It is a classic example of "rule by law" which is in full effect in PRC. You're required to register within 24 hours at the "police station", no details of the said station, no opening hours or any further information is given. The process is quite slow, the queues are long, and the officials are visibly irritated every time you come and wake them up from their slumber. Then there are people flying 3-4 times per week to Hong Kong or Seoul on business, technically they are required to register every single time they enter China. Of course, nobody is doing that. So that's a #1 easy to reach tool to exercise any kind of control over foreigners.
The time I was turned away from China
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Re: The time I was turned away from China
#12>The reason, as it was explained to me, was that in 2015 I had broken Chinese law when I failed to present myself to authorities in Beijing when I had visited and stayed at an Airbnb residence on two different trips. Unbeknownst to me at the time — and something that was not communicated by Airbnb — foreigners are required to register at a local police station, but in most cases the hotels where they stay handle this…
Yea, such rule is in place where I live too. Any guest staying over 24 hours need to report to the local authorities, both domestics or international. Many countries requires an official identification such as IC or passport upon hotel check-in as well.
Although in my case its more about the neighbourhood security rather than a big-brother-watching kind of deal. The registrations aren't centralized or anything, and in most cases, are never read again unless something happened in the neighbourhood.
Re: The time I was turned away from China
#13Earlier quoted context omitted.
The US is just weird, only country i know of that doesn't allow transit. Anywhere else you get off your plane, pass thru security and get back on your outgoing flight. The US seems too cheap to build outgoing immigration booths, and therefore doesn't have real international departure terminals like anywhere else on the planet. I means you can't transit the US without getting a visa
I don't think the US is "too cheap" but there is a perceived higher incentive to get in and stay in in the US than many other countries. Not saying its actually true but that seems like a more rational reason than penny pinching by USCIS.
It causes all sorts of other problems too - because you don't pass thru immigration as you leave the US you don't get a stamp in your passport, if the system fucks up (it's the airlines who become responsible for processing your exit), the US still thinks you're there, many many people have been caught this way, suddenly found themselves in some detention centre for 'overstaying' because the INS's bookkeeping is out of whack last time they were there.
ALWAYS travel to the US carrying the boarding pass from your last departure
Re: The time I was turned away from China
#14I feel it’s kind of shady in the first place to use a transit visa to cover tech events. Do this in the US, it’ll be worst.
The US is just weird, only country i know of that doesn't allow transit. Anywhere else you get off your plane, pass thru security and get back on your outgoing flight. The US seems too cheap to build outgoing immigration booths, and therefore doesn't have real international departure terminals like anywhere else on the planet. I means you can't transit the US without getting a visa
Due to its geography, I can't think of any other country in the world where it would make sense to fly via the US. Mexico and Canada are the only two that would happen, and both have their own large international gateways.
Re: The time I was turned away from China
#15I understand that the author is British and not American, but I couldn't help avoid a little bit of schadenfreude, sorry.
As a Latino, every time I'd have to go in transit through US I'd face similar treatment by American customs. I hope this has improved but it's been more than 8 years I've been able to avoid any American airport.
So, yep it sucks. But never mind, there are plenty of interesting countries in the world; China and the U.S. are not the only ones.
Re: The time I was turned away from China
#16Earlier quoted context omitted.
The US is just weird, only country i know of that doesn't allow transit. Anywhere else you get off your plane, pass thru security and get back on your outgoing flight. The US seems too cheap to build outgoing immigration booths, and therefore doesn't have real international departure terminals like anywhere else on the planet. I means you can't transit the US without getting a visa
Due to its geography, I can't think of any other country in the world where it would make sense to fly via the US. Mexico and Canada are the only two that would happen, and both have their own large international gateways.
The USA is a very common transit country for Europe-South America and Asia-South America. It's not uncommon for travel between Europe and New Zealand or the East coast of Australia either.
Re: The time I was turned away from China
#17> "sign a piece of paper that was written in Mandarin"
"Mandarin" is NOT a written language, but rather is a group of spoken dialects in Northern China [1]. The Chinese written language is called "hàn zì" [2].
Re: The time I was turned away from China
#18So how did he get busted?
Re: The time I was turned away from China
#19It is a classic example of "rule by law" which is in full effect in PRC. You're required to register within 24 hours at the "police station", no details of the said station, no opening hours or any further information is given. The process is quite slow, the queues are long, and the officials are visibly irritated every time you come and wake them up from their slumber. Then there are people flying 3-4 times per week…
Your hotel does it for you
Re: The time I was turned away from China
#20Nothing to do with increased security for the 19th Congress.
Nothing to do with being a journalist.
Everything to do with not presenting yourself at the Chinese police station.
Source: Lived in China for years, was forced to write an apology to China for not presenting myself after moving to a new city 2 months later (had a work visa); my communist party member landlord smoothed things over with local police. Obviously Jon didn't have enough guanxi.