The first official count of Beijing's expats is underway but, for most in the community, the historic survey simply doesn't add up.

As an army of 100,000 surveyors take to the streets to map the first accurate picture of foreigners in the capital, most seem to be viewing the mass poll with a mixture of apathy and confusion.

The one-month campaign in Beijing is a prelude to the national census that will begin in November, but it marks the first time non-Chinese people living in the capital will be included in the national picture.

"I think it's really interesting that China wants to include the foreign population, it's a nice gesture to do it," said Miriam Deller, an Austrian expat who has been in China for five years.

She said she would be happy to be counted, but was not sure how or when she might be interviewed or whether she needed any documentation other than that required to register with the police.

"Quite honestly, I don't understand everything about it," she said. "There hasn't been a sufficient amount of information published about it."

Though news of the census may leave some expats scrambling to get their documents in order, Kristian Kender, an expat from the United States who has been in China for 16 years and who is research director for a Chinese media research company, said he expects the census to be business as usual.

"Every few months, they come in, they ask me how many people are living in my house, check my visa and see if I've registered and leave," he said. "I'm guessing the census won't be much different."

While many of the same documents will be required, the census is aimed at doing more than simply checking people's registration, said Su Hui, deputy director of the Beijing Bureau of Statistics and the director of Beijing's sixth population census unit.

She said that with more than 9.6 million appointment letters being delivered, some translated into languages including English, French and Japanese, this will be the first time the local government has ever conducted such a thorough survey to gather detailed information about Beijing's estimated 110,000 expats.

In the Sanlitun sub-district office, an official surnamed Li said they are preparing the English version of the letter for expats in the area.

"The letter will be sent to expats three days before we knock on their doors," Li said.

Enumerators will also take the letter with them, which they can give to residents on the spot.

An official surnamed Cao with the Sanlitun sub-district office said they will start to register expats in the area in 10 days, after they have found enough translators.

The census is still in its preliminary stages but the final census is expected to include 11 items, including nationality, profession, time spent in China and educational background.

"We want to understand the exact number of expats in Beijing because we are an international city now," Su said.

Though information gathering is the primary goal of the census, officials have said they expect to check false information during the process, which may lead some expats with questionable or expired visas to hide out.

As long as people have followed the rules, have their paperwork in order and are registered with the local police, there should be no problems, Su said.

But, even with his visa and registration in order, Akiva Pearlman, who first moved to China in 1979, said he doesn't really like the idea of being lumped in the "expat" category in the census.

"When I first got here, I never considered myself an expat, I tried to blend in as much as possible," he said.

Still, as volunteers take to Beijing's streets, Pearlman says he will be happy to stand up and be counted - as part of China's population.