Only about 5,200 African people have been permanently living in Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province, since January this year, far below the reported number of over 200,000, according to a local official.

However, there were more than 200,000 visits from African people to the city between January and November, accounting for nearly 10 percent of the total visits of foreigners, according to Chen Rugui, deputy Party chief of Guangzhou.

“We are introducing a series of measures, aiming to provide better service for foreigners visiting and living in the city,” said Chen, during a work meeting on Thursday.

Guangzhou, a traditional city of foreign trade, has been a hot destination for foreigners, especially those from Africa, for business visits.

Earlier media reports said Guangzhou had more than 200,000 African people living and doing business for over half a year in the city, posing social problems for urban administration.

According to Chen, Guangzhou had developed a coordinative work meeting system in terms of foreigners’ administration among its districts and communities.

Moreover, several service centers have been established in communities and commercial areas to help provide services for foreigners.

According to Chen, the city has dealt with 3,029 foreigners, who illegally entered or lived and worked in Guangzhou, since early January this year, down 8.3 percent year-on-year.