Quite a few cops were in front of the entrance to the compound where I live, just few days ago, stopping foreigners and asking to see their residence permits and stuff.

Also happened maybe a month ago.

They seem to have regular checks now.

Yes, I guess it is, but still something is going on in Beijing that has to do with foreigners living here, I lived in that compound for 3 years, and they only did it now, and in interval of maybe one month.

That was strange.

I never bring my passpost with me. And I don't have any intention to start doing so.

My passposrt is safely locked in a safe inside my house, that's it.

Every time I have to go to register with the police or extend my visa and I carry it with me, I'm in complete panic.

F@ck that! What is this a Nazi police state? I'm not carrying any "papers" with me. What's next, we all have to wear a big "L" pinned to our clothes to signify laowai and a note from our mommies? :shock:

No, but it is communist. I just got my work visa extended by 2 years. Previous to that I always got it extended by 3 years. I got told at the time they are going to get harder and harder on foreigners here who they consider are not "contributing". For instance, anyone over 60 will only get a tourist visa.

Anyone else heard similar?

Sure. It is certainly not uncommon for people to have to carry ID at home or when having to carry your passport while visiting foreign countries.

Actually, it's not surprising that they are finally making attempts to enforce the rules given that a very significant percentage of foreigners living here are working illegally. What is strange is that they didn't start a lot sooner.

Which American? Got a link to a news story?

Yeah, some people from countries that China considers poor are probably getting screwed even more than anybody else. It's a shame.

You are joking, right????

Or were they policewomen who also wanted to know how big your ... er ... um ... feet is?

Wow! One can only wonder wtf they need shoe size for, but I guess they have their reasons illogical as they usually, inevitably are.

It's going to be strange having the PSB going around checking up on all foreigners. For over 12 years I have never been visited by the PSB or even stopped and asked for my passport by the PSB until last week when they were having a spot check at my colleague's complex.

There were about 4 cops and one of them asked for my passport. I told him, "I'm sorry, I don't have a passport" and he thought I meant I did not have it with me at the moment. Then he asked about my visa and I told him I didn't have any kind of visa, either, because they had all been cancelled. He called over a few of the other policemen and another asks me again where my visa and residence permit are so I tell him again, I don't have any because they were all cancelled a couple of years ago on me.

By now they are scratching their heads and wondering wtf is going on and one asks me what I use for ID. I gave him my permanent resident ID and then they call over the last cop and they all stand around looking at it and scratching their heads even more. Then they ask me wtf kind of ID card this is and how I got it. :roll:

I told them and pointed out that all the answers to their questions were on the card itself -- in Chinese even -- and they scratch their heads a little more and then shrug their shoulders and tell me to have a nice day.

Something tells me that if you show them some kind of fake passport you print up on your computer, like a lot of Africans are now doing in China, that the PSB wouldn't have a clue -- at least when conducting spot checks or home visits.

Interesting, aside from here, I haven't heard of any trouble. So I'm left wondering what "level" of compound we are talking about? Other than teachers and that ubiqitous "consultant" types, are they hassling anyone else?

Yah, it's really hard to get an understanding of everyone's experiences here as they are all different...I for one have not heard anything outside of here either. As well I am in well known foreigner areas and on the subway almost every day and other than the monthly purging of the Africans in Sanlitun I have not seen anything at all.

I've asked my Chinese friends about this and they just laugh and say the Police will never bother me as I am white bread white. This raises a lot of interesting questions about who is being targeted.

I would be curious as well as to what luxury level of compounds are being visited. Are they standing outside the Villas in Shunyi or Seasons Park in Gongti or Lee Gardens in Wangfujing? What are we talking about?

in my former flat, the local cop was cute and spoke english
but tried to impress me by showing off his sollicitude

9 pm summer night : all the neighborhood is downstairs taking the fresh
i m there with my dog, smoking a ciggie
he rushes to me, asks me what i m doing there, obviously, i gave a proper environment for the bladder-relieving operation my dog needs twice a day
answer : u should go home ! it s late !
grrrrr

worse one : a couple of days after, it s 11am in the morning, i leave my flat with a friend, comes to me, asks where i m goin, doin stuff, and he has the nerve to ask if my male friend spent the night in my place :evil: :evil: :evil:
i was this close from assaulting a police officer ...

cute nut no way

eh oh ! could u tone down pls and not take ur expat impunity feeling for granted
between having evidence of ur legal status with you in a foreign country and being discriminated in the planification of an holocaust
there s a WIDE difference u should kep in mind
just by respect

----------------------------
regarding the topic of the thread
they re goin to enforce, make mafan and after a while when they discover it does not help much and harms business, will come up with a new legislation more flexible to answer the needs of the foreigners working/living here
good luck to all

Just got fined last week for not registering within 3 days at the PSB, still just over a month. The local assistant from work never had anyone fined and got pretty angry. Thanks to the thread, i'll be ready if they turn up at my door.