Dealing with the Bureaucrats

[PopaJay]

In the 1970s Simon Leys described China as "essentially totalitarian and feudal-bureaucratic." Of course things were harder for a foreigner in China then, but I think it's still a good description of how the country works (or, frustratingly, doesn't).

What tips does everyone have for dealing with those situations in China when you find your path blocked by the sheer inertia of bureaucracy; when you know what you want to do, and know it can be done, but you're stopped dead because someone finds it unusual, embarassing, uncomfortable, or simply 'bu tai fangbian'?

I'm very interested to hear about approaches, charm tactics, lies... whatever it takes. There must be some great tales of triumph over bureau-adversity, near misses, and downright fails that we can all learn from.

Anyone?

[kdavid]

Think like a dragon instead of a cowboy. Don't lose your cool. Buy them dinner.

[WestTexas]

I don't know any time that I've ever felt I had a real problem with the bureaucracy in China. Yes it's inefficient but on a day to day basis I've never felt like it caused me problems. If I were to have problems, I would get a Chinese person to deal with them.

[Daan]

Keep smiling, remain unfailingly polite, and be stubborn if you need to. Sometimes you may need to simply sit down on a chair and announce that you're not going to leave until they help you. (Of course, do this only if they're being unreasonable; don't stage a sit-in because they won't give you a visa for the rest of eternity.) But really, above all, keep smiling. Not necessarily because they'll be swayed by that (although it helps, a lot), but also because you should see dealing with Chinese bureaucracy as an adventure and a life lesson in itself, rather than as something annoying. In the end it's not worth getting worked up about.

[OneEye]

I had an experience last week that may or may not be relevant (partially because I'm in Taiwan, partially because I don't know what your situation is), but it's a "Dealing with the Bureaucrats" success story.

I let my visa expire, and didn't realize until the next day. Really, really stupid thing to do, I know. So I googled what to do and came up with nothing but horror stories. Fines. Black stamps on visas marking you as a visa violator. Having to do a visa run to Hong Kong (round trip airfare = expensive). Visa run on top of fines. Even deportation (yes, for one day late), with a black stamp saying you can't get another visa for a year. I was terrified.

Fortunately, I had just gotten a fresh haircut and clean shave (formerly bearded). I put on a tie and cardigan, and fixed my hair businessman style (side-part). Basically trying to look as clean-cut and respectable as possible. I went to my school and printed out my transcript, which showed perfect attendance and very high grades (not that it's hard to accomplish at a language school, but Taiwanese people are very grade-focused). I had all the paperwork I needed, and copies of everything, ready before I took a number. I told her that I had simply forgotten (which was the truth) and asked if there was anything she could do to help. I didn't try to make up any story to make it seem like I had a good excuse, like I was advised to do by some. I figured they deal with that every day and could probably smell it a mile away.

She paid special attention to my transcripts when she was reviewing all my documents. She went to talk to her supervisor, and I overheard her telling him that she thought I had made an honest mistake, but it seemed like I was a good student, my wife is an English teacher (legally), etc. She came back, stamped my visa (the good kind of stamp), and sent me on my way. No fees, no anything. Just "next time make sure to renew on time", and I walked out with a renewed visa. I really thought I would at least have to make a visa run (my actual outcome is absolutely unheard of as far as I can tell). I've gotten all sort of opinions on why this happened:

I was lucky enough to get a nice agent. She was cute, young, and friendly, so this is very possible.

It was Monday, so maybe they were willing to forgive since Immigration is closed on Sundays. Maybe.

I "played their game they way they wanted me to" (I disagree with the underlying outlook of this one).

I think the most important thing was that I presented the best version of myself that I possibly could. I looked professional, I had all my paperwork in order, I looked good on paper, etc. I didn't try to lie my way out of it. I was friendly with the agent.

Long story short, make yourself look good to them. Make it as easy as possible for them to say "yes" to whatever it is you need. In my case that meant having all my documents ready to go, so all she'd have to do is pick up one stamp instead of the other (had my visa not expired). In your case it may be something different. Good luck.

[Brian US]

I'd go with what Daan said, except careful on the level of stubbornness. If the person helping you makes a mistake, then throw out a vague/broad statement of displeasure on the system and not the individual. "Oh, my random document hasn't been finished yet, this is quite an inconvenience but thank you for your help!"

I found asking questions generally doesn't go anywhere. Complaining you need to go to another building to complete registration will only be met with a shrug.

[Lu]

OneEye: sounds to me like it was a combination of you making it as easy as possible for them and you being lucky with a capable officer who had a good day.

Daan's solution is generally sound I think. Also, don't go away and just keep at it. I've tried crying (not on purpose but out of frustration), but now I look back I can't recall it ever helped with bureaucracy. Building good guanxi can help but you usually need time for that, so if you can call in the help of someone with good guanxi, that also should work.

[roddy]

Sometimes you've got to walk a fine line between being so rude they shut down completely, and being too polite to keep bothering them. Last day in Hong Kong this summer and the MTR folk still hadn't processed an overdue refund on a malfunctioned Octopus card (I think I melted it on the beach) - had to repeatedly and politely tell the guy at the desk that sending me a letter in the UK which entitled me to collect HKD400 in Hong Kong wasn't going to cut it, and eventually he made a few phone calls and got things speeded up. Ended up with HKD400 in my pocket three hours before my flight - ate well that evening. Fairly sure if I'd just gone all-out rude I wouldn't have got anywhere (actually in a HK MTR station I'd probably have got arrested), but sometimes you do need to stonewall - refuse the offered solution and wait for a better one.