Many Chinese employers are not worried at all about qualifications, in some cases not even where they are a legal requirement. Particularly private/training schools are primarily interested in whether you have the right look. Even within public schools and universities 'oral english' which is what most FTs are employed to teach is generally viewed as a bit of a side show to the main event of passing exams which in the case of English exams in China doesn't generally include a spoken element. If your job is not deemed important you shouldn't expect to receive a high salary - this is true within any industry. Therefore, we shouldn't be surprised that they are not willing to pay higher wages for a job which foreigners (if you believe the views of the OP) and Chinese see as being second rate and unskilled. I think it's unfair to label the Chinese as being cheap or stingy given that 6000RMB+additional costs of living is a higher than average wage for an unskilled worker there.