THE NEW CHINA VISA REGULATIONS !

Recent news saying China Visa regulations will change for at least until the Olympics (means in September) like following: Foreign passport holders will be only entitled to apply for 30 days visa with a maximum of 2 entries.

I am a Hong Kong permanent resident + living here since almost 10 years - besides this I was a Shanghai resident for 2 years. I am holding an EU passport - german Nationality.

My business is doing garment production and exporting to Europe. We are a medium small enterprise like as many others in Hong Kong.

Above news sounds very disturbing to me and probably another 100,000 or more foreign passport holders in Hong Kong alone, very soon will feel the pinch of this new regulation.

Now somebody maybe will say: Then why do not send your local staff to do the work over there at the mainland ?
Everybody who is here for some time already knows that we ("foreign travelers") have also to go to the factories:
50% for normal business visits - 50% for solving problems - small or big - normally big.

For example my visa expires in 15 days (this was a 6 month multiply entry visa) and already in April and May I need to go to the mainland at least 6 - 7 times.

Can somebody of the relevant + responsible organisations tell me how this shall work: Monday morning go to Guangdong - evening come back. Thursday go again = 2 x entry expired herewith.
But I need to go the next Monday morning again.......and so on and on.

To make a long story short:

a) I do not think this new regulation is very helpful for business people - I do not talk about visitors for the Olympics.

b) This new regulation will hurt a lot of business on both sides of the border - not at least our mainland partners - small to medium manufacturers + fabric suppliers.

c) Once this new regulation will really be fully implemented there will be a complete collaps coming for visa applications after 2 or 3 months only here in Hong Kong.

I want to ask the foreign representatives of EU + US Governments to interfere against this regulations. Besides this I have sent personal emails to most of the "Chambers of Commerce" of different countries here in HK.

I very much hope to get a good and strong response on this blog and that we can come back to normal visa regulations in very short time to follow our normal business as usual.