Hi Joe - thanks for your reply. Like you I'm in Guangdong where,as you say,there are some shenanigans with F visas,proving that the laws of China are not,as you say,unequivocal.I made the point that there is a sense in which this is the People's Republic of Guangdong,P.R.of Henan,etc.
I agree 100% with you Joe that being picked up and detained for hours by the PSB is certainly not desirable.It is for this reason that I suggested that teachers intending to come to China try to find out as much information as they can from and about the region they may go to and check the requirements of the embassy in their home country.I've been caught up in a situation where I was unable to get a visa with my employer and had to quickly change jobs so I am aware of the uncertainty of the situation at times.
I missed the news about teachers being deported from Shanghai - must have been otherwise engaged at the time - and would appreciate any links or info to news sources so I can catch up.Thanks again.