"Good Relations" Saved Me from Imprisonment in China

This is a story about how powerful relations in China can help or harm. For a brief primer on the meaning of relations in Chinese culture, click here.

ARRIVING IN A WONDERFUL PLACE: CHINA

For three years in the mid-1990's I worked and lived in Shanghai, China. I had been hired as Regional Manger for a Danish cargo service that was partnered with the Beijing City Planning Commission. This enterprise had offices in Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shekou and Hong Kong. I led this company's Shanghai office sales for about 1½ years, with a business territory spanning the entirety of China's central and eastern regions.

During my short time in China, I had a unique opportunity to witness business, life, culture and China's perception of herself first-hand.

OFFICIALLY YOU'RE JUST A VISITOR - YOU HAVE NO RIGHTS

Sorting things out for your work visa with Chinese customs is hard enough. To read about this lovely process, click here.

No matter what position you're in when you visit another country, you're just that: a visitor. Don't ever assume you have any special rights.

I had my own harrowing experience to prove this...

VISA TROUBLE - MY FAULT

I was one of two foreigners among an office of about 35 Chinese workers. During the first few months of my employ with the JV, I was looked upon as a necessary but mostly innocuous foreign presence. After acquiring a short-term Chinese work visa stamp in my US passport, I unfortunately got wrapped up with work in the following months. I made the mistake of allowing my visa to lapse.

Back then in China, to allow this to a happen was a serious issue. With tremulous voices my Chinese office colleagues told me that if my problem was not handled well, I would face large fines at the least. And if matters got worse (as things easily can), I might even face accusation as a threat to national security.

My imprisonment was not at all out of the picture.

WHAT TO DO?

I polled my Chinese colleagues for their suggestions on how to handle this. The consensus was to "open relations with" (befriend) an influential Chinese government official who could help smooth a way to a relatively peaceful resolution. My issue was: who would possibly do this for me? I was the manager of a small company. I was a nobody, with no special clout.

I spoke with everybody I knew to no avail. I was beginning to get glum, and visions of prison didn't sit well with me at all. But I got lucky - very lucky.

A Chinese work colleague I had befriended in a previous job heard of my plight and stepped up to assist. Her husband was an officer in the Chinese Public Security Bureau (PSB). He had a colleague who was a friend of the PSB's lead man in charge of Shanghai's foreign expatriate affairs. While this man was not a part of the customs bureau in charge of issuing me a new work visa, this gentleman apparently had strong say in all local governmental affairs.

At the behest of my colleagues, an expensive dinner at a local restaurant was arranged so that everyone could befriend this influential man.

"FRIENDSHIP FOR FREEDOM"

Four days later we all assembled at the restaurant and sat for a really nice dinner that lasted all of three hours. The first crucial two and three-quarters hours of this time was spent by my colleagues getting introduced to and befriending everyone. I was told to sit in on the sidelines and "come when beckoned". During the last fifteen minutes I was ushered into the throng and introduced to the influential gentleman. He was of a short and squat stature, with a round and ruddy face. In those first few tense moments I could see he was scrutinizing me with rock-steady dark brown eyes.

I was being sized up by a soldier of the People's Army, the People's Republic of China.

My life lay in this soldier's hands. His name was Mr. Chang.

Apparently no-one had told him I spoke Chinese, which came to him as a pleasant surprise. After greeting him in my best mandarin, his face brightened up with a genuinely warm smile, "Wah! You can speak Chinese?" We exchanged pleasantries for a few minutes. Then suddenly, as if by unseen queue, everyone stood up and started saying good-bye to each other. We all left with the understanding that I would meet Mr. Chang again some days later to see how he could help me.

A MEETING WITH "ANGRY MAN"

The following week, my office assistant, Annie, and I took a taxi to Mr. Chang's office (see IMAGE 1). He and I met and spoke (mostly in mandarin, for his English was poor), and he agreed to help me.

