Foshan is first Chinese local government to open up to foreign talent
In a mainland first, a local government bureau has turned to overseas talent in a move hailed by Beijing as an example for others to follow
Think mainland bureaucrats and sloganeering probably comes to mind. The phrase, "Through three rivers can connect to four seas" at first baffled 26-year-old Uruguayan Nicolas Santo.
Coming to understand Chinese culture is one thing Santo will have to master as one of a group of expatriates hired by the Foshan Bureau of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation in a mainland first.
Santo, who has a master's degree in international law from Beijing's Tsinghua University and is a visiting fellow at Harvard Law School, has been hired as an international investment promotion consultant on a contract basis. This is the first time a mainland government department has accepted foreigners into its internal structure.
In all, five foreigners with experience in information technology and international trade will be hired. The move was applauded by the Commerce Ministry in Beijing, which listed Foshan's example as one for other local governments to follow.
There is no secret formula here. If we can do it, so can other departments
"It's the very first time a Sino-foreign team has existed in a local government structure to promote investment," Santo - who is fluent in Spanish, English, Portuguese and Italian, and commands conversational Putonghua - said. "There's the possibility of making a difference … We get to see [the local government] from the inside, how it works and get to shape it by providing recommendations."