International Community As Medium: Intercultural Production of Space in Beijing's Expatriate Neighborhoods in Post-COVID-19 Era

Since the reform and opening up of China, international communities have been gradually established in major Chinese cities, functioning as a spatial medium for cross-cultural interactions and facilitating the negotiation and gaming of multiple subjects. Based on Henri Lefebvre's theory of production of space, this paper conducts a six-month field study of Maizidian, a well-known expatriate neighborhood in Beijing, and semi-structured interviews with 20 Chinese and foreign residents of the community from the perspective of communication studies. The aim was to explore the attributes and connotations of communication in everyday life in an international community. The study revealed that the transformation of Maizidian from a rural peri-urban area to an industrial community to an international community was inextricably linked to the renewal of infrastructure following the establishment of the new socialist regime and the implementation of the reform and opening-up policy. This spatial practice established the structural boundaries of the community, facilitating long-term interactions between Chinese and foreign residents. Secondly, through the planning and design of residential, administrative and cultural spaces, official actors have long attempted to influence the power order of grassroots spaces, thereby demonstrating a strong political embeddedness in the representation of space. Thirdly, through the reproduction of social space with a Bohemianist flavour and the negotiated creation of faith space in the grey zone, the actors have cultivated a glocalized sense of community and safeguarded a space of representation that is dynamic and transformative. International communities are inextricably linked to the ongoing social transformation in China, including the differentiation of living spaces, the harmonisation of neighbourhood interests and the reform of grassroots power systems. Going forward, it is imperative to continue exploring the role of international communities in China through the lens of communication studies, which will help to restore the globalised city as a multidimensional concept.