Hi Speedy, let's see if I can help.
- You need not know any Chinese to be hired here. Some carriers in China will hire you specifically because they don't have enough english proficient pilots. You will be paired with a "english proficient" f/o, and/or be given an interpreter in the cockpit, depending on where you work. that said, learning a bit of Mandarin wouldn't hurt.
- The carrier that you contract with normally takes care of your work visa and residency permit.
- The salaries are generally high as far as contract pilots go in the current world economy. Expect USD 11,000 -15,000 gross pay depending on where you work. Some companies, such as China Eastern, will deduct Chinese taxes which are typically credited in your home country (although rumor has it Barack will eliminate that). Living in China is relatively inexpensive relative to your salary. In the case of China Eastern, you are provided a very nice hotel in Shanghai.
- I'm not sure if the Austrian A330/340 pilots are still at China Eastern. The rumor is that either they or China Eastern did not renew the contract when it came up.
There are still plenty of decent jobs in China. China Eastern is a decent job to consider if you already have an income or can wait out the process, which takes several months. They occasionally hire expat Captains onto their A330/340, but I've not heard of them hiring into their narrowbodies.
One of the better deals out there now, at least if you are an American, is with Juneyao Airlines on the A320 in Shanghai. VOR Holdings is having Juneyao perform pilot evaluations in Denver next month, which will complete the interview, simulator evaluation, CAAC medical exam, and ATP written all at once. This is a great opportunity, as many pilots spend a lot of time and money coming to China only to be washed out later.
I hope this helps -
Cretan