To all that may be thinking of coming to China this is a fantastic post. I was in China for two years and this is absolutely dead on. I was lucky enough to be based in one of the more modern cities (Shenzhen) but it's still a different world. Everything from the hotels, food, etc. is true.
In my own experience I constantly was worried about my job. I am very experienced in the A-320 flying it for a US major and I flew it in the Middle East, but I have seen FIRST HAND guys flying a perfectly acceptable ride and getting a turn down for some incomprehensible reason,,,not to mention their own guys can't fly to that standard or as in my own personal case once of being asked to do a maneuver, flying it, and then being told no good because the examiner has his own pet way of doing it and shame on you for not knowing it. Captain, didn't you know to run around on your days off grilling every Chinese pilot you could find to ask how examiner so-and-so likes for you to do dual Radar Alt. inop approaches? How lazy of you!
In my own case it was the medical that did me in, although nothing could be found wrong, by Chinese standards I was just too tall and Fat for them to be comfortable with and on my fourth medical, even though I passed it, one of the 10 doctors that looks at you every 6 months wanted to run a camera into my damn heart just to prove I was perfect and I said no.
I could go on about endless examples that I witnessed first hand, and trust me now that I am back in the states making a FIFTH of what I made there it is hard, but the double standard coupled with the standard of living is one hard nut to crack. I talk to guys, Capt. even at my airline who are thinking of resigning their number to go. I simply cannot stress how bad of a decision this would be.
Unless you can get a leave, or you don't have a job. Don't Do It!
