So once again its take a runner, but thats already been ID'd as risking blacklisting and troublesome for the foreign worker. Running away just doesn't seem to be a legit soultion.

Is arbitration? is an English teacher job in China really worth the expenses and hassles it will produce? And there is certainly no reasonable idea that arbitration will come up with a decent soultion. Mosy often, if person needs to go to arbirtraion for a job, its a job not worth keeping, or a workplace that is too toxic to be worh anybody's tiems to continue to work there.

The need for arbitration can be prevented by good negotiating at the time before signing the contract, and professional behavior in the workplace, and ethical behavior in life. What goes around, comes around.