By Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau

　　Confronting Challenges with Resolve
　　Dong! Dong! Dong! The clock strikes midnight and Wang Jingting’s colleague quips, "In just a few hours, we’ll be greeted by the first rays of morning light again."
　　Since the Ministry of Public Security introduced 20 new entry-and-exit measures in 2016 to underpin Beijing’s innovative development, overtime work has become common for Wang and her colleagues. Crafting optimal immigration policies and measures that align with Beijing’s position as four centers and cater to the distribution of foreign personnel was an arduous task. They must strive to meet the requirements of the city’s high-quality economic and social development. Wang believes a city’s ability to attract high-caliber foreign talents serves as an important indicator of its internationalized development, commercial environment, innovative vitality, and competitive strengths. It also plays a pivotal role in ensuring the city’s safety and security as it endeavors to become an internationalized metropolis.
　　She has risen to the challenge: after reviewing nearly 100 documents related to domestic and foreign immigration, visiting hundreds of enterprises, conducting nearly 300 internal and external business exchanges, writing thousands of pages of policy manuscripts, consulting with dozens of departments, as well as painstakingly planning and conducting tests, she eventually created an enforcement programme of more than 100 pages in length. The substantive and innovative programme highlights Beijing’s unique characteristics and addresses for the first time many urgent problems that concern foreign talents the most.

　　Embracing a Patient and Friendly Work Style
　　Wang graduated from Beijing Foreign Studies University, but she never imagined that a small permanent residence permit could lead to an encounter with the founder of her alma mater. One day, while working at the Zhongguancun Foreigner Service Center an area known as China’s Silicon Valley, Wang had the pleasure of attending to a special foreign applicant. The silver-haired gentleman, dressed impeccably in a suit and Beijing-styled cloth shoes, turned out to be Michael Crook, also known by the Chinese name Ke Makai, the co-founder of the Western Academy of Beijing and an authentic Beijing dialect speaker. His mother, Isabel Crook, was a renowned supporter of China, a pioneer of the country’s English education, and had been involved in the establishment of Beijing Foreign Studies University—she was honored with the Order of Friendship of the People’s Republic of China in 2019. On that day, Mr. Crook visited the center to inquire about his granddaughter’s application for permanent residence in China. After obtaining general information about the Crook’s family and referring to the latest optimized immigration policies, Wang identified the simplest approach for their case. She also maintained regular contact with Crook, a long-time holder of a Chinese permanent residence permit, seeking his opinions on the immigration management of the Public Security Bureau, including the convenience of using the permit. Over time, the interactions blossomed into a genuine friendship, allowing them to share thoughts on various topics. Witnessing the family’s contented life in Beijing, Wang felt a deep sense of pride in her job. As a foreign affairs officer, she might not directly confront criminals, but her patient and friendly work style still contributes to creating a warm and peaceful world.
　　The appreciation banners and thank-you notes from permit applicants that reach Wang’s office stand as the most compelling evidence of unwavering dedication of Wang and other ordinary foreign affairs officers in Beijing.
　　At the opening ceremony of the 2023 Zhongguancun Forum in Beijing, under the theme of "Open Cooperation, Shared Future," the Foreign Affairs Office of the Beijing Public Security Bureau unveiled the "Setting Sails, Facilitating Enterprises" programme. Watching the promotional video on-site, Wang was delighted to know that her contributions had become a crucial component of the new immigration policy. All the efforts she had put in had been worthwhile, as they would now play a significant role in facilitating Beijing’s scientific development and economic growth.

　　Safeguarding the Nation with Determination
　　As guardians of the national border and visa officers of the capital, Wang and her colleagues strive to maintain a "zero-error" record in handling applications and verifying documents. Through their dedication, Wang has honed a pair of observant eyes and a discerning mind, enabling her to adeptly identify any false information amidst piles of materials and discern suspicious individuals from applicants’ evasive expressions. On one occasion, a foreign couple approached her window to apply for permanent residence. During the process, Wang noticed that the two hardly conversed and displayed no signs of intimacy, especially when asked about their marital life. Their apparent estrangement cast doubts about their marital status.. Spontaneously Wang decided to visit their home to check out. It turned out that the couple was in the process of getting a divorce, making them ineligible for the application. After informing them of the severe consequences of fraudulent immigration applications, Wang diligently carried out follow-up work according to the law to maintain the order of immigration management.
　　As guardians of the national border, Wang Jingting and her colleagues are resolute in providing no loopholes for any unqualified applicants. As frontline workers of immigration reform, however, they are equally dedicated to delivering the warmest and most efficient service to all eligible applicants. Their goal is to ensure that every foreigner in Beijing will experience the great capital’s openness and inclusivity.■
　　
　　(Translated by Chen Xiaoying, School of Foreign Languages, Beijing Forestry University)
　　
　　Personal Profile:
　　Wang Jingting is 37 years old. She is a member of the Communist Party of China and began work as a public security officer in September 2007. She is the Head of Squadron One at the the Zhongguancun Foreigner Service Detachment, part of the Exit-Entry Administration Department Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau. Her work involves conducting preliminary examinations of foreigners’ permanent residence applications, facilitating various uses of permanent residence ID cards, supporting the development of high-caliber talents in Beijing, managing foreign talents in key zones such as the Comprehensive Demonstration Zone for the Opening-up of the National Service Sector, the Pilot Free Trade Zone of China (Beijing), and the Beijing International Science and Innovation Centre, and contributing to the formulation of policies related to foreigners’ entry and exit control.