The Basics for survival in China.

[Pineau]

Since this is a new board and this is the first post I will just start by listing some of the things I think are important to Survival of Expats. There are many obstacles and many things to learn. This is just a partial list an the other mods and members should add to it. But this is what I came up with with my first thoughts. Each of these can become a separate thread.

Visa
Police registration
VPN
Access to your money!
Communications back home. (Skype, QQ, Magic Jack, OBI talk just to name a few)

Vehicle
Travel,
    reading signs and maps.
    navigating the subways and bus routes.
Food
Medicine
Hospitals
Language
Security/Safety
Accomidations
Housing
Culture
Socializing and friends.

 Locating Things, building, offices and stuff --> new thread.

[Pineau]

Willy,  I am being told by people in Shanghai and Beijing that the great firewall is in full force an that VPN accounts are being blocked almost in real time. The are blocked just a few minutes after the VPN providers come up with a fix.  There is a new crack down going on since January. +
http://online.thatsmags.com/post/chinas-renewed-war-on-foreign-internet-traffic

How is your VPN working?

Do you know of any VPN servers in Hong Kong?

[Willy The Londoner]

Whatever is happening it seems to be working far better these days for me.  It also improved when I decided only to use Internet Explorer browser once connected as well. Websites connected through Google Chrome and Firefox were always getting disconnected.

I use Express VPN and I can stay online for hours at a line without any breaks watching UK News and programmes.

Express VPN give you choices of 40 plus countries and cities to log on to. The one that tops their 'fasted list' is Hong Kong.
It is well worth the 8 dollars a month or so that it costs.

Willy

[Pineau]

Ok. It is time for me to return to Guangzhou. I will arrive there in less than a month. I want to try something new in paying for stuff while there.
Everyone in China is using Wechat wallet to pay for goods and services. You can use it everywhere, &-11, Taxi...everything.

So I want to get this working on my phone. All the instructions I have found say to tep o the "me" icon and then open the wallet to add a bank card.
My problem is this. I do not have a wallet when I open "me" account.  Can't add money to you wallet when you don't have a wallet.

Anyone with the same problem? Has anyone solved this problem?

[Willy The Londoner]

Ok. It is time for me to return to Guangzhou. I will arrive there in less than a month. I want to try something new in paying for stuff while there.
Everyone in China is using Wechat wallet to pay for goods and services. You can use it everywhere, &-11, Taxi...everything.

So I want to get this working on my phone. All the instructions I have found say to tep o the "me" icon and then open the wallet to add a bank card.
My problem is this. I do not have a wallet when I open "me" account.  Can't add money to you wallet when you don't have a wallet.

Anyone with the same problem? Has anyone solved this problem?

I tried to open a Wechat account using my UK account but was not able too. Your phone will tell Wechat that you are not in China. I needed a Chinese bank account to do so. Its to do with currency controls.

For information a foreigner also cannot send cash notes through a courier to China. it will not get out of your country as every packaged is scanned before dispatch. again strict currency controls.

Willy

[Pineau]

I read on the tencent website that if you are outside China when you install wechat you will not be given the wallet option.
You must be in China when you install the app in order to get the wallet option.

 In addition you must have a Chinese bank account or credit card to use the wallet. Without a China bank account or credit card the only way to use your wallet is to have someone in china send you cash from their wechat wallet to yours.
 
I bought a new phone (used off ebay) just to take to china. After I arrive I will install a China mobile SIM card and then install Wechat.  I will get a friend in china to send me some of my cash from their wechat account to mine. That will give me some flexibility in my spending there and lower the risk of carrying cash with me.

.

[Willy The Londoner]

Gerry
Not sure you can do it that way. I think you will need to have a Chinese bank account  and card in your name. I have money in my wallet sent to me by others  but I am unable to pay anyone with  it without providing them with my Chinese bank details.

I was not able to accept money into my wallet without first proving them with the required bank details


My wife is happy to use  her card if we need to pay anyone,

Willy

[Pineau]

ANY ONE KNOW THE STATUS OF WILLY?
I messaged him last week and have not received a reply. I hope his is healthy.

[shaun]

I've tried to contact him a few times with no response.  Wife lost You Yan's phone number.  Not sure how she spells her name. I asked Robertt; he said he would check the internet link but I never heard back.  I hope he is OK.

[Robertt S]

I have tried messaging Willy a few times without success. His profile shows his last visit to the site on Oct 7th 2021. I am gonna try to get a hold of his little Scottish mate and see if he knows anything.

[Pineau]

Last time I saw Willy was two years ago and at that time he was in a wheel chair and house bound. He was in good spirits and we had a good chat.
My wife is friends with his wife I will explore that rout to find out.