Per Askeland speaks highly of International Services Shanghai Changning and the business environment in Shanghai's Changning district. [Photo by Zheng Zheng/chinadaily.com.cn]

The International Services Shanghai Changning, the first district-level portal, along with the International Services Shanghai online portal focusing on providing services to expats which launched on Jan 1, has won praise from foreigners and overseas returnees for its useful one-stop solutions.

Shanghai-based Norwegian entrepreneur Per Askeland was one of the first users of the Changning portal when it launched.

"This is another thing we can comment on, having this kind of development in Shanghai. It makes life so much easier," said Askeland.

Askeland is the legal representative of DNV China Company Limited, a Norwegian company that is one of the world's leading classification bodies. Even after more than seven years of residency in Shanghai, he said it is still challenging to keep up with the pace of Changning.

Per Askeland is browsing in the portal. [Photo by Zheng Zheng/chinadaily.com.cn]

"I think that the portal is trying to give the total picture," he said. "That's important because there's a lot of things in bits and pieces that the foreigners are not able to reach."

Askeland said he would recommend others to explore the residence registration link provided by the portal, which navigates to a self-help declaration system which is a very easy approach for foreigners to finish residence registration.

"Entertainment is also a vibrant part of Changning," Askeland said he would utilize this portal to stay up to date on all of the art exhibitions, museums and shows taking place in Changning.

He also said the launch of the portal was a good welcoming gesture by Changning. "The business environment in Changning is vibrant," he said. "We have a very good interaction with the authorities in Changning. We also see that the invitation for international business is also coming in, much stronger than we've seen in the past."

Jiang Yuying, who graduated with a master's degree from the University of Melbourne last year, receives special support for her apartment rental from Shanghai's Changning district. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

For Jiang Yuying, a new graduate from the University of Melbourne, the biggest appeal of the portal is the service for applying for special support for apartment rentals for overseas talent. Thanks to the portal, she found a dream flat with a right price in the Changning district.

According to the portal's information section about Changning, the area has implemented special rental support during the transitional period for certain eligible overseas returnees, even if they do not sign a labor contract with the district's companies.

"Renting an apartment with subsidies that Changning provides to overseas returnees saved me a lot of time running around the city, and also money," said Jiang, who completed her master's degree at the University of Melbourne before returning to China in 2023.

She is now renting a one-bedroom flat that is conveniently located just five minutes' walk from the company she works for. "The policy of special support really saved me a significant amount of money, and helped me settle down to work here," Jiang added.

A one-bedroom flat of an apartment building for overseas returnees in Shanghai's Changning district. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

She also said she was impressed by the portal's efficient services that helped her to settle into her new rental in just a week.

"Submitting the application materials, finalizing the lease and paying deposits are all done by simple digital procedures," she said. "It also offers great convenience to students who haven't come back to China."

Statistics show that so far, 20 out of the 30 people who applied for apartments since the portal's launch have completed their move-in.

The Changning portal (https://english.shanghai.gov.cn/en-HongqiaoTalentServiceCenter/index.html) aims to become a user-friendly one-stop hub with information, resources, and services for foreigners looking to do business, find a job, settle down, and study in Changning.