China's green card, the permanent residence permit for foreigners, is rarely handed out so when Turkish national Noyan Rona received his permanent residence card, he was more than thrilled. After six months of completing tons of paperwork and waiting, his card arrived. From then on he was allowed to stay in China as long as he wished without needing visas or visa extensions.  

The card, which looks like a Chinese identity card, is widely regarded as the world's hardest-to-get green card. Investors who want a green card have to have invested large amounts of money (at least $500,000) in China for three consecutive years. Couples need to have been married for and lived in China for five years. Professional applicants who seek a card because of their employment must be of a rank matching vice general managers, professors or above and have been working in China for four consecutive years. Another category of permanent residence includes expatriates who have made a special contribution to the country.

Because Noyan Rona has made a special contribution to Shanghai, in particular, he was deemed a suitable applicant. He first came to China in 1983 and now has spent more years in China that he has in his home country. He was the first Turkish national to graduate with a master's degree in China. He was the vice general secretary of the Consulate General of Turkey in Shanghai and has been closely involved in welfare work in the city. To mark his contribution to the city's development he was given an Honorary Citizen Certificate, the highest honor the city government bestows on foreigners who have helped the city in practical ways. Among other good works in the city, Rona has advised the city government on traffic and road signage.

An acknowledgement

Rona is now chief representative of the Shanghai Representative Office of Turkey's Garanti Bank, and told the Global Times, "I was so excited on receiving the permanent residence card - it's an acknowledgement of my contribution to the city."

By the end of 2011, only 4,752 foreigners in all of China had been given green cards, Vice-Minister Yang Huanning from the Ministry of Public Security revealed at a conference last year. Shanghai boasts the most green cards nationwide. By the end of 2011, 1,300 green cards had been issued to a few of the 162,000 foreigners living in the city.

Rona's elation at receiving a green card did not last. Official pronouncements state that, except for political rights, foreigners with permanent residency should enjoy the same rights and have the same obligations as Chinese citizens. It stipulates that these foreigners should enjoy the same rights as Chinese when undertaking banking, insurance, securities, futures or other financial transactions if they use the permit card as their identity card. When flying domestically or travelling by train or checking into a hotel, foreigners can use their cards to go through the formalities.

But the official approach has not reached the front line apparently. Last Friday, Rona went to withdraw money from a branch office of Citibank in Pudong New Area using his new card.   

"Sir, please show me your passport," the teller said politely. Rona explained that he didn't have his passport but he had his permanent residence card - the same thing. The teller looked at the card for a while but then politely declined the transaction. "We have to check foreign clients' passports before carrying out any financial transactions," the teller explained.

When the Global Times talked to the teller later she explained that very few foreigners have these cards. They were not promoted or publicized by the government, probably because so few people were involved. "I think Rona may be the only customer of our bank who has a permit."

After a few minutes' discussion the teller remained obstinate in holding that the permit card could only be used as a secondary form of identification, after a passport. Rona gave up and decided to carry out his transaction the following day.

Secondary ID

Another Citibank branch teller said each bank has its own rules. This branch had decided that all foreign clients had to present passports. "The residence permit can only be used as a secondary form of identification like a driving license. Foreign clients need to bring their passports with them," she said. 

For Rona this was not the first trouble he had encountered using his permit card. When he tried to renew his driver's license the traffic bureau also rejected his permit card and he wasted a day returning home to fetch his passport and retracing his way back to the office.

"The Chinese government gave me this card as an honor, and I really appreciate it. It is meant to make my life in the country easier and more convenient but the way it has turned out, my life seems more miserable. Of all the official service departments only customs recognizes the card and exempts me from paperwork when I enter and leave China," Rona told the Global Times.

When he tried using his card at the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, the receptionist at first vetoed the use of the card but later asked the manager. The manager eventually told the receptionist he could use his card to open a new account. "But if a client uses the permit card to open account, it means the card is the primary form of identification and he will have to use this for all transactions in the future," the receptionist told the Global Times.

When asked why there were initial difficulties in accepting the card the manager explained that although the bank does have permit cards listed as an identification option in its computer system, they have never received advice from government about the details and the entitlements regarding these cards.

Testing the system further Rona went to a China Eastern Airlines ticket office in Pudong, to see if his permit card would let him buy air tickets. He met with a similar response from the salesman there. "We need a passport as an identification when we sell tickets to foreigners. If customers insist, we can sell tickets using the permit card but I am not sure if the security check at the airport will let you through. Foreigners have to have passports with them and we suggest they keep using their passports."

Rona doesn't agree with this approach. "Since the public security department has issued regulations governing this, why is it that no one cares that this is not implemented? The use of the card at present is very limited - only customs recognizes the card and exempts me from filling out forms."

Rona gave up the battle on his air tickets. He didn't trust that he would be allowed past the airport security check if he bought the tickets solely with his permit card.

Later that evening he tried using the card again, this time to check in at a budget hotel in Shangcheng Road, Pudong New Area. Here the receptionist firmly declined the card as a form of identification telling him that only passports were acceptable. Rona pulled out his documents and information about the permit card and the receptionist then checked with his manager. For the first time that day there was some good news about the card. It was fine to check in using the permit card. "In our training course, we were taught to treat permits the same as passports," said the manager surnamed Qian. "But it's very rare for people to check in with the permit, that's why the receptionist turned Rona down at first."  

On the other hand receptionists at the five-star Pudong Shangri-La hotel say they will readily accept these cards although they seldom see them.

Disappointing experience

The experience has disappointed Rona. "Chinese people should trust a card that has been issued by their own country but at present they don't. It might be easier actually for criminals to forge a passport. There is a huge range of passports and some small countries just write personal details in them by hand."

Gu Xiaoming, a sociology professor with Fudan University, said although China has adopted the green card system, domestic acceptance of this has not kept pace.

"Our service industries and government departments have not yet adjusted to the green card system. They need to speed up, accept the card and improve their service instead of just turning customers down.

"The government could also introduce measures to help. For example, we could inform green card holders that they should always bring passports with them, and issue information to local service departments, advising them to alert all counter staff and receptionist."

"I know I can take my passport with me all the time but that makes the regulation a mere scrap of paper. I am willing to be the first man to try eating a crab (an old Chinese saying)," said Rona.