Just got a visit from the PSB

[woliveri]

I returned to China last Saturday to my apartment which still has more than a month rent available. I returned on a Tourist Visa, previously I was in China for a year on an F visa.

I registered at the local PSB station the next day after I arrived.

So, for the first time since I've been in China, I got a visit from the local PSB. My girlfriend was in the apartment with me when he came so I thought, this is good timing since she can help with translation. He asked to see my passport, my rental agreement, asked what I'm doing here, looked around the apartment and some small talk. Then he made the observation that I'm older than my girlfriend. (I'm 48 and she's 34) and started to ask about our relationship. Then my girlfriend started to get angry saying that this is none of his business and that she didn't do anything wrong. They then started to get into an argument with their voices raised.. This was all in Shanghai Hua so I couldn't follow the conversation. I learned later that he wanted her to show him her documents and she refused with the reason that he was implying she was a dirty girl and a prostitute. Then she really got mad and they argued for a while before he left.

After he left she was very upset for a while after which she finally calmed down.

My question is, is it normal for the police to visit your place of residence after you arrive (if you're living in an apartment or someone's house ,etc)? Is it standard protocol?

Has this happened to a lot of others here on the board?

Thanks,

[roddy]

I've heard of it happening in smaller places where they aren't so used to having foreigners around - I know in one case they decided they weren't happy with the security arrangements and had the landlord put better locks on the doors / windows or something. I think it's as much being bored and wanting to be nosy. Slightly surprised they do it in Shanghai, never heard of it happening in Beijing.

As for the guys attitude, etc - well, he sounds like an idiot. If you wanted to go down to the station and complain you probably could, but I doubt it'd do much good and you're most likely better off forgetting it (once you've finished fuming and plotting revenge fantasies of course)

[gato]

I registered at the local PSB station the next day after I arrived.

So, for the first time since I've been in China, I got a visit from the local PSB.

I think they went to your place to verify the address/info you gave for the registration. They did that for me when I registered, too. The ironic thing is they probably wouldn't show up if you didn't register even though by registering, you are complying with the law (unlike most people who don't register).

[venture160]

I've heard of this happening and they did neighborhood checks near my apartment complex at the front gate, stopping all foreigners and asking if we could write down our passport number and whether or not we had registered with the PSB. Of course I didn't have my passport on me so they just said if I wrote my name down that would be fine. I hear they cracked down on the Koreans in Wudaokou and Wangjing who were running all sorts of unregistered companies, but that was only rumor.

As for the argument, you should be careful as it is still ilegal for a man and a woman to live together without being married in China. It is the law, and they could decide to enforce it whenever they want to.

[gougou]

The only time I ever got a visit from the PSB was when I forgot reregistering after having extended my tourist visa. One of their employees came by and asked me (on the intercom) why I didn't register with them anymore. I told them I would be moving soon, and he left without further questions.

[badr]

never heard of random visits in the bigger cities unless one of the neighboors reports "shady" activities.

In smaller cities, it a whole new ballgame! When my wife and I lived in Tangshan, the local PSB had a rule that Uni teachers cannot live off campus. Of course, no one mentioned this and as soon as we got a flat outside school, they graced us with their presence and "asked" that we move back to campus ( that's a whole other story for a different day)

I have a friend in another city who did get the PSB visit upon moving in but that was mainly to check if the flat was secure enough. They demanded the landlord add another lock to the door and install metal bars on the windows (flat was on the 9th floor )

[venture160]

Badr - Amazing story about the smaller cities! I was staying at a friends house in a small city (around 40,000) in Liaoning, and after 2 days the PSB came by saying they heard a foreigner was staying in town for a few days and hadn't registered with the PSB. They were very polite and after I registered we never had another problem.

Did they let you move off campus? Does the local PSB have that kind of discretion?

[billiardsmike]

I was visited a couple weeks ago in Haidian and he had his whole posse with him. Why it takes four people I'll never know. Three of them stood out in the hall the whole time. I'm glad I insisted to the landlord that I register.

[magores]

I've never gotten a visit from them, but I did have some minor hassles the other week.

