G20 and visa?

[Alex_Hart]

Hey guys,

Wondering if anybody has heard something about limits on foreigners moving due to G20. University officials have told me twice that foreigners cannot enter Hangzhou during the event, but I cannot find anything about it online.

[889]

It's not unusual at all for restrictions like this in China to be passed on through work units, not formally publicised. China always strives for a business-as-usual no-trouble-here appearance.

[roddy]

That sounds like the kind of stupid thing they would do, I'm afraid. How much practical difficulty does this cause you?

[Angelina]

meh

 

https://www.quora.com/Why-did-Chinese-government-ban-all-university-students’-staying-in-Hangzhou-during-G20-Summit-2016?srid=upoZz&share=045f4968&from=timeline&isappinstalled=0

 

 

wait until it is over 

[Alex_Hart]

Shame - seems like it's real! Guess I should get accustomed to the surreal before moving to China!

 

roddy, so so. School doesn't begin until September 10th, but I also need to find an apartment to move into. Had planned on being in Hangzhou a week or two prior.

[Angelina]

I will be here in case you need any help.

 

 

You should try to do what you want. Talk to the university and see if they can help you arrive a week or two before school starts. They should tell you more. Also, you can talk to the Chinese embassy and see if you can get a visa to enter Hangzhou a week or two before the date you are supposed to register at the school. 

 

You have to visit the embassy and get a student visa there anyway. Do you have the acceptance letter already? 

[Saxondale]

Expect extreme road closures in Hangzhou during the Summit - it's probably best to avoid doing any traveling in Hangzhou during that time

[Angelina]

      

 

 

So, registration for new students is September 10 and September 11. The earliest date when arriving here won't be inconvenient is September 8. 

Should you decide to come earlier, you might not be able to get a visa/train/plane/bus/book a hotel room. You can try, but nobody knows what is going to happen. You can check sleepinginairports.net 

 

It is your decision. If you want to come a week or two before school and end up lost somewhere, I can help you, but the decision is yours. 

 

 

G20 is big, security is going to be super tight. 

 

Here is more info on it:

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nathan-gardels/china-third-industrial-revolution_b_8478954.html

 

Here, Germany and China clearly have an edge on the U.S., where we have plenty of mass entrepreneurship but precious little political capacity to build out the infrastructure of the future.

 

In our conversation with President Xi at the Great Hall of the People in early November, he pinned his hope on this score to the G-20 summit being hosted by China next year. As Xi put it, he wants to “cement” the role of the G-20 as the governing body that can coordinate common policies to foster global growth. Not incidentally, the meeting will be held in Hangzhou, the hometown of Jack Ma and headquarters of Alibaba — the foremost emblems of China’s Third Industrial Revolution.

[Alex_Hart]

Thank you everybody! Sorry for the delay - just spent two nights in a tent.

 

Many thanks for the tips and offer of help, Angelina (again - you also helped me choose ZheDa several months ago!). I do not yet have the acceptance letter, or even a scholarship yet. The school told me verbally that I had been accepted and that they expected I would receive my admissions package "sometime in late July." Unfortunately, this means waiting till airfare goes up. 

 

I will call the school again once business opens up this week and ask about the visa. If the visa allows me to come in 2 weeks prior to school beginning, I intend on making my way to Hangzhou before the transportation system shuts down - I will be living off campus anyway, so I don't particularly need the school's help for dorms or whatever. My only concern is whether I will be deported or something for entering the city before I seem to be permitted to do so. It would not be a terribly fun way to begin my time as an international student! Unfortunately, the school seems to be giving a reflexive no and gasps of horror at the idea of any students being within Hangzhou during the G20. I was unsure if this was just the two people I spoke to, or a university/city-wide policy. I'll update y'all based on what I find out!

[Angelina]

If you want to arrive in Hangzhou a couple of weeks before school starts, you should do it! 

[skylee]

This thread reminds me of an article a friend sent me today. It is about G20 in Hangzhou (not about visa issues, sorry).

“東道主 - 李純恩

杭州九月要開G20會議，如今已積極籌備，中國政府在中國要做什麼事，必定心想事成。舉辦G20是有面子的事，於是所到之處，不管是市中心還是遙遠的郊區，滿目「辦好G20，做好東道主」的標語，標語用中文寫，外國人是看不懂的，於是你便覺得中國人人都知道G20是怎麼回事了。

在杭州碰到做旅遊業的朋友，他說最近杭州周邊地區的旅遊景區都到杭州來作減價促銷，這些景區以往都是山大王，門票自訂，十分高昂，但現在一下子來促銷，九月份杭州市裏開G20期間，竟減價一半以上，這麼做的目的，就是希望杭州人在G20開會期間盡量外遊，不要留在城裏，不添亂。當然，到時也不會歡迎遊客，到杭州，可以截的截掉，聽了不由心動，可以想像，在那幾天到杭州必定難得清靜，各大景區人蹤罕覓，何等愜意。杭州朋友聽我有這個意思，冷笑着說，你想也不要想呀！

由此可見，中國政府要辦事，一定無所不能無往不利，心想事就成。中國老百姓也習以為常了，碰到「盛事」也都有些好處，比如額外假期不用上班上學之類，也是意外收穫，一家便宜不知幾多家着，都挺高興的。”