Getting the China visa - the old way - the new way

Trip Start Jul 01, 2008

Trip End Nov 31, 2009

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Flag of China Hong Kong, China
Thursday, July 10, 2008

In the good old days, getting into China was no big deal. No more difficult that rocking up to a travel agency off Nathan Road in Hong Kong with your passport and a photo. Come back later that day, pay over a few hundred HK$ - roughly US$45 - and you'd have a business visa for 6 months for China.

Those good old days have gone, as from the start of 2008 its been harder to get business and tourist visas. The reason?

Mainly the Olympics. You can blame lots on the Olympics. Tighter security, the need to flush out any terrorists who have been living in China for years, etc.

There's also something more underlying and sinister: a growing nationalism in China, in tandem with a rising hatred of the West.

What China doesn't realise is that these new measures are loosing it face and also a lot of goodwill from English teachers, advisors, business people, volunteers, development workers and the like, who have contributed much to China over the last few decades.

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