TT are referring to those PRCs living amongst us, whom we interact frequently.
Those blue collar ones are the ones likely to stay on because they are unlikely to move on to westernized developed countries. They may go back to China if the economic and political (maybe not even be a pre-requisite) situation improves there.
The white collar ones are the ones with a choice. There are basically two types here. If we look at the student body, those who are creme de la creme, who are on our Govt scholarships are capable enough to immerse in all programmes, academic and curricula, that the local students go through after only a short period of adaptation. They can also eventually speak like a Singaporean without the strong PRC accent. The question is will they stay on? What are the incentives and dis-incentives? My problem is the incentives are there but the disincentives are not, leaving them a free hand to determine their future.
You mention self-absorption. Who is not in a foreign country? Singaporeans in Australia and Canada do the same weighing of the pros and cons and hope that more like them would join their kind. The difference is how exclusive are these groups.
If you are talking of students, some foreign students are capable enough in their adaptation to participate in all programmes that the local students participate in if the environment is right, at least not hostile.
The other group of students, those who come on their own, on parents' scholarship, may struggle a bit more and have to stick to their study groups, involving very little in non-academic programmes. Others whose parents are so well-to-do might not even place a strong emphasis on studies (just a pass will do) and spend their time in painting the town red with their buddies. There is not much we can do with this second group as long as Singapore is open to investment from all over. And PRC has a strong presence and many investments in Singapore. You cannot stop these investors and the managers of their investments from bringing in their families.
I agree the behaviour of the new rich can take some getting use to but I believe this is only a transitional phase that we all go through (Singaporeans too have been looked upon in the same way by others before but we have one advantage - spoken and written English).
I am a practical person. There is no pure system. A pure system will not survive. We already see the demise of pure socialism and we are beginning to see the crumpling of pure capitalism that has created extreme income inequality. What I am saying is, if we have to take in foreigners, we have to answer some fundamental questions:-
1) What and how much is their value-add and the social cost?
2) Can they be moldable to be like us? Admittedly they can also bring new ways of life that can enrich the life-style we are living in but the basic characteristics of our people must be a constant.
3) Are our local people disadvantaged in any way and their interest protected? The Govt often talked about general good. We also need to ensure individual good.