Moving to China

China has a structured visa and permit system. Work visas (Z-type) require employer sponsorship and a foreign work permit. The system categorises workers into A (high-end), B (professional), and C (unskilled) tiers.

China's job market for foreigners is concentrated in tier-1 cities (Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen) and increasingly in tier-2 cities like Chengdu, Hangzhou, and Nanjing. English teaching remains the largest employer of foreigners, but tech companies, finance, trading, and international business roles are growing. Local companies are increasingly hiring foreigners for roles involving cross-border commerce, marketing, and technical expertise.

China has a two-tier healthcare system. Public hospitals (especially Class 3A/sanjiayideng hospitals) offer competent care at very low prices but are extremely crowded — waiting 2-4 hours to see a doctor is normal. International hospitals and clinics (United Family, Parkway, Raffles) offer English-speaking staff and Western-standard care but are expensive ($100-300+ per visit without insurance). Private health insurance is essential for expats. Pharmacies are widely available, and many medications that require prescriptions elsewhere are available over the counter. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is practiced alongside Western medicine in many hospitals.

China operates in its own digital ecosystem, entirely separate from the Western internet. WeChat (Weixin) is the super-app that dominates daily life — it handles messaging, payments, government services, food ordering, ride-hailing, utility bills, and social networking. The Great Firewall blocks Google, YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter/X, and most Western services. A VPN is essential for accessing blocked content.

Chinese culture is built on thousands of years of Confucian values emphasizing respect for hierarchy, family loyalty, and social harmony. The concept of guanxi (relationships/connections) permeates every aspect of life — business deals, government interactions, and personal favors all flow through networks of mutual obligation. Face (mianzi) is paramount; causing someone to lose face publicly is one of the most serious social offenses. Food is the center of social life — refusing food or not toasting at a banquet can be seen as disrespectful. Generosity at meals (always over-ordering, fighting to pay the bill) signals status and warmth. Regional identities are strong; a person from Sichuan, Guangdong, and Heilongjiang may have vastly different customs, dialects, and cuisines.

• •Guanxi (relationships) is everything — invest time in building connections before expecting results.
• •Never cause someone to lose face publicly; address sensitive topics privately and indirectly.
• •At meals, the host orders and pays. Offering to split the bill is polite but the host should ultimately pay.
• •Business cards should be given and received with both hands, and studied briefly — never shoved in a pocket.
• •Red is lucky, white is associated with mourning. Gift-giving has many rules (never give clocks or sharp objects).
• •Respect for elders and authority figures is deeply embedded in daily interactions.