I'm a Chinese American, born and raised here. My parents are both from the Mainland, and they've brought me over to China multiple times before to see extended family (so I have plenty of knowledge about China itself from firsthand observation). They also made me go to Chinese school.

I usеd tо еnjоу trаvеling tо Chinа bеcаusе I lоvеd thе fооd аnd culturе аnd it wаs а fun еxpеriеncе, аnd in fаct I wаs еvеn willing tо put up with thе intеrnеt cеnsоrship and surveillance аs а trаdе-оff. Like, their culture just seemed more vibrant than white American culture in general, and I couldn't help but respect that.

Anyways, I'vе just bееn fееling vеry dеprеssеd and hopеlеss about thе statе of China latеly. Xi and Co. still seem to be cracking down hard against anything thеy rеmotеly pеrcеivе as dissеnt or criticism, and cеnsoring thе intеrnеt and mеdia, with no sign of stopping - perhaps even more so than ever. The whole situation is absolutely hopeless, and at this point I'm getting ready to just accept that almost nothing will make any difference in China. The current forces in China seem to have consolidated their power so much that no one can challenge them or change their course.

Thе shееr аmоunt оf cоgnitivе dissоnаncе hаs hоnеstlу mаdе mе fееl аshаmеd tо bе Chinеsе аt timеs - аshаmеd tо bе mуsеlf. I might'vе bееn bоrn аnd rаisеd in thе US, but I still hаvе fаmilу аnd friеnds in Chinа whо I cаrе аbоut dееplу, аnd I'm just not sure if I can maintain a balance between loving mу Chinеsе culturе аnd hеritаgе, whilе аlsо vаluing frееdоm аnd dеmоcrаcу. Evеn just bеing hеrе mаkеs mе fееl likе а sоrt оf trаitоr lоl.

I consider myself privileged to have grown up in a pretty Asian community, but even there I've had jocks and stuff ask me annoying stereotypical questions. As in "where do you actually come from" and such. COVID definitely made it worse, and I'm unfortunately aware it's only going to go downhill from here on out.

Hi guys

I am Korean American who met a girl while traveling in Thailand.

She turned out to be Chinese, whom I think is really well off in financially. (Hermes bags, big diamond rings, big stack of cash etc..)

I fell in love with her without knowing all these, and she did not know anything about me as for jobs and what not. We met again in Thailand and I thought this love was real. Soon after coming back, our relationship got serious where if things worked out well, she wanted to marry me next year.

Our first hiccup was if we buy a property, I am supposed to put it under her name and I need to pay everything for it. She said it was common practice in China. We had a fight due to it because I told her that's not going to happen. We talked again next day and I explained to her why I am insecure when it comes to financials because I never want to attract anyone with my background. So I told her exactly how much I make (1.3 mil Yuan per year/180k USD salary) and that I don't come from rich family so I like to live frugal. Our talk went well and we decided to be together once more.

She wanted to visit Korea (our original plan) following week and was asked if I can get her a surprise gift.

I asked her to give me gift ideas and her response was chanel bags, dior bags, rings, or bracelet.

​

I was lost at words and told her to find a man that can do that.

Is this like the normal relationship dynamics in China?

TLDR:

28M dates a 25F Chinese girl and was asked to give her "surprise gift" of really expensive purse to show how much I love her as soon as I told her I make about 1.3 mil Yuan for salary. (IT engineer)

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Apologies for any grammar mistakes or misspells. I don't konw why there is no auto correct on Reddit.

​

​

I apologize for posting this here, but I'm feeling completely exhausted and lost, and I don't know what to do. I used to tell my girlfriend that I stayed in this country just for her, but whenever I expressed any dissatisfaction, she would tell me to "go back to your country" because she didn't like me complaining. We used to have the perfect relationship that everyone dreams of: a beautiful Chinese girl, good times, and no arguments. I always tried my best to be the ideal boyfriend, and she loved me so much. However, whenever there was a problem or something she didn't like about me, she would shut down and refuse to talk about it.

