Ouch, yes, you should not work till you get your paycheck!
You do want to be careful there especially working at the smaller local Chinese firms. A word of advice, if they don’t offer to get you a work permit, then that should raise alarm bells and you should be very cautious. However, there are many international offices in China and large corporate Chinese firms that respect international law and do things properly.
I worked in China for 3 years. My first job there was at a local Chinese architecture office (I won’t name who). They didn’t offer me a work permit, so I had less power to ask for things. There were times my pay was delayed at that office, and many of my former colleagues left not getting their last paycheck or not getting the full amount.
My second job, however, was the opposite. I had the proper work permit, contracts were legit, pay was on time, they had a proper HR staff to take care of you, and I even got health benefits. It operated like a real business should.
So yes be careful if you decide to work in China (or even in the US), research the company and ask questions before you accept a job, and be careful if the company says they cannot offer you a work permit the first week you start working for them. If they don’t, it means they work under the table and you may have issues while working for them.
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