2 weeks ago
Piers had been successful China for each of 2 days successful 2009 erstwhile he was utilized arsenic a “white monkey” for nan first time. He had travelled to a colony successful Suzhou, Jiangsu province, to be a friend’s wedding and had stopped successful nan colony to effort a typical crab crockery astatine a mini restaurant. Weeks later, a Chinese impermanent who had been astatine nan wedding told him nan edifice had had an uptick successful business because nan locals had heard that a laowai, a foreigner, had been seen eating there, truthful group had assumed this edifice must beryllium good. Piers realised nan leader had deliberately seated him successful a measurement to pull attention: “I knew we were sitting extracurricular successful a premium spot, but I didn’t prime up connected what was going on.”
When foreigners successful China are utilized this way, they are called a baihouzi, a achromatic monkey. They’re hired to thief Chinese businesses look much desirable, nan foreigner relation conveying prestige and a consciousness that your merchandise is universally regarded. The manufacture is unregulated successful China, operating successful a ineligible grey area. White monkey positions are advertised connected occupation boards and can autumn into different categories, from acting and modelling for Chinese films and products to pretending to beryllium nan overseas CEO of a Chinese institution to lend it credibility. They mightiness beryllium spot warmers aliases go-go dancers successful Chinese nightclubs to tie successful customers, aliases English teachers successful connection centres to make Chinese parents consciousness their children are being taught by morganatic autochthonal English speakers (even if a Chinese personification is really a amended qualified teacher). These businesses judge that having nan “foreign look” will springiness them an separator complete different Chinese companies offering nan aforesaid service. The arena of recruiting foreigners for this performative intent tin beryllium traced to nan conception of mianzi, having “face” successful Chinese society, which denotes bestowing and receiving respect for each other.
Even though nan word achromatic monkey mightiness propose only Caucasian foreigners, it would beryllium much meticulous to opportunity recruiters are simply looking for group who look “non-Chinese”. There are groups connected nan Chinese texting app WeChat pinch occupation postings that specify “We request 2 achromatic women to sprout an advertisement successful Guangzhou” aliases “Hangzhou business needs a Hispanic model”. The title requirements up and down depending connected nan product, ranging from “White American for a humor unit show advert” to “Turkish speakers for a TikTok video”. This connection would ne'er walk muster successful a general occupation ad, owed to China’s strict equality legislation, but these connection of mouth-style requests are harder to police.
Piers has done a number of paid jobs for illustration this. In 2010, erstwhile he was a assemblage student successful Shanghai, tv executives from Shanghai Media Group were looking for overseas students to return portion successful a talent show. Shanghai was preparing to big nan World Expo and nan metropolis was afloat of importers and Chinese eager to do business pinch each other. Ten to 15 students were driven to nan studios, past sorted successful a backmost agency by state of root to correspond “an world judging panel”. Piers was designated nan judge for Great Britain among others from France, South Korea, nan US and Indonesia.
The occupation would past a fewer hours; he would watch Chinese singers and dancers perform, past manus retired artifact rabbits to nan acts he liked nan most. Piers says, “We were being paid 100-200 yuan (£10-£20) which was not bad money for an unemployed student astatine that time, and location was the chance to beryllium connected TV.”
Next, Piers took a occupation pretending to beryllium a intelligence astatine a manufacturing expo successful Shanghai, to beforehand a chemic merchandise that coated pavements. The institution hired foreigners to deterioration laboratory coats successful nan background, connected a makeshift group that resembled a laboratory. “It wasn’t nan full day, and we conscionable had to move h2o backmost and distant betwixt containers for a fewer 100 Chinese yuan.” As they were down a transparent screen, nan foreigners weren’t expected to speak to nan Chinese customers aliases reply method questions astir what they were doing. “Back then, my Chinese was basal and I wasn’t judge what nan manufacturers were saying connected nan stage,” Piers says. He had talked to 1 of nan different “scientists” and nary 1 had immoderate qualms astir nan pretence – it was easy money.
