Answer to One China Travel Question
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Q: I am planning a trip to Guangdong in China. Is there much crime and have you got to be on you guard? Also are the Chinese generally trustworthy?
| | A: The world is going to the dogs, China included. Joking aside, China today is not as safe as it use to be, say, twenty years ago. That brings us back the Mao era, of course. Back then, Chinese were equally poor, and most people stayed where they were and hardly moved all their life. The reforms in the past twenty years has polarized Chinese society in terms of wealth or the lack of it, and millions of Chinese are on the move nowadays, seeking jobs, etc. So the general wellbeing of the people has been improved, but certain problems have also worsened, such as crime. It is hard to say how bad it is in absolute terms, and situation varies across the country. Some people would say China is generally safe; others would say otherwise.
Most crimes in China are money-related. This is different from the situation in some other countries; in the United States, for instance, crime is often related to race-issues. This means that in China the most common crimes are theft, burglary and maybe robbery. People do argue with one another frequently, but personal assaults for no apparent reasons are relatively rare. A foreign tourist in China should be alert to property-related crimes, such as pick pocketing, which is common, especially in crowded situations (buses, railway stations, trains, lines before ticketing offices, etc.) The best policy for foreigners who travel in China is to be on your guard, to show thieves that you're watch you bags, purses, cameras and so on, and that you're not an easy target. Keep your stuff in front of you, not behind you. Some pickpockets use little knives to cut purses and take valuables inside.
Some people would tell you that criminals tend to stay away from foreigners because the government is keen on protecting foreign visitors; if a thief is caught victimizing a foreigner, he may be in more serious trouble. Some others, however, would say that foreigners should be more careful because thieves tend to think that all foreigners are rich and have a lot money on them.
As for whether people are trustworthy, again it is hard to generalize. most average Chinese are sociable creatures and are kind to foreign visitors. This is cannot be said of businesspeople, peddlers, shopkeepers, etc., whose goal is of course to make as much as possible; if they can, they may take advantage of foreigners' lack of knowledge on prices, etc. A relate issue that if you're buying from little shops or peddlers, people do bargain. They may give you highly inflate prices, with the understanding that you would counter-offer. Tourists are often surprised or dismayed to find out by how much the sellers have inflated prices. This is part of doing business in the street. Walk around and observe transactions being made, you'll get some ideas at what prices things are sold. Often you find out, after making your purchases, that the price you paid is not the lowest. No need to kick yourself for it if the difference is