The contract I received was all in English, although I have been told I will have to sign a Chinese one as well later as SAFEA require it for my Foreign Experts Book to be issued later.

I don't doubt the schools integrity. They are a well known International school paying big bucks. What I asked was is it normal to pay for my own health check if I am not in China? Subsequent investigations lead me to believe it is, although I am shocked it looks like it is going to cost me over 300€ to do it. I also sought an opinion on whether it is normal to not be able to have visitors to my apartment. I asked the HR office and they said 'visit' is okay but 'overnight stay is forbidden'. The accommodation is within the school grounds anyway so perhaps that is why. This is a tier two city not some backwater.

Whilst your advice is useful, I think advising people to send their contracts back because they have a Chinese element is ill conceived as even at a top International School they have to submit a Chinese version. If you were to be pedantic about it, the Chinese version would set precedence legally anyway.

Short of pasting my whole contract here (seven pages) I will have to make up my own mind. I asked for clarification on the key points I thought were unusual not some propaganda from the CFTU, CTU (or whatever they call themselves these days) brigade.