Foreigners have a huge impact on community relations. Ricardo Blazquez, chief trade representative in China for Valencia, which is Spain's third-largest city, is now advocating for closer relations among the residents from various nations living within the community.
Blazquez serves as community representative for the at least 31,000 residents coming from 50 nations residing in the Ronghua neighborhood of the Gubei area of Changning District. Personally, he has been a resident of Shanghai for 17 years already, and is living with his wife, daughter and granddaughter.
As a community representative, his role is to voice out foreign views in an international residents' chamber located in the Gubei Civic Center. Problems observed by foreigners are presented and the possible solutions are proposed in this chamber.
Blazquez, as with other foreigners, has come to play a strategic role in fostering community relations.
"I regard myself as a bridge for residents from various nations living in the community," said Blazquez, who can speak fluent Chinese and is very knowledgeable about the Chinese culture.
Blazquez can be considered a small part of the city government's Top Agenda policy, wherein the goal is to provide local residents a greater chance for their voices to be heard regarding community affairs.
The Ronghua neighborhood has a residents' chamber of 12 counselors, which included six foreign nationals. Aside from Blazquez, who came from Spain, other foreign representatives are from Australia, Japan, the Netherlands and the Philippines.
The chamber regularly holds a once-a-month meeting, where the counselors would be given the opportunity to share the concerns and feedback of their respective communities. Comments, positive and negative, are accepted. All the counselors are well-versed in the Chinese culture.