What is the Status of China Now, and in the Future, for Us Foreigners?

Hi Everyone,

1. Thank God, it looks like Coronavirus has passed for months. I am just glad that school life seeems stable. We know what to expect, etc.

Although we cannot get any job we want, at higher pay than average, due to COVID teacher shortages, it is great that things seem stable again. That helps me focus.

2. Long-term, I see many teachers are not going back to pre-COVID times:

a. They left China, but refuse to return
b. Their employers do not want them back so badly
c. Existing teachers are looking for destinations to locate to out of China

3. Is there a reason for this?

a. I notice that the RMB is so weak to the USD. Yet, prices for both real estate and day-to-day goods are stable. I would have thought things would have gotten stronger

b. My guess is that Chinese schools still operate, but do not respect outside teachers.

c. It is possible I am imagining all of this. Maybe China life is simply back to normal. Nothing special, nothing terrible, just normal day-to-day life.

4. Can anyone give informed opinions?

3.  A few foreigners are long term.  Others stay and go.  If you're an FT in China, be happy that there's no stampede of competitors to get between you and a job you want.

a.  The USD is unnaturally strong against many currencies, since the Treasury bonds are paying much higher interest than a year ago.  This has little or no effect on domestic prices for domestic goods in China.

b.  Depends on the school.  Some are good.  Some aren't.  Some have decided to skip FTs.  Some are desperate for FTs.

c.  Life is mostly back to normal, but the return of FTs is lagging.  Take advantage of this to get a raise or a better job.

As always, you are great.

I've just moved back so I'm still in the novelty period even though I have lived here for years before.
Very happy so far. I left in 2017 because I got divorced and was in Vietnam, I love the country but I didn't like working there.
China has better jobs and the infrastructure is better than England. I'm also enjoying that people seem happy to see a foreigner, I'd guess that COVID plus the fact that China and America have a bad relationship currently is a big part of it, but that won't last because of the positives.
Another positive is how affordable everything is.
When I first came here in 2009 I was also very sceptical, it is very closed off and 'foreign' compared to the other Asian countries I've been to.

I'd guess that within five years it will be the same as the old days in terms of being an attractive place for high and low level teachers, although the 'golden age' of anyone being able to turn up and everything being insane are gone because they just aren't a developing country.

At the risk of being political I think that the country will also adapt to Xi and his direction. I'm not a fan, but in terms of modern china he's a teddy bear

Happy you're back in PRC 

Happy you're back in PRC 

 

Welcome back Kitano!

Welcome back Kitano!