My sincere thanks go out to each and every one of you who has posted replies in this thread. Now, thanks to you all, I have been able to make an informed decision regarding the job offer in Handan, and I've decided to reject it after not too much consideration. "Rin", the Chinese recruiter I'd contacted previously didn't name the university. However, he did send me one of its sample contracts. That said, it's obvious that he has gone out of his way to make Handan sound a much better city than it actually is, but I can understand why he has done that. He wants me to take the job there, so he'll be paid by the FAO there. In spite of my recruiter's dishonesty, I don't blame him for the low-paying job he has found me. I reckon it's the university that's the main culprit rather than my agent. The president of that seat of learning is clearly out to hire a foreign teacher as cheaply as he can, but what's on offer is not acceptable as far as I'm concerned. It is probably true that I'd need a bachelor's degree to increase my teaching job options in China. However, I think it's best for me to forego the opportunity to become a qualified and of course more importantly, a better teacher by being someone who has majored in academic courses like rocket science or geology at university!