UPDATE AS OF MARCH 2025
It is a hard no to obtaining a residency permit unfortunately. The online UNAIDS document is inaccurate as are Google's AI generated search results which misleading state there are no restrictions on residency or long term stays.
My experience -
I was offered a role in Shanghai February 2025 and disclosed my status to the business when it came to applying for the Z Visa. They were very supportive and spoke with the China Entry and Exit Inspection and Control and a specialist lawyer.
The definitive answer is that NO, YOU CANNOT GET A RESIDENCY PERMIT WITH HIV, regardless of whether you're undetectable. HIV status is screened as part of the mandatory medical examination process and likely you won't even get that far in the process as you have to disclose your status on the Z Visa application form. I shared my blood test results in their entirety with the prospective employer in case there were any exceptions possible based on current viral load and CD4 and there are not. All my other results are perfectly normal and healthy - that didn't mitigate my underlying positive status.
There is no workaround and it cannot be avoided through non-disclosure at any stage. If you deliberately do not disclose (read: lie) on the initial Z Visa application you are potentially going to make the situation a lot worse on the ground in China when it comes to the medical testing -
1. Either they will assume you lied knowingly and this could be a really difficult situation to navigate in China
2. Or they will assume you are not on medication and therefor pose a risk of transmission or a potential burden to the healthcare system
3. Or (and this is just speculation running the various options that could occur) - they will detect HIV medication as part of the screening or run additional blood tests and again, you would be caught lying to the Chinese authorities. Which obviously isn't a good idea.
You can travel to China as a tourist but it is an unequivocal no with regards to gaining the necessary permissions for working there on a Z Visa.
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news - I've spent the past two weeks extensively researching this and was fortunate enough to have the full support of the potential employer in looking for a solution and accurate information. Given they spoke with both a specialist immigration Lawyer in China and also the government authorities I think it's safe to say the answer is definitively no, you will not get a Chinese Z Visa / Residency Permit if you are HIV positive.
China still uses the terms HIV and AIDS interchangeably which, in spite of all the PR exercises the Chinese Government has conducted to appear modern and up to date with present scientific understanding of the virus and it's management, is an accurate barometer of where they ACTUALLY are culturally when it comes to HIV.
I WOULD ALSO FLAG -
There is absolutely no concept of confidentiality with regards to HIV status in China. I emailed the Visa company the employer was planning to use to prepare my application and clearly, and repeatedly, said that my enquiry was confidential / no permission to disclose was granted. Regardless, they contacted the prospective employer and disclosed my status without my permission. I was planning to have the conversation with the prospective employer anyway so functionally it had no impact but you do have to recognise that China has VERY DIFFERENT cultural perceptions of HIV and do not respect your privacy whatsoever. Which I guess isn't surprising given the level of state surveillance.
