qinghai
From: United States
6/17/2004 20:08 EST
My buddy is going to China this summer to travel with his girlfriend who, though she has a green card here in the US, is still a Chinese citizen. I spent a few years in China in the '80's and haven't been there since 1997, and am wondering if/how much things have changed.
In 1989, a couple friends of mine were arrested for sleeping together in a hotel room because they weren't married and she was Chinese. This was in one of the outlying provinces. They each had separate rooms, but ended up sleeping together in one of them. In the middle of the night the police came, opened the door with a hotel key, found them in bed together, and hauled them off to the police station. They each had to pay a fine and write a self criticism. In addition, the Public Security Bureau informed her family of the situation, even though she was from quite far away. Her family took the incident quite seriously and gave her the choice of either marrying her boyfriend or becoming a nun!
This is, however, much better than when I first went to China in 1983. Back then, a Chinese woman friend of mine in Beijing was "sent down" for a year and a half of reform through labor for having a foreign boyfriend. Her friends told me that this was a "good thing" as it would help to change her attitude.
I know these incidents are from the past,and hopefully do not happen in today's China.
I'd like to hear from anyone with direct experience or knowledge about the reaction of hotel staff when a foreigner and Chinese woman try to book a room together when they are not married and the woman has Chinese identity papers. Is this okay, or definitely not allowed? My friend's girlfriend may be able to find out if this is not permitted, but it'd be nice to hear ahead of time from people who have been in this situation.
Is it better to book separate rooms, or is this no longer an issue? I'd like to know about both major cities, as well as outlying areas in China.
Thanks!
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Xiwang
From: China
6/25/2004 10:51 EST
Hi, a friend of mine has come to China 7 times since 1997. Most recently last October and last April. The Chinese law recently changed. That was end of last year, if I remember well. It is no longer forbidden for Chinese citizens to have sex with foreigners.
Once we (a Chinese women & European man) booked one room in a "for Chinese-only-hotel" in Beijing, and that was no problem for the hotel staff (though still illegal at that time). Last April, staying in a smaller city, to the west of Beijing (one hour flying), it was no problem either to book one room for the two of us. That was in a regular hotel that was allowed to lodge foreigners.
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CanadianGuy
From: China
7/22/2004 05:18 EST
The simple answer to that is that -- it depends.
There are no laws forbidding Chinese and foreigners from cohabiting. And if you stay in higher quality hotels (3 star or better), there will certainly be no problem.
It also depends on where you are -- in a city like Beijing or Shanghai, there will be almost no problem whatsoever. But if travelling in more remote regions, attitudes tend to be more conservative.
What it comes down to is this -- if you are staying in cheap hotels in less developed regions of China, the hotel and/or local authorities may take offense at a Chinese girl staying with a foriegner, and although there are no laws forbidding them to stay together, they may assume she is a prostitute, or come up with other trumped-up charges.
I had friends who were MARRIED to each other who faced this problem; the local authorities didn't like the idea of a foreigner and Chinese girl together, and charged them with "public indecency" because she rested her head on his lap in public. They were held in jail overnight, and had to pay a RMB 5000 "fine" to get out.
In most cases, I wouldn't worry; but as with everything else in China, exercising caution is best.
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minimconsulting
From: United Kingdom
9/22/2004 06:16 EST
I agree with other replies: it is best to exercise caution!
For further info on sexual mores in China, see: "The Chinese Business Puzzle", How To Books, Oxford (UK), 2003, Chapter 2
Best wishes,
Andrew
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guimei
From: China
11/8/2004 21:01 EST
Ok, for a small twist on that, I'm a western girl who has a Chinese Boyfriend. We spend the summer travelling around some of the smaller places in the south of China and there was no problem with me staying with him. But when I lived in Huiahua, Hunan we eneded up staying in a very cheap hotel for about two or three nights. Huiahua is one of the restricted zones, but as I worked there I had permission to be there. But the hotel wasn't allowed foreigners. The manager of the hotel was worried incase someone outside saw me coming or going from the hotel with my boyfriend. They could very easily tell the police and have HER arrested. Not to mention myself and my Boyfriend. So as said before, just be careful. Go to a good hotel and there is no problem. Go to a bad hotel and you may have some trouble. Plus don't forget that it's still officially illegal to have sex out of wedlock here, although it's generally not enforced.
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