This is the start of something big, but who knows what?
First of all, I am a Chinese resident and an Australian citizen. You don’t have to know a lot about China or even a lot about economies to see on the surface how powerful China has become over thousands of years of strict border policies, control and brainwashing.
Brief introduction to government control in China
One of the key factors of government control in China is maintaining the gap between the rich and government and the poor, which is as vast as the great land itself. In China, it is virtually impossible for an average person to buy their own home or pay their own way through higher education even if they worked their entire life. The people affording houses and educations are those from the original rich families and as China’s past shows, rich families are government families, families with power. China’s economy works so that the same families with China’s traditional views remain in power for thousands of years. In order to continue this tradition of control over the people, there must be minimal interaction between rich and poor families. This was simple when China was closed, if you were poor you were a farmer, if you were rich you were a businessman. The rich called the shots and the poor didn’t question it. With the influx of foreigners, coming from varying cultures and having varying amounts of assets and wealth, it has become difficult to control. China still maintains the strictest internet censoring laws in the world. But the information is entering the country via some human vessels, the foreigners.
But that’s just the control China has over its own people, what about the rest of the world?
On the surface, China’s currency appears cheap or definitely worth less than the Australian dollar. One Australian dollar usually sits between four to five kuai. But the value of the dollar has not stopped China from purchasing land, businesses and products from overseas and stamping its name all around this world. However, it’s a different story if like me, if you’re a foreigner. Even though I am a resident, I am still an Australian citizen, it took me three months to transfer money legally to American dollars in order to send it to Australia. (In China if you want to send money anywhere you must first convert it to American dollars). The legal way was so stressful and required information from the whole time I lived in China and every job I’ve ever had, just to send five thousand kuai home to pay some bills, the equivalent of about one thousand Australian. While this was happening, there was a fifty thousand dollar kuai limit per year that a foreigner could send overseas and they were mid-way through passing a law that would completely ban foreigners from transferring money outside China, which is possibly through by now. The only way to transfer money home in China with ease is the Russian black market, which is a real bricks and mortar market place surprisingly easy to find in Beijing where you meet with one of the Russian workers and do the transaction at a bank, its fairly legitimate looking. So while China spends money purchasing assets around the world, they aren’t giving any of their money away.
Step by step
During the past few months China has begun passing a new bill which bans foreign men from marrying Chinese women, it is still legal for a Chinese man to marry a foreign woman. The idea of having rich foreign men living in China is too big of a threat to the government because in China, money is always power. So if a wealthy man wants to marry a Chinese woman he can take his business elsewhere. China is very backwards still in the way of women’s rights so the government doesn’t envision rich and powerful women as ever being a threat and therefore foreign women are exempt.
Also this year, universities all around China are banning foreign students from studying particular subjects.
From what I have seen and experienced and the patterns in China's law changes this year, I suspect China is will close its borders again soon...
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All of these photos of mine are from a visit to Area 798, Beijing, which is mostly populated by Koreans and some very amazing artists, sometimes given the nickname "Korea town". If you are travelling through Beijing it is an incredible place to visit with incredible people and countless artists on the streets and in the stores.
I used to work for one of the vice-premiers of China as well as the usual foreigner jobs teaching English around Beijing. My ex boyfriend was also a government official, which is not something I discuss in depth for my own safety and in fear of losing my residency. I am very interested in what people have to say about China’s economy and their own travelling experiences. Please if you have any other perspectives or views about what I’ve said here or any questions for me, leave me a comment. What is China planning for? Should we be following them? Tell me what you think...
#money #future #business #education #travel #investment #China
fascinating insights, I had not heard of this info regarding the foreign men not being allowed to marry. Somewhat similar to how things work in Thailand, you aren't going to be a majority % land owner if you are farang or w/o a Thai entity.
be safe and look forward to more from you in the future - following.