Why I left China for Good! 

Laowhy86's escape story: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-z7CPqROtanA.html Thank you for supporting this continuing journey: patreon.com/serpentza

China's loss is America's gain. Welcome aboard Winston.

I think a foreigner said it best: "You may fall in love with China but China does not fall in love with you."

I left China 14 years ago. We have got a baby and decided to move to Germany. It was a nice experience but living in Germany is much better. After we arrived we heard about many babies in China died from poisonous milk powder. So we where shocked and happy for not being concerned of the risks.

Been living in China for 30 years and left there for the same reasons as you.

I'm surprised yet so glad you left China. I was actually worried that you might one day "disappear" because of the "negative" content about the regime. Best of luck with the new chapter in your life in the U.S!

Hi Serpentza, I am a French man living in Shenzhen for about 10 years now. I truly understand your decision. I am my self married and have a beautiful 2 years old daughter and I am also thinking to move out for her education, despite de fact that as a industrial designer Shenzhen is a great place to work. I wish you all the best in your future projects.

Everything you said in this video rings true with me. I lived and worked in Shanghai for 5 years during your early years in Shenzhen. I met my wife there as well (mainland Chinese, but not Shanghainese). I was moved with my job to Hong Kong 13 years ago, but regularly visit Shenzhen (day trips, so I don’t have to register with the police, which I also hate) and trips back to my wife’s family. I could never live in China again (and my wife even more so) and, with the new Security Law in Hong Kong, we are now counting down our time in Hong Kong. I love the vibrancy here too. I first came to Hong Kong in 1988 and was immediately smitten by the place, back when Shenzhen was the factory expansion outlet for Hong Kong toy companies and other low-end products. Honestly, I dread having to leave in many ways, but I value personal freedom too much to risk being here when Hong Kong becomes too much like the mainland. The gap is closing fast now.

As a former Chinese citizen, what he said in the videos is really true and that's what I feel as a former Chinese citizen, who had been living there for 25 years.

we're lucky there's a few people who have a good moral compass to report on what they see regardless of risk

I’m a little late but Welcome to the U.S! We’re not perfect but I love my country and very proud of what we’ve become. I hope you and your family will be able to make it a home. God bless America 🇺🇸

Welcome to the USA. As an immigrant myself I understand your appreciation for this country and the blindness with which some native born people take for granted what they have. Best to you and your family. I’m just down the coast from you in San Diego.

I had lived in China for 30 years. I know this country and race deeply. I left there and immigrated to the United States 2 years ago. Now, welcome you and wish you every success here.

From being homeless to have money, car, home & a full belly you finally had the time to care about your freedom. Good job buddy

My god your experiences in China almost mirror mine perfectly. I was there from 2001 to 2010 mostly in changchun. I absolutely loved every minute of it. When I heard you describe why you left it's as if I was listening to a recording of myself. I felt China had nothing left to offer me and I felt I had plateaued, no more room to get any higher. I love the videos as they bring back so many memories, but the thing I love the most is the political side of it. During my time there I never spoke politics with anyone not even with my closest friends, mainly because I felt I didn't know enough about the chinese politics to really have any sort of opinion. Keep up the great videos. I would love to chat with you guys some time if it's possible. I am 100% Canadian lol

Thanks Winston and congrats for the good decision you made for you and the family's future. I've been in China for 5 years, I feel drained now and I am planning to leave.

I never realized just how close you guys were to being disappeared statistics! Welcome to America !

100% agree. I lived in China for several years and ended up going back to my home country for the exact same reasons. I miss my Chinese friends and all I'd built there, but it is what it is.

This is the second video of yours that I want and let me tell you that it requires a lot of balls to do what you've done. It is very inspiring for me. I live in Japan and some of the issues you mentioned you can find them here as well. This is my last year in Japan.

