GS impounded at Mohan border, Yunnan

[turbocharger]

Hi China moto riders, if there is anyone that can help us with getting our GS into China at the Boten Mohan border in southern Yunnan, now would be a good time to speak up.

We're at the border and customs has said we need 4 official docs and a tour agent to cross the border with our bike which is stuck in no-mans-land.

Cheers,

TurboCharger

[Shanghaifingers]

I know this sounds stupid and probably irratating but why dont you go back and get the documents. Why have they impounded the bike????

Winston

[chinabiker]

Hi China moto riders, if there is anyone that can help us with getting our GS into China at the Boten Mohan border in southern Yunnan, now would be a good time to speak up.

We're at the border and customs has said we need 4 official docs and a tour agent to cross the border with our bike which is stuck in no-mans-land.

Cheers,

TurboCharger

There is only a hand full of agents who know the procedure, are willing to go through it and charge quite high.

Although I believe it doesn't help you there right now, you can contact the following and try to get help:

http://www.newlandtravel.net/

http://www.crowninntashkorgan.com/foreignvehicleen.html

http://johncafe.net/admin/news/newscn33.htm

http://www.silkroadadventure.com/

www.haiweitrails.com

www.hiddenchina.net

I have not heard of anyone in the last 2 years, coming / going / crossing China on a foreign vehicle without the help of one of these agents.

I know this sounds stupid and probably irratating but why dont you go back and get the documents. Why have they impounded the bike????

Winston

Because it takes 2 months, which is the absolute minimum, to get these docs.

Andy

[turbocharger]

The long story cut short is that we wanted to see if we could find an alternative method of entry, ie transit China with our motorcycle on the back of a truck and not riding.

We spoke to travel agents before and over the past few days and they confirmed the cost and expense and yes there are only a few that know anything about motorcycle self guided tours.

We consulted the 2009 importation legal bible used by customs and import/export companies to determine status of goods and what categories they are under. We were told that we could not enter china with our motorcycle on a truck as it was classified as "used machinery or electrical equipment" and this is categorised as strictly prohibited.

There is no such thing as temporary importation for transit purposes according to Chinese law.

This makes strictly no sense at all but because the customs officials get to decide which law applies to which goods they can slap any anomaly they wish and then your stuffed either way. The stupid thing is that my mobile phone is used electrical equipment but they don't care about that!

We felt the full force of the Chinese Bureaucratic machine and the complete incompetance of Chinese customs to tell us exactly what is required. We spent 3 whole days discussing this with the customs officers and never lost our cool, that's something!!

In the end we were faced with an ultimatum, enter china without the bike - and hence have it 'looked after' by immigration or have our Visas cancelled on the spot and kicked out. We are now back in Laos and have resolved never to travel in China on a foreign vehicle given the prohibitive expense, bureaucracy and mountains of red tape.

[Nick in PRC.]

We are now back in Laos and have resolved never to travel in China on a foreign vehicle given the prohibitive expense, bureaucracy and mountains of red tape.

If only you'd have asked first.

[chinabiker]

If only you'd have asked first.

Well, he did ask, but may have not believed.

The long story cut short is that we wanted to see if we could find an alternative method of entry, ie transit China with our motorcycle on the back of a truck and not riding.

I don't see any shortcut to this story as long as their foreign vehicle paranoia persists.

Sorry you didn't make it, you would have been the first one for a long time.
So, what's your alternative route?

Andy