Foreigners in China

The Chinese government on Saturday has promised to revise a draft bill on issuing “green cards” to foreigners after the proposal unleashed a wave of online xenophobia. China has one of the world’s strictest permanent residency programs, but many citizens say they don’t want more immigrants, especially black people, to settle in the country. Millions of angry comments have flooded Chinese social media to protest against a plan that Beijing said was meant to attract more foreign talent to boost the economy. “I’m worried about black people and Islam,” David Zhu, a 33-year-old banker in Shanghai, told Inkstone, calling black people “uncivilized” and Islam “a cancer.” “You can tell from the exper

Foreign workers in China have long complained about the bureaucracy and paperwork involved in getting a working visa, but that may be about to change after the authorities unveiled plans to streamline the application process. A policy document released on Sunday outlined plans for a series of pilot programs to reduce the red tape as part of a project to boost the Yangtze River Delta region, which includes major commercial cities such as Shanghai, Hangzhou and Nanjing. The plans, rubber-stamped by the Central Committee of the Communist Party and the State Council, aims to streamline work permit applications, permanent residency and employment for overseas workers. The plan aims to attract mo

Foreign models and performers can make a pretty good living in China. Securely employed, with contracts and work visas all taken care of, they’re eagerly sought out by big brands and businesses, and enjoy all the benefits of expatriate life in the country’s biggest cities. But in the wilderness of China’s many smaller provincial cities, the picture is different. There, another breed of foreigners, working illegally, appear at bizarre promotional events mockingly called “monkey shows.” The foreigner is a marketing prop – exhibited to be gawked at and photographed, like a monkey in a cage. Yet for new arrivals looking for casual work in China, whose English is too accented or not fluent enough

With China’s biggest annual political gathering underway, Beijing’s police have ordered something rather unusual at several pizzerias. No, we're not talking about pizza with spaghetti on top. Police in the Chinese capital have asked at least three restaurants and bars to keep large groups of foreigners out. Two of them were told to host no more than 10 foreigners at any one time. “We were told that if we did not comply, our business would be shut down immediately,” said an employee at an affected pizzeria.  A restaurant manager who received the verbal order said no reason was given, but that it seemed like a measure meant to keep order during this week’s important meetings between thousands