He met us a day or so later at the Shanghai Customs Bureau office. I gave him my passport and waited patiently at a front desk to see the outcome.

While I waited I could hear the low tones of Mr. Chang's patient voice begin the conversation. But as time went on, whom I could hear mostly was the other gentleman - and he was clearly unhappy. After half an hour and in spite of Mr. Chang's persistently calm approach, that other man was getting progressively angry. And for good reason.

At that time there were perhaps only 400 westerners living in Shanghai. Unlike me, pretty much all of them obeyed immigration law. There was little to no precedent for my situation. To exacerbate this situation, the customs officer with whom Mr. Chang spoke had dealt directly knew with few to no foreigners before. Furthermore, the customs man's position had become extremely tenuous with the arrival of Mr. Chang as a monkey-wrench thrown into an already obscure picture. Mr. Chang's obviating presence (and higher rank) made him "lose face". Therefore the customs official felt compelled to treat me harshly.

The customs man was outright testy, visibly angry as he emerged from the back offices to have a look at me. Not wishing to confront me directly, the he stood at a distance to eye me suspiciously. His eyes flashed fire as he argued with my new friend, Mr. Chang. In the end, my passport was taken from me, and I was instructed to resume life as I normally did, and not to leave town.

A COMPROMISE

About two weeks later, I was summoned again to the customs office.

Mr. Chang graciously greeted me and my assistant, Annie, there. Together we walked into the customs office to face that difficult man again. As expected he was openly angry. He and Mr. Chang again went off to a back office. When they emerged an hour later the customs man was still angry, but spoke in even tones, almost normally.

A compromise had been reached. If my new friend, Mr. Chang, and his office severely reprimanded me and accepted all legal accountability in my matter, the Customs Bureau would agree to issue me a new work visa stamp, thus allowing me to continue living and working legally in China for six months.

ANGRY MAN REGAINS FACE

Our next stop was Mr. Chang's office at the PSB building in north-central Shanghai. The customs man and Mr. Chang both took separate taxis. When I say "separate taxis", that means Mr. Chang and the customs officer each took separate taxis. That there was no good blood between the two men told me Mr. Chang was going well out of his way to help me.

As an added precaution someone else came to assist: Amy, my Chinese "counterpart" at the office. Amy was a member of extremely good standing with the Chinese Communist Party. Her presence lent a sense of credibility to what I was trying to do.

Despite our precautions, upon our arrival Mr. Angry dropped a bomb.

Angry Customs Man was in an office he had never been to before, and he definitely wasn't in control here. He had already lost face in front of his colleagues on his home turf. So now that he was in foreign territory, it was his time for revenge. He shouted furiously and gesticulated violently. Thank goodness, Mr. Chang kept his cool. He spoke quietly while he leaned comfortably against a worktable counter.

Then the angry man achieved the result he sought: to humiliate Mr. Chang in front of his peers. In a few moments a man of impressive stature in full Army uniform emerged and announced that he was Mr. Chang's superior. He had heard all the noise and had come out to see what the problem was.

Now seeing Mr. Chang's superior was as an even high-ranking officer, the customs man struggled to keep his voice low. But he continued to gesticulate wildly while frequently pointing at me. After a few moments Mr. Chang's boss was able to assuage the wild man's concerns. Being a busy man, he put the affair back into Mr. Chang's hands and left.

THE DREADED "SELF-CRITICISM"

I was handed a bunch of forms to fill out. At that time I could speak Chinese pretty well. But my reading skills were merely fair - limited only to basic conversational and business jargon. The legal words on these documents went well beyond anything I had ever seen. They were filled with complex terminology that looked harsh, extremely intimidating at the least. The gist... The first few forms were investigative cover forms that collected basic information, such as my name, address and employment info.

The latter set of forms were what I was to learn later were "the self-criticism papers".

These papers ranged from forms with standard legal language indicating crime, and went on to include a customized explanation of my "treachery". These endless forms were laced with verbosity stemming from the persecution era of the Chinese Proletariat Revolution, a time when people hunted down bourgeois landlords and successful businessmen responsible for the oppression of the common man.

