China Says: 'Bye, Bye, Laowai'

Posted on July 21, 2008

Beijing continues to shake off foreign residents like a dog sheds fleas. This stealthy, but effective campaign is hitting students, teachers, and entrepreneurs, and others that have invested their futures in China’s are feeling the pinch. Like a debutante emerging on the social scene, the Olympic Games is China’s chance to step up onto the world dance floor. But as many laowai are discovering, the guest list for this bash does not include them, as Beijing began to strictly enforce tight visa policies.

In May, Qi Bang, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, described the visa rules as “security measures for the Olympics” and “standard practice for such an event.” But for those caught on the wrong end of the rules, the scope, inflexibility and often unremitting nature of the restrictions are far from “standard.”  Nor does there appear to be much consistency in how the regulations are applied. Little official data is available from the black box that is China immigration. Anecdotal evidence is abundant.

Take the “foreigners getting the boot from China because of visa changes” on Facebook, the social networking site. It’s 41 members were exploring ways to while away the time until the visa situation in China improves. Their solution? Renting a beach house in Thailand. And while the group has gone silent of late—the most recent posting comes from early July—it’s no joke that many expats in China are being forced to abandon their adopted home, at least for now. Not surprising, inbound visitor traffic to China is also down. Quoting data from the Beijing Statistics Bureau, the state-controlled Xinhua news reported that visits by foreign nationals to Beijing in May 2008 were down 12.5% year-on-year. Visitor numbers from Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan were down 26.6% in the same period. 

The arbitrariness of the rules is proving troublesome for all of those involved, even those that would usually be welcomed with open arms. One embassy employee told me how a recent panel discussion on sustainable construction involving expert speakers from several European countries nearly had to be canned. After several months of organizing and a long paper trail, the whole group of keynote speakers and advisors were denied entry to China through the normal visa channels. Only after a consternated exchange with China’s respective embassies in each participant’s country of origin were invitees rewarded with visas—but only then as tourists. This further irony, since it was clearly a working trip, demonstrates even the Chinese institutions traditionally responsible for handling foreigners have been wrong footed.

China’s leaders, swaying from the shock of a carefully orchestrated torch relay gone wrong, perhaps cannot be blamed for such untargeted measures. The Olympic burden is heavy enough on any infrastructure with out the threat of violent protest. Yet the cost of using the simple equation “less foreigners equals less trouble” is coming at the expense of China’s global standing.

Tanya Davies, a young British national currently works as a music teacher at an international school in Beijing. She has a better grasp of Chinese than many of her older colleagues and friends. Her children’s choir has been elected to represent the Olympics. And yet she will have to resort to spending another year under the wing of her international school in order to obtain the elusive Z visa or leave, meaning that her personal project, setting up a music activity center for Beijing’s underprivileged children, is going to have to wait.

The truth is that in trying to rid it self of foreign elements ostensibly intent on embarrassing, or worse, destabilizing China, it is also culling its best goodwill ambassadors—the foreigners that already live, study or work here who are culturally aware, politically sensitive and individuals sympathetic to China. To use an accounting term, this is China’s accrued goodwill of more than 30 years learning and interaction with foreigners. It would be a mistake to squander that now.

Very often these foreign residents in China are among the best promoters of the country, both at back home and in China. For a first time visitor, China can be a daunting place—the language problems and cultural misunderstandings alone can be enormous hurdles. Having a friend with a little on-the-ground knowledge can be the difference between a good or a bad China experience. Moreover, a vibrant expat community could play a significant role in softening the blows in any culture clash that might occur when the Olympic crowds arrive.

In a time where tempers are already frayed and issues such as Tibet have been broad brushed by both sides, these mediators might sensitively manage the gap in perception between the average Westerner and Chinese. Thomas Gaestadius, is a local entrepreneur and manager of the award-winning dance spot White Rabbit. “It always helps at a certain time of night to be around to steer people away from encounters that can quickly get explosive because of a mix of drink and mianzi.” Given the increase in Chinese nationalism spurred by recent perceived affronts by the Western media to the Chinese international “face,” the role of conflict-defusing foreigners could become even more important. Yet Thomas is one of the foreigners being ousted from Beijing.

Some of the worst hit groups have been the most useful to China’s future sustainable development. Foreign students and interns studying and working in China that will become business leaders or politicians, agency English teachers that are growing human capital in schools around China, entrepreneurs looking for opportunity and bringing innovation; all of these are being asked to repatriate or just refused re-entry altogether

Perhaps to an extent it is a calculated risk that the government is running. Those that really hold interests in China will probably return. But others will not. The irony is that the fear being caused in expat communities by this unforeseen rejection is as a result of China’s very own fears that in someway the laowai in China are still out to get them and incapable of constructively contributing or bringing positive change to China.

Mr. Oliver Waddington is a former marketing intern with The Wall Street Journal's Beijing bureau.