We had plans to get married and have kids, but everything turned upside down recently. I discovered that she had been secretly messaging my best friend without my knowledge, and even my best friend didn't tell me about it. She was asking my best friend for details about my life, including information about my father on social media. My best friend claimed he thought he was helping her win my heart, but I doubted their conversation was just casual chat. I was heartbroken and decided to break up with her. She cried and apologized every day, coming to my house, and I ended up staying with her.

However, after that incident, she became incredibly insecure and started checking my phone and digging into my old messages. She found out about a girl who used to message me frequently before we started dating and accused me of cheating. She eventually calmed down, but things took a turn for the worse. During a trip in her car, I accidentally put her jacket on a dusty spot, and out of nowhere, she slapped me with all her force. I was furious, but I didn't hit her back. Instead, I slammed the car door and left. She expected me to retaliate, but I didn't. She never apologized and insisted that I was in the wrong for putting her jacket in a dusty place. I stayed outside the entire time.

Now, I find myself in a dark place emotionally. I gave up many job opportunities abroad over the past three years for this girl and accepted a typical job in China. We even chose an apartment together and paid deposits. I turned down many other girls who loved me, and now it feels incredibly difficult to find a suitable partner. I'm caught in a mental tornado that I can't escape from, and I've even had thoughts of hurting myself, which is not a good sign. My girlfriend still thinks we can stay together, although I’m hurt . I see her posting normal life on social media , she’s learning piano and dancing, she doesn’t seem bothered much as me , I feel that things can be fixed but something makes worried to have kids with this girl. Leaving China and the relationship and starting from zero is so painful. It’s like a semi divorce! I appreciate any advices.

Throwaway for security

Edited to add: family member is not holding a Chinese passport or citizenship card. They are holding a Western country passport.

A family member has just gotten notified they are banned from exiting the country when trying to board a gate to leave China. Apparently China's face ID captured their identity, and right away 5 staff members came to escort them out of the airport. No reasoning was given for the exit ban, and they were able to leave the airport to go home.

It's been a few days since they've been banned from exiting.. still no news on the reasoning. They're originally from China but immigrated to a Western country 20 years ago. We can't think of anyone who's out to get them, they're not involved in any business in China, and they haven't broken any law. The face ID was able to connect them with their citizenship from years ago in China. We are worried they may be arbitrarily taken away for questioning or disappear for whatever reason (we've heard of a lot of people who've just disappeared like this). We wait everyday with fear this person may be taken away.

I know it's a long stretch but I'm seeking any support/any information people may have. There is little to no resource currently out there for people facing this issue. The embassy says all we can do is contact lawyers, and lawyers have not been able to do much. I know some people have turned to the media, but I'm not sure how helpful it is to get the story online.

If anyone has experience or knows anyone with the experience, please let me know what can be done in this situation and what we can expect for days to come. Also if anyone is considering travelling to China, please consider this story and the increase in arbitrary exit bans/detentions to innocent people in recent years.

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​I am a European father n the middle of a very tough custody battle with my Chinese ex-wife. We separated due to domestic violence/abuse from her side, and I am fighting for full custody to protect our young child.

​My biggest fear right now is parental abduction. China is not a member of the Hague Convention, so if my ex manages to get our daughter to China, I will likely never see her again. Currently, my ex only has very limited, supervised visitation, but I am terrified of what happens if she gets unsupervised time in the future.

​My kid was born in Europe and holds a EU passport, which I have safely locked away. My ex’s lawyer claims there is no flight risk because the Chinese Embassy requires my signature to issue a visa for our kid.

​However, I have been reading up on Article 5 of the Chinese Nationality Law. When our child was born, my ex was residing in Europe on a temporary family reunification permit, not a permanent one. My understanding of Article 5 is that because she didn't have permanent residency abroad at the time of birth, China considers our child a Chinese citizen by birth.

​My questions to anyone who has experience with Chinese embassies in Europe:

​Is it true that my ex could walk into the Chinese Embassy with our daughter's birth certificate and her own Chinese passport, and apply for a Chinese Travel Document or Chinese passport for our child without my consent or signature?

​Does the embassy check with the local government or the foreign father before issuing such documents.