Sometimes, though, location isn’t immoderate money involved: a fewer years aft nan expo, Piers was proofreading a archive for his neighbour who worked for a rule patient that helped overseas companies raise disputes successful China. “One time she asked maine to travel on to this gathering pinch a customer successful Shanghai’s hi-tech parkland successful Pudong, to coming ourselves arsenic an world rule firm.” Piers was assured he didn’t person to do thing but beryllium successful nan room and opportunity hello. At first he was uncomfortable pinch nan idea, but past he thought, “Who americium I really harming?” He sat beside his neighbour successful nan gathering room and pretended to return notes, acting arsenic her inferior successful nan rule firm. He recalls, “She conscionable wanted to coming herself arsenic an world lawyer, which successful fairness, she was already arsenic she said French and English.”
I motion up to a occupation ads messageboard connected WeChat. Postings popular up each time from recruiters advertizing for “foreign models and actors”. First an creation assemblage is looking for 10 foreigners successful Shenzhen to sojourn an creation accumulation successful nan fancy Futian territory from 8.50pm to midnight. Another is looking to find American models to sprout an advertisement successful nan metropolis of Fuzhou successful Fujian province, each expenses paid. They want a man and a female aged 35-45 pinch an “affluent American aesthetic”, who are “sun-kissed, diversion and look for illustration they bask nan outdoors”. The occupation posting goes connected to opportunity bluntly: “Please note, we are not looking for individuals pinch reddish hair, freckles, highly ray skin, aliases a thin, sullen look.” It isn’t clear what merchandise they will beryllium selling.
Why does being adjacent to “foreign-ness” person specified worth successful China? During nan early 2000s, nan state suffered respective scandals from faulty products and services, specified arsenic nan devastating 2008 tainted beverage scandal, erstwhile babe look from companies including Sanlu was adulterated pinch melamine, a toxic business chemical, to clone higher macromolecule content, causing unwellness successful hundreds of thousands of infants, and six deaths. This was a fast-moving chaotic westbound play wherever Chinese user authorities were not protected, and it fostered mistrust. Branding products arsenic “foreign” became desirable to adhd a veneer of quality. Piers now useful betwixt London and Shanghai successful marketing, and sees from nan different broadside that this was “an opportune infinitesimal erstwhile branding thing arsenic overseas could meet an affectional and functional request for Chinese customers”.
In nan past fewer years, nan scenery has changed further, pinch an influx of immigrants from Russia, Ukraine and Belarus owed to nan ongoing conflicts successful their countries. Enzo is from Russia and is based successful Shenzhen, moving arsenic a videographer. When he first arrived, nan connection obstruction meant he was unopen retired from skilled positions, and he opted for achromatic monkey jobs arsenic impermanent gigs to get by. One was to dress to beryllium an Italian cook astatine a pots and pans expo successful Guangzhou. The recruiters assumed astir Chinese would not beryllium capable to show nan quality betwixt Caucasian foreigners, and hired Enzo. He donned cook whites, which he originated from a section factory, and thankfully had a small cooking acquisition from moving successful a Mexican edifice successful nan past. He wasn’t required to speak to anyone, conscionable look nan portion – but Enzo recalls, “The Chinese clients wanted to show maine astir their holidays successful Italy and what they thought of Italian culture. I deliberation they conscionable wanted to talk to a foreigner and beryllium listened to.” Enzo simply nodded on – he had a noticeable Russian accent astatine nan time, but doubted they would prime up connected it. He was paid 2,000 yuan (£200) for nan job.
Another recurring occupation progressive pretending to beryllium a overseas CEO of an automobile company, travelling astir China. Over months, for a time astatine a time, Enzo had to put connected a suit and support quiet arsenic Chinese group shook hands and took pictures pinch nan “CEO”. He stayed successful bully hotels and was paid very well. In different instance, he accompanied his Russian woman to a suitcase shop; she had been formed arsenic a exemplary to “test” nan merchandise outside. His occupation was to thief pinch nan connection barrier, but he ended up being drawn in, too, and they spent nan day wheeling suitcases successful mini circles extracurricular nan shop to pull nan attraction of Chinese customers.
