Blame the Brits, blame the French. All these stupid visa, work permit restrictions are solely as a result of the performances in London and Paris with the Olympic torch. Up till then any terrorist threat to Beijing was limited to Falong Gung or other dissatisfied minorities. Now they have developed a phobia that anybody, asian or western, wants to get into the country so that they can make a big statement, the more violent the better, during the Olympic Games.
Quite likely true.
Malcontents elsewhere attempting to tell the country how to run their internal affairs.
Sticking your nose in where it doesn't belong is not adviseable.