Originally Posted by travelinmanS

E channel is completely shut off at every entry and exit. Chinese trying to leave are given a thorough questioning by the border guards about why they are traveling during the pandemic.

I really don’t know where you’re getting all your info, but it’s all pretty bad intel these days! Let’s meet up for some Chili’s soon and chew the fat.

Originally Posted by moondog

1. Spend time with relatives
2. Meet with clients in person
3. Enjoy China

As an aside, RPs are superior to visas.

Originally Posted by kb1992

Agreed, although I have no business in China and no clients to meet.

I love RP! Last year I got 3-year RP for family reunion.

I was told that it's fairly easy to renew. Is this true?

Originally Posted by moondog

YariGuy Have you been able to use eChannel since March 2020?

Originally Posted by ftrichard

Really? Lucky you. When I crossed this border in March 2021 I had to complete one of those roughly photocopied Chinese forms all in Chinese which - to the best of my phone translator's ability - was entirely about location, contacts, and domestic travel history. It took me ages because there's nobody to assist, of course. They also put the frighteners on me before they let me out by telling me that if HK rejected me some 20m beyond the mainland border then I'd have to do two weeks quarantine upon return. I didn't have HK residency but I'd read nothing about residency being a requirement to enter by the land border (it was a requirement by plane at this time) so I nodded sagely indicating my acceptance of this potential fate and they let me pass, never to return. After sharing this anecdote, I think the point is that the land border port has always been treated differently to the airport as a point of entry to HK.

Originally Posted by tauphi

Oh yes there was a travel history form but that's not for immigration as you need to hand in that form before you even reach the immigration check-point.

Yes there was a spiel about the risks of being denied entry into HK and having to enter Chinese quarantine but otherwise it was fairly straightforward. Note that people who are not HK-residents must either have booked quarantine hotels (now downgraded to normal hotels) or have registered under Come2HK, otherwise they risk being denied entry by HK. I have no idea whether HK actually enforces that though.

Originally Posted by kb1992

Agreed, although I have no business in China and no clients to meet.

I love RP! Last year I got 3-year RP for family reunion.

I was told that it's fairly easy to renew. Is this true?

Originally Posted by moondog

Yes.

That having been said, I suggest you run your plan by someone like Vincent (he is not God; I simply happen to know him).

Originally Posted by YariGuy

A family reunion residence permit is super easy to renew. I just did it in August. Just bring the necessary documents (marriage certificate, etc.). No agent, no wife required. It was pretty empty too, unlike the before times. They told me they only give 2-year RPs though. How did you manage a 3-year? They said they give 5-year RPs as well, but for that you need to get certified to have Chinese heritage. Apparently that's a thing.

Originally Posted by GloballyServiced

There wasn’t even an exit form for immigration when I left from PVG this week. Just the exit health survey on wechat. The exit is virtually empty with maybe 1-3 people in line. Using echannel would add zero value aside from saving the passport space of 1 stamp. It was obviously not open regardless, and I find it amusing anyone would even imagine the possibility of it being open.

the Polaris class food on UA858 is now somehow worse than the last time I flew it Aug 2021. Which was worse than the food when I flew it Nov 2020. I would put it right on par with the slop tray you’d get on a domestic Chinese airline economy section. I honestly started laughing when the FA showed me photos of what each dish looked like because she was too embarrassed to try to describe them in words. They didn’t even give a menu just asked if you want chicken or pork.

Originally Posted by travelinmanS

The food on both 858 and 857 in October last year was a joke, served with the usual United aplomb. I actually had to move seats on 858 because the FAs were talking to each other so loud in the galley I could hear each and every word from 3A. They didn’t care about disturbing the passengers even though we left Seoul after midnight local time.

There are many bigger issues with the current Covid policies but the fact that we’re basically limited to flying UA from Shanghai now is a real bummer. Now I know why, despite SFO being my normal US destination, I took CX or DL for over 10 years on this routing. Of course one of those choices may not be an option whenever China decides to open up 3-10 years from now.

Originally Posted by moondog

Apart from the awful food, my 857 last fall was honestly sublime...perhaps my best experience on it ever. I managed to avail of F on 857/858 several times and was never wowed.

It appears that when every passenger on the plane is paying at least $2500, they up their game.

Originally Posted by GloballyServiced

If the food is awful, what makes the flight “sublime?”

Did you get an extra smile as the FA filled your cup? Extra pack of pre departure nuts? Loved the movie selection?

The only thing I want to do on a flight is eat reasonable food and sleep. If the FA’s can manage to keep their own mouths shut most of the time, part 2 is easy.

Originally Posted by gudugan

https://www.wsj.com/articles/china-w...ng-11646230580

I'm still in the (at least partial) reopening by fall camp. I'm happy to be the dumb optimist.

China needed a test population for where they could see what happens if Omicron spreads through the population. That happened to be Hong Kong.