"China has tightened visa rules for visitors, adding requirements..."

Bloomberg:

www.businessweek.com/[...]

China has tightened visa rules for visitors, adding requirements for a letter of invitation and proof of hotel reservations in a move that could slow its push to become the world's biggest tourism destination.

Travelers applying for tourist visas, must submit a letter from an "authorized tourism unit," company or person inviting them to China, along with a photocopy of their round-trip ticket and hotel reservation, according to rules posted on the website of China's embassy in the U.S.

The rule changes come after Chinese authorities have put foreigners' status in the country under greater scrutiny and sought to clamp down on people entering the country illegally. The World Tourism Organization has predicted that China may become the world's biggest destination for tourists by 2015.

"If implemented strictly, the new requirements could have an impact on the number of foreign tourists" and revenue among travel agencies, said Zhang Lu, a Shanghai-based analyst at Capital Securities Corp. (6005) China International Travel Service Corp. (601888), the country's biggest tourism company by market value, will "certainly be affected," she said.

The new visa materials were not demanded before Aug. 1, according to visa.ywpw.com, a Texas-based agency that helps customers obtain visas to China. China's embassies and consulates in countries including Japan, Thailand and New Zealand also posted the new rules on their websites.

Tourism Destination

China overtook Spain in 2010 to become the world's third- biggest tourist draw, with 55.7 million visitors that year, behind only France and the U.S., according to data from the World Bank. That's more than double number of tourist arrivals in 1999, when China saw 27 million visitors.

The Foreign Ministry didn't respond to faxed questions seeking comment today.

In mid-May, Beijing began a 100-day campaign aimed at cracking down on foreigners working or living in the country without proper documentation.

The National People's Congress, the country's legislature, approved a new law June 30 that increased the penalty for illegally entering or working in the country. In a blog post in May, a top host for China's state-owned national television station, Yang Rui, said Chinese police should focus on Sanlitun and another Beijing neighborhood, Wudaokou, to "arrest foreign thugs and protect innocent girls."

I'm sure this is just until after the power transition.

@Ahmet
I'm wondering what happened that lit your fire?

Personally, I wouldn't want the position of Hu Jintao or Wen Jiabao or the future Xi JinPing - far too much responsibility. To put things in perspective and in no particular order:

USA - Population - 300 million
Japan - 130 Million
Norway (home of the not so nobel prize) - 5 mil
Sweden - 10 mil
UK - 60 mil

CHINA - 1.3 BILLION +

Several years ago, when Hu was in the USA - he was asked (sic) "What is your greatest fear?" Many thought he'd respond about US or Soviet military encroachment - but Hu surprised all with this single quip, "Unemployment."

Perhaps I'm only using my rosy glasses - but based on what I've seen happening in China during Hu & Wen time - I can only see amazingly positive strides forwards for this nation - accentuated by the country's relative insulation from the US induced global financial crisis of 2008.

China has a long history of internal civil wars, punctuated with occasional foreign interference - so the fact that the current form of government and administration continues to keep this massive nation together is miraculous. We may strive for elysian harmony - but not tearing each other apart could also be considered harmonious - in light of China's rather violent history.

@laotou - Well stated. - USA = 300 Million + China = 1.3 Billion
Prison population? Violent Crime? Mental Illness? Drug abuse? Population on Psychotropic Drugs? Effectiveness of Education? Govt Corruption? Wars of Aggression? Mass Shootings? Police Brutality? This is exactly why more and more foreigners want to come to China - to get away from all this.

Almost forgot Chemtrails - nothing like Barium and Aluminium raining down from the skies to improve the immune system and make us feel better.

@HFCAMPO
your post...Prison population? Violent Crime? Mental Illness? Drug abuse? Population on Psychotropic Drugs? Effectiveness of Education? Govt Corruption? Wars of Aggression? Mass Shootings? Police Brutality? Barium etc....
Dunno if the fact that we don't have media coverage about the Chinese equivalent, doesn't mean it's not existing here. Actually quite contrary.
Minus one or two of the above but then a few additional ones here and there. Could give you an example for all of the above realted to the city of KMG or at least Yunnan.

Don't want to sound negative, I love living here but I am aware that China isn't exactly paradise or harmonious.

@laotou
I don't think that the population of a country really matters that much in terms of numbers but rather on:

-Political isseus: System, corruption, transparency, support of the

people.
-Social issues, as stated employment, budgets, education, livability, governemtn system...etc... back to the people that live there.
I don't want to be in any politicians shoes, because politics is a dirty business and you have to be close to narcissit with sociapthic tendencies to do so.
But I am certain that highly populated places just have different problems than states with less pop., but they are still difficult to manage. And I am certain that the base potential of the Chinese governemtn, social demographic, and finance, if it would have done right, most of the clamined problems of China would be fixed or at least on the way to be fixed, ..'already'.

The Visa regulations will ease up a bit after the "Election" but tighten again if the new Visa law will be started in January 2013.
But most people don't have to be alarmed. The Visa industry in China is run by connections and ther money rules what really goes on. So the only difference will be that the Visa will be more expensive (maybe).

China needs those "hated illegal foreign culprits working in China"
The demand for those foreign devils is just too massive and the illegal status helps the employers to save money. And most companies in China couldn't afford foreign experts in the amount they are needed. So there is no other choice.

If China would really kick out all the illegal foreigners, it would have already happened.

Who else is gonna teach their kids for half the pay you'd earn in Europe in a City (Beijing/Shanghai) twice as expensive for close similar or below living standard.
The Visa law in China is a catch, the businesses in need of Expats can't get at all, or afford, -the licenses to employ foreign staff, legally.

It took a company I worked for, almost 4 years, and a ridiculous amount of money) just to get their license to employ Expats, because a competitior with guanxi, didn't like the idea of our company to employ foreigners as well.

I just presented 12 clear examples - You cited NONE - Great debate!
Dunno if the fact that we don't have media coverage about the Chinese equivalent, doesn't mean it's not existing here. Actually quite contrary. Minus one or two of the above but then a few additional ones here and there. Could give you an example for all of the above realted to the city of KMG or at least Yunnan.

What is the connection between some individuals making (Pro + Con) comments on this forum + GoKunming?

@laotou/HFCAMPO

Chinese stats on crime and prison population are interesting. However, statistically questionable.

According to the stats, the number of murders in China, 10,000 or so, are about the same as the US. Surely you can't say the Chinese are in anyway violent.

According to official numbers there is very little crime in China.

There are no official stats on executions in China.

Do prison population numbers include those detained administratively in work camps for educational purposes? Or, those persons in so called "black jails?"

In 2008, a couple of months before the Olympics, China announced Beijing was ready as more than 25% of Beijingers were English speakers.