I just wonder WHY people want to come to China to live if they have no money, no assets, rental income or pensions in their own countries.

Your point is a good one and is it is about China, I won't go into FT's in other asian countries.

You are also right about your mates gf and her reaction about the 2000mb being more than most earn in a month. I can tell you this, an ex student of mine, a guangdong girl, smart, very good at english, even so good that she converse fluently with people from the UK without any trouble (she studied there for some time) was only pulling in 2,500 a month. Salaries are low in china, that is a fact, however it doesn't give the girl an excuse to demand everything from an older foreign male. That is just being unreasonable esp when your mate is paying for the rent that keeps a roof over her head and gives her a bed to sleep in, and food in her stomach.

China is all about money, it is the god, the religion, everything there. You are right it is better not to come to China if you have no money,alas, lots do. I think the reason guangdong province had the crackdown, was because there was a flood of FT's from thailand and elsewhere who were unqualified and so on causing problems.

I own no house in the UK (although I have been honest about that in previous posts), even if I had the money for a deposit, I certainly would not buy a flat in China, from renting when I have done it, and from living in school digs, I know that owning an apartment in China is nothing but a headache and an unending nightmare. The sad thing is I know one brit guy mortgaged to the hilt for a relatively nice apartment in Guangdong and supporting his chinese wife with absolutely squat, NOTHING, zero back in the UK. He gets by teaching kindergarten to kids, which he hates. He could perhaps move back to his parents, but as he is in his mid 40s not really an option, and in his own words, he does not get along with his dad anyway. I used to feel sorry for him but he has brought it all down on himself by letting his wife boss him around, and now he is in between a rock and a hard place. 1 other thing in the UK is, years spent in China do nothing for your employment prospects and might just raise a cursory glance from your employer looking at your CV during an interview and perhaps an "Hmmmm. Interesting!" comment at best. It certainly won't help you with getting back into the "rat race" in anyway, shape or form.

Hope you have a good xmas in the phils.
SMGS