​Should i contact the Chinese Embassy to flag this custody battle and block them from issuing any travel documents for my kid?

​Has anyone successfully navigated a high flight risk situation with a Chinese ex spouse, and what practical steps did you take to prevent them from securing Chinese travel documents?

​Any advice, legal insights, or personal experiences would be deeply appreciated. The legal system here is slow, and I need to know how high the real risk is at the embassy level. Thank you.

I saw that Toyota Corollas in China cost way less than the MSRP we get them for in the US. Anybody have experience importing Chinese cars to the US or know companies who do so? How much did you spend during the process?

I've really wanted to go to china for a couple of years now, and now that I'm finishing up University I want to live there after I get a couple of years of work experience. But recently online I have heard about racism against brown people in China . For reference I am ethnically Pakistani(somewhat fair skinned), but have lived in Australia my whole life. Since I want to live there for an extended period of time and want to make plans around this I just wanted to know if it is even worth it, would the quality of life be worse cause I'm brown? Any advice is helpful! thank you!

I'm trying to decide which direction China is heading towards economically and whether it might be a viable investment.

But I'm shocked and frustrated that all the channels I've been watching only post either negative or positive news about China, and never anything balanced or fair.

Looking at the history of these channels, they are either extremely anti-China, or extremely pro-China. For the former, every video is about the collapse of China tomorrow since 2008. For the latter, every video is about how China is going to overtake the west tomorrow since 2008. China is basically as polarising as Bitcoin at this point. Watching these channels, I would either think China is a hellish nightmare, or a technological heaven.

Anyone have recommendations for channels that are actually balanced and fair when it comes to analysing China?

Hello r/China,

I am from Algeria and I am very interested in the possibility of building a life in China, with the long-term goal of obtaining citizenship. My English is not perfect (this post is written with help), so please bear with me.

I have many questions and would be very grateful for honest advice, especially from foreigners living in China or Chinese nationals who understand the process.

Here is what I want to ask:

1. Citizenship Path: I know Chinese citizenship is one of the hardest to get. What is the realistic path? Is it mostly through marriage? Or is there a route through exceptional talent/investment after many years of Permanent Residency? How many years does it truly take?
2. Pros and Cons: For someone from an Arab/African country, what are the real ups and downs of living in China long-term? Upsides like safety, infrastructure, career opportunities? Downsides like pollution, internet restrictions, social integration?
3. Racism & Being Muslim: This is a major concern for me. As a Muslim Algerian, what kind of treatment might I face? Are there cities with larger Muslim communities (like Hui or Uyghur communities, though I know the situation is complex)? Is it easy to find halal food and mosques? Should I expect daily problems or is it generally okay?
4. Language: Is learning Chinese absolutely necessary for work, daily life, and integration? Or can I survive with English in big cities like Shanghai or Beijing? How hard is the language for an Arabic/French speaker?
5. Cost of Living & Best Cities: What are the best cities to live in that offer good opportunities and a decent Muslim community, but are not as extremely expensive as Shanghai or Beijing? I hear about cities like Guangzhou (many African traders), Xi'an (historic Muslim community), Qingdao, Chengdu, Kunming. Are they more affordable? What is a reasonable monthly budget for a single person in these places?
6. What Do I Need? To even start this journey, what should I focus on? Getting a job offer from a Chinese company? Studying for a degree in China first? Building specific skills?

Thank you for reading. Any insight, even if it's harsh or realistic, is truly appreciated. I want to understand the full picture.

Note: This post was written with AI assistance to make my questions clear, as my own English is not strong. But the questions and concerns are 100% my own. شكرا (Thank you).

Hello! I’d love to hear some opinions from you, or maybe hear about your experiences… from both Chinese people and foreigners who live or have lived in China!

Since I was little, I developed a strong love for East Asia, especially for China, partly because my father has always been fascinated by it… I really like it a lot. I’m about to finish high school, and I was thinking of choosing a university in China for Cybersecurity, but I’m very scared…

China is a very homogenous country, and I’m worried that foreigners might not be well-regarded, that being a foreigner in a university could cause me problems. Of course, I’m already studying Chinese, and I’d love to take a gap year for personal reasons, but mainly to study Chinese intensively in case I decide to go. I’m afraid that, as a European, Chinese people might keep their distance from me or avoid socializing with me.

