The lives of expats in Beijing

There were two very different faces of the expatriate experience in Beijing this past weekend. I’ll start with the cheerier one.

We strolled a few blocks to the convention center at the China World complex and saw a huge trade show for foreign residents. I’m not sure how many foreigners now live in Beijing. I’ve heard it’s over 100,000 (more than 40,000 South Koreans alone). But the show underscored the point that foreigners spend big money in Beijing.

There were anywhere between 60 and 100 booths. Local health clinics, exclusive housing compounds, luxury vacation destinations all had stands. There was one for an air purifying system. Trek bicycles had a booth. So did the big sporting goods chain Decathlon. What particularly struck me were all the booths for private schools, which are particularly costly in Beijing. It can routinely cost $20,000 per year to send a child to a private school here. Yet there must have been at least 10 booths for different big schools.

On a less cheery note, I got a call from a British colleague who said his son had nearly got caught up in a periodic police raid in Sanlitun, which is a nightlife hub in Beijing.

A virtual SWAT team descended on an ally that is very popular with the young expat crowd (teen-agers, twentysomethings) and started checking for drugs. They were particularly rigorous in checking whether everyone had their documents in order.

A young woman named Sophia posted about the incident on the Beijing Boyce blog:

“Especially that they approached us with guns, they had no right to come running at us and point with their guns at us and shout “sit down” and “shut up”.

“And as well they didn’t even make us empty our pockets. What kind of drug raid is that where they just watch you sit on the ground and as soon as you move you just get shouted at and you have guns pointed at you. Even my friend that was inside pure girl didn’t get touched. they only searched the guys.

“That night scared me so badly and just seeing the police running at us with those big black guns, that image is stuck in my head now…

Get used to it, guys. Foreigners are increasingly in the crosshairs of the authorities. I was speaking with a senior U.N. official based here and he was grumbling about the increased restrictions on foreigners. I asked what he meant. “More ID checking, housing checking. They have also increased arrests and deportations of foreigners.” With worries high about activists and their possible shenanigans at the Summer Olympics, he said, “they just suspect everybody who doesn’t look Chinese.”

Comments

[Pan]

Sounds a lot like Prince William County (VA).

[A B]

It is about time.

Drug use by foreigners is a big issue. Start deporting foreigners for possessing illegal drugs is a great way to keep the problem out of China.

They also need to start routinely testing foreigners for communicable diseases like MRSA, AIDs, STDs, etc.

It is about time all foreigners who stay for more than a few days on a tourist visa be required to be photographed, fingerprinted, and a DNA sample taken on entry.

As for:

"they had no right to come running at us and point with their guns at us"

Should that poster be happier if the police fired first rather than do that?

The only flaw in the procedure was they failed to search the girls, which means they will be deputized to carry the contraband in the future.

The police need drug sniffing dogs to deal with these people.

[A B]

It is about time.

Drug use by foreigners is a big issue. Start deporting foreigners for possessing illegal drugs is a great way to keep the problem out of China.

They also need to start routinely testing foreigners for communicable diseases like MRSA, AIDs, STDs, etc.

It is about time all foreigners who stay for more than a few days on a tourist visa be required to be photographed, fingerprinted, and a DNA sample taken on entry.

As for:

"they had no right to come running at us and point with their guns at us"

Should that poster be happier if the police fired first rather than do that?

The only flaw in the procedure was they failed to search the girls, which means they will be deputized to carry the contraband in the future.

The police need drug sniffing dogs to deal with these people.

[Pffefer]

It's about time. Tim is right, get used to it. The days that foreigners are treated like first-class citizens, "untouchables" are numbered.

Upset with the police drawing the guns? Get used to it. It happens in the US almost on a daily basis. You are a foreigner? Here is one more reason to draw the guns, you "criminaliens" as people say in the States!

[Marvin Foushee]

This blog report came from a 9th grader who was caught bar hopping in Beijing with her underage friends without any ID. Again, shades of Rodney King when Tim Johnson spins his biased tale.

BIG BLACK GUNS!
**************

Sophia April 6th, 2008 10:14 am

This whole thing was a bit fucked up in my opinion.
I was one of the people that had to go on the ground outside and I had a friend inside pure girl waiting because they didn’t let her out.

Apparently the ‘main’ drug dealers of beijing weren’t even there, so I would guess they were warned.
It did seem pretty organized and everything but I think that as soon as they realized that the main drug dealers, the people they were actually looking for weren’t there, they decided to take anyone who didn’t have an ID card with them.

The people outside got let go after like 40 minutes of sitting on the ground without showing an ID. Then they realized that the only people in pure girl were either clean or only some little kids that smoked Hash and then to not look stupid they decided to take everyone to the police station that didn’t have an ID.

