Safety

In general, China is an extraordinarily safe country. Rate for violent crime are especially low. However there always some risk. Your chances of being the victim of a crime are much lower if you take some simple precautions.


Theft

Petty theft is by far the biggest threat to foreigners in China. The chances of getting something stolen are low, but it does happen, especially in areas with many tourists. Make sure you don’t display like watches, cash, electronics and other valuables openly. If possible, leave them in your hotel or other accommodation. When not taking pictures, put your camera away in your bag.

Don’t leave valuables and important documents like your passport in your hotel room in plain sight. Make sure they’re stored safely or take them with you when you go out. If is worth asking if your hotel has a safe that you can store valuables in. While sleeping on a train or bus, make sure all your valuables are with you and don’t leave them unattended.

When travelling, it is best to store things like money and bank cards on different parts of your body. For example, you might put some cash in your front pocket, your bank card in your back pocket and more money in a coat pocket or bag.

The biggest places to look out for crime are bus and train stations, public transportation (especially sleeper-buses and trains) and areas with many tourists like shopping districts or monuments.


Violent Crime

Violent crime is very rare in China but it does happen. There have been instances of foreigners being targets for mugging and even murder, mostly to steal valuables. Be aware of your surroundings and don’t take needless risks. A place that suspiciously has no women or children for no obvious reason is to be avoided.

Don’t go out of your way to get into fights, even if you feel offended. If you do get into a fight, do anything you can to escape. If possible, run away instead of fighting back. Fights almost always end poorly for foreigners in China, especially if the police get involved. They are not likely to take your side and there may be language barriers that can make explaining your side of the conflict difficult or impossible.


Scams

Be careful not to fall pray to a scam. There a number of different scams in China. One of the more common scams occurs when one or more friendly English-speaking locals approach you and strike up a conversation. They then suggest that you go and eat or drink together. After ordering expensive dishes, tea or alcohol, they then claim to have no money and leave you with the bill. Often the food is overpriced and the scammer is working with the restaurant, splitting the money.

Another scam is in the form of an illegal taxi from the airport. Taxi drivers that speak some English may approach foreigners at the airport and offer to drive them into town. When they arrive at the destination, they charge several times what a normal taxi would cost for the same ride.

While there are a wide variety of scams, they all have a few things in common. First of all, they happen almost exclusively in areas with many tourists; areas without foreigners have no targets for scammers. Scammers often present themselves as college students or as eager locals hoping to practice their English. Finally, scammers like to control where you go: that’s because they often have deals with specific local businesses to cheat foreign tourists.

However, don’t assume everyone that is friendly with you or wants to help is trying to scam you. Many people genuinely want to welcome foreigners to China and ensure that they have a good time. Caution is key, but don’t let it get in the way of meeting new friends.