Thanks for the reply San Mig, especially good since you probably have better things to do right now.

Well, actually the UK is not all roses,but thanks for the words of support. I am considering Taiwan (not korea, even though the salaries are high, too many weasels and too many hoops to jump through, plus I would suppose koreans are even more xenophobic than chinese, if that is possible). Certainly not thailand either where salaries have remained static, and is only a playground for the rich. Wouldn't consider HK or macau either, too many foreign weasels, and too crowded, fast paced and money obsessed for my liking. Of all of China, I would only be interested in the west, Xinjiang, where culturally and ethnically it is more mixed.

Basically, I really think China has no future anymore. It is true many people have left, many more foreigners are ready to leave, and millions of Chinese are also planning to leave quickly if possible ( the wealthier ones ) There are dark storm clouds on the horizon.

Indeed. There is a coming housing bubble set to burst, and god knows what could happen if people try to get all their money out from the banks and they are told they cannot. Many chinese keep gold at home, perhaps for this very reason.

If the yuan is floated in China later this year, which is quite possible, prices will skyrocket, and I have better things to do than let China eat into my savings. Now I don't use my savings, I rely on a rental income stream. Also, the AUD and US dollar could drop to as low as 4 in regard to parity with the RMB, which will be a disaster.

China was more expensive before I left, especially so in the bigger cities. The days of getting a good dinner for 20 rmb or a boozey night out for a couple of hundred are long gone. Rents are high, and it is just not worth it, not on a FT's salary.

Many foreigners have told me that they will leave soon, because it is a sure thing this is going to happen. Given rising anger in China toward foreigners ( why? ) and many poor Chinese extremely angry about almost everything, I think the shit will hit the fan sooner than later.

When things get bad at home, the CCP like to use diversion and blame everything on outsiders. I remember before I left one student told me she hated me because I was british, and because of that british rapist guy in Beijing she heard about. When the CCP and the media under it's heel, just like to go on about evil laowai, and then use that to stir up past perceived humiliations, like the opium wars, the british invasion of tibet and so on, I knew then it was time to leave. Four years post olympics and they have not become a team player, but instead more paranoid and xenophobic.

GL man
SMGS