I found your channel last night, your contents are so good ,I stayed up very late watching your videos, you literally speak my mind! I totally agree with you! your perspectives are so mutual and objective ,and they are based on real experiences, I relate everything you say. I'm a Chinese and I have been living here for my whole life, I don't know if I can say I think I'm very lucky because I think independently, their "education" and propaganda never had me brainwashed. And I get more and more awake with time and life experiences here. What you said in your videos I have to come to realize myself, too. this is no place to raise children, even if they make it to adulthood safe and sound, they would turn into robots eventually, cuz there is no other way. I don't want my future children to live in a place like this . This is no place for women, either!! I don't want to say too much here in case I get myself in trouble. anyways, in recent years I have made up my mind that I will get the hell out of here, now things are rolling, now under this covid control situation it is 1000 times harder if we want to leave. I hope everything will go swell and I will make it. Sometimes I feel so embarrassed and ashamed of where I'm from, as well as my ppl and the gov because I know we are just like an outcast to the world, what's even worse is our ppl are hostile to each other which is very rare to see in other ethnicity groups in the whole world, sometimes I just feel so frustrated and confused. lastly I want to say thank you very much for keeping up the good work on your channel, it takes a lot of effort, courage and dedication to reveal the truth, I really appreciate it. And I'm sorry for all the awful and degrading things you have been through here, it breaks my heart a little when I know ppl like you who was in love with this land were treated like that. Thank you for being here once, I wish you have the best life ever in the future!!

This video aged so well!

I was living in Wuhan until August 2019... left China and thought to myself, "did I make the right decision?". Haha well, a few months later I was absolutely sure I made the right choice. But from time to time I still miss it very much. Esp the crazy expats, strange travel adventures, and lifestyle. Little over 4 and a half years, time absolutely well spent.

People who have been born and raised in America SERIOUSLY don't understand how good they have it in terms of freedom. Alot of countires don't allow their citizens the freedom to do as they please.

That’s a rough trip, I’m glad to see that you’ve made it out safely. Every Gov in the world has it’s pro n cons. Awesome videos and keep up the good work.

Cheers on you journey around the world mate. We don't have things perfect here in the U.S. but I like to think that we at least try to keep the valid criticisms open for people to discuss, rather than having everyone be too afraid to speak up about anything.

I hope one day that all the people who truly love China are able to go back there with freedom

You guys were incredibly lucky to have gotten out of there at the right moment, I'm amazed you never got "vanished"... You REAalllllly pushed your luck.

Sasha is so special! You are so blessed! Thank you for years of faithful reporting about China.

My story is similar to yours. Went to Russia about 2 weeks after the fall of the Soviet Union; was so intrigued with the people and country that I found a job and stayed for another 5 years. Married, and eventually realized it was time to go home. Would not change a thing! Most interesting time of my life!

Now imagine being Chinese and unable to leave. Or worse, from Hong Kong and know this is all coming to your daily life.

I lived in China 19 years straight and you are 100% spot on.

Such a wonderful story, thank you for sharing it with the world. Oh, and the baby is adorable too.☺💗👶🍼

I really was worrying for your freedom… good to hear you and your family is safe! ☺️🍀

I'm so happy you and your wife are safely out of China. But I thank you from the bottom of my heart for all of your videos while you were there. My daughter spent 3 years at University in China and your videos helped me share traps, pitfalls, and dangers with her to keep her safe. She too has returned to the USA. We pulled her out when the video cameras started going up in every classroom; and there were more and more frequent unannounced dorm room inspections and confiscations of private property. Again I can't thank you enough. Blessings to you and your family.

Thank you as a Japanese who used to live in China, because you have clearly distinguished Japanese culture from Chinese one in your videos.

A fascinating story. I have been following your channel for quite some time. I think you could probably apply to China what Winston Churchill in 1939 said about Russia, "a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma,"

Oh,wow, what a story . Just found your channel yesterday. I want to say I admire your spirit and good work. I m lucky to be able to leave Chinas few years ago .

