My best chinese friends were my coworkers, twice a month myself and four Chinese girls meet up and have dinner and go to ktv . I've been asked to be one of their bridesmaids and we'll be friends for life.

others are people who have randomly started talking to me or my adult students who I occasionally have dinner with and don't talk about work!

be careful though, some people are just looking for a favor so don't ask people you don't trust to help you with too many things. Good luck 

I have a good eye for the culturally refined ones but I meet them only randomly.  I make contacts with them by asking them intellectual questions. 

You can check some websites related to your city and attend some of the social events posted. I've done that and have met some cool people. 

I met all my Chinese friends through our English corner.  It is not tied to a school or anything like that, very open and anyone can turn up. I have been going there for four years now and have made a few real friends and a lot more acquaintances.

Usually through a common hobby. I like playing music, skateboarding and watching live music, so I hang out with the local punk/rock/metal and jazz bands. A few of them are still in uni so I go to events and recitals and meet more people at those and more of the artistic social circle at the local live music bar.

I don't have them. I married one, and I would say that is about it. I do not share anything with most people. The men my age are married and dull, and can't speak English. The women, again, I'm married. I don't go to bars. I don't know any foreigners either. In fact I would say, in all honesty, I have no friends at all in Harbin, and I have lived here one year.

Most of my friends are Chinese, awesome relationship, brilliant pals

Nothing to talk about to Chinese guys, there are no peers at all. Those my age come across as juvenile and boring. Those older than me are Chinese elders. Most of the people I interacted with were my wife's family, so that's another barrier for normal discourse.

Even if I met a foreigner, the wife would discourage meeting up. People mistrust everybody. I knew one foreigner I met sporadically in my small city, and he helped me out a lot.

My wife dropped her guard way too slowly. This friend payed a whopping 900yuan for a medium proofreading task, he countersigned my kids' passport applications and even offered to loan me 10k to accept a job in another city (I didn't accept).

We came close to having a barbecue together with both families, but his kid got a fever. If I was allowed to be more sociable, things might have gone faster. Perhaps that meeting might take place if&when I pick up my family to travel to Europe.

China is socially isolating for foreigners and locals alike. Most Chinese don't make any friends besides classmates and co-workers, and then usually only casual fairweather friends. But living in small cities, we expats at least have a reason to stop and chat with any non-locals we meet, for a bit of human contact.

I appreciate friendliness more now. Visiting my planned city of residence in Germany, I loved the courtesy and friendliness. When I was young, I may have snubbed a few friendly passing greetings, but I understand the importance of reciprocating now. Because if you don't, then ... China.

Chinese friends?? Hmm, you will have to define exactly what that means to you.

Using the standard which you would use at home doesn't work here, ie: a relationship of mutual affection between peers who share common interests.

Here, friendship between local and foreigners perhaps may mean: someone you know superficially who you can exploit to get something you want, give you face or use shamelessly.