Originally Posted by phillipas
As I understand it, you can't wire RMB out of China at all. You have to convert the RMB to another currency, which can then be sent easily. Or as easy as these things ever are in China.
Converting it will be a problem though. If you have a receipt for converting money into RMB that's less than 6 months old then it's easy to change RMB (up to the amount you got) back into foreign currency. If you havent you need to show contracts, residence permits, experts certificate, and confirmation that any tax due on it has been paid.
By far the easiest way is as sugested - carry it into Hong Kong and convert it there. There is a limit as to how much you can carry over the border. It was RMB8000, but I think it has gone up (to 20,000??).
You are right, before wiring money out it must be converted to US dollars, and and you must have either an exchange receipt or atm slip to account for the amount you have. That was one of the hassles I faced when I tried to do it.
As far as carrying rmb out, I just checked the current customs form that you fill out on departure and you are allowed up to 20,000 rmb. I would just go ahead and carry it out.