Do many governments do something like this? Many certainly discriminate on the basis of nationality. I'm not sure what it will mean that one's categorized qualifications will appear on the resident permit itself, but I don't think it looks good. Apparently Shanghai doesn't care how old you are if you have something to do with managing or directing large amounts of corporate capital. Might this be called socialist(?) class discrimination, with a mercantilist hangover?
Thoughts?
This is for foreigners with a work visa. This has nothing to do with any other types of visas.
shanghaiist.com/2016/09/12/work_permit_ranking.php - limit the number of less-skilled laowai.
In its continuing quest to attract more highly-skilled foreign talent - and limit the number of less-skilled laowai - China is planning to streamline its work visa system, while also neatly categorizing all the expats. China will classify all foreign workers into three distinct categories:
A (top talent) - 85 points or higher? You get an A, congratulations, you're one of the good ones!
B (professional talent) - Only 60 points or higher? That's a B, still have some work to do.
C (unskilled workers or those working the service industry) - Below 60 points? Sorry, you're a C-level talent. You have been judged and found wanting,
Foreigners will be given points based on: 1 - Salary in China, 2 - Educational background, 3 - Length of work in China, 4 - Chinese language proficiency, 5 - Age, 6 - Where they work = Seems like very reasonable requirements.
Absolutely nothing wrong with this policy - Supply + demand = Competition. A white face is no longer enough - Time to get certified + qualified. This has nothing to do with discrimination, nationalism, zenophobia or socialism.
It doesn't bother me although getting points based on your salary might be unfair.
China faces the same demographic problems as any countries, and the size makes it a huge problem. There will be increased demand for tax paying C class workers in future too.
Besides, if you have a choice of thousand low-qualified foreigners working on 3000 RMB a month and paying taxes for that, or instead just 10 high-qualified scientists working for 30000 RMB a month, the latter will contribute less to local economy, and local contributions to local economy is what China needs.
But generally I think that this is just an attempt to streamline a complicated system and eventually reduce bureaucracy.
Stray bullets are of course inevitable.
JanJal has probably got it - mostly an attempt to streamline a complicated system. Whether you like the system is another matter. Good idea to get qualified and certified, as Campo says, makes sense. I take Goldie's point as well - obviously, it is a matter of discrimination in favor of the more highly trained (and also in favor of those with a lot of cash under their supervision), and it is a national policy and a matter of national competition, but I don't think it means any upswing in xenophobia. I don't think it's got much to do with socialism either. I expect discrimination on the basis of nationality will continue, as it's pretty much standard operating procedure within the widely-accepted global regime of competing nations.
JanJal is right - China has a very top heavy demographic (due to the 1 child pol) and so you could argue that they are going to need more workers if they are to avoid decades of Japan-style close-to-0% growth.
But the validity of the tax argument is less clear. workers on 3000 a month pay no income tax, so 1000 low income workers pay less income tax than 1 high income worker. However, there are sales/import taxes and various other taxes which low income workers pay.
Many developed countries (USA, UK and Germany are prime examples) let their own people do the best jobs, and let migrant/immigrant workers do the crappy jobs, but China is not (yet) a developed country.
Judging people on their salary is pretty unfair given that someone can make close to double in a tier 1 city doing the same job as someone in a tier 3 city.
By the way, whats with the random photos of half naked men lying on the ground? Was it from another story?
Haali, yes if we consider simply the progressive tax system you are right.
But the high income taxation is largely offset with tax-free allowances for housing, meals, and the other categories of allowed benefits. Tey earn so much, that they and their employers have the motivation to seek and apply any possible percentage they can squeeze.
For those high income exapts who come here for few years to work, they can cover much of daily lives with tax-free benefits and then take most of the remainder home with them, instead of spending it here.
Regarding regional difference in average income, the article also mentioned that foreigners who work in more remote provinces would automatically get bonus points, so that would probably offset their lower income to some degree.
This doesn't solve the problem of salary and background information manipulation to suit the applicant.
'Length of work in China and language proficiency' - Brilliant.