The Chinese legal system reminds me of the Cardassian legal system. “Under Cardassian law, an offender was guilty before appearing in a trial. The penalty, usually death, was also predetermined. It was up to an offender to prove their innocence, but no evidence was permitted to be submitted after the verdict was reached”

Amazing story. Congratulations on your move to the US. Hope you achieve the success you aspire to, and get some old cars to work on!

Glad to see you made it over to the States! You'd be a guy I'd love to run into at a bar and have a good conversation with! Stay awesome!

Just watched your 2 ys old video. I've always enjoyed your video, from the time you take a motorcycle escapade through the countryside of China. Your insight on China, the CCP, your personal struggles, etc is so spot on. Hope you have a happy family life wherever you are.

I had a feeling you and C-Milk were gonna shake pretty soon. I noticed your videos were criticizing China and the CCP more and more, and I was wondering how the CCP hasn't cracked down on the two of you. Glad you and C-Milk made it out in time along with your families. Your videos have really helped me understand the country that my parents are from. Thanks and enjoy the US. Take care and stay safe.

It's time when it is time. I left permanently for a different reason after 8 years of living in China. I unknowingly worked for a business owner and Solar Manufacturer, wanted by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. I was on the inside of a real cloak and dagger story that was fraught with murder, missing persons and embezzlement. I was questioned by the RCMP and by the Chinese equivalent of the FBI about my boss and then approached by my boss' partner. It got to be frightening and I left China after cooperating with both Law Enforcement agencies. It was insane. within two months after I left, the Chinese government deported by boss and his family and took over the company. I saw the writing on the wall and got the hell out.

Wow that's quite a story,lots of challenges and obstacles, but something tells me your journey isn't over,but glad to hear your in the state's, I hope that you enjoy some freedoms🖒.. cA

Nice one! Winston…We have been watching both you and C-Milk for some time…what wonderful and informative content you guys produce, really interesting stuff. So, thanks for all your efforts…And we wish both of you and your families a safe, happy and prosperous future….Keep up the excellent work. 👍👍👍

I've followed you and your partner Laowhy86 for years. i'm Chinese American and lived my heritage through your wonderful videos. Now, I am so ashamed of the CCP but I still love the regular people in China. I'm happy and relieved that you are safe. But stay Covid safe!

The 2 Canadians that were "caught" recently could have been you guys. Good that you where able to leave.

WoW, such an Amazing Journey . . . I don't think your timing could have been better or more relevant . . . I am truly inspired as to your Worldly experiences & staying True to Yourself . . . I look forward to your next Adventures!

Thanks dude for sharing I'm in China now and wow what a culture shock 1st time here and now I'm doing 2 back 2 back 21 day quarantine sessions due to pandemic in Shanghai 😢 very frustrating hope you have a wonderful life in states I miss my freedom so much

I remember when this channel would defend China and be quite emotional about it. It was so strange because every week there was a scandal, or someone being cruel to him, it looked like an abusive relationship. Can't be too hard on him, the snippets of culture that managed to get to America are pretty great.

I'm so happy you have chosen the USA I wish you and your family happiness. I hope we don't let you down. God bless

hands down, what a great story. Mad respect Winston

I loved Winston's reports on China and the unique surface cracking views they provided.

Without a shred of doubt, you do not regret your decision for a nano-second.

If there’s anyone who understands this it’s probably me Winston. I feel your pain and I’m glad you got out. Best. Liz

Very interesting. I visited Beijing, Hong Kong and Tokyo very briefly in 1995-1996 and found them fascinating, like you eastern cultures (particularly Japanese) have always held a magnetic interest for me. I’ve been following political developments in the South China Sea and that part of the Pacific for years now as I’ve held that the next world war will originate from this region. Hearing from someone with your perspective certainly helps clear away some suspicions I’m sure many have held but also dispelled some misconceptions on my part, too. Thanks.