They took 3 of my friends and some people of my school, small kids - 9th graders! And then they didn’t even tell us where they took them to. They first told us to the police station right behind bar street but that one is way too small for all the people they took in the first place, so we didn’t even look there.

I think this whole thing was stupid and unnecessary. Especially that they approached us with guns, they had no right to come running at us and point with their guns at us and shout “sit down” and “shut up”.

And as well they didn’t even make us empty our pockets. What kind of drug raid is that where they just watch you sit on the ground and as soon as you move you just get shouted at and you have guns pointed at you. Even my friend that was inside pure girl didn’t get touched. they only searched the guys.

That night scared me so badly and just seeing the police running at us with those big black guns, that image is stuck in my head now…

The only good thing is that it is probably not going to happen again anytime soon beacuse this for sure cost them a huge amount of money. All the people that used to go to pure girl wont go there again thought - even if pure girl gets reopened, which I highly doubt.

boyce April 6th, 2008 9:49 pm

[Dave the druggie]

ah it is sad, i remember the wonderful days where you could get away with just about anything in Beijing.

foreigners only have themselves to blame- yes we were all off our heads on lots of naughty substances back in the day but we kept it quiet- the new breed of foreigners are just idiots and have taken the piss for so long that the police have no choice.

has anyone noticed how much stronger the E is in Beijing than anywhere else in the world. makes one wonder who is producing it, sure as hell isn't imported.

[CS]

A B you are clearly a nationalistic moron.

You think that only foreigners do drugs- what about the Chinese ice-heads.

Foreigners all have AIDS- well they probably caught it off the slappers in Beijing.

MRSA- um you tend to die pretty quickly if you have that- testing is not needed as it is pretty obvious.

Personally i think that the Chinese police should treat foreigners the same as Chinese but to say drugs is a foreign issue is just stupid.

[A B]

See what I said about these foreigners insisting on extra territoriality?

It is time to end the system of informal treaty ports that grant foreigners these ridiculous privileges and subject them to Chinese law.

China has gone way too far in pandering to foreigners including allowing AIDs infected people entry just for the sake of the Olympics.

It is about time that the government of China stand up for the rights of its own people and protect Chinese from these foreigners.

Why should foreigners not be subject to regular (every 90 days for example) drug tests while they are in China?

Eliminate the demand, and the supply goes away naturally.

[James]

I used to live in Beijing, I never saw it get this bad, but there has always been a strong divide and resentment towards foreingers for many reasons. I was repeatedly told by Chinese that I should consider myself lucky to be in China and should act like they do. China is an extremely homogenous place and they treat outsiders the same way they treat individuals; oppresion and intimidation. Progress has been made since the Mao era, but we have to remember that coming from 1980s China being able to go to a mall is oputstanding progress, but it is nothing compared to everyday life in the US. China still has a long way to go and we should keep pushing them otherwise they will stop progressing.

[A B]

James,

How much would the "resentment" and "divide" go away if the foreigners spoke fluent Chinese - especially if it included the local dialect - and read and write Chinese?

Should I even ask... how much of it would go away if the foreigners complied with local norms (from dress, to manners, to abide by the law)?

[Pffefer]

"China is an extremely homogenous place and they treat outsiders the same way they treat individuals; oppression and intimidation. "

China is homogeneous? I am surprised that this came from someone who allegedly lived in China. China is anything but homogeneous.

They treat foreigners with "oppression and intimidation"? What "oppression and intimidation"? Giving them enclaves and not permitting the Chinese to enter? Yeah right!

[Pffefer]

A B, I can tell you from my own experience that probably the majority of foreign expats (those who work in big corporations) are snobs. They whine, they complain, they are downright condescending and nasty. If they are resented, they are resented for a good reason.

[CS]

AB. I for one speak, read and write fluent Chinese, i can also get by in Shanghainese and can do a very convincing impression of Dalianhua. That really made no difference- you are still treated like outsider scum. I dress well, never went to sanlitun, employ many Chinese staff and don't break laws.

As for the language issue- have you any idea how many Chinese here in Australia speak terrible English? Even those in service industries like taxi drivers often cannot understand simple instructions. How would you feel getting into a taxi in Beijing to find a Nigerian driving who only speaks a little Chinese eh.

What about the triad rackets selling your fake DVDs in London? Not only do the Chinese rip off western IP but they now have thousands of fujianese selling it back to tourists in London. You can't sit in covent garden without being pestered every ten minutes.

