China has announced tighter rules on employment of foreign nationals. As someone who has already been affected by this I have mixed feelings.

There are two new regulations.

One is to prevent unsuitable candidates from being employed in the teaching field. Foreign teachers must now have a proper qualification, at least five years of relevant experience prior to being employed in China, and no criminal history.

The second is that only those between 18 and 60 can apply for a valid working visa.

Certainly, I have no problem with the crackdown on unsuitable teachers. There have been two high profile cases in recent times where teachers with a history of pedophilia were employed at schools. One was from the UK, and after so many child sex abuse scandals there are very strict rules now whereby no person can be employed in any capacity involving contact with children without a thorough advance police check. China is wise to do the same.

Equally, we should weed out unqualified "teachers."

I lived in Japan for 16 years and saw a constant stream of young backpackers from the West turning up penniless and deciding to "teach English" to earn some money to fund the next stage of their journey. It didn't matter if they had any experience or not; they were native speakers and that's all undiscerning "schools" needed - a "foreign face" to impress potential customers.

I knew of such "schools" in China as well, and I'm happy with any policy that ensures that parents who pay hefty fees for their children to learn English are receiving tuition from those that are actually qualified to give it.

My particular problem is with the government's statement that foreign nationals looking for a job in Beijing should be no younger than 18 and no older than 60 (there's some leeway for foreign experts invited for "special programs" who can work to 65).

I ran foul of these requirements at a leading university in Beijing. It wanted me to continue as a valuable member of the faculty, but was officially prevented from offering me a new contract.

No work, no visa renewal. So I was forced to leave China where I had happily lived for well over 20 years.

The age-restrictive policy may have been implemented to prevent older foreigners from being a financial burden on China's social security system. However, older foreigners I have met and worked with in China always seemed to arrive with generous pensions and health insurance from their own countries to ensure this wouldn't be the case.

I was always led to believe I lived in a country that respected the wisdom that comes with advancing age. With great increases in life expectancy, there are many people in excellent physical and mental health who can offer rich knowledge and valuable skills to China well into their 70s or even beyond.

It's truly a pity that the new regulations will prevent this from happening. I think the country is losing a valuable asset.