It can be done but only very, very rarely. I have a Bank of China Great Wall Mastercard.

The options are as follows:

If you own property in China, the banks will treat you as a more secure customer to offer credit to. If you are an owner of a company with substantial registered capital or a senior executive at a very large company, your status will also be viewed more favourably. Thirdly, high worth individuals with a substantial amount in a savings account has a reasonable chance.  Then there is the old chestnut "guanxi" that can help on occasions. Rarely will low to middle range earners be offered credit card facilities unless backed by security. That cuts out most people in the English teaching profession.

There is a workaround that foreigners can exploit if all else fails. Some banks will allow ex-pats to deposit an agreed sum of money e.g. 15000 rmb in a timed savings account. You can use this sum of money as a guarantee against credit card facilities. You sign an agreement that the sum will remain  in the savings account during the period that you hold the credit card. The bank will set the credit limit at about two thirds of the deposited sum. If you default on the credit card account, the bank will use the funds deposited to retrieve the outlay. You can, at any time, return the credit card and withdraw the savings. This method will give you access to a credit card with overseas facilities and multi currency functionality. Therefore, online purchases are no problem whatsoever.

I have CMB debit card with Visa logo. I am not sure, if CMB will grant CC to foreigner. More on CMB CC:

http://english.cmbchina.com/CreditCard/DetailInfo.aspx?guid=9a75f179-db6...

  Once the wife's tucked it in her purse, nope, not without a hammer.

You can get a Visa Debit card at the China Merchants bank, but if you'll use it outside of China, you must load it with dollars first, and if you want to use it online, bring your laptop into the bank and force the lazy bank workers to type in your address until it works with online purchases, Chinese address are in pingying and must be spaced or conjoined correctly.

Next you can freeze some money in your Pingang bank and get a Union Pay credit card. I don't see the point in it though.

The cmb visa is annoying, can use abroad for purchases but cannot use it to purchase online from overseas stores. What's the point of that?!

cmb (branch and telephone) confirmed its because there are many fake websites abroad and they can't trust you using your own money on these sites!

Very easy to get a Chinese credit card as long as you are gainfully employed and make a salary of over 20,000 rmb per month.

I have a credit card from the Bank of Communications that has a limit of 50,000rmb (initially 25,000 but after 2 years of paying on time it has been raised a few times)

Get a copy of your contract, a business card with your name on it, a business card with your bosses name on it, and a paper stamped by your company showing how much you make as well as your z visa. take everything and go to the bank of communications, you will need to fill in a form all in Chinese so if you cant read bring someone with you.

Should have it in 10 days.

Beware, I have known foreigners to rack up a bill then attempt to leave the country with 2 months debt outstanding and have been flagged at the border and detained and missed flights.

Ya need a cool million baby.  In the past at least.