Between the lines I read that there is more to the question/challenge of getting her passport than the name on either of the birth certificates.
Is it that you want the passport, but more specifically you want the passport with name of your choice on it, rather than any/current name? Or is this a question of questionable nationality rather than birth name? Like, does she have Chinese citizenship and ID?
I am pretty sure that the ORIGINAL birth certificate cannot be altered now, 18 years after birth, so this would be more like a process of acquiring a name change. I don't know how that goes in China.
Might be different in UK, but in my home country within EU, it doesn't matter what name our son had´s on his Chinese birth certificate. There is no requirement of having my family name on it, for him to be recognized as my descendant, and obtaining EU passport or other privileges with that recognition.
It was only that the first passport (and other registrations) had to be done with the exact Pinyin transliteration of the Chinese name. If we/he later wants to change the name, he can do that and then get new passport/other documents with the new name. We might do that, because the direct Pinyin version results in a bit incorrect spelling. But as far as just getting a passport goes, that's has not been a problem.
"assets acquired AFTER marriage are considered community property in China - regardless of how one tries to hide or manipulate the assets"
Unfortunately that doesn't work both ways.
If the name of the foreign spouse is not on the property deeds, it having been "seriously complicated" to do at the time may not be a valid excuse to consider the foreign spouse having a claim on the property after the marriage (or even during marriage in some cases).
It may be complicated indeed, but I would argue worth the effort in long run. In particular for younger couples for which there may be a "after marriage".
That said, thought came up for older generation, what would happen if the Chinese spouse passes away first and the foreign spouse has no name on the property? Sub scenarios with shared children or only the Chinese spouse having children?
With the developments in extra-curricular education in China in recent years, such schools and/or camps will be limited to subjects like art or sports, or simply daycare for younger children.
In other fields (including Mandarin language) the offering will be extremely restricted, considering they must be strictly non-profit and as such probably focused to serve families in need. They would gladly take the money from wealthier families, but are not allowed to.
But if immersion to Mandarin language is the primary objective, the subject may not matter to you that much. Given the above, there are probably more options to choose from arts and sports, than there were before.
Also considering that less children will spend their holidays at training centers now, there are generally more kids at playgrounds etc. My son can usually spend half a day downstairs at the playgrounds of this gated block, mingling with neighbors and getting all the Mandarin he needs, but this works only because he is ultra social. Lucky me.
This said, now that travel to China is opening up again, I do suspect that near-future trend in extra-curricular education in China (in particular with Mandarin language) will increasingly serve foreign families - or for example Cantonese speakers.
Summer schools educating foreign children and families about the language and culture, even throwing some math or whatever in it, could be both profitable and serve additional interests of the powers-that-be here.
I faintly recall posts about a local branch of some leisure/beer type hiking group, but that was maybe 3+ years ago. I suppose if it was mainly foreigner-run, many have left since then.
Couldn't find the posts quickly, and forgot the name of the gathering.
Globally there is some pressure to implement the 48-hour negative test requirement for arrivals from China, but airlines, travel agents and transfer hubs may play it safe and require it already even if destination country has not yet made it official.
They probably want to avoid the trouble and responsibility if such requirement comes up when a person is already transferring in Bangkok, for example. A person may be prevented from boarding the connecting flight to Europe for example, and then who pays...
@alienew: "it is precisely money that the poor do not have."
And that is why even 1% taxation of the little they have would have big impact on their awareness of their rights and privileges. In context of OP, it would tell them that they pay for even the limited resources they get, and it would be in their best interest to actually use them.
For example in mountains in Changning, Baoshan, the local government subsidizes roomy tents to families who live in dangerous mudbrick houses or need more space for children but are not financially capable to build bigger and better houses.
But there is psychological barrier to accept such "gifts".
Some go to great lengths to find, borrow and steal the money rather that accept services for free. Some rather leave their children behind and go earn the money themselves from coast. Some rather die quietly in their homes than early enough access even the limited medical services that they are entitled to.
I have personally witnessed all of that within last year.
The state is going to increase financial reach to rural regions in coming years, and as Vicar hinted, trusting the reach-out to public service providers will only go half way. The poor themselves must be activated to ask and accept those services.
I fail to see what exactly you guys disagree with - is it the fact that providing to the poor will be away from your own middle class, or do you have a better idea how to make the poor raise up, or do you not think that they should be let to do it at all?
@tigertiger: "many assumptions and additional requirements (story tellers etc)"
Well the storyteller reference was for a method which I think will not work, and why incentives such as taxation is more effective.
"If we cannot provide the additional resources"
That's exactly the reason why the poor rural residents must learn to ask for better services themselves. The state should cut services from better privileged city dwellers if that's what it takes (by reallocating its own funding and directing private funding through tax incentives) - the resources are there alright, but they are spread unevenly.
This part is actually already reflected in Chinese leaders' most recent public commentary. According to them, Deng said that while wealth is glorious, he never meant the whole country to get wealthy at once. Only few would get rich first, and according to current leaders, it is about time to spread that wealth to the whole nation.
If you simply provide funding to the rural regions, it will accumulate in the hands of those who want it most. That's why the knowledge of availability of such funds and the services they create must be spread to the whole population and not select few individuals.
"Comparing EU farmers, who are business owners who learn to work the system for profit with the rural poor, Is perhaps a case of chalk and cheese"
I don't necessarily agree that they are so different in this view, but even if they are, chalk can learn be better chalk and cheese can learn to be better cheese while both retain their inherently different characteristics.
