Coronavirus expats: leaving China is not an easy option

FCO advises UK citizens to leave the country

SOME Britons in China have said the UK Foreign Office advice to leave the country is not 'practical'.

On Tuesday, Britons in China were urged to leave if they can, with concerns mounting over further travel restrictions as coronavirus spreads.

Andy Roberts, a university lecturer, wrote to The Guardian to say he is currently housebound with his wife in Ningbo and he believes finding a flight would be difficult.

He has been married to his wife, a 39-year-old Chinese national, for 14 years.

She has previously lived in the UK for 10 years.

The 59-year-old said they are restricted to staying in their apartment and only one family member is allowed to visit the supermarket every two days.

"The UK advice is not very practical as getting to an airport and finding a flight would be difficult right now," he said.

"And if I did go back where would I go? My home is here in China.

"We are keeping our spirits up; I'm cycling everyday on my indoor trainer, escaping to Zwift virtual worlds, while my wife is working out from YouTube Zumba clips. The cats aren't fussed.

"At the moment we can still walk round the compound as long as we have masks on and we stop and chat to neighbours, albeit from a distance."

Liam Dutch, a 26-year-old teacher in Shenzhen, told the Guardian he was 'conflicted' about the British government's advice to leave.

"Many of us have spent a lot of time building new lives here, it is not simply a case of 'booking a flight home to then return at an unknown date'," he said.

"It would be like putting my life on pause.

"Firstly, it's highly expensive to travel 10,000 miles home, and then come back again.

"Secondly, we do have contractual obligations, rent to pay, friends and girlfriends and of course, our general everyday lives, which we have become accustomed to."

Christopher Halkou emailed the Guardian to say he was on holiday in Vietnam when the Foreign and Commonwealth Office changed its advice 'invalidating my insurance if I return to China for work as an English teacher in Shanghai'.

The 25-year-old said, after he had two flights cancelled from Vietnam to Shanghai, he made the decision to return to London to assess the situation from there until it was deemed safer to return.

Mr Halkou added there was a 'feeling of uncertainty and precariousness about when I'll be returning to Shanghai'.

"I have valuables in my flat and rent to pay for so I have to return in some capacity to sort things there even if I decide to terminate my work contract."