Why are you so worried about AIDS? Do you really understand the disease? It is almost impossible to catch unless you have unprotected sexual, usually anal intercourse with someone, which i assume you do not wish to do with a foreigner as you hate them so much.

Interestingly China is one of the hottest areas of new heterosexual infection for HIV because of the huge increase in prostitution among university girls and Chinese clients in second tier cities like Dalian. Due to the lack of education, these girls do not know how important it is to use condoms, or at least are willing to be paid extra not to use them.

Also, HIV and AIDS are very different things. You can live for 20 years now with HIV. Personally i would rather have that than most types of cancer as you live a lot longer.

I am not denying that many expats in China are unpleasant, but there are just as many Chinese outside of China who kill, rape, steal, sell drugs run prostitution rings and many other terrible things.

Take off the blinkers man, it is sad, very sad that you have fallen hook, line and sinker for the anti-foreigner BS. The world is not as simple as you think.

[Pffefer]

CS, I agree that "there are just as many Chinese outside of China who kill, rape, steal, sell drugs run prostitution rings and many other terrible things", however what's strikingly different is that those overseas Chinese won't get away with those while many foreigners, especially westerners in China can and will. Shame on the Chinese government for discriminating against their own people. I am all for everyone being equal and taking away the BS many foreigners are entitled to.

[A B]

The facts are as follows:

A large percentage of foreigners in China are not in full compliance with laws and regulations governing foreigners, including having valid visas, vaccinations, documents, registration with police, payment of taxes, and other rules.

In the journalist community, as much as 50% of them are illegally working without the proper visas, authorizations, paying taxes on their income, etc.

Journalists routinely exceed their authorized activities by going to places without following the proper procedures to apply for permission from the local government concerned, etc.

For the persons who claim that they are 'fluent', there is a large question as to whether they understand the more subtle behaviors required to function well in China, such as knowing about proper etiquette, manners, and showing appropriate deference to authority. It is highly doubtful that more than 10% of the foreigners who are fluent in some dialect of Chinese and literate can master these skills.

These skills are not impossible to master. Centuries ago, it was mastered by a few Jesuits, who were more than welcomed into the Emperor's court as very valued members --- though they were foreigners.

China's greatest sailor and admiral, incidentally, is also a foreigner that is a Muslim.

China is no more impenetrable than most countries, for those that make the effort and have the skills and talent.

[CS]

But A B you asked for fluent in a dialect, not mastering subtleties. What if you CAN master them? so China is not impenetrable but no more than 10% of foreigners fluent in the language, which would probably be only 10% of foreigners in China can actually penetrate it.

as for breaking Chinese laws, that is up to the Chinese government to enforce. i support the normalisation of laws for foreign and Chinese alike. it would be nice however, if the government actually let everyone know what those laws are.

your arguments make no sense. perhaps you could tell me what a foreign devil has to do to be accepted in your opinion.

perhaps we should throw all of the non-integrated Chinese out of Australia? or maybe drug test them every three months as you suggest for foreigners in China, even though Chinese are not required to do same.

you xenophobic halfwit, what happened did your wife leave you for a white man?

[CS]

oh and pfeffer- how many foreigners get away will killing and rape in China. the worst that 99% of foreigners in China get up to is snorting a little coke on the weekend, which let's face it is an entirely victimless crime as far as the Chinese go. in fact, as most dealers are actually Chinese it is helping them get some money off of the foreigners.

[Pffefer]

CS, it is not about busting coke rings, it is about the "privileges" and "entitlement" some foreigners think they have. Just because I am a foreigners, I am white I can get away with stuff that many Chinese can't. Just because I am a foreigner and I am white I expect things to be easier for me. Just because I am a foreigner and I am white I am untouchable. @#$% that.

[CS]

...which is exactly what i said- i am in favour of making the laws equal. what A B is suggesting is making them unequal in favour of the Chinese.

the problem in China is that there are laws for the rich and laws for the poor, laws for the connected and laws for the average person. the laws change without notification, the definition of crimes change without consultation. nobody knows what those laws are. foreigners for years have been able to get away with a lot, which i have always thought wrong. however, just changing laws and suddenly enforcing old ones is wrong too.

i once saw an excellent article about how the chinese government likes to keep everyone a little bit illegal all of the time so that they can use this to come down on them when it suits. this doesn't seem fair to me.

of course China does belong to the chinese and that is their right. if the people are happy to be governed this way then who am i to argue with it.

i drive fast in germany because it is allowed, in australia where the speed nazis will shoot you for 2km over the limit i don't. i smoke weed in holland because i can, i wouldn't in Singapore because i risk getting shot.

i have absolutely no issue with the Chinese government enforcing their laws, none at all. i do not like the way their laws are changed or publicised but equally i dont like many UK or Aussie laws either. I am pro-legalisation of drugs, for example as the current laws benefit no-one except drug dealers. Just by saying that doesn't make me anti-British.

previously i merely railed against the utter stupidity of A B's rubbish about testing for AIDS and MRSA, diseases about which he clearly knows nothing about and the suggestion to test all foreigners for drugs. luckily the chinese government knows that this would be very bad publicity and terrible for the economy so unlikely to happen anytime soon.

