Is pale white skin a desired trait for English teachers in China?

No. What is desirable is if you have a degree from an English-speaking country. That's what makes a difference for your salary. EDIT: The reason I say degrees matter is because I know even Asians with degrees from the US or Britain will be automatically higher paid than an Asian with the same degree from China. If you're talking about two people with the same qualifications (ie. both English degrees from America), then probably someone who's foreign or who better fits the stereotypical English speaker will be preferred. I don't think this automatically translates to a person with white skin. There are black Americans who would be higher paid too, because they are from the US.

In China the schools prefer "real" foreigners. Teachers of Asian decent will have a tougher time to find a job and will be offered lower salaries. Same for qualified English teachers from India. But I doubt a simple tan will have an effect.

Nobody cares about the skin, or even nationality. One of my teachers use to teach English in China, and she was neither Chinese or Caucasian.

I don't think it matters. I have taught oral english in China and I never saw my interviewer until after I was offered the job. I also heard that the year before, one of the teachers was an African-American. Skin color doesn't really matter.

Maybe they think that the teachers of that demographic are more apt to take hwatever salary is offered in order to say that they have lived in China to their liberal friends back home in Canada.

From what I understand they want native speakers of English. Some online postings say they actually want Americans or British people... As far as skin color, I have a friend of mine who is African American and had no problem getting a teaching job in China.

Not necessarily. Your citizenship is probably more important than your skin tone, one of my colleagues is a very dark skinned African guy but he has Canadian citizenship so he got a job no problem.

People just don't want to admit or accept it. But yes light skin, light hair, eyes etc do make a difference and are helpful no matter what your doing in China. There is a shortage of qualified teachers so anyone qualified WILL do fine and if you AREN'T qualified you prolly cant save yourself by being light BUT equal qualifications and you are better off being pale skinned and particularly blond. Pale skin has always been considered the standard of beauty in China, nothing to do with Westerners, I think it comes from the ideal HAN Chinese look. Still they do pick and choose and give preference to better looking people. Also I have been told they think black people are criminals because they watch too much of the wrong American TV. Its sad and racist but its what I have heard and it runs across a lot of Asia and causes a lot of them to be prejudiced like that. Accents too as has already been mentioned, can be a problem. They prefer midwest neutral USA-nian accent or British although I wonder if they know the difference between a lot of them, just don't go with a strong Alabama drawl or a Scottish brogue and you prolly alright. Someone posted on a blog somewhere that he had problems due to visible tattoos too, at some schools anyway. A summer tan is probably not a biggie, as I said there is a shortage of people who are actually qualified...