In Chongqing municipality, southwestern China, four girls from Ukraine work as professional models in a local company. They help promote different brands at various commercial activities. The models earn several times more than they do in their home country.

In a shopping mall in Chongqing, Ukrainian model Anna, 22, was working with other models for a lingerie show. Anna said she learnt piano in college and worked as a secretary for a movie company in Ukraine. The unrest situation in her homeland made she want to work in a safe and stable country, so she came to China and became a model in this model company.

According to Owen, the boss of the company, models are paid with basic salary and bonus. Usually a foreign model will earn more than 50,000 yuan in three months, several times higher than his or her income back in home country.