In those days, people who signed these papers were immediately sent to their death.

I then did what I had to do. I signed each form.

My life was now given away to forces unknown.

After signing, I paid a large fine (equivalent to about USD $700.00), the original copies of all the documents I signed were provided to the Customs officer as a release of his liability in this affair, and my passport was once again taken away by that same angry man.

NEW VISA

Two weeks later, Annie and I were summoned to the Customs office. After paying another fine and hearing the Customs officer sternly admonish me to commit no further crime, he handed over my passport with my new work visa. He then reminded me not to do anything wrong again because he held the original signed documents of my confession.

I left his office as a free man. All along I knew, in some back-office file, were papers that could have put an end to that freedom at any time...

I went on to work and play in China for three years in relative freedom.

And it was some of the best years of my life.

MY THANKS TO...

In the end, it was "good relations" with people - good decent people - that ensured my freedom to continue living and working in China. When the time came, this same relations also allowed me the freedom of safe passage out of China, back to my home in America.

To be writing this story now, I offer my thanks to:

Gloria and her husband Ian:

After arriving in China in the winter of 1995, I was greeted by a city filled with factory pollution and bitterly cold overcast weather. I quickly came down with a very bad cold and fever, which kept me away from my new job at the office. So in addition to feeling sick, I also felt pretty bad that my absence due to illness right after starting a new job also made me look pretty bad at the office.It made me "lose face". Overall I felt pretty miserable.

To brighten this dark time, my office colleague, Gloria, came to my rescue. She was the very first friend I made in China, and she remained a good friend for years after. It was through Gloria's husband, an officer in the Chinese PSB, who arranged the first necessary connections that led to my eventual meeting with Mr. Chang.

Annie:

All this time my very able office colleague, Annie (see IMAGE 2 - #1), had been helping me out - basically "holding my hand" psychologically. Annie had a tough sense of street smarts about her. As I got to know her better, I found out that Annie had worked for some years as a counselor at a Chinese juvenile detention hall. To this background I attribute her tough demeanor.

Annie was very petite of frame. So it was surprising to hear her blurt out brusque comments, of which she was often prone. Thankfully Annie would invariably add some innocuous statement, which served to transform a serious situation into a moment of humor.

To this effect Annie pretty much summed up my ordeal on our final taxi ride back from the PSB office:

"Wow, John, you really screwed up! ... Hey, let's go get some lunch!"

Annie and I are still friends to this day. She lives in Canada now, eh?

Amy:

Amy (see IMAGE 2 - #2) was a silent but powerful background presence in support of my passage through this tough time. Her silent composure imposed a sense of dignity on everyone around her, and her strong record with the Communist Party didn't hurt either.

Madame Liu:

Madame Liu Xin was a "silent partner" in this affair. It wasn't until much later that I was to learn she would have served as an extremely powerful backup in case my efforts in Shanghai didn't pan out. Go to the index of my articles for an upcoming story about her - "The Illustrious Madame Liu".

Mr. Chang:

Mr. Chang (see IMAGE 1) was undoubtedly a soldier, truly dedicated to his people and to his country. But he was there to help a stranger - a foreigner in time of need. After my ordeal, Mr. Chang and I kept in touch. Through him I had the chance to meet other powerful people in government, all of whom would have proven to be very useful connections for doing business in China.

