I can think of heaps better places than China: Pattaya, Bali, Cebu in the Philippines, all a
hundred times better than China.

The average salary in Thailand is about THB30,000 per month. Approximately half of what a FT gets paid in China.

Add to that the relative safety of Thailand right now, when compared to China, and it's a no-brainer.

I have NEVER seen a job advertised in the Philippines, nor in Bali/Indonesia. Jakarta is the exception, but most jobs involve working for EF, which is a scumbag training centre operation that should be avoided at all costs.