I am not even claiming that they should use the same methods - that's specifically why Chinese poor must learn through methods that are available to them. They don't have political freedoms, so use money.
@alienew: "Maybe the state doesn't demand taxes from them because they don't want to hear more complaints from them?"
Yes, that's the big question, and I think the only question.
@Dazzer: "poor paying taxes does not mean they will demand better services, just because you a middle class educated person would [...] poor are often ignorant as to h;ow govermwent works"
The only real question in my opinion is, do we (or they) want the poor to learn to ask for better services or not, and do we want the poor to join us in the educated middle class or not.
If we do not, then the discussion is moot.
But if we do (and I obvously think we should), then for the reasons I mentioned earlier in this thread, using finances and taxation as vehicle for that learning process should make sense in China - but not in many other countries, because they should have better methods at their disposal.
Yes, the imporevished are often ignorant, but the whole idea is to get that slowly changed.
Farmers in Europe used to be quite ignorant too, but then came development and finally EU and now they are buried in paperwork for taxes and subsidies while robots feed and milk the cows.
It will not happen overnight, but it has to start from somewhere.
You can send someone to tell the poor how the government works or how they should proceed to acquire better services, but they know their place and if they think they are OK just the way they are, they won't bother with any of that once this storyteller leaves, and nothing changes.
But if they are told that they will have less money to buy cigarettes or alcohol, not to mention paying their children's education, because state will now collect some of it as taxes, they will learn to ask why the state does that and what do they get in return.
But I repeat that the big question in China is, whether the state wants that or not.
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Government sues parents to get kids back to school
Posted by@alienew: "it is precisely money that the poor do not have."
And that is why even 1% taxation of the little they have would have big impact on their awareness of their rights and privileges. In context of OP, it would tell them that they pay for even the limited resources they get, and it would be in their best interest to actually use them.
For example in mountains in Changning, Baoshan, the local government subsidizes roomy tents to families who live in dangerous mudbrick houses or need more space for children but are not financially capable to build bigger and better houses.
But there is psychological barrier to accept such "gifts".
Some go to great lengths to find, borrow and steal the money rather that accept services for free. Some rather leave their children behind and go earn the money themselves from coast. Some rather die quietly in their homes than early enough access even the limited medical services that they are entitled to.
I have personally witnessed all of that within last year.
The state is going to increase financial reach to rural regions in coming years, and as Vicar hinted, trusting the reach-out to public service providers will only go half way. The poor themselves must be activated to ask and accept those services.
Government sues parents to get kids back to school
Posted byI believe that I have checked into more reality in the rural Yunnan than most Kunming expats will in their life time.
Government sues parents to get kids back to school
Posted byI fail to see what exactly you guys disagree with - is it the fact that providing to the poor will be away from your own middle class, or do you have a better idea how to make the poor raise up, or do you not think that they should be let to do it at all?
What is it...
Government sues parents to get kids back to school
Posted by@tigertiger: "many assumptions and additional requirements (story tellers etc)"
Well the storyteller reference was for a method which I think will not work, and why incentives such as taxation is more effective.
"If we cannot provide the additional resources"
That's exactly the reason why the poor rural residents must learn to ask for better services themselves. The state should cut services from better privileged city dwellers if that's what it takes (by reallocating its own funding and directing private funding through tax incentives) - the resources are there alright, but they are spread unevenly.
This part is actually already reflected in Chinese leaders' most recent public commentary. According to them, Deng said that while wealth is glorious, he never meant the whole country to get wealthy at once. Only few would get rich first, and according to current leaders, it is about time to spread that wealth to the whole nation.
If you simply provide funding to the rural regions, it will accumulate in the hands of those who want it most. That's why the knowledge of availability of such funds and the services they create must be spread to the whole population and not select few individuals.
"Comparing EU farmers, who are business owners who learn to work the system for profit with the rural poor, Is perhaps a case of chalk and cheese"
I don't necessarily agree that they are so different in this view, but even if they are, chalk can learn be better chalk and cheese can learn to be better cheese while both retain their inherently different characteristics.
I am not even claiming that they should use the same methods - that's specifically why Chinese poor must learn through methods that are available to them. They don't have political freedoms, so use money.
Government sues parents to get kids back to school
Posted by@alienew: "Maybe the state doesn't demand taxes from them because they don't want to hear more complaints from them?"
Yes, that's the big question, and I think the only question.
@Dazzer: "poor paying taxes does not mean they will demand better services, just because you a middle class educated person would [...] poor are often ignorant as to h;ow govermwent works"
The only real question in my opinion is, do we (or they) want the poor to learn to ask for better services or not, and do we want the poor to join us in the educated middle class or not.
If we do not, then the discussion is moot.
But if we do (and I obvously think we should), then for the reasons I mentioned earlier in this thread, using finances and taxation as vehicle for that learning process should make sense in China - but not in many other countries, because they should have better methods at their disposal.
Yes, the imporevished are often ignorant, but the whole idea is to get that slowly changed.
Farmers in Europe used to be quite ignorant too, but then came development and finally EU and now they are buried in paperwork for taxes and subsidies while robots feed and milk the cows.
It will not happen overnight, but it has to start from somewhere.
You can send someone to tell the poor how the government works or how they should proceed to acquire better services, but they know their place and if they think they are OK just the way they are, they won't bother with any of that once this storyteller leaves, and nothing changes.
But if they are told that they will have less money to buy cigarettes or alcohol, not to mention paying their children's education, because state will now collect some of it as taxes, they will learn to ask why the state does that and what do they get in return.
But I repeat that the big question in China is, whether the state wants that or not.