Guangzhou - Post Report Question and Answers
What is the relative size of the expatriate community? How would you describe overall morale among expatriates?
Medium-size in my opinion. It used to be huge, but COVID restrictions caused many to go home. Many expats that overstayed their visas were finally sent home during this time as well. - Apr 2023
Many expats left during COVID and have not been able to return as China's border controls have been very tight. The US consulate community is pretty good, we have been happy with it, but we miss having friends that aren't our coworkers. - Aug 2021
Lots of expats, almost exclusively business or Consulate/embassy-employed. - May 2019
Large business community and a diplomatic community. It's a large U.S. consulate and morale is generally good. They bring in good managers. - Nov 2018
The Consulate is pretty big with lots of first and second tour officers in the Consular section. The other consulates in the area are typically small due to the way they run their non-immigrant visas. Very few of them do interviews so they don't have a lot of personnel. There are lots of major multinationals in Guangzhou and they will be living at your complex. - Nov 2015
Medium-sized, but I think morale is generally okay. Guangzhou isn't Shanghai or Beijing, and the expat community is smaller. Within the Consulate, I think people were generally happy there, and you get good at making your own fun, but China can be an exceptionally frustrating place to live at times, and I think almost everyone had periods when they were particularly down in the dumps. The best thing you can do for yourself when that happens is try to get out regularly, do some traveling and explore Asia a bit. - Aug 2014
Hundreds, or more probably thousands. - May 2013
At the consulate I think there are about 100 families, but because everyone is dispersed throughout the city it can be difficult to meet each other. - Apr 2013
Small to medium. The consulate community tends to hang out together a lot. I haven't met many expats from the private sector. - Jan 2013
The diplomatic community is pretty small. Business, fashion/models is moderate sized. - Oct 2011
Somewhere in the thousands. In addition to the consulate, there are a lot of US and European companies with a presence, and lots and lots of short-term traders. - May 2011
I hear there are about 5000 Americans who live in Guangzhou, although you don't see them during the day. - Jul 2009
Moderate. I'm sure there are a lot of people here, but spread out through a city this size it doesn't really feel like it. - Jan 2009