*********

Hey! Read John's other articles:

The Concept of "Relations" in Chinese Culture
When living in China, it's a good idea to make local friends there. This is done through necessity, but also by having local Chinese friends, you can really get in touch with Chinese culture. Read more»

The Shandy: A Cool Summertime Drink
Beer lovers and non-Beer lover will love the Shandy. A great summertime drink! Read more»

Evaporated Water-Alcohol Infusion for Your Car - Try Before Hydrogen Gas or Water Injection
"Evaporated water-alcohol infusion (EWAI) is a cheap, low-tech alternative to water injection. It offers you more power from your car engine and generally enhances fuel economy, too. " Read more»

Power & Efficiency for Your Car's Engine: Water Injection
This is a de-geeked explanation of what water injection is, and how it works. Read more»

Julia Child: Gourmand or Spy?
Julia Child captured the heart the 1960s American television audience with her good cooking and great recipes. Little do people know, this innocuous lady had been a top-secret spy for America's Office of Strategic Services. Read more»

A Plea to the Media: Keep Us in the Loop with Our Ongoing Issues
The news is readily available to us viewers. We see it on TV, we hear it on the radio while commuting to work. What's not so clear is our priorities in dictating the kinds of news we see. Who sets these priorities? Read more»

Ticking Time Bomb? US-China Trade Deficit Keeps Growing
It's like this: we've racked up a $430 billion credit card bill and the people we owe could be waiting to spring the bill on us. What do we do? Read more»

Will Our American Dream Be Its Own Demise?
Communication, travel, and the safe payment and quick shipment of goods are all done conveniently. These conditions have "flattened" the global trading table. Look where that's gotten us now... Read more»

Summer Electric Bill Saver: Your Basement is an Air Conditioner!
I was thinking about cranking up the air conditioning (AC) for the summer. But I noticed something that made me stop in my tracks: the basement was a cool customer. It was even actually livable! Read more»

The First Stealth Fighter: The De Havilland Mosquito
With resources such as skilled labor, gasoline and metal in short supply, how could England manufacture a better aircraft to meet the Nazi threat? Luckily a handful of British furniture factories provided one of the very best solutions: the Mosquito fighter plane! Read more»

The Energy Transit Spectrum
Wind power originally comes from the Sun. Coal is a battery for Sun and Earth energy. Hydroelectric power is Sun and Earth power. True? Yes! How is all this possible? Read more»

What is an "Energy Source"? How About "Energy Carriers"?
"With all these catch phrases and political jabbering, it's no wonder that many people I speak with are seriously confused about what energy is and how it's delivered. If you want to be the hep-cat on energy, go simple. Learn these three things..." Read more»

How Much Power Your Car Needs at 65 Vs. 60 MPH? Try 27% More Power!
Wind and mechanical resistance builds up with every 1 MPH you drive. Try 5 MPH for a fuel efficiency killer! I provide mathematical proof AND proof from my own car. Read more»

Hydrogen Gas Generator for Your Car!
With the rising costs of auto fuel, I decided to try using hydrogen as a means of supplemental power for my car. Here's my story... Read more»

Workout Tip: A Hot Shower Just Before Working Out Cuts Warm-up Time
When you go to the gym, do you ever dread the effort of getting warmed up? Hate the uphill slog from cold bones until you finally work up a decent sweat? Here's a tip: trying taking a hot shower for a few minutes just before working out... Read more»

A Short Diary of My Experience with the Acai Berry
My friend Bob from the warehouse recently called me out of the blue. I ended up meeting with him and his friend, and they told me about a "new" product whose main ingredient was the acai berry. They wanted me to try it. I'm glad I did... Read more»

Gas Saver: 100% Acetone as a Fuel Additive
With the steady increase in gas prices, folks everywhere are looking for ways to help stretch their gas mileage-per-gallon. Here¡¦s one way: try using 100% acetone as a fuel additive. Read more»

Solar Tower: Ancient Technology Becomes a Modern Power Option
At more than 550 ft high, it is an imposing glass-like tower surrounded with acres of thick transparent sheeting . You think to yourself, this is a strange thing to lay eyes on. It is something truly bizarre. Something powerful. Read more»

Work in China? Get Your Docs in Order!
While there is plenty written about touring and living in China, there is relatively little information about what kind of formalities you would need to go through to legally work in China. Read more»