You made a wise decision thanks for all your great adventures what a great experience stay safe my friend👍

I'm so agree with u as a Chinese I really hate the government so much

sadly, Hong Kong is becoming like this as well

Both Michaels are safely back in Canada. It was a close thing with the death penalty for "spying" for a time though. So glad your friend is safe.

You're a very good story-teller and you've got a lot to tell. 🙂

Having lived in Hangzhou from 2005-8 I appreciate the honesty of your videos. I have never had the courage to speak honestly in public about what I witnessed during those three years. Thanks for your efforts.

I have long enjoyed your content---you have a very fascinating story and I am genuinely happy you made it out while you still could!

I visited China several times for work. I was even offered an opportunity to be an engineer in residence for a year. loved my experience there. I agree with your conclusions.

I loved your voice over in the beginning as you were speaking a different dialogue into the camera. It gave a cool dreamlike effect. Great video!

Started life facing discrimination by South Africans. Ended video shaking African American's hand in friendship

Just found your channel and I’m loving the point of view . So glad you found your place were you feel that you belong , it’s so important. Love the stay awesome , I always say to my daughter when I drop her at school , go be awesome !

Ive been watching you since 2018! Love watching your content! Keep it up wishing all the best in your future endeavours!

My Dad's homeland he left because of Mao and never looked back, spent his life free in the USA.

It is hard to leave from where one called home. But sometimes it has to be done. Good luck to you Winston!

Just stumbled across this channel the other week and now I can’t stop watching this and The China Show are my entire algorithm

I really enjoyed your China adventure. Looking forward to your future youtube projects. Thank you.

This is the first recommended video I've seen by you in forever btw. So glad to hear you're in America brother!!

I'm super happy it's all working out for you Winston, It's been great joining your journey thus far. Stay awesome, Stay safe.

First time I hear you say things, that are not widely acceptable in China and dangerous to say for a foreigner. Thanks for video

Thank you for your honesty. ... GOD Bless!!!

Been following you both for a couple of years now. Finally became a patreon. Glad you all made it out of there. Welcome home! I live in Arizona and loved the shots of your Corvette running around Tucson! 😉

its always the old men who stare at outsiders, because back in their days they didn't know what other people looked like.

I came upon this by accident tonight, I remember first discovering your videos about 10 years ago and following them for a while. The were so enjoyable and fascinating. Also hopeful as the fact that you were able to post content that portrayed life in China as being like most other places, within the context of the culture. I never once got the idea that you were being critical of the culture, any more than pointing out its good points and flaws which made it relatable to all other cultures with their good points and flaws. It portrayed China in an overall positive way. I’m glad you survived the exit.

Thank you very much for your deep insight into Chinese life and culture. Something that is basically behind a "silk" curtain for the western world

Welcome to America. Hope you eventually get your citizenship here too. We need more people like you in America. Stay safe and stay awesome!

The people is fairly gentle and just want to live a relatively peaceful life. The government sucks BIG TIME

I would like to give you a double thumb-up. you tell your story very well. thank you for sharing your experiences! Greetings from germany

Thank you for all of your videos!!!

One word: Respect.

I feel the same way. I first went to China in 2007. Fell in love with the culture (the historical real Chinese culture) I met my wife in Shenzhen. We were planning to retire in China. But she says no to that idea now. Scary how the CCP is today. How they handled the virus is an example of what you said in this video.

Great story. Thank you for your insight

That was very well said. I enjoy your post

When I first time came to China, I really loved this place. I was in Beijing Foreign Language University, everything was good, restaurant, people, streets everything. I usually go to our Indian embassy for scholarship money. After two or three visits, the intelligence people came and started asking so many questions, I wonder I was a student but still they don't have any common sense. I was shocked and and get disappointed. Then I got a Harvard scholarship and I went to Beijing Normal University, this time in 2019 , I realized that most of the good restaurant, markets (中关村）（五道口all the good restaurant are closed and people are more rude as compare to earlier time. China nowdays is more depressed, unfriendly and becoming more unhappy place, and this Xi jing ping regime will put the last nail in the coffin, golden days of China is over! Thanks for sharing your nice videos and in depth knowledge about China, and all the best for your future, fortune favors the bold!