I got my visa renewed right before the Labor Day holiday. Right afterwards, I went with my coworker to get my Temporary Residence renewed.

The PSB wanted to see my rental agreement. First time ever they've asked for this. I didn't have this handy, so they said to come and register "some time before Visa expires". Ummmm.. This doesn't sound right. It's supposed to be within 10 days of arriving and/or Visa renewal (if I remember right).

Co-worker asked why they wanted this all of the sudden. PSB said they were recently told by their bosses to be strict with foreigners.

It's all okay though. My coworker and landlord went down the next day and sorted everything out.

This is in Beijing.

Your mileage may vary.

[roddy]

As for the argument, you should be careful as it is still ilegal for a man and a woman to live together without being married in China. It is the law, and they could decide to enforce it whenever they want to.

As I understand it (read on here or somewhere else ages ago, that is) this isn't actually the case and is a bit of a myth. It's illegal for two people who aren't married to live together if they're married to someone else, but there's no actual law against an unmarried (including to any third party) couple living together.

That said, if the PSB want to cause you trouble, they will do so one way or another.

Of course, no one mentioned this and as soon as we got a flat outside school, they graced us with their presence and "asked" that we move back to campus ( that's a whole other story for a different day)

Come on, don't keep us in suspense. We want stories!

[flameproof]

The only time I got a visit was in a hotel. It was just after June 4th 1989 and some people came into my room. One had a machine gun. Neither Wang Dan nor Wu'er Kaixi were at that time in my room, so they left.

[mr.stinky]

in my first two apartments in kunming, never had a visit from the local psb. having moved

to a new apartment in the new northern section of the city last december, have had two

visits. the friendly officer just asks to see my passport and to confirm my residence

permit is still valid. noticed he was carrying a large folder, checking all the furr'ners in

the area. he told me his office is required to check on us every three months. might be

because all new officers were hired here, and perhaps are actually following the rules?

i don't expect it to last.

while at yunnan normal last year, the lead instructor came to class to ask for everyone's

address, so she could conduct home inspections. rumor has it this is mainly to ensure

the single females are not cohabitating ; unwanted pregnancies are embarrassing to the

school.

[pandaxiongmao]

When I lived in Kunming (awhile back), I never got a visit from the PSB.

In Haikou, I did get a visit by some census people. I suspect they were working with the PSB to figure out if people did or did not have legal residence in my building (not just foreigners, since I am the only foreigner in the building, and they were knocking on everybody's door). They knew the date I registered the address with the PSB, and that it was different than the date I actually moved in. The PSB in Haikou wanted more documentation from my landlord before they would let me register.

They were pretty laid back, didn't give me any hassles after verifying it was just me in this flat.

[djwebb2004]

I have received 3 visits in Kunming. They were very apologetic, but wanted to know what I was doing in Kunming on an F visa. I think they were checking I was not teaching or something that woudl require a Z visa. When I bought a flat they came along to ask how long I was staying in China and why. I just told him the truth - I planned to stay until fluent - and the flat was an investment, and I would sell it when I went home. I just think they hadn't seen that situation before. Also I bought two weeks before the regulations came in saying you had to have a Z or X visa for one year before buying property.They have also been to every flat in the buildig checking whether people have got their second-generation ID cards.

[wushijiao]

My question is, is it normal for the police to visit your place of residence after you arrive (if you're living in an apartment or someone's house ,etc)? Is it standard protocol?

This also happened to me about a month ago, also in Shanghai.

I got a knock on the door in the morning, and I had to end up going with the officer to the local PSB. I had registered at the 区's PSB, but not the local one.

In any case, the local PSB officer was really friendly. He told me many times that if I ever have any problems, to just go to the PSB and find him, and he'd help me out.

They clearly were doing some sort of round-up on all the foreigners in my complex （小区）. He asked me a few times if I knew of any other foreigners in the building, and or, the 小区.

[venture160]

He told me many times that if I ever have any problems, to just go to the PSB and find him, and he'd help me out.

They seem to say this frequently. Has anyone ever tried to resolve problems with the Chinese police?