determine how many different foreign-language editions we need to work on."

 

The edition released on Saturday was actually the second version of a book first published in 2004. The new edition has been extended to cover the Olympics regarding the Games' theme, emblems, mascots, and general information on the competition.

 

An estimated 3.5 million non-Chinese people visited Beijing last year, according to official statistics. There are about 70,000 expatriates living in the city.

 

Yang described the book as highly accurate and authoritative, adding that it could serve as a reference manual for foreign affairs-related organizations.

 

"Beijing will welcome many more foreign visitors as the 2008 Olympics draw near, and we hope we can help them develop a better and faster understanding of the city," Yang said. "The book helps promote Beijing's international image and competitiveness."

 

Djudjur S. H. Hutagalung, minister counselor for social and cultural affairs at the Indonesian embassy, described the book as practical and inexpensive. It sells for 25 yuan (US$3.2) and is available at bookstores throughout the city.

 

"I think foreigners will find this book really useful, especially since it meets high English-language standards," he said. "Plus, it is always good to read in one's own language."

 

David Tool from Beijing International Studies University said: "I really applaud the government's efforts in putting this book together. It has come out at the right time."

 

(China Daily November 13, 2006)