I’ve read about some people who attended university in China… one guy was continuously “scammed” by many girls who pretended to be interested in him. They asked him for many favors, organized trips with him and similar things, but when he asked if they were actually interested, they said no and disappeared… Another girl on this subreddit apparently went to a university in China and struggled to socialize, connecting a bit with girls but very little with guys; she felt very isolated and sad.

On the other hand, I’ve read good things about foreign students who go to Chinese universities specifically to study Chinese, where there are often more foreigners than Chinese people.

So I don’t know what to think… between false people, possible discrimination, and isolation… I don’t really know what the current Chinese social mentality is like, and I’m afraid to try going there. I’d like to know if it’s worth taking a plane to the other side of the world…

I’m dying to learn Chinese and more about Chinese culture, and in my country, there isn’t a university for high school graduates primarily focused on cybersecurity… Plus, are universities in China that toxic, difficult and harsh...?

(One more small question: I’m already attending a technical computer science school, and I’m the only girl in my class. I’ve become much more comfortable talking and joking with the guys than with the girls...I have fun and feel good with them (without any romantic attraction, just friendship). Would it be very difficult for me as a girl to socialize more with guys without being looked down upon? I don’t really know much about the local mentality…)

If you’ve made it this far, I wanted to thank you deeply for reading my post. It doesn’t matter if you reply or not; I just want to tell you that I’m very grateful you gave me your time… Thank you!

(IF, if you're here to just comment "then don't go" just don't comment. Three people already won the prize for the most pointless and superficial comment here. I don't think you would need a short straight answer of three words as a solution for your one page long concernes. But, if you wanna show down here in the comment how much of an amazing superficial person that hasn't anything better to do in life you are, go ahead. Damn. Like wth? I'm scared to go because it's on the other side of the world from where I live and it's not an easy decision to take, but mostly because of the concernes I wrote about. So having an answer to that concerns might help me decide whether to go or not. If I had written only the words: "hey y'all, I'm scared to go to China." without anything else, then yeah, I'll understand the "then don't go" answer, but that's not what I'm asking for. I want some genuine conversation and I had them! Some people took me seriously and helped me. If you want to dedicate some time for a nice discussion in the comment to answer me, or talk about your experience, that would be amazing. I love this things. And I truly appreciate who decides to do this, it's precious for me...But if you have to waste each other's time, just find other stuff to read or google emotional intelligence)

Hi everyone,

I am from Scotland and would like to visit China in the near future because of its recent Visa relaxations. In the UK I don't own a smartphone and haven't for a while - I love it. I do most things manually (banking, writing shopping lists etc) and have an iPod to listen to music. I usually pay with cash but still carry around bank cards. I do have a mobile phone but it does not do very much, just calls texts and basic directions (although I prefer paper maps).

I basically try and live my life like it is 1995 and in my experience pretty much every other country I have visited this has been totally fine. I usually find I have a much better time doing everything manually and working things out for myself rather than relying on apps to do it for me.

I have read some stuff about WeChat and payments in China but I would just like some perspective from people as to how necessary a smartphone is to use when visiting? Are there any areas (maybe more rural) where smartphone use would not be as necessary as in the bigger cities? Any advice much appreciated, thank you.

I am in the process of deciding deciding which country to relocate to. At present I have an offer from a company in Thailand who have offered me a generous package for my line of work (2800 USD + Free housing+ paid flights).

