THE STANDARD: "Businessmen step up complaints over visas":
quote
The European Chamber of Commerce has issued another letter - the first sent a month ago is still unanswered - to the Chinese authorities underlining the impact of visa restrictions on the foreign business community................Wolfgang Ehmann, a member of the European Chamber of Commerce told The Standard the letter was sent on Monday after the central government failed to respond to its first letter, sent a month ago. Ehmann said: " We only got some rhetoric that we have heard before - that there is no change in policy and that it is normal practice. We appreciate that there is a response (he means the letter by Mr Song to SCMP - which is same message as from Mr Qin -foreign ministry in Beijing) but it does not really help and the problem continues to be a problem. We do not want to compromise the safety and security of China but there has to be a balance of interest of business. We could not make sense of the rules"
unquote
Very good statement - but we have to be aware, as the first letter was not answered - maybe this one also will not be answered.
The European Chamber of Commerce does not get an answer from the Central Government ? This is "unpolite" and making the Chamber loose face !
The statement by Mr Song does not really help - because the day-to-day business speaks a completely different language. We need to go when there is a problem - we cannot plan on this like tourists or "business travelers" coming once or twice a year.
Also what I want to ask the readers here:
Did anyone of you recently got the VISA NOTIFICATION LETTER issued by the relevant chinese authority ? Please contact me !
Another readers comment today in the SCMP:
"Why not open a Representative office in the area you need to go most often - this is relatively easy - surely need some commitments on tax liability in the main-land. Then the Visa problem will be solved because you are holding then a work-permit + residence permit."
(this is not 100% real copy - but mostly catches the content).
Is not really workable - as this takes at least 3 months - is a crazy paper work (even you do it through FESCO or similar organization) - and: Opening a "Rep office" just for the sake of getting the permit because of the Z visa is meaningless - a "Rep office" must have some real operation, means staff + expenses - also a "Rep office" is not allowed to conduct any real business activities - it is for research, sourcing and market surveillance. This makes not really sense - only if you really want to establish a steady base on the mainland to overview your suppliers activities and you urgently need to reduce costs in your HK main office (means fire people and replace them in your Rep Office with local chinese staff - but then you have to face the wonderful CHINA HR problem, which very soon will go to your nerves very much !).
We all are running our legally registered HK offices + place orders to mainland factories - doing the correct import + export documentations etc. To control and work with the factories we need to go there whenever it is necessary - this is not shopping trips or entertainment - we have to solve problems + have to help our suppliers to get the things right - as we are all sitting in the same boat !
Here a link about the VISA SAGA from WSJ:
http://blogs.wsj.com/chinajournal/2008/05/15/visa-saga/?mod=WSJBlog
3 comments:
All these solutions being proposed are a joke.
The weird thing is if you got a 3 year or 1 year visa just before the cut off, you'd still have entry. If this is the normal practice of the "Olumpics", then surely the terrorists would have known and then applied earlier. Furthermore, if terrorists are serious, there are dozens of ways to get to China without a visa or passport.
What makes it even more ridiculous is they want to keep out people that are or sympathetic to the Falun Gong, Tibetan independence and Islam extremism. Whoever did their profiling got it all wrong. I think their biggest fear is the people already in the country, not us beggar businessmen needing to go to Dongguan.
I reckon the permanent HK ID card and a letter from your local company should be enough evidence.
I think China's biggest fear during the Olympics is what the "open media" will let the average citizen see. If they were worried about how the Falun Gong would take over society, I wonder what the effects of the Olumpics will have on the people.
I have heard in Beijing the "people" already scared to talk about the Olympics....Besides this "terrorist tourism" is not existing in this case. If there are terrorists they are already in the country. Any serious terror activity will have THE TOTAL reverse effect (this sounds so cruel but it is the truth). What is the main concern I guess, is that there will be "permanent diruptions" during the games and honestly speaking it is understandable that this is not welcome and also somewhat stupid. All the years the whole WEST was keeping the mouth shut about whatever they are now bringing up on China.
Hey anyhow - why not everybody step back a little bit and simply let the chinese people and the whole world enjoy this OLYMPICS ? What is so bad now...if the OLYMPICS would be in the USA - anybody would talk about Guantanamo or the death sentence in the USA or even there are laws in some parts the neighbour can file a case if he knows that your wife is giving you "head" .......
Again and again the Chinese authorities do not destinguise between a permanent or none permanent resident, wrightly so, a Hongkong Resident is a Resident whether he has a permanent status or not, there is no differnece to the Chinese authorities. And yes you can still get a multiple visa if you are intresting enough for the authorities! Why should the Hongkong authorities interfere, it's none of their concern. That none-residents have to go back to their country of origin/residence is a common practise, everywhere in this world, and a proper one!
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