News You Might Have Missed: Possibilities Over Visas, Food and Commutes

While you enjoy the long weekend, here are some of the latest things that may be happening in Beijing – from visa issues to toxins in food to the chance of getting a good Wi-Fi connection on your commute.

Will expats have a harder time working or living in China on a tourist visa? That’s the question most foreigners are asking in response to the news that China will be cracking down on illegal employment. The proposal will introduce penalties for illegal foreigners that include fines from RMB 5,000-20,000 and 5-15 days in jail. China Daily reports that under the new regulations: “If a foreigner holds a visa allowing a maximum stay of 180 days, he will not need to apply for a residence certificate. If the visa allows a stay longer than 180 days and indicates that a residence certificate is needed, he must apply for it within 30 days after entering the country.” It is unclear how this policy will affect expats on year-long 90-day-stay tourist visas, but it is possible that all foreigners may soon be fingerprinted when entering and leaving the country.

If you're the type to worry about toxins, you may want to stop putting anything into your mouth. The most recent wave of tainted and contaminated products go beyond just food. Some of the latest products to be wary of: disposable chopsticks, found to often be coated in dangerous substances like sulfuric acid, paraffin wax and talc; medicine capsules that contain high levels of the carcinogenic chemical chromium; and teas. A Greenpeace report names Lipton and domestic brands as testing high for pesticides, though Lipton claims that their teas are safe.

We hear time and again how bad Beijing’s commute is, which is probably why China Mobile has announced plans to make Wi-Fi available to commuters while they sit in the gridlock. The bus and subway service will not be free, which is the only reason we’re holding out hope that this may work, as opposed to all the unsecured public Wi-Fi hotspots around the city. Although no official start date has announced, we're told that the company does plan to roll out the Wi-Fi with buses on the Second Ring Road.

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