DEPTH
Beijing homeowners
take back control with
technological tools
When property managers failed in their roles, tech-
savvy residents in a Beijing apartment complex
took matters into their own hands through voting
by phone.
Close to 1,000 families live in Shiyunhaoting
residential neighborhood in eastern Beijing. In
June, they voted to fire their property management
company which they agreed was negligent, and
decided to select a new one.
They did so through an app called “Beijing
Homeowners,” developed by the Beijing Municipal
Commission of Housing and Urban-Rural Devel-
opment and put into use last year.
The replacement of property managers through
phone voting was the first of its kind, the commis-
sion said.
Built in 2000, the apartments and public infra-
structure are in regular need of repairs, but the old
property management company had been slow in
its actions, drawing the ire of residents.
“I remember the ground tiles at the gate were
broken. I picked up a tile and asked the property
managers to replace it, but they never got it fixed,”
said 72-year-old Sun Weiming.
Sun said many residents were angered by their
repeated negligence.
Residents at Shiyunhaoting were among the
app’s first batch of users. Voting has become the
most popular function, said Li Lang, who works for
the commission’s property management guidance
center.
“With voting on paper, staff had to go door to
door to collect votes and signatures, and often
people are not at home. Voting on a phone app is
much more convenient,” Li said.
App users have to go through an identity-au-
thentication process to be able to vote, he said.
By the end of July, the community had wel-
comed its new property management company,
said Yuan Jingchao, head of the homeowners’
association.
According to a previously agreed rule, a major-
ity of voters must support a resolution for it to be
enacted.
“The phone app greatly raises the efficiency in
solving matters of collective importance. It also
helps us settle matters without entering into con-
flicts or other forms of disputes,” said Yuan.
The app has been put to use in over 2,000
communities across Beijing. About 23 residential
neighborhoods used the voting functions on the
app, said Li.
However, many residents worry about the se-
curity of data, and about the consequences if their
voting information is leaked, he said.
The app is developed and managed by a govern-
ment organ, and the voter’s information is kept
strictly confidential, Li assured.
The app, however, has proven a challenge for
senior citizens who are less tech-savvy. Sun needed
the help of his neighbor to install the app and vote.
Several elderly people in the neighborhood have
not installed the app.
Advocates say the benefits of the technology’s
introduction outweigh the disadvantages. Resi-
dents at Shiyunhaoting will soon vote again on
whether they should use their mutual fund to re-
pair the old elevators. Their new property manage-
ment firm will be put under tighter scrutiny.
“Technology now helps people to better know
their rights, and allows residents to exercise them,”
said Yuan.Xinhua – Global Timesn is
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water“Although the conditions are difficult,
joining the Belt and Road construction
makes me feel proud. Not only have I en-
riched my knowledge, but also improved
my professional skills,” said Qiu.
Being the first overseas route connect-
ed to the railway system in China using
Chinese technology and equipment, the
China-Laos railway is a major project in
infrastructure inter-connectivity between
China and neighboring countries, and a
major project in implementing the Belt
and Road Initiative.
The railway’s ground-breaking cer-
emony was held in December 2015, and
the construction of the route officially
commenced a year later. The railway is
expected to open for service in December
2021.
The China-Laos railway has a length
of over 414 kilometers, with 62 kilome-
ters of bridges and 198 kilometers of
tunnels under construction, linking the
Mohan-Boten border gate in northern
Laos with the capital, Vientiane. Operat-
ing speed on the route is designed
to be 160 kilometers per hour.Xinhua – Global Timesaos
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