You have chosen to be in China. Things are different here. You should accept this. You have no right to complain about the BOC rules and regulations.

Stop moaning and adjust to your chosen environment!

I fear for FTs in China who have to exit fast for a variety of unforeseen reasons, and don't realize the pitfalls that may prevent them from doing so, viz:

1) The Chinese employer can't get them a previously promised proper visa, by design or by accident. They must leave on the one they've got, which will expire fast, but the FT hasn't got the readies to do so. He/she must depend on incoming transferred foreign currency to effect this fast. However, incompetent foreign currency transferors (Citibank springs to mind) and unco-operative Chinese banks ( BOC for one) could leave him/her wanting and facing visa violation by overstay thereby. Such Chinese employers are likely to be Chinese agents or Chinese language mills.

2} There is an emergency situation in the FT's homeland that requires his/her fast return, such as the impending death of a loved one. However, the transferee's foreign currency doesn't come through in time for the same reasons as in 1) above.

3) A Chinese employer who had promised an end-of-contract bonus rescinds, leaving the FT short of the necessary funds to exit China before visa expiration.

Nobody else has grasped (or chosen to grasp) the potential pitfalls re the necessity of fast unimpeded currency transfer for foreigners in China. So I have given myself carte blanche to spell it out!

As for me, I'm goin' nowhere and I'm fortunate enough to have offshore funds available fast to bale me out financially if I am prevented from obtaining my teacher's pension fast coz of an uncaring governmental agency, namely the SPPA who in its wisdom, sic, has chosen a sloppy American bank, namely Citibank, to get my pension here in good time.

So, my advice is to bank with a Chinese bank that won't give you BS when the sending bank makes a relatively minor error, such as abbreviated names instead of full names of the beneficiary as shown on the beneficiary's passport despite the bank account number advised by the transferor matching the account number of the potential beneficiary.

Now, if I am wrong, please respond. Otherwise, belt up, and please, please don't say you haven't had any problems with your Chinese bank, or if you did have, but you were careless. In that event, you've been lucky!