GoKunming Forums

You will never be Chinese!

Napoleon (1187 posts) • +4

I'm not going to be Chinese?

Why should it be any skin off my nose. I wont have a passport that is more use for jamming a door ajar than travelling with, I wont have to worry about Danwei (单位) and hukou (户口) and zanzhujians (站住正)?

Being Chinese is a huge faff for very little gain. I wouldn't thankyou for it.

Works both ways, My missus can never be Zimbabwean, without a Zim birth certificate no one gets a Zim passport. She can stay there, do business there, but she's never going to be a Zimbabwean. Nor will the I'm a Zimbo because I have been married to a Zimbabwean man story wash with the locals.

If you've got married in China (and I'm not saying those two fellas in the video have) in order to change nationality to Chinese then what must your country be like?

I know of Burmese, Uzbek political refugees and Mongols who have become nationalised Chinese. There was also a few Russians on the TV a while ago who had become Chinese. But It's not a situation anyone not in a desperate political or economic situation should be looking into surely. Would you want to give up your nationality just so you didn't have to apply for a visa each year?

If you want to be Chinese go to the PSB, throw your passport on the desk and say you resent your nationality. I was told when I was at university in Beijing that this was one way how it could be done. If this is still the case I don't know.

And from China's point of view it was only a year or so ago that people where limited to one child to stop population growth. They can't very well do that on one hand while adding to the population giving passports out to every foreign Tom, Dick and Harry.

I've also just remembered in 2006 an Australian Rugby player was offered a Chinese passport to represent China in a rugby tournament. He decided to play for Singapore so never took up the offer, but if you are a special case I'm sure there is an exception.

Napoleon (1187 posts) • +4

And something else from the video regarding pensions - Any foreigner who contrubutes to the national social security system is entitled to the same pension as a city dwelling Chinese national.

I watched a presentation about this last year and I wasn't paying much attention but the end game was that when I was 55 I was entitled to something like 200rmb a month. It wouldn't even be worth chasing up.

If you are a foreign national and you want a pension you would be far better making back payments to your own countries pension system, or taking out a scheme with someone like HSBC which would cover you regardless if you were in China or anywhere else.

If you are moaning that you won't get a Chinese pension then by all means help your self to my 200 a month, If I'm that desperate, things have gone seriously awry.

redjon777 (560 posts) • 0

@Liumingke1234 Both these guys individual and joint channels are worth being subscribed to.

They've always covered a lot of good issues over the time they've been vlogging (which is many years).

@Napoleon They're both married in China.

They're not saying they want to be Chinese just that Chinese will never except you as part of the country unlike most countries.

You'll always just be a foreigner unless you look Chinese!

Liumingke1234 (3297 posts) • 0

@redhon777
Exactly. In China, you will always be seen as a tourist. They birng excellent insights. Their other videos are spot on about many thing I've observed over the ten years being here. Their other videos are worth a look.

Napoleon (1187 posts) • +5

@Liumingke1234
@Redjohn

I have no doubt that these are two great fellas with some reasonable points on many a thing.

In this particular video they are feeling hard done to because they can't get something they don't want.

What they want - Chinese nationality is available. I have no idea how it's done and I'm not going to start investigating, but its available and possible and has been done.

Then, China has the largest population on earth and undertakes careful management of it's population. It's wondering where it's going to put its current population, never mind anyone else.

There is no doubt a Chinese look to the people here. This shouldn't come as any surprise seeing as this is China. However up north there are Yugar, Bonan, Russian, Kazak and Uygar who all have a European look to them.

On one hand people are on about how China is changing and becoming globalized and on the other some of the same people are saying let's change China's DNA and make it a rainbow nation.

If you're in China bemoaning the fact you're a foreigner - It's because you are. You aren't Chinese, nor will you ever be. A passport does not a Chinese/ British/ Frenchman make.

I can testify to this having come from British stock and spent a good portion of my youth in Britain.

You can't be Chinese, so what? Every time you want to visit friends and family you're going to go to your embassy and get a visa for your own country and tell the person behind the desk that you're not British/ South African/ Mexican - You're Chinese. I think if that happened they would quite rightly look at you like you had three heads.

Liumingke1234 (3297 posts) • -1

@Napoleon
You're missing the point(s). Did tou watch the video?

Napoleon (1187 posts) • +3

I watched the first 10 minutes, that was about half I think. They touched on how anyone could be a European and a South African and then about how they couldn't work on a marriage visa (Legitimate point, but if you are qualified you will get a work visa) then they mentioned they couldn't get a pension (not true) and they couldn't become nationalised like his mate in Taiwan (not true) then they drove off and mentioned a Brit who taught brilliant Chinese classics but couldn't be a Chinese national (Why would he want to be British passports are 3rd best in the world and he will always have free healthcare, pension, and a wealth of benefits to fall back on if he needs it).

Maybe what you are mentioning is you will never be considered Chinese. Well, thats because you are different to your average 'Chinese' in pay/ looks/ ideology/ life style. A Chinese wife makes you a Chinese son in law, part of a family and that's all you can ask for. Why should China invite you to be one of their own on the back of you've been married to a Chinese person for 2/5/10 years and at best can speak the language know a bit of history and is a massive Bruce Lee fan. That's not how national identity works is it?

If you believe it is then you've probably watched the video and come to a different conclusion to me. I'm not one for saying someone comes from another country and can chop and change their nationality like they can their hair on the basis of being an arabphile / sinophile / europhile etc.

Anyone who has come here, has left their culture behind and plans to engulf themselves in their surroundings in China, that is admirable. Me, I dip in and out when I chose as I would imagine the other 99% of us do, I read the forign papers, I use a VPN, I watch foreign TV, I like nothing more than break from China whenever I have chance, I will celebrate Christmas, my new year will be in January, I get a higher salary than my collegues because I'm NOT Chinese, I don't care about Chinese politics and my views differ widely when I do, many, many times my western upbringing leads to western ways being prevalent in expectation and manner when I am here, that isn't what my Chinese neighbour is doing and that isn't good enough in being 'a part time Chinese'. Why should it be? If I'm going to be something I can't pick and choose.

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