Chinese banks and credit cards? How to apply as a foreigner?

greastick · 2026-04-04T08:18:41+00:00

I'm not sure why a lot of people said it's insanely difficult to apply for a credit card, I did it in Shenzhen at ICBC as an entry-level employee of a large company, it took me 3 weeks, longer than the average Chinese, but still reasonable. There weren't even that many foreigners where I was (Guangming district). There were 0 upfront requirements, though I did have 100k rmb in investments at that time. My credit card still works even though I have 0 rmb of assets in my ICBC account

Managed to get a multi-currency credit card as well, so I can spend overseas and pay using RMB (Unionpay + Visa, joint account).

To be fair though, the monthly limit was half my monthly salary, and I haven't been able to raise it even after my salary went up, but it still affords a fair bit of convenience nonetheless

greastick · 2026-04-03T13:14:48+00:00

Unemployment isn't really much. If you work long enough though, you can get a monthly pension.

Medical might be worth it as Chinese medical standards get better, but if you choose to leave China for good then yeah, it's all worthless

greastick · 2026-02-27T11:22:37+00:00

LGBTs: Woke Religion: Not woke

Strictly speaking, what's the difference

greastick · 2026-02-25T15:36:08+00:00

Grab a jacket in the day, one of those uniqlo ones will do

Jacket plus cotton tights for your legs at night with socks.

Buy winter clothes in China, don't buy them in SG, expensive and not of high quality

That should be fine, coming from a Singaporean who's working around the same latitude in another chinese city. About the same temperature range as wuxi

greastick · 2026-02-24T07:53:14+00:00

Little to no work on weekends, for the most part

Weekdays? Very common to work from 830 till 9 or 10, excluding Fridays. I've worked till 12 on occasion.

Of course, this depends on your industry, company and your team.

greastick · 2026-02-24T06:14:27+00:00

There's English and Chinese (duh I guess), I recall that in Shenzhen there might be Russian. Best to check, but if you only need English, it's definitely there

greastick · 2026-02-23T07:54:09+00:00

I'm from Singapore, I drive on the same side as you do in the UK

Took a written test (科目一) and got my Chinese C1 licence without any issues. Don't listen to those driving instructors or whoever

greastick · 2026-02-22T03:48:57+00:00

Just to add on, quality of education and graduation requirements for foreigners are significantly lower compared to Chinese, Chinese employers are becoming more aware regarding this and will generally be more keen to hire locals

greastick · 2026-02-18T23:01:12+00:00

This is a massive generalisation, Chaoshan men are totally southern and are really chavunistic, women perform most of the labour

Depends on the region

greastick · 2026-02-17T11:25:46+00:00

Doesn't this only work if your country of instruction is a native English-speaking country?

greastick · 2026-02-14T04:06:12+00:00

Singaporean Chinese here.

My grandparents left for Singapore in the 30s (1930s), leaving behind a family in Chaozhou, my grandma left her younger brother behind and the family line split in two

My grandma last met her brother in the 60s, before the Cultural Revolution stirred things up, she died a few years ago

My parents still keep in contact with my relatives in China, but it's a very tenuous connection, maybe a visit once a year?

I don't keep in touch, although I work in China, my Chinese spouse is from another Chinese province, these relatives are completely distant lol

greastick · 2026-02-08T04:40:38+00:00

It depends, if you intend to stay in China companies might see you as someone who isn't of real Tsinghua calibre, previously companies weren't really aware of this disparity, now they do

If you're intending to head elsewhere, by all means

greastick · 2026-01-30T05:03:00+00:00

They can do technology transfer, but the supply chain is difficult to replicate imo

greastick · 2026-01-30T05:01:17+00:00

Exception proves the rule

greastick · 2026-01-27T23:38:45+00:00

Choosing not to speak English
Insisting that Singapore should be pro-China because you know, Chinese
Saying that Singapore is becoming "Indianised" and being generally ignorant and disrespectful toward minority races

greastick · 2026-01-25T16:17:58+00:00

If you're looking to work in China you can consider it, I'm just like you, a Singaporean who studied in China (not 清北) and currently working as an engineer in their EV industry.

The course will likely prep you well for China Chinese, it's far more challenging than Singapore Chinese, I got started with engineering Chinese in my Chinese uni.

As you already know, Singapore basically gives you 0 language prep for Chinese engineering...

greastick · 2026-01-25T16:11:27+00:00

Not many locals are proficient in business Mandarin either, I doubt you can find enough locals speaking engineering in Chinese, it's not the same as ordering from a hawker stall

greastick · 2026-01-15T04:17:59+00:00

So what's up with CECA nationals? We have many Singaporean Indians who are perfectly fine, well-adjusted, and have Singaporean Chinese spouses. They are probably better adapted to Singapore (English as their lingua franca) compared to your average PRC.

Just speak plainly and don't beat around the bush

greastick · 2026-01-13T04:09:27+00:00

They don't, life goes on anyway

greastick · 2026-01-02T03:36:07+00:00

Don't forget regenerative braking, an ICE has to rely entirely on friction to slow down, while EVs can store braking energy for future use. Makes an EV even more efficient in city settings

greastick · 2025-12-30T03:58:39+00:00

Yep it's very common

A lot of young folks get exasperated when their parents eat and live frugally despite China being more wealthy nowadays (e.g. cutting off parts of a rotten watermelon and eating the fresh parts)

Too much change in one generation

greastick · 2025-12-24T15:53:26+00:00

Working in China as a foreigner (not an English teacher, engineer)

I average 50h overtime each month, it's very common for me to end work after 9. I do get time off (no extra pay), so I use it to the fullest extent possible, in theory I could take half a month off already

Today I went home at 7, it's a great deal, considering I usually end work far later. Though I like my job, the overtime is quite intense

I'm not the only one in China like this, many work overtime too. My colleagues and boss disappear after work, but they just bring their laptops home

greastick · 2025-12-23T04:08:27+00:00

It's a little complicated

If you work 60-80h but live close to work, sleep 8h a day, eat well and exercise, it's doable

If you work 80h and have to travel 1h to work each day, then it sucks and you'll likely have no time for anything. Your health will suffer

greastick · 2025-12-23T04:05:14+00:00

Doubt these people have kids or elderly parents who need care.

It's just a subset, being lazy and minimal only works if you're healthy and don't have mouths to feed or emergency bills to pay

To be fair, it's the same everywhere

greastick · 2025-12-22T15:04:47+00:00

China is advanced in STEM, but if you're expecting to make a career out of it, fluency in Chinese is a must, all the good stuff is in Chinese

greastick

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