"Unethical Biodiesel" and the Human Food Chain
From an ethical perspective, there are two modes of biodiesel production. Call them quite simply "ethical biodiesel production" and "unethical biodiesel production". One greatly outweighs the other with impending disastrous results. Read more»

The SR-71 Blackbird: A Supersonic Stealth Wonder
There was a horrible sound over the Cold War Soviet skies, an explosion which marked the detonation of a SAM 2 antiaircraft missile meeting its target. A few minutes later, the twisted wreckage of an American U-2 spy plane came tumbling down. Read more»

Stop Engine Wear? Use a By-Pass Oil Filter!
By-pass oil filtration is an inexpensive technology that virtually stops wear and tear on your engine. As an added benefit, it offers the equivalent effect of an oil change for every 10 minutes you drive your car! Read more»

Environment: Coal Ash Dumping is Poisoning Our Water & Making Us Sick
A deer walks up to a stream and drinks some water. Unknowingly, our friend took a drink a few miles downstream from a coal ash dumping site. A few days later the deer dies writhing in agony, vomit spewing from its mouth. Read more»

Nuke that RV! Go Small (and Cheap) with a Mini-Camper!
Are you single? Unmarried? Bachelor(ette)? Really low-maintenence? Maybe going with nan RV or camper is too much for a summer camping jaunt. The answer: a (very) mini-camper does the job! Read on! Read more»

Charlie's Coffee Bar & Gallery in Richmond, Indiana
I was thinking... If I was a weekend motorcycle enthusiast, Charlie's would be THE place to bring a whole load of friends for breakfast and some java before or after hitting the open road. Read more»

What Does it Take to Liven Your Landscape? Balls! Gazing Balls, that Is!
It seems that everywhere I go in the countryside, these little buggers are popping up everywhere - all of them in front yards where jealous neighbors are able to gaze upon them and thus be driven to acquiring one for their own front yard. Thus, madness begets madness. Read more»

Hong Kong Marks Its 10-Year Wedding with the Mainland
June 23, 2007, marked the passing of an historic event that has impacted the lives of millions of people the world over, myself included. Hong Kong has tipped its head in acknowledgment of the passing of 10 years under the flag of mainland China. Read more»

Virginia School's No-Contact Policy: A Touch Too Much?
Some Fairfax County, Virginia, administrators think that by banning a basic form of healthy self-expression - a basic human need for physical contact - is the way to go. I feel this is not so much a way, rather more a dead end. Read more»

A Must-Read for the Prospective Home Biodiesel Maker
Thinking about setting up a biodiesel "still" in the backyard? Researching biodiesel as a lifestyle? Having limited success? Getting frustrated and thinking about giving up? Take a deep breath and read a few suggestions from a successful home-based biodiesel old-timer. Read more»

Homebrewed Biodiesel? Yep, it Can Be Done!
Heard about biodiesel but think it's a bunch of hogwash? Heard about folks making this stuff at home and wondering whether it was for real? Take some time to read this. This is a real-life Big Johnny story about free fuel for your (diesel) car or truck. Read more»

XS Energy Drink Vs. Red Bull, Which One is the Best Energy Drink in the USA?
Red Bull & XS Energy - they promise loads of energy and great health, but do the ingredients really match the market spin? I slugged a few of these puppies and I'll tell you what I think in a simple What, Who, How, How Much, When, and Where format. Read more»

Thinking About Using Nitrogen for Your Tires?
Many products and services have arisen to meet the inflation maintenance issue. There are super-accurate tire pressure gauges, remote pressure warning devices - and the list goes on and on. To add fuel to this fire, along comes a new contender: nitrogen gas. Read more»

How to Optimize that Older Windows Computer - Without Upgrading to a New One!
These guidelines intend to show you how to optimize an older desktop PC without going hog wild on cost, and preferably using existing older equipment. Read more»

The Use of Centrifuges in Biodiesel Production
This Executive Summary provides an introduction on the benefits of applying centrifuge technology to large-scale biodiesel production. Read more»