Oversupply of eastbound Europeans successful nan market, and Chinese bias towards foreigners from occidental Europe and North America, person meant nan wages of achromatic monkeys person taken an wide dip. Piers has seen first-hand really foreigners are priced otherwise successful China, moreover for these gimmicky jobs: “Russians, Ukrainians and Belarusians are seen arsenic groups of group that tin beryllium paid little money, adjacent to Chinese workers, while Germans are rather costly and prestigious. Even successful little tier Chinese cities, group will cognize that a Russian foreigner and German foreigner will beryllium priced differently, sometimes 2 to 3 times arsenic much.”
Maria Kanaeva is from Kamchatka, Russia and had been studying astatine Xi’an Jiaotong University when, successful November 2022, an opportunity came up successful nan world students’ WeChat group to be a manufacturing expo successful Xi’an. A classmate said nan organisers were looking for overseas students to spell on for achromatic monkey jobs. They were being offered 100 yuan (£10) to speak to Chinese businessmen for 30-40 minutes. The invitation read: “A Chinese businessman from a institution will show his products to you, you will beryllium presented arsenic a imaginable buyer/importer. You conscionable spot his products and inquire immoderate questions if you want.”
White monkey jobs are tempting for overseas students wanting to gain easy money connected nan broadside successful China. But moving extracurricular nan scope of your visa is considered forbidden employment nether nan country’s exit and introduction management law. Kanaeva says, “Everybody knows moving part-time is illegal, but they want to make money, to travel, to unrecorded and not trust connected parents each nan time.” Violations, including moving without a permit, switching employers aliases freelancing, tin consequence successful fines of 5,000–20,000 yuan (£500-£2,000), detention for 5–15 days, and imaginable deportation aliases a re-entry ban.
Kanaeva asked her friends if they were going to return portion successful nan Xi’an expo, but they, too, had reservations. The authorities had been cracking down by showing up astatine akin events to cheque nan visas of foreigners. “The worst-case script would beryllium that location are constabulary connected tract and if you are caught pinch a student visa that doesn’t lucifer nan juncture … it’s not worthy nan risk.”
Kanaeva declined nan opportunity. She had heard astir a friend of a friend, a student from Uganda, who had moonlighted arsenic an English coach and sewage caught successful nan connection training centre pinch a student visa. Kanaeva was told “he paid a good to get to stay, and that was $15,000 yuan” (£1,500). There person been cases wherever students could not salary nan good and served a jailhouse condemnation of 7 to 14 days earlier being deported. Some of nan English connection schools who prosecute these students mightiness salary nan fines connected their behalf, but it is technically forbidden employment – and astir extremity up being deported to their location countries. Eventually nan Ugandan student was sent location for visa discrepancies.
Kanaeva now useful successful Shanghai, advocating for overseas students to study astir their authorities to activity successful China. The rules are analyzable but location are ways astir them, pinch Chinese companies sponsoring students done internships and pinch nan support of universities.
The achromatic monkey arena is still adapting, pinch nan fame of online contented creators. Paul Mike Ashton, known arsenic BaoBaoXiong, was nan creator of a viral meme astir nan measurement young metropolitan Chinese operation English and Chinese words together to sound much sophisticated. He is astir apt 1 of nan champion known American vloggers connected Chinese societal media. When he first started studying successful China, he did an internship successful 2013 astatine a media group successful a building pinch studios wherever group could make video explainers and documentaries. One time they were giving a circuit to immoderate visiting CEOs, and asked Ashton if he would dress to beryllium nan big of 1 of these videos to thief their institution look “more international”. At nan time, his Chinese was not bully capable to speak astatine length, but he was only required to beryllium successful 1 of nan transparent booths and dress he was signaling himself making content. He realised early connected really overmuch of an effect a overseas look could person successful Chinese workplaces. Yet he notes, “With truthful galore internationally salient and ascendant Chinese brands now, it feels for illustration nan request for this has expired.”
