Win-win approach to China entry and exit

Such worries are unfounded. However, the authorities should try to make the visa procedures more convenient.

The “three illegals” – illegal entry, stay (including non-registration of address and exceeding visa validity) and work – have become a hot topic since Beijing launched a clampdown in May.

In the past few months there have been reports of both criminal and offensive behaviour by foreign individuals and suggestions that Westerners are in danger of being attacked by locals. Yet the truth is locals and foreigners in general live harmoniously together.

So should the new rules be seen as a changing attitude toward foreigners, and are the rules more burdensome than those of developed nations? The answers are yes and no. China’s largest trading partner is the European Union and there is much to be said for greater engagement between citizens the in EU and China. Equally the EU has important relationships with the US. Yet contrast the visa policies for EU passport holders visiting the two leading world economies. Most EU citizens can enter the US under visa-waiver policies, provided they have registered details electronically once every two years for pre-approval on inbound international flights. Once there, they don’t have to register where they are staying.

However, foreigners should understand that China is the land of the hukou (residency permits, where household registration is required) and the concept of household residence permits among its population is well ingrained. With city authorities working hard to offer residence rights to migrant workers from the countryside, they are hardly likely to allow foreigners to roam unrecorded. We have to accept that. It is not difficult to complete the formalities at a police station, and a visa that will expire can be extended. So there is no excuse for staying illegally.

The documentation required for visa categories is relatively simple and inexpensive, if carefully followed, especially when compared with foreign counterparts like the US’s notorious L-1 visa.

China’s approach is more “easy in, easy out” as the authorities regard one year as the maximum length of any visa.

We should acknowledge that it is hard to separate a country’s visa policy from those imposed by countries that its nationals seek to visit; reciprocity is part of the picture, so too is the greater revenue that comes from short-length visas with regular renewal or extension fees.

The contribution of foreigners to China should not be doubted. In modern times, it is recognised that after China’s reform and opening-up, overseas entrepreneurial expertise greatly aided China’s economic progress. China today is the second-largest recipient of foreign direct investment, and foreign firms want to bring key staff with that investment. English is the language of business, and learning it here from a native speaker is in demand and beneficial to Chinese enterprises “going out”. China rightly wants to expand cultural tourism and increase the understanding the world has of China. It also wants to expand international education exchanges. However, foreigners must abide by China’s laws and its visa policies.

The authorities should ensure it is easy and inexpensive for foreigners to get the appropriate visas or extend them, in an era when, globally, many travellers simply don’t need visas. With the right approach it will be win-win.

 

Colin Speakman is an economist and director of China Programmes at CAPA International Education, a US-UK based organisation that cooperates with Capital Normal University and Shanghai International Studies University.