I felt the same way and had the same first time experience. I had a month long volunteer job in Beijing and I decided to move there and got a University job in Yantai, Shandong Province. I was only there two months, and experienced all this nonsense and almost immediately felt scared for my life. I moved to Hong Kong for a bit, but eventually moved back to the U.S.

Thank you so much for sharing. I was working in SZ for 3 years and I feel utterly the same as you did.

Good for you, man. Glad you made it out of there. : )

I left Beijing over a year ago. Lived there for 8 years. Let me add this experience to Winston's video to give you guys an even broader picture. 1) In the entirety of my time in China, the police visited my home a grand total of zero times... until Meng Wanzhou was arrested. Then they visited my home to check my documents FIVE times... in one month. They checked my passport, visa, residency permit, and housing contract each time looking for a problem. Did I mention that I'm Canadian? Must be a coincidence. 2) This is the big one. China implemented a new law which enabled the government, at will, to investigate any foreign bank accounts over 5000 RMB (that's less than 1000 USD). They would freeze your assets and ask you for tax documents. If you were unable to provide it then they'd seize your entire bank account. Some people might read this and think "Well, I guess that's fair right? Nations have a right to tax those living in them." Fair enough, and I agree. Here's the problem: You need to go to each and every single one of your previous companies to get those tax documents. Anyone who has worked in China immediately understands the problem. Chinese companies are often unprofessional, vindictive, and corrupt. This means that when you go to your previous company to ask for tax documents, you could be met with: "Well, you quit, so why should we help you?" or "You don't work here anymore so we don't have to give you anything." Not only that, but some Chinese companies claim to be paying taxes on your salary, but are actually just deducting those taxes and pocketing them. Try explaining that to the Chinese government. They don't care. It's the foreigner's fault ALWAYS. Then there's my favorite: Gross incompetence. Some Chinese companies simply have no idea what they're doing, no idea how to get tax forms, no idea how to do tax forms, pretty much no idea about anything. They've just blundered along their entire existence. China is hell. I left China for greener pastures. My new job pays me 70% less than China and I work literally twice as much and I'm 10x happier. Just wrap your mind around that. EDIT: I wanted to add something to this because I always get angry Chinese nationalists saying exactly the same thing to me when they read things like this: "Well, if you hate it so much, then why don't you leave?!" Let me tell you why. Because in my first year in China I adopted two kittens. I wanted to leave one year after that but China had a policy of one passport, one pet. So I wasn't allowed to leave with both cats. There was no way in hell that I'd leave one of my pets behind. Fast forward to a few years later, I got married. We were going to finish our contracts then leave, but we got drunk and accidentally rescued a dog from an abusive pet store. Now we needed three passports. Finally China changed the rule to 1 passport 2 pets. EDIT 2: My wife isn't Chinese.

Leaving this country is definitely is a right decision.

Good luck with your new journey mate, I göğe things work well with you and your family

Last time I came across your channel you were still there. Glad you got out.

I can’t imagine being homeless on the streets in any foreign country. That was an intense ride. My ex-wife was working in Riyadh. One day her boss disappeared. Turns out her boss was one of the bloggers for woman’s rights over there. Still waiting trial. Welcome to the US! Land of the free and home to people who can criticize our leaders.

"Government kept changing the goal posts...." this is the perfect narrative for China, in fact, this also applies to Thailand, Indonesia, etc where countries do not allow and discourage foreign ownership of anything in their country yet greed for foreign investment wealth.

Your sincerity is very inspiring. For several reasons I can identify with your decisions. GOOD LUCK..!!!

Glad to have you with us in the US, Winston.