It is existent that achromatic monkey civilization is changing, and becoming little lucrative. At nan connection schools, location are Chinese parents who mightiness person studied successful English-speaking countries and tin place which group tin genuinely speak nan connection astatine a precocious level. Ashton thinks nan novelty facet of foreigners is besides wearing off, particularly successful first tier cities specified arsenic Shanghai, Beijing and Shenzhen wherever it is much communal to spot a overseas face: “Younger Chinese generations person a amended position connected what is going connected globally done societal media.”
Ashton is often asked to make automobile contented astatine car shows, connected monolithic budgets. He says of nan car companies, “They want nan Chinese to spot this Chinese-made car is connected a par pinch different cars you spot astir nan world.” Ashton’s visa is attached to a institution that hosts these kinds of media accumulation events.
Prof Xiaobing Wang, investigation head of nan Manchester China Institute and elder teacher successful economics astatine nan University of Manchester, recalls that when, successful 2025, David Beckham posted a image of himself pinch a Labubu doll, nan elf-like monster from Chinese artifact shaper Pop Mart, “the station went wholly viral connected Chinese societal media. Chinese netizens were truthful excited that Beckham had been talented a Labubu artifact from his daughter.” Wang says that if Yao Ming, nan 7ft 2in erstwhile hoops prima who is 1 of China’s astir recognisable sportsmen, likes Labubu, “then a Chinese prima likes a Chinese product, but erstwhile Beckham likes Labubu, past he is giving this Chinese artifact legitimacy”.
Wang says this appreciation of nan westbound is simply a cardinal portion of nan nationalist identity. “Chinese group had an underdog mentality successful nan 1980s and 1990s, possibly emotion bullied by countries successful nan west, and now China has risen fast. So nan admiration and respect from those countries that antecedently looked down connected China intends you are now successful an arsenic precocious position.”
But scepticism is rising, and Chinese consumers are getting fed up pinch inauthentic, paid-for praise. Recently, a whistleblower reported to nan Beijing News that Xiangyi, a celebrated livestreaming e-commerce influencer pinch millions of followers, was allegedly utilizing clone experts and staged storylines to beforehand nan products she sold. On 20 December 2025, Xiangyi uploaded a promotional video for vitamins. A female named “Linda”, posing arsenic a “professor astatine nan University of Sydney”, appears pinch Xiangyi, touring its library, classrooms and different facilities, and chatting successful English. Xiangyi asks Linda, “Do you deliberation DHA is really useful?” The “professor” replies that nan assemblage has conducted extended objective investigation proving DHA “can so nourish nan encephalon and amended cognitive function”. Xiangyi past translated for viewers successful nan video.
A newsman astatine Beijing News recovered a individual societal media relationship matching “Linda” to an character recruitment website, wherever she was listed arsenic a exemplary successful movie and advertising. Her nationalist résumé does not mention immoderate school acquisition astatine nan University of Sydney, and nan assemblage verified that “Linda” is not a existent professor aliases module member.
Linda confirmed to nan newsman that she had taken connected an acting domiciled and was provided pinch a simplified book a fewer days earlier filming, shooting 5 hours of footage successful speech for $750. Xiangyi has admitted Linda had been misled by nan marque and is cooperating pinch nan regulatory authorities successful an investigation.
On nan WeChat occupation messageboard, opportunities proceed to popular up. Under nan occupation posting “flower girls”, nan recruiters are looking for go-go dancers to activity successful nightclubs successful Yiwu from 11pm to 7am; accommodation and activity visas are provided, and “basic spoken English is required”. Recruiters are looking for 10 overseas women aged 20-30, supra 165cm successful height, pinch light-haired girls a “priority”. There is besides a occupation successful Chongqing to thatch Chinese customers to play billiards; nan salary is $1,800-$2,000 a period and flights, accommodation, meals and a activity visa are provided. “You are not required to portion pinch clients. However, those who are consenting to portion tin person a somewhat higher salary.”
The manufacture continues to beryllium unregulated, but arsenic agelong arsenic nan request for Chinese group to feel portion of a world world is there, nan achromatic monkeys are present to stay.
Some names person been changed.
