Shanghai assignment for three years

Welcome to Shanghai

Man, have you got some research to do!
What do you even know about Shanghai? It's a hell of a big city - will you be in town or on the outskirts?

Bottom line: Where you are is 'Home' - and don't forget it.
Your roots may be elsewhere; but "Here is home"
Good luck - and I've been here on and off for a good part of 15 years
David

you name it.... I may be way over my head here, but that might be just the point, which makes it so exciting.

I really like asia and have been from Japan to the backskirts of Cambodia in the last ten years. But of course that was just travelling and I know that changing your center of life and working there is a slightly different matter.
Never been to China (ok, I spent two weeks in HK... but thats even less China than Shanghai), so yeah - I better start with basic research before going into the contract negotiations with my company.

Shanghai is like HK in that is is a very westernized city.

There is no use trying to replicate your life where ever you are now to China. It is like comparing apples to paperclips.

Salary will be up to your employer. I would suggest a base salary and a per diem.

Everything is much cheaper than in the West, but if you want to live like a Westerner, you will pay dearly for that privilege.

Plan on taking Chinese lessons, and having a company reimbursed apartment.

Keep in mind that they have asked you to live 12 hours flight away from home, not the other way around.
2 to 3x of what you are making right now plus other benefits is a good start.
Also remember they want you on a 3 years fixed salary, it's impossible to get local workers or local lease contract with over one year fix deal because the cost is always up and by up I mean skyrocketing.

As a technical engineer, you will be doing a lot of "babysitting" and problem solving tasks, so learning mandarin would be crucial for your job in addition to 101 culture etiquettes or dos and donts.
Good luck!

Starting to make some progress here... still a lot of details, I'm not even considering right now.

Of course there are some basic internal guidelines for international assignments (which include basic salary + cost of living compensation + accomodation + benefits) which will leave some room for individual negotiation, but only within a reasonable range. So 3x of what I'm making right now, doesn't seem realistic at all. But that's something, that has to wait until I sit down with HR.
On the other hand salary won't be fixed for the full 3-year term. A yearly adjustment is included in our basic guidelines.

Learning at least basic Mandarin is a detail, which was already recommended to me by our company. I get an initial 100 language lessons with the option to have additional payed classes in Mandarin afterwards.

Still feels a bit like being run over by a freight train... I already have to schedule for medical examinations, tax consulting.... plan for a first 1-2 week look&see trip (getting to know our local staff in SH, make first arrangements to find a flat and getting a first impression)
A closer look on the city map and Metro connections is a bit overwhelming, but basically accomodations in the Xujiahui-area seem to be ok. Our company is located around central Minhang district which is something about a 30-40 min by Metro with 1 change of trains.... (so I guess more or less a full hour, which seems to be ok and doesn't leave me too far on the outskirts of the city)

Xujiahui is served by 3 metro Lines. I recommend you find accommodation to give you a direct ride without changing Lines - unless one hour, probably standing, during the Metro crush is not a problem!
And some Line change stations are not simply a platform change.
Cheers

I'm sure you will figure out the living cost and other info during the look and see trip but I'm afraid it will be too late by then. The year on year salary increase is not significant and there's no penalty-free walking back from the 3 years contract.

The Minhang industrial zone is mainly served by Line 5, a long ride from xujiahui area. The daily grind can take its toll on you... Even with a car it'd take much longer during rush-hours. Best advice is finding an apartment next to Xinzhuang station. It's a decent lively area. You will not have time to enjoy xujiahui or Jingan area everyday after work and you can always do that on a friday night/weekends.
My two cents!

Hi ShanghaiDriver,

Nah - salary adjustment truly shouldn't be a major issue.
It's a German contract... so we usually have a yearly increase against inflation-effects (somewhere around 3%), for the assignment-benefit package, we are working with Mercer rates (which should also be adjusted every year in regards of local cost of living situation) - but foremost, my contract is not fixed for a three-year period and I can discuss basic salary each year.

Your suggestion about finding something near Xinzhuang station sounds reasonable. But I am a bit unsure, if this might be too mouch out of everything for me. I only have to go 2 or 3 stations on Line 5 into Minhang. Of course, it would be very convenient, if I won't have to change Metro-lines for my daily commuting. On the other hand, it does not sound, as if there is much around Xinzhuang safe reasonable priced housing. Knowing myself, I consider it a real risk, that I will become too lazy to go out at all at the weekends, if I have to take a cab back home everytime... especially with moving into a city, where I don't know anyone and where social contacts will be way more difficult due to the huge language barrier.
But let's wait and see what our guys in China recommend. I may be ignorant and somtimes even stubborn... but at least I am not unconvincible 

Imagine the ARD/WDR crew flew to Shanghai to shoot a local version of "Ungleichland"   

I'm happy to know that the negotiation with your employer is moving the right way, and that you are a true believer of the system and published figures. The figure I've mentioned in my post as based on my own experience and info shared by my friends here in Shangahi because in your original post you were literally asking someone to send you a copy (or insider info) of that expensive Mercer document. I

And I'm not sure who told you there's no SAFE, GOOD accommodation in xinzhuang area and you will end up bored to death hanging around. If that's something you head from local admin/HR in Shanghai then rest assured they are in bed with a local agent and going to pay top dollar on your behalf for mediocre refurbished stair-house in xujiahui and if that's something you saw online then it's definitely outdated info. My advice is still against long commute with transfer. But again, that's up to you : )
Good luck again!