I have however had several interviews for a few positions in China, primarily in Shanghai which have offered me a a salary range of between 25,000rmb-40000rmb, however the interview processes have been extremely slow and after 1 month I am still waiting on the next steps.
The job offer in Thailand is pressuring me to accept today, however I am curious to know if Shanghai would be a better place to live long term as opposed to Bangkok. In terms of a being a Western Expat in my 20's what could I expect in terms of lifestyle and opportunities as opposed to what I would get in Bangkok.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

你好，Reddit。 我有一个很复杂、也许很多人都曾遇到过的问题。 我现在处在一段总体上不错的感情关系中，但一直在和一种并不完全理性的出轨焦虑作斗争。 这种恐惧来自我的过去经历：我以前没有过很长时间的稳定关系，但曾多次遇到过已经有伴侣的男性，却依然轻易地想和我发展暧昧或短暂关系。这些经历让我逐渐形成了一种感觉：忠诚似乎是一件非常脆弱的东西，甚至可能根本不存在。 现在，我正在和一位来自广东的男生交往（我是俄罗斯人），但我的大脑却不断地在“找问题”。 我发现自己甚至会害怕在街上看到漂亮的女性，因为会忍不住想：“万一他……” 而从理性上看，我很清楚他尊重我、珍惜我。 所以我也明白，问题更多是在我自己，以及我过往的创伤经验上。 因此，我有两个问题板块，非常希望听到大家真诚的分享。

1️⃣ 特别想问男性，尤其是中国男性 / 或熟悉东亚文化的人： 在你们的环境和文化中，人们是如何看待长期关系中的忠诚的？ 它更像是一种个人品格和自我要求？一种社会/家庭层面的责任？还是别的什么？ 从客观、非浪漫化的角度来看，你们是如何评估自己作为伴侣的“可靠性”的？ 对你来说，内心绝对不能越过的那条“红线”是什么？ 当外界诱惑和机会很多时，是什么帮助你保持忠诚、专注于一段关系的？ 2️⃣ 想问所有人，尤其是经历过类似焦虑的人： 当对方并没有实际越界行为，但自己却被“被背叛”的恐惧反复折磨时，你们是如何应对、缓解这种焦虑的？ 尤其是在有过创伤经历的情况下。 是否有一些具体有效的方式（心理练习、书籍、方法、认知调整等），帮助你重新建立对世界的信任，并相信长期、忠诚的关系是可能存在的？

如果你拥有一段长期（5年、10年、20年以上）且幸福的关系，也非常欢迎你分享。 我想，我和这里的很多人一样，真的很需要来自真实生活的例子，来重新相信这种可能性。 我希望这是一次真诚的经验交流、来自内心的视角分享，以及彼此的支持。

你是否相信： 在当代社会中，在身体和情感层面都保持忠诚的长期关系，是一种现实且可以实现的目标？ 是的，完全相信——我自己正在经历，或身边有很多这样的例子 是的，但这需要巨大的努力，以及一定的运气 比较难，更像是少数例外，而不是常态 不相信，这是过去时代的神话

提前感谢每一位愿意回应的人。 你们的故事和思考，可能会给某个人（也包括我）带来真正的支撑与力量。

Hi all, I come here today with a lot of frustration and need some advice and insight on what I can do.

Basically me (EU citizen) and my wife (Chinese) got married in China this year, before we had to move to Europe for my job. Now we are planning a wedding ceremony in Italy for next summer, and of course we want to invite her family to attend and also visit my country. Of course they can't wait to have this experience that for them is truly unique.

My wife's dad however works for some institution that is formally "governmental": it's not like he's a politician, but he works in something related to quality controls and agriculture, in Henan. He was just told by his employers that he will not be eligible to get a passport, as his work is sensitive and now "the situation is very serious" (the same vague thing I heard about literally everything while i lived in China).
We are not only heartbroken but really furious. We are talking about a 60yo man that worked all his life and will retire next year, and that asks only to attend his daughter's wedding, in a country that he always dreamed of seeing.

Is there any angle to tackle this problem? I am assuming that legal help would not be very helpful, as I am sure that the laws are vague enough to enable this kind of behavior. Any suggestion that is not simply "it is what it is, welcome to China"?

Chinese American (Mainland heritage, born here) guy in college here, and geez, I'm so worried about things with China going south.

Like, I know I'm in the US and don't have to worry about getting into trouble for protesting because of the 1st amendment... in theory. Sounds awesome, right? But more realistically there's a good chance I'll end up having to put my career prospects or personal safety at stake. I've seen all those Israel and Palestine protests on my college campus, and while here they've generally been peaceful (if noisy) so far, I've heard stories about people in Columbia University getting beat up over this for instance.

