After The Plan for Comprehensive Deepening Reform and Opening Up of the Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone (Qianhai Plan) was promulgated by the Central Government on Sept. 6, 2021, several expats living in Shenzhen, especially in Qianhai, shared with Shenzhen Daily their views on the plan and their expectations for Qianhai’s future development last year. Recently, some of them provided their feedback on how their life has changed in the past year.

Danish entrepreneur Jakob Krogh-Jensen said his business made some progress in the past year, and he believed that it was a big step for him to be able to sustain himself and afford all his company’s expenses under a not-so-ideal market environment.

“Since last year, I’ve started working more with people from Hong Kong. So, all in all, it’s been a great year since the last time we did the interview. I live in Bao’an and it changes so fast. Even in just one year, so much has happened. And I often visited Qianhai where looks phenomenal!” Krogh-Jensen said, adding that he thinks Qianhai and Bao’an are becoming nicer neighborhood to live in.

Romanian kung fu teacher and volunteer Duiu Onofrei had a fruitful year last year. He led his Chinese students to attend the seventh Qwan Ki Do martial arts world championship and won five medals, including one gold and one silver for an individual event, and three bronzes for a team event.

“Now, China has a world champion [for the Qwan Ki Do competition], and I’m very happy about this,” Onofrei said, adding that he also enjoyed his life living in Shekou, which became a part of Qianhai after the release of the Qianhai Plan. “Living here is very interesting and nice. Shekou has vegetation, parks and the sea, so I have a lot of places to go with my kid. It has something special, and I don’t want to leave here,” he said.

Ruben Mato Alonso, a Spanish entrepreneur who set up a company in Qianhai in 2015, said he innovated his business model last year by developing a WeChat miniprogram, through which he helps with the sales of agricultural products produced in China’s rural areas.

“The products are of high quality and are pollution-free, however, they didn’t sell well. That’s why I want to introduce those agricultural products to the big cities,” he said.

In addition, Alonso is planning to make a microfilm this year to record his entrepreneurial story in China.

Henk Werner, a Dutch entrepreneur who is running a maker space for expat entrepreneurs like him, said his space now has more neighbors. “There are still quite a few foreigners in Shenzhen who need this community. So, our co-working space has become even livelier.”

“As for Qianhai itself, I think it’s a beautiful area. The local government has learned so much from all the expansion over the last 10 to 20 years. If you haven’t seen that [Qianhai], you really have to come here and take a look. It’s breathtakingly beautiful!” he said.