[A B]

Looking at the posts, I need to add some additional requirements for foreigners who stay in China past a few days:

- Post a bond sufficient to cover the cost of deportation

- Verified Summary of Health Records, including record of Psychiatric treatments.

- Proof of mental stability and where there is doubt, post a bond to cover liabilities.

Looks like at least one or two posters to this thread qualify for this treatment.

Of course, the alternative is to see if there is a consensus about tolerating some degree of barbaric behavior and then set different standards.

Judging by the reaction to regular medical tests of foreigners, it is highly probable that many of the posters on this thread will not pass.

[A B]

Out of respect for Tim, and also the issue of having proper venue,

Posters on this site should refrain from calling for the Boxers to handle this problem.

[A B]

CHINA NEEDS A THOUSAND SHERIFF JOEs TO DEAL WITH FOREIGNERS:

----------

April 9, 2008
Editorial
Immigration, Outsourced

Not content to botch immigration policy all by itself, Congress has handed large parts of the job to others to mishandle. It gave the homeland security czar the czarist powers to overturn any law and ignore any court to seal the border. Now Michael Chertoff is clear-cutting a forest of regulations to wall out Mexico by the end of the year. And through the program known as 287(g), his agency is parceling out duties to a growing number of local police and sheriff’s departments, raising an army of junior deputies in the war on illegal immigrants.

To see how unhinged things have become, it pays to zero in on the squalid doings in Maricopa County, Ariz. It is home to Phoenix, the country’s fifth-largest city, and the largest 287(g) program anywhere.

It is run by the county sheriff, Joe Arpaio, who has built a national reputation for toughness through years of cruelty to prison inmates and an insatiable appetite for publicity. Where most departments have only handfuls of officers trained to enforce federal immigration laws, Sheriff Joe, as he is known, has 160. Their efforts are supplemented by what the sheriff says, without apology, is a 3,000-member “posse.”

For months now, Sheriff Joe has been sending squads of officers through Latino neighborhoods, pulling cars over for broken taillights or turn-signal violations, checking drivers’ and passengers’ papers and arresting illegal immigrants by the dozen.

Because he sends out press releases beforehand, the sweeps are accompanied by TV crews and protesters — deport-’em-all hard-liners facing off against immigrant advocates. Being Arizona, many of those shouting and jeering are also packing guns. Sheriff Joe, seemingly addicted to the buzz, has been filmed marching down the street shaking hands with adoring Minutemen.

If this doesn’t look to you like a carefully regulated, federally supervised effort to catch dangerous criminals, that’s because it isn’t. It is a series of stunts focused mostly on day laborers, as Sheriff Joe bulldozes his way toward re-election.

The sheriff says he is keeping the peace, but it seems as if he is doing just the opposite — a useless, reckless churning of fear and unrest. Mayor Phil Gordon of Phoenix has denounced him, saying the raids are interfering with undercover city police officers and federal agents. The mayor of Guadalupe implored him to leave her community alone. State and county officials have pointed out that Sheriff Joe has ignored tens of thousands of outstanding criminal warrants while chasing day laborers and headlines. They say he has grossly violated the terms of his 287(g) agreement — which calls for federal oversight of local police — and have called on Washington to rein him in.

“Do you think I’m going to report to the federal government?” he said. “I don’t report to them. If they don’t like the contract, they can close it up. That’s all.”

“By the way,” he said, “we do have a 3,000-person posse — and about 500 have guns. They have their own airplanes, jeeps, motorcycles, everything. They can only operate under the sheriff. I swear ’em in. I can put up 30 airplanes tomorrow if I wanted.”

The federal government so far seems unconcerned.

“He has stayed within the bounds of the agreement,” Matthew Allen, special agent in charge of immigration and customs enforcement in Arizona, told The Arizona Republic. Jim Pendergraph, an I.C.E. official from Washington, told the paper that after driving to Guadalupe to watch Sheriff Joe in action: “I saw nothing that gave me heartburn.”

It’s past time for Congress to hold hearings on these agreements, starting with a subpoena for Sheriff Joe.

[A B]

I wonder if postings on this blog from foreigners illegally in China will sharply decline now that they have to scurry home to get new visas?