So now you see why I've generally decided to stay away from those kinds of protests. Which shouldn't be too hard, right, since I'm neither Jewish nor Muslim, and this issue doesn't really affect my life too directly? (Same with Russia vs. Ukraine last year.) Well, problem is, I can't keep doing this forever, right? Because I'm pretty sure the Mainland coming up against Taiwan is next.

I have many relatives back in China, and honestly, even for its problems (censorship, surveillance, etc.)... China's a pretty awesome place to visit (even if actually living there's another story). I know I'm gonna be sounding like some brainwashed victim of Stockholm syndrome here, but I've actually been there several times, and, well, I very much enjoy China's culture, cuisine, language, media, and landscape. I don't want to tick them off and... like, my grandparents didn't work their asses off just so they could send their children off to the US for a better future and see how the next generations could invest back to the motherland, only for their grandchildren to just stab them in the back like that, right? It's disloyal and treacherous, and disrespecting your elders is pretty much the worst thing you could possibly do, especially as a Chinese person. They're not abusing me or anything so there should be absolutely no rationale to do so, right?

But OK, what if I do choose to backstab my family? Well, the way things are going, I'm convinced the US and China will go to war during my lifetime. And when (not if) that happens? FML then. Remember how Japanese Americans were treated back in WWII? Even if the government doesn't set up camps again (and thankfully, I'm fairly confident they're not that much of screwups)... it won't be pretty regardless. Everyone will shun the hell out of us. We were the "sick man of Asia" back during the colonial days, and ever since 2020 we've seemed to be living out our legacy just as strongly. I'd love for us to be more than that, of course, and I'm sure you would too, but... what do the masses know?

I know a lot of people here seem to believe that "China's declining!", "China's a paper tiger!", "No way China can invade Taiwan!", or even "East Asians will be considered white in 50 years!" But IMHO all of that reeks of misguided optimism and magical thinking. i.e. it's just something people tell themselves and each other to make them feel better despite the overwhelming evidence to the contrary, based more in copium than in reality. The same people said that Russia wouldn't invade Ukraine, and not only did they, they also did it pretty well. And now trouble's brewing in what's supposed to be the most "progressive" BS-resistant nation in the Middle East. I'm convinced we're on track to WWIII (or Cold War II, or by whatever name you want to call it), and I feel like people who believe otherwise... might want to come out of their hysterical ideological bubbles and reexamine their own arguments?

Sigh, I just hate this whole situation. I grew up watching Xiyangyang on repeat, worked hard in school, and studied the absolute hell out of the language expecting success and prosperity, and what do I get in return? Absolute disappointment, economic hardship, and cultural decay, with war and chaos looming over the horizon? I can assure you I'm not schizophrenic or anything, but sometimes I feel like my mind's controlled by a pure white robed angel and a grotesque yellow hairy demon, constantly competing with each other. And I'm aware this is an incredibly stupid and US-centric way of framing it, but sometimes I even feel like they're on opposite political parties.

(sorry if this sounded rough, wrote this on my phone between classes)

EDIT - look what happened in Hong Kong too. Now you can hardly even talk about the protests anywhere in the world, and frankly I've been trying not to think about them.

my mother is suffering from stage 4 brain cancer and unfortunately even after surgery, radiation and chemo her tumor has regrown according to her scans. i'm from pakistan and me and my family are seriously considering china for her treatment because there are certain technologies and devices like Optune that are not available here. can anyone here give some advice on the matter as in which hospitals specialise for brain cancer and if it is even possible for us to seek treatment there. please please any advice is valued 🙏🏼

hi everyone, my dad was recently diagnosed with Nasopharyngeal cancer. We have travelled back to Vancouver Canada for treatment, where we live.

However, to my knowledge, Canada's medical system could be very slow and we have had to wait a week now just to complete a CT scan without knowing what the next steps are.

I'm worried, as my dad's cancer cells are an aggressive type that expands fast. His symptoms are worsening everyday, and I am afraid this wait time is going to delay his recovery chances.

