Houshang Fathi (in yellow) asks a question during the lecture in Shekou yesterday. Courtesy of Shekou MSCE

Wei Jie

claudiamente@hotmail.com

A SEMINAR focused on addressing common banking challenges encountered by Shenzhen’s foreign residents was held at the Shekou Foreign Legal Assistance Center in Nanshan District yesterday.

This is the latest in the center’s “One Month, One Topic” seminar series that aims to help expats understand laws and policies they will encounter while living in the city.

Jointly organized by the Shekou Management and Service Center for Expats (Shekou MSCE) and the Bank of China Qianhai Shekou Branch, the seminar aimed to enhance expat residents’ comprehension of Chinese policies that govern personal banking for overseas individuals. Topics included procedures for opening bank accounts, easy payments, anti-fraud regulations, and individual salary exchange for foreign currencies.

During the session, representatives from the Bank of China Qianhai Shekou Branch outlined the documents and certificates expats are required to produce when engaging in banking transactions, followed by an interactive Q&A session with expat participants.

Canadian Philippe F.V., a professor of computer sciences at Shenzhen University, expressed a deep interest in understanding international money transfers. “It’s a rather complex process, so I’d like to find out more,” he told Shenzhen Daily before the seminar. After the seminar, he stated, “It did answer my questions, and the lecture was great.”

Nadine Naidoo, a South African who teaches at a public school in Shekou, was interested in learning more about online banking. “I have the app of Bank of China, but I can’t do very much with it except checking the balance. So, I’m looking forward to finding out how to use [the app].”

After the seminar, Naidoo said, “It’s very informative, and their presentation was straightforward and easy-to-follow, with all the major points clearly highlighted on the slides, which clarified the often complicated banking regulations.”

Having resided in China for seven years, Naidoo has seen a significant improvement in facilitating payments for expats. “When I first came it was rather difficult,” she recalled, adding that now foreign bank cards are widely accepted and can be added to mobile payment services such as Alipay.

The center is the first comprehensive multifunctional platform in Guangdong Province to offer foreign-related public legal services. Currently, services such as legal consulting, notary services, mediation, visa and tax consulting, and intellectual property consulting are available at the center. Lawyers, notaries, and other professionals are regularly invited to answer questions that expat residents are most concerned about.