On foreign lives in contemporary China

A new collection of stories, edited by the photographer and author Tom Carter, showcase the breadth and depth of the expatriate experience in the country: The Atlantic

35 years ago, when Deng Xiaoping first introduced the economic reforms that powered China’s emergence on the world stage, foreign-born residents were a rare sight in the country. In those days, and for years afterwards, expatriates had to deal with prohibitions on staying in certain hotels, using Chinese currency, and even visiting certain parts of the country.