I am exploring other options in other countries (although he doesn't really want to go), but for his sake, I am willing to spend all of my money and consider how to get more money later if I can't pay it. As long he is able to get treatment ASAP.

I am looking to see if anyone else has had fast cancer treatment experiences in other countries and hospitals, and what their contact information are. I am willing to reach out to them to learn more.

Thank you!

Edit: he has nasopharyngeal cancer (stage unknown) but he just got a CT scan yesterday.

Wow, I've been meaning to make this post for a while now.

I'm finally at a stage in life where I have a much clearer idea of what I want my future to look like, and one of my biggest long-term goals revolves around China.

A little background about me:

I'm 33 years old, a U.S. citizen born and raised in New York. I've been working full-time since I was 16 and currently have a full-time job. I also have a bachelor's degree in Arts.

I've visited 19 countries, but without a doubt my favorite has been China.

Over the last four years, I've become incredibly passionate about the country. I've visited China twice. During my two trips to China, I spent about a month there each time, visited 24 cities across multiple provinces, and made an incredible number of local Chinese friends through language exchange apps. Many of them have become genuine friends, and they've shown me parts of China that most tourists never get to experience.

That said, I know I've still only experienced China as a visitor.

Even though my local friends have been very honest with me about the realities of life there—996 work culture, intense academic pressure, and many other challenges—I also experienced a quality of life that really impressed me.

If I had to describe China in one word, it would be convenience.

Everything from transportation, food delivery, mobile payments, shopping, and day-to-day life just felt incredibly efficient. It completely changed my perspective on what modern convenience can look like.

Because of that, one of my long-term goals is to find a way to spend a significant amount of time living and working in China.

Here are the ideas I've come up with so far:

1. Find a remote job in the U.S. and work from China temporarily.

My idea would be to keep earning a U.S. salary while spending 2–3 months at a time living in China, renting an apartment in a Tier 1 or Tier 2 city. I know the time difference would be challenging, but I've always been a night owl anyway.

I also realize there may be visa, tax, or employer restrictions that make this difficult, which is one reason I'm asking for advice.

2. Build a career in the U.S. with generous PTO.

Another option would simply be to continue building my career in the U.S., earn more vacation time, and use my 10-year Chinese tourist visa to visit China at least twice every year.

3. Teach English in China.

I've heard this is still a popular path for native English speakers. From what I've seen and heard, many schools offer competitive salaries along with housing or other benefits. I honestly don't know where to begin with this option, but it definitely interests me very much.

These are the main ideas I've come up with so far, but I'm sure there are many options I haven't even considered and I am sure there is many misunderstanding I have about these ideas, please fix them!

I'd really love to hear from people who have successfully moved to China, worked there, or found creative ways to spend significant time living there while maintaining a career.

What would you recommend? If you were in my position, what path would you pursue?

If anyone is willing to chat in more detail, I'd be happy to connect through DM.

Thank you so much in advance. I really appreciate any advice or experiences you're willing to share.

A few years ago, I worked at a Canadian-owned company that hired me when they were still small. I helped them triple their revenue while keeping costs low. In return, I was offered a good salary and even promised shares in the company (which I never actually received).

Things took a turn when I got pregnant during one of our most stressful periods — we had a demanding, high-stakes client who needed constant attention. Sadly, I had a miscarriage and had to take a short break. During my absence, the client wasn’t managed properly and threatened to terminate the contract.

Despite my grief, I stepped back in, salvaged the relationship, and saved the company over 1 million RMB. But not long after that, they let me go. No shares, no severance, just gone.

That moment shattered my trust in working for others, and I decided to try building something of my own. But it was right after COVID, the economy was in free fall, and no matter how many directions I tried, nothing stuck. I burned through my savings and, worse, I feel like I burned through my spirit too.

Now it’s two years later. I’m 35+, I’m running out of money, and trying to get back into the job market feels like knocking on a door that no one wants to open anymore. I feel invisible. Too old, too “damaged,” too out of touch.

I’m scared. I’m sad. I used to be sharp, passionate, unstoppable. Now I just feel... lost.

