My wife is Chinese and we never have any problems with her getting visas for travel to other countries (we go to Thailand 2-3 times a year). Just use a CITS travel agent to get her a visa thru a group. They don't ever need to see the group. Travel when you want to, return when you want to, no money check, no employment letter, etc... all very easy.
You Think Getting a China Visa is a Hassle?
Most of us are aware that it's not easy for Chinese citizens to visit places like Europe and the US, but I was surprised when visiting Thailand with a Chinese friend a few years back to find that even the Thais require mainland Chinese citizens to show evidence of RMB 20,000 in a fixed-term deposit savings account before issuing a visa. In contrast, I could simply roll up with my Australian passport and get an entry stamp at Bangkok Airport, no questions asked.
The difficulties Chinese citizens face in obtaining visas, even for may other developing countries, also impacts on foreigners wishing to travel with Chinese friends or partners. Local journalist Chen Zikun recently did a blog post about his experiences obtaining visas for a broad range of foreign destinations, and ChinaTravelTrends.com have been good enough to post a translation.
Chen Zikun writes: “Until I went to apply for a visa for my first ever trip out of the country, I was always happily under the impression that, being from a country with a rapidly-developing economy, and especially with how smug red-to-the-root media like CCTV are in their frequent reports about how Chinese tourists always rank first in purchasing power of luxury goods. Couldn’t have felt better. China had already learned how to say No, thus there probably wasn’t any country that wouldn’t greet me with a smile, never mind give me a visa hassle-free. Then, the opposite turned out to be true… ”
The post provides details about Chen’s experiences applying for visas around the world, including nations as diverse as Austria, France, the US, Malaysia, Vietnam, the Philippines, and North and South Korea. He also mentions the hassles in involved in getting a visitor’s permit for Hong Kong.
Chen’s post is useful for Chinese passport holders contemplating overseas travel, and sobering for expats who complain about Chinese visa hassles. Whatever the faults of China’s visa system – and there are many – it’s invariably much more for difficult for Chinese people to visit our countries than it is for foreigners from developed countries to visit, live and work in the PRC.
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Yes well,
The world have a lot of countries besides USA and China.
It's not only hard for Chinese obtain a visa for countries like USA, Australia, Canada, England, others countries of Europe or Asia,etc.
Even for a Temporary Entry Visa, when you are in transit to another country. You have to present all kind of papers just for stay there waiting for the next fly. For example:
Proof of your financial situation
Salary receipts for the last three months
Bank statements for the last three months
Credit card statements for the last three months
Employer letters indicating your functions and salary
A letter from the place where you are working saying that you are gonna come back and you are not gonna stay there illegally etc etc.........
Holders of Chinese passports are entitled to a 15 day visa-on-arrival in Thailand.
http://www.mfa.go.th/web/2637.php
However, there have been numerous reports of (Chinese based) airline check-in staff not allowing check-in without a pre-issued visa.
Apparently nothing to do with the Chinese govt or immigration.
Hi lvrouhuoshao,
Really? That wasn't my experience when I traveled with a Chinese citizen last Christmas. She was required to show a term deposit before the Thai embassy would issue a visa.
Still, you're right about Thailand being worth the trip. Great country... when they're not having troubles.
Yeah, a Chinese passport isn't great, but I'd just like to point out that getting a Thai visa on a Chinese passport is now pretty easy (or was last summer when I went). No deposit/savings/etc, and unlike most other countries (inc. China) the visa itself was free. In fact according to Thai regulations Chinese people can simply get a visa-on-arrival (like Westerners) but unfortunately the Chinese government doesn't allow boarding the flight without a visa so you need to get it first. Cheap flights on Air Asia too via Malaysia, well worth a trip 
The translation was actually posted by Global Voices, a website dedicated to translating the blogospheres of many countries into English.
It actually left out a very interesting not at the end....
"By now, everyone must have noticed that people one can ascertain the international standing and national power, image and reputation of a country through the process of applying for visas. I hope they hurry up and release that propaganda film which will “improve China's national image” so that the Yellow children of China don't have to put up with being treated like third-rate scum any longer (of course, those with money and power already have have their own other “citizenship”)."
Actually it is all a very simple matter of economics, why do people run? Because they have nothing to lose or almost nothing to lose. Why do Europeans and Americans get in anywhere, because most have a lot to lose back home and there is not any advantage to be obtained by working illegally in other countries (for the time being). Europeans even have the added incentive of returning because of the advanced social security system. If Chinese people would have those same benefits and added incentives to come back, few would run. But with a poverty line currently at 1996 rmb/year who can blame them for seeking their luck elsewhere? Of course the developed nations can not/do not want to absorb the whole world that is why visa regulations to these countries are a hassle, because it is not only the Chinese who have figured out that life is better in the west. It is about the whole world who would/if they could like to live there. Even though: the weather is awful, the food is not like what they had at home, the people are not welcoming to strangers, they don't speak five words of the language, etc etc...makes you think of course about the circumstances in their countries of origin...
Even Indians are notorious for doing the dissappearing act and it makes life difficult for genuine travellers and backpackers X( Guess that is the reason why there are so few Indian backpackers ~X( But still there are 60 countries in the world where Indians can travel visa free or get visa on arrival 
I`m from Canada. I`ve heard that the reason for Chinese people having trouble getting a visa to visit Canada is because Chinese people, more than other nationalities, are notorious for not honoring their obligation to leave the country when their visa expires. It is especially hard for young ladies between 20-30 years old I`m told. I think a large part of the problem is that using percentages China`s numbers just dwarf those of other countries. From what I understand even if a Chinese lady marries a Canadian she will still have to wait 1 year to get a visa. Since I`ve been in China (5 years) I`ve been approached many times with an offer of $25,000 US to marry a Chinese lady and move to Canada with her. After 2 years we would get a divorce and away she would go. Does anyone really think the government isn`t aware of such shenanigans. I`m sure more honesty and integrity by western standards would go a long way to improving the situation in the long run.
Even with much of China prospering most are not so I guess the desire to leave is still strong for many.
Kudos to the Chinese government for all the efforts to improve living conditions for the country but you still have miles to go and a lot of house cleaning to do.
It's absolutely painful to have a Chinese passport, which I call it "a waste paper".
I applied for a visa for my Philippines trip 4 years ago, I was required a certificate from my company that guaranteed me to return back to China after visiting Philippines instead of staying there illegally, as well as a certificate from bank of RMB 10,000 in a fixed-term deposit savings account.
Last year, I planed to travel to Vietnam with my ex-boyfriend(he is a westerner). I was ensured by our Vietnaminese travel agency that I didn't need to obtain a visa in advance, because I could get it on arrival. I doubted but finally trusted them --- coz they were so sure! At last, of course,I ended up being stopped at the Chinese immigration control.And my poor ex-bf had to go first and wait for me in Hanoi.
In early of this year, I applied for Indian visa a month in advance. Everything was well prepared and submited. My ex-bf got the visa a week later. I waited and waited. Three weeks were past, and the answer over the phone was always "you have to wait". Thank God, I got it at the last moment!!
Now I'm planning to travel to Europe next year, but I'm really afraid of the visa problem. It's really becoming a pain being a Chinese, and I tell myself and my Chinese friends more and more often: Please try to change your nationality for the sake of visa by any means!
So, foreign devils, don't misunderstand me when I make eyes at you, approach you and ask you to have me as your girlfriend and finally beg you to marry me ---- not because I love you, I just want to throw away the damn Chinese passport:)