Quality of life

Basic education for Children

Foreign nationals can enroll their children either in schools specifically built for their children or in ordinary primary/secondary schools and kindergartens.

Schools specifically built for the children of foreign nationals primarily admit children (of foreign nationality) who live together with their parents legally in the province, autonomous region, or municipality directly under the central government. They can offer pre-school, primary school, and secondary school education, and they adopt a foreign education model. In addition, ordinary kindergartens and primary/secondary schools can also enroll foreign students in their regular classes according to policies formulated by the corresponding provincial-level education authorities.

Medical services

China's medical care system is composed of general hospitals, specialized hospitals, community health service centers and stations, outpatient departments, clinics, and emergency centers of various types, sizes, and functions. There are non-profit public medical institutions run by the government as well as social medical institutions run by civil organizations (including foreign-invested medical institutions). Foreign nationals can seek medical treatment at institutions of their choice at the same cost as Chinese residents.

"120" is the emergency number in all parts of China. Someone can call this number for emergency medical response before hospitalization. This service provides first aid, emergency treatment in transit, and patient monitoring beyond hospital boundaries. Almost all hospitals have an Emergency Department to provide emergency medical treatment for patients in need.

According to the Social Insurance Law of the People's Republic of China and the Interim Measures for Social Insurance System Coverage of Foreigners Working within the Territory of China, foreign workers legally employed in China shall take out the Urban Employee Basic Medical Insurance (UEBMI) and enjoy the same medical insurance treatment as other insured workers. Foreign nationals can refer to the official website of their local human resources and social security bureau for the list of hospitals covered by basic medical insurance, as well as the scope of medical insurance reimbursement.

Foreign nationals (or their employers) may purchase commercial medical insurance to cover additional risks not currently covered by basic medical insurance.

Travel and entertainment

China is endowed with rich natural and cultural tourism resources. Most cities and counties are open to foreign nationals, who do not have to apply for a travel permit to visit the tourist attractions open to them - a valid passport and a Chinese visa or residence permit would suffice. Foreign nationals wishing to visit the tourist attractions that are not open to them should apply to the local municipal or county-level public security bureau for a travel permit. A number of qualified travel agencies, car rental companies, and flight and hotel booking agencies in China facilitate the travel of foreign visitors. For details, please consult any travel book or visit the websites of tourist attractions.

Large and medium-sized cities in China offer sophisticated sports and recreation facilities. Golf courses can be found both in coastal cities and central cities in hinterland provinces. Most communities have gyms, bowling alleys, swimming pools and similar facilities. Gymnasiums and sports centers regularly organize football, basketball, table tennis, and badminton and track and field competitions. In the outskirts of the cities, there are large playgrounds, resorts, folk culture villages, wild animal parks, ecological parks, botanical gardens and fishing areas for holiday relaxation. Large and medium-sized cities in China have concert halls, theaters, and other venues to stage Chinese and foreign national concerts, symphony concerts, musicals, ballets, dramas, and acrobatics performances. Large cities also have museums and art centers for displays of historic relics and artifacts, and exhibitions of photographs and paintings.

Transportation 

Nowadays, China has a comprehensive transportation network of airports, trains, highways, subways, and waterways. High-speed railway lines, highways , and many new subways have dramatically improved the daily lives of local people.

High-speed rail

A high speed train is the prime choice among all types of trains as it runs at a speed of 250-420 km/h and has a high service standard. It is also called a bullet, fast, or CRH train, and has the initial "G", "D", or "C" as its serial number.

China has by far the world's largest high-speed railway network. Its total mileage, 38,000 kilometers by the end of 2020, is almost enough to circle the planet. The network is so extensive that nearly all big Chinese cities can be reached by high-speed train. Moreover, e-tickets and facial recognition have become very common for travelers.

Highways

China possesses numerous highways, connecting almost all cities, towns and rural areas. The quality, convenience and capacity of Chinese expressways have all developed rapidly.  The total mileage of China's road network stood at about 5.2 million kilometers as of the end of 2020, and highway density had reached 54.15 kilometers per 100 square kilometers, according to the Ministry of Transport.

Subways

As the process of urbanization accelerates, subways are playing an increasing role in urban transportation systems and becoming an important indicator of the urban development level. The total mileage of subways on the Chinese mainland hit 6,280.8 kilometers in 2020, with the top three longest being Shanghai (693.8 kilometers), Beijing (653 kilometers) and Chengdu (518.5 kilometers).

Housing

According to the Notice of the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development and the State Administration of Foreign Exchange on Further Regulating the Administration on House Purchase by Overseas Institutions and Individuals, foreign nationals are only allowed to purchase one residence in China for their own use.

To purchase said residence, foreign nationals must meet the following conditions: (1) the foreign national (excluding overseas Chinese and residents of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan) shall have worked in China for over one year; (2) the foreign national shall provide a written promise that he/she has no other residence in China under his/her name. Foreign nationals in cities where there are policy restrictions on housing purchases shall abide by the local policies and regulations when purchasing a house.

In addition, foreign nationals are not prohibited from renting out or selling houses in China.