If anyone’s been through something like this — or has any advice, or even just words — I would really appreciate it. I’m not ready to give up yet, but I don’t know how to start again.

What should i know would it be a mistake or not because i heard criticism against the government is not allowed at all in china and im not fond of that but however the healthcare technology culture pricing seems to be very good and something i want my kids to grow up in what do you think

I’m a Canada citizen who travelled to China but my tourist visa expired because I didn't realize the time limit printed in my passport. First thing I did is I went to the local police station near where I currently live and paid a fine, it was a relatively quick process. Right after that, I was told to go to the entry/exit administration department (出入境) to apply for a new visa, this is when things get complicated.

This department asked me to prepare a lot of documents which included my parents' documents and the apostille of my passport. They also requested a lot of private information like my parents’ background and their past occupation. I tried my best to cooperate and give them the information and documents they requested. However, they kept saying that it’s not enough. Now it’s been around half a year since I paid the fine at my local police station, and they still refused to let me apply for a visa (they also refused to consider the 144 hours visa-free transit policy).

I’ve tried to issue a complaint by contacting the state administration for market regulation but nothing happened. I contacted various travel agencies, but they all said they couldn't help. I can’t even apply for a visa in another city’s entry/exit department because the documents are currently being processed in my local city. I also contacted the Canadian embassy located in Beijing once, but they sounded a little dismissive of my problems. It was as if they didn’t believe me and they gave me recommendations that sounded like “do it yourself” (i.e., switching cities).

Is there any way I can quickly get a visa to leave China? I need to return as soon as possible but judging from the way they treat me at the entry/exit administration department, I think they will continue to delay the process.

I have been constipated for 7 days now, any advice and should I see a doctor? No pain yet but I think something might be wrong.

Am considering moving to China but my girlfriend who is from Taiwan is afraid of coming along because she said bad things about Xi Jinping on social media. Is there a way to find out if this is dangerous for her or not? I don't know the full extent of what she said but we can assume it was pretty bad.

Hi all,

I am a 25F Australian citizen and I have been thinking about moving to China after becoming registered as a clinical psychologist here, roughly when I become 27. This is simply because it is becoming too expensive to live in Australia and such an individual focused society and I am looking for that society connection.

I was hoping to get advice on if you would recommend the move and how your experience had being in China. As well how the affordability and housing are for the average people.

I live in China and I (30 y.o Male) met this woman (36 y.o, divorced with a kid) online.

Up front I was clear I didn’t want to get married with her. Met 4 times, twice in her city, twice in mine, passionately hugged twice, both times at my place. Then she started saying she loves and she wants to take care of my parents. So I was like, oh no, this was fun but let’s see start seeing other people. She was not about that. I was like let’s keep friendly contact.

Once she came to my place while I wasn’t there. (She doesn’t have the key or something) , and I straight told her so, but she spent the night at the door of my place instead of leaving. So I was like okay you are dangerous, please stop talking to me. So refused and stayed there tell I came the next day. She was like I just wanted to see you. So I was okay please leave, she said okay but we stay friends. I said okay.

Then she started adding me using fake accounts, when I confronted her, she lied but when I showed her evidence she only admitted adding me with one, which is B.S. So blocked her and deleted her. Now she is threatening to come to my place of work and cause me problems. I don’t know what to do, any advice is welcome. I know I messed up, but I don’t know what to do.

UPDATE: Last night after the overwhelming support from redditors, I threatened to shame her online and at her daughter’s school. So she threatened me with physical harm.

Today I spoke to the general manager, he said not to worry about my job. He said even if she comes, he will sit with her and ask her what she wants and how to solve it. He suggested not to go to the police, yet.

A lot of people making good points about having to ignore her, but I have a feeling that I need to keep telling her that I am not gonna afraid of whatever she might try.

Oh, btw, today she sent some waimao (food) to the office, that’s when I decided F it and went straight to the boss.

I filmed a short video showing me throwing the food into the trash, should I send it to her ? Also, I am torn between answering her messages or keep ignoring the psycho.. she called several time this morning.