How does this make sense? I attend College online in America, and will be starting a Chinese course here in January, while working on the side.

Wouldn't recommend that, if you are on a student visa!

I know that Chinese universities do tend to turn a blind eye to international students doing teaching jobs on the side. After all, teaching English to a few kids is far less offensive to greater society than let's say, prostitution, an industry in which the higher end of the market in China will often employ a few of the prettier Russian/ex-Soviet bloc and Mongolian female international students that are studying in the larger cities.

But please be warned, it certainly appears that they are cracking down on visa violations these days, as a full-time teacher myself that teaches relatively little hours, I am refusing p/t teaching work for a reason. I know of an young American guy on a tourist visa who seems to have suddenly 'gone home for good', you don't want to be like him, do you?