As mentioned in the last post, the name-based ticketing system for bullet trains should go into effect June 1st. The intentions of this new rule are honorable, that is to put a lid on the rampant problem of ticket scalping.
Having done more research on this issue, the name-based ticket rule is also designed for security purposes. This, again, is an understandable move given recent intelligence reports after al-qaeda allegedly wanted to blow up trains in the US. It would only make logical sense that the Chinese would take their own measures to prevent this similar kind of terrorism from happening on their own soil, and the name-based registration system would help protect their bullet trains.
The Chinese are experts at designing rules and systems which can kill two birds with one stone. We see this, for example, with the toll booths on the highways. Sure, they can be used to collect money, but they also make ideal security checkpoints.
And so it is with the name-based ticketing system. Part scalping prevention, part security measures.
The expat boards and halfpat boards have barely begun to register any chatter about this new policy, and a quick search on the internet shows my blog as one of the first commentaries on this issue. It just was announced a few days ago, but I would imagine a ton of discussion will emerge on this issue soon --- and none too positive. The feedback on the expat board so far is overwhelmingly negative.
Mainly this is because, in the last three years, it has become increasingly difficult for foreigners to travel around in China. It seems that one key system after another is being firewalled by the Chinese ID card registration process. A Chinese ID card is a document that foreigners cannot get, having confirmed this by talking to dozens of people and researching on the internet. The next best thing is a long-term residence visa, or a 'green card'. However, these are extremely difficult for foreigners to get, and they are also very rare. Even if a foreigner manages to get a 'green card', they are back to square one with the staff at various hotels, internet cafes, train ticket offices, etc. not being able to recognize what it is.
The key travel-related systems now subject to Chinese ID card registration, or about to be include:
1. Surfing the web on internet cafes. These are totally off limits to foreigners in nearly every major city now
2. Staying for the night in mid-range or budget accomodation. Only the high-end foreigner-approved hotels are OK.
3. Purchasing bullet train tickets. Regular tickets are still OK, but regular train routes are gradually phasing out.
4. Registering motorcycles and scooters in most Chinese cities
5. Exchanging money from RMB into foreign currencies
All is not off-limits, however. At present, you can still do the following (but who knows for how long)
1. Purchase bus tickets
2. Open a bank account and exchange foreign currencies into RMB
3. Open a mobile phone number
And of course, you can use a passport to purchase airline tickets. The airline system has always worked this way, and is not much of a problem in the sense that the staff are familiar in dealing with passports and foreign names.
The real problem here, is the INTRODUCTION of the new rules which require the second-generation Chinese ID cards. These are essentially ID cards that were released around 2005 and they contain magnetic strips, chips, and other electronic reading features. While in some cases you can still use a passport to stay in a hotel or purchase a bullet train ticket, the problem is that the staff are not familiar with how the document works.
You can't blame the staff for not being familiar, because passports are issued by foreign governments, and every passport is different.
However, across the board, uniformly, there is the 2nd generation Chinese ID card which every staff knows how to deal with. In many ways, it is a simple document for the locals to work with. You present it, they swipe it, done. It is only too bad that foreigners don't have access to such a simplified registration process but as they say, c'est la vie.
I'm hoping that a Chinese-issued drivers license will solve some of these problems, because it's at least more recognizable than a passport. It *might* work for train tickets, we just don't know yet. It has worked for hotels in the past, and it certainly helps for motorcycle registration.
It should also be made clear that subjecting bullet train tickets to Chinese ID registration is NOT racism or a blatant attempt to discriminate against foreigners. Having been in China long enough, there are plenty of other counter-examples to show that foreigners can do many things, and in some sense, get treated quite well. For example, I am house hunting at the moment and have come across some excellent options. They are eager to rent to foreigners, and they tend to say we have a 'high reputation' More on that in another post.
Basically what's going on here is that every system is independent of the other system. Foreigners tend to think that China works from a top-down organized fashion, but the systems are not really connected. For example, the bullet train system and the airline system are totally separate. Same goes for the bus system and the various train systems.
Not only that but there are differences *within* systems. For example, the vehicle management system in one city functions differently than in another city. The Bank of China in one city doesn't recognize the Bank of China in another city, and so forth.
The complexity of the bureaucracy within and between systems is more than you can possibly imagine. Suffice to say, I don't think there's some uniform plot affot to discriminate against foreigners in China. Things are just too complex to make that kind of judgment.
All this being said, big salutes go out to those who actually do travel in China! Don't let appearances fool you, it is not easy to get around here. For those who are willing to stick it out, creatively solve problems every day, and keep that brain working overtime --- then the rewards are surely worth it.
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