Shanghai Labor and Social Security Bureau has launched a new English service channel on its website, officials announced on Thursday.

The new channel (www.12333.gov.cn) will provide information on the city's employment news and policies, the bureau's responsibilities and downloads of work permit applications. Tips for working in Shanghai will also be put online for foreigners preparing to work in the city.

By 3 PM Thursday, more than 10,000 people had visited the site, about 40 percent of whom had consulted it on labor policies and laws, the bureau said.

At the moment 60,000 expats work in the city and this number is expected to increase by 20 percent annually.

The city is also looking forward to launching its first English language television channel next year, when Shanghai Media Group is expected to obtain approval for it from the authorities.

Dragon TV Network, a satellite television division of SMG, is the only local station that provides English language programs at present. It will develop its existing English programs for the country's second English channel, after Beijing-based CCTV-9.

The new channel will cover news, business, culture, tourism and city life. Broadcasts will be live eight hours a day, and half the programs will be produced by the group itself, according to the network's international service division. It will be received by satellite systems in expat communities and hotels.

(eastday.com November 12, 2004)