From CA Travel Info September 22, 2008

 CRIME:  China has a low crime rate.  Pickpockets target tourists at sightseeing destinations, open-air markets, airports, and in stores, often with the complicity of low-paid security guards.  Americans are perceived as wealthy and may be specifically targeted by petty criminals.  Violence against foreigners, while rare, is on the increase.  Over the past year, incidents of violence against foreigners, including sexual assaults, have taken place, usually in urban areas where bars and nightclubs are located.  Robberies, sometimes at gunpoint, have occurred in western China and more recently in Beijing.  There have been some reports of robberies and assaults along remote mountain highways near China’s border with Nepal.  Travelers are sometimes asked by locals to exchange money at a preferential rate.  It is illegal to exchange dollars for RMB except at banks, hotels, and official exchange offices.  Due to the large volume of counterfeit currency in China, unofficial exchanges usually result in travelers losing their money and possibly facing charges of breaking foreign exchange laws.  If detained by police under suspicion of committing an economic crime involving currency, travelers may be delayed for weeks or months while police investigate the allegations.

Read on for more about: attacks on foreigners, nationalism, deportation, counterfeit money, tourist/tea scams, robbery, hotel guests, relationship fraud, airport tax, passport safety, and pirated goods.

Recently, there have been instances in Beijing and elsewhere of mobs in bar districts attacking foreigners.  Nationalism is on the rise, and disputes among Chinese citizens or between Chinese and foreigners can quickly escalate.  Caution should be exercised when visiting bar districts late at night, especially on weekends.  There have been reports of bar fights in which Americans have been specifically targeted due their nationality.  Simple arguments can turn into mob scenes and many times have resulted in the American being detained for hours for questioning with no right to an attorney or consular officer at that stage.  Bar fights are often punished by administrative detention in a local jail for up to two weeks, usually followed by deportation.

Travelers should have small bills (RMB 10, 20 and 50 notes) for travel by taxi.  Reports of taxi drivers using counterfeit money to make change for large bills are increasingly common, especially in Guangzhou.  Arguments with taxi drivers over fares or over choice of route usually are not easily resolved on the scene.  In some cases, Americans who instigate such arguments have been detained for questioning and have not been released until the fare is paid or a settlement is reached and the American offers an apology.  There has been an increase in the number of Americans falling victim to scams involving the inflation of prices for tea and other drinks..  Normally, the scam involves young people who approach English speaking tourists and ask to have a cup of tea with them to practice their English. When the bill comes for the tea, the charge has been inflated to an exorbitant amount.  When the tourist complains, enforcers arrive to collect the money.  A similar scam involves buying drinks for young women at local bars.

Throughout China, women outside hotels in tourist districts frequently use the prospect of companionship or sex to lure foreign men to isolated locations where accomplices are waiting for the purpose of robbery.  Travelers should not allow themselves to be driven to bars or an individual's home unless they know the person making the offer.  Hotel guests should refuse to open their room doors to anyone they do not know personally.

The Embassy has received some reports of fraud committed against U.S. citizens through the Internet with the intent of securing a visa to the United States or money.  A common scenario involves a Chinese national who hires a consulting company to communicate with an American citizen on his/her behalf.  The intent of the Chinese national is not always clear; however, the business models of many of these companies are reliant on the American citizen ultimately sending money to the Chinese national for expenses, such as English study, not knowing that the money is going to the “consultant” instead.  The American citizen may unwittingly carry on telephone conversations with a paid consultant posing as the romantic interest.    In some cases, the American citizen may travel to China to meet his/her Internet friend in person, a visa consultant accompanies the Chinese friend and presents the American with a demand for payment of thousands of dollars in fees.  At times, when the American citizen has refused to pay, s/he has been threatened with physical violence or unlawful detention.  Another common scenario involves a Chinese person who will claim he/she or a close family member has been kidnapped or had a large sum of money stolen and asks the American to wire them money.  We want to remind American citizens that no one should provide personal or financial information to unknown parties.  For additional information on these types of scams, see the Department of State’s publication, International Financial Scams.

Relationship fraud via the internet is also a growing industry.  While many Chinese citizens are sincere in their desire to marry and live with Americans they meet over the Internet, some are not.  It is important to remember that immigrant visas to the United States are viewed by many Chinese as having a great deal of value, and it is not uncommon for people to enter into relationships for the sole purpose of obtaining a visa. 

Unfortunately, the Embassy is unable to carry out investigations of relationships of this sort, but all Americans are urged to approach such Internet relationships with caution, and to be wary of situations which appear similar to that described above.

Recently, American visitors have encountered scams at the international airports in China whereby individuals appearing to work for the airport offer to take American tourists’ bags to the departure area, but instead they carry the bags to another area and insist that the visitor pay an airport tax.  Travelers should be advised that the airport tax is now included in the price of the airline ticket.  The airport police or security officers should be contacted if this happens.

The U.S. Embassy is aware of reports that airport thefts and robberies of travelers in China are on the rise, specifically in the domestic airports of Beijing, Zhengzhou, Shenyang, Dalian, Qingdao and Taiyuan.  Additionally, some Americans report that they have been the victims of robberies while in their hotel rooms in tourist areas and some have been assaulted during these robberies.

American visitors to China should carry their passports with them out of reach of pickpockets. Americans with Chinese residence permits (juliuzheng) should carry these documents, and leave their passports in a secure location except when traveling.  All Americans are encouraged to make photocopies of their passport bio-data pages and Chinese visas and to keep these in a separate, secure location, and to register with the U.S. Embassy or nearest consulate general. (See “Registration/Embassy Location” information below).

In many countries around the world, counterfeit and pirated goods are widely available.  Transactions involving such products may be illegal under local law.  In addition, bringing them back to the United States may result in forfeitures and/or fines.  More information on this serious problem is available at http://www.cybercrime.gov/18usc2320.htm.

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