Foreign looking folks get a pass on dumb shit/crimes with the 不懂 excuse usually because they don't consider that a major enough national security issue. But then conversely you stick out like a sore thumb so they'll keep you out of the "bad looking" places.
East Asian looking folks (me) can get into these places but if it's ID restricted you get turned away immediately because no 不懂 excuse.
Tibet is a bit special since there's an ongoing border conflict and a cold war, so I won't talk about that aside from TAR business travel is a black box voodo magic ritual. Don't bother unless you can get approval of all the transiting location party secretaries and central government approval, you can still be denied with a permit at the discresion of the TAR's local PSBs.
Most of these places are out west, you get "asked to leave" if its around the dates of some unrest (Dalai's birthday, etc), or if they
think there might be something that will happen. You'll know because there will be military police
everywhere.
Places like Linze (Gansu), Lhamo (Gansu), Golog (Qinghai), Huangnan (Qinghai), Delingha (Qinghai), Lingshui (Hainan), Yanbian (Jilin), Golmund (Qinghai), Kangding (Sichuan). Most of these are pretty small places.
People who don't look Han Chinese will have issues in Xinjiang/Tibet outside a tour group. They don't usually care in Lhasa. Sometimes the PSB don't know the damn rules either.
Can you show any evidence in the form of chinese or american media that suggests an expat rented an apartment in a restricted zone and got evicted because of its proximity to a military base?
I'll try to find a link but these rarely get mentioned in Chinese news. Local attiudes really play a role here. Some places just don't want trouble because it affects the economy. Again, I don't get the 不懂 excuse so YMMV.
Example: If you stay adjacent to Yulin harbor (Sanya, a resort town) you might land in hot water. There is a PLAN naval base that you
could possibly see. I know one guy got arrested in 2017(?) for taking pictures of the naval vessels, got vanned and dissapeared. I was staying at a friend's place when the MSS knocked. Conversation was basically:
Why are you here? (Buisness)
Who is your buisness partner? (X)
Are you aware that this apartment is under a new military restricted zone as of tomorrow? (no)
Are you aware you can see naval vessels that are state secrets? (No)
Do you have a non-phone camera? (no)
Do you own this place?(no)
Let me see your device photos.
Just for your information, the MSS arrested this guy a few weeks ago for X. Do yourself a favor and don't do anything stupid - bad for your buisness and ours.
If you are outside a major town or tourisim area it becomes more unfriendly.
As to what is "restricted".
The law just says it is foribidden for foreigners to enter a "restricted area" but the list is non-exaustive and not avalible to the public. Designations of these are the usually by the Armed forces or the Ministry of State Security (MSS). Think of it like East German Staatssicherheit.
First, you've got the English & Chinese "Military restricted area" /(军事管区) that's properly labeled in big red and white letters with manned checkpoints and high walls you obviously can't enter. You'll know when you see it, more important ones have road barricades to prevent "accidental" entry with armed guards.
Examples: National Defense College, August 1st building (PLA HQ), critical infrastructure (dams, power plants, etc) random ass farm plots responsible for PLA food production (This is a thing).
!!But!! the area surrounding the zone is vaugely defined. Generally if you can see, hear into it big nono. You'll be fine walking past most of them in the tier 1-3s as long as you aren't retarded to stare at them or take pictures.
Usually the PAP (Gendarme) is responsible for guarding these and the MSS does the investigations. Some are partially open to foreigners like hospitals, expect tedious bureaucratic bullshit, foreign IDs are not used with their database systems and they will make a one time use ID for you. The 不懂 excuse
does not usually work here.
Then there's the intentionally vague ones (Unmarked military, dirty industry, etc. Usually patrolled by PLAP or "Teqin" (No guns SWAT with a long ass cattle prod on astick and riot shields). Response varies between eye roll and asking you to leave, detaining you and searching all your belongings for photo/video and releasing you, to charged with spying. The ones in Tibet/Qinghai/Xinjiang/Beijing play fuck around and find out since they all carry firearms.
Finally there's the "(Technically) open to foreigners" where you need to find someone to lodge you because local hotels cannot/will not process your ID to register with the PSB which is required by law. Even then you might get fucked because the PSB will tell you to leave first thing in the morning. Most of Tibet/Qinghai/Xinjiang outside tourist areas and most tier 4+ (I used to because they don't want to bother since it's a pain registering foreigners in the internal system.
Here's a recent reddit
link. I hate reddit but it should show you that this isn't me spewing bullshit.
