living in china Posts

Dec262011

Posted By
Ryan

From Foreign Friends to Foreign Felons – new law wants your foreign fingerprints

Because living in China didn’t feel uneasy enough, a new draft law currently under review will require any foreigners staying longer than 6 months in China to have their fingerprints taken by the Entry & Exit Bureau and kept on file.

China Daily: Foreigners who stay in China for more than six months will be required to give their fingerprints to local police when applying for residence certificates, according to a draft law submitted to the top legislature on Monday.

The draft law on the management of the exit and entry of personnel also empowers the ministries of public security and foreign affairs to decide if a foreigner should leave their fingerprints or other human biological characteristics when they enter China.

Jul082011

17Comments

Posted By
Ryan

On being harmful to social management

According to a post on Global Voices, Sven Englund, a Swede studying in Shanghai’s Fudan University, has been interrogated and has had his passport confiscated by Shanghai police after writing a “letter” to the Chinese President Hu Jintao in his Chinese-language blog.

Not wishing to bring any undue wrath down on me or mine, I’ll not re-post Sven’s letter, which GV has translated. Essentially it asks China’s president to join him in a flash mob event in Shanghai (or the president’s city of choice) on July 1st promoting “freedom”.

According to his summoning notice, Sven is suspected of “being harmful to social management” and has violated article 55 of the “PRC social security management law”, which I’m guessing is the one about no protesting or organizing large gatherings without permission.

My gut reaction is: Sven, dude… what were you thinking?

Apr262011

7Comments

Posted By
Ryan

How prepared are you for an overseas emergency?

The game Scruples; that’s the first thing I thought of when I read “Plea for help to get sick Aussie home” in the Canberra Times this morning. The Department of Foreign Affairs has refused to fund the repatriation of a former air force serviceman who has been in a coma in a Chinese hospital for [...]

Jul312010

6Comments

Posted By
Ryan

Laowai Answers to questions about China

For what feels like forever, I’ve been tinkering away at a new feature here at Lost Laowai, and I finally feel its at a stage where I can announce it. It’s called “Laowai Answers” and it operates pretty much on the same principle as any of the many of other “q & a” components out there — most notably Yahoo Answers and Answers.com — except ours is completely China-focused.

The concept is simple — have a question about China, post the question, get a answers from fellow China expats and travellers. Just a lil’ Laowai helping Laowai love. A two-way street where expats can gain and share knowledge about living, working and playing in this crazy country we call home (even if for some that’s only temporary).

Nov082008

35Comments

Posted By
Ryan

You buying the Angry Expat Ideology?

© Rickenbacker I was standing on the street corner the other day waiting for a taxi beside a middle-aged foreigner doing the same. This isn’t uncommon, I live in a rather laowai-saturated area of Suzhou. The corner also works as an impromptu parking spot for people looking to dash over to the bakery, or pick [...]