Community cops build harmonious society

Yan has also encountered problems caused by cultural differences, and has taken steps to deepen communication and deal with disputes.

"Many older Chinese like to sleep early and dance to loud music in the park in the morning, while some expats like to have parties late at night and get up late. So, in the first three years, I received many complaints," he said.

He organizes monthly salons, themed as cultural exchanges, language learning, art and music, and invites all the residents. There are also fixed language corners and international flea markets. Some expats have also joined community volunteer teams to help seniors and children in their spare time.

The salons helped promote harmony after the two groups shared their views and understood their cultural differences. Yan urged the residents to found WeChat groups so they could share their opinions and avoid complaints.

"If the seniors' dancing music is too loud, rather than call the police, our foreign friends can use WeChat to ask them to turn it down. Many small conflicts like that have been solved by the residents themselves. Such complaints have almost completely disappeared," he said.

Most foreign nationals in Yan's community are students at nearby universities, who usually live in the community for six months or a year.

Yan believes that his main responsibility is to create a safe environment for residents, so he regularly informs them about telecom frauds and fire hazards.

"They usually only come to the police because they have met trouble, so we need to alert them as early as possible," he said, adding that he and his colleagues also inform foreign nationals if their visas are about to expire, while communities often provide free legal services if required.