A school that cannot provide suitable accommodation for Western teachers in form of a self-contained apartment does not meet the SAFEA standards and regulations in that respect and hence should not be licenced to hire foreign teachers.

I don't know the details regarding Liaoning Medical College, but just the fact that both the OP Michael and Elke de Fauw (working for the school) confirmed that they just provided a room in foreign student building would put me off. Elke de Fauw also admitted that there may be occasional problems with the heating system - and that in an area where it is going ti be pretty cold in winter!- is something which I would not take. Is it perhaps for this reason that they seem to have difficulties to hire and keep foreign teachers? That place must be a poor provincial university in the middle of nowhere. Not my cup of tea, there are many and much better places to go.

I would agree that any public college or school should have to meet the SAFEA regs, but really, when you have rule by law, and not rule of law, what do you expect?

Regulations made by SAFEA are just suggestions that are made to be ignored imho.

Turnoi, in your opinion, where are better places to go? Trust me, South china can be just as cold with no internal central heating, when I lived in Changsha I have never experienced as horrible a winter anywhere, and I come from the far north of England. The south has terrible humidity in China,so winters can be miserably cold and damp, and summers humid and steamy. Swings and roundabouts, but I actually like the drier weather in the North of China, although I agree the biting siberian cold wouldn't be good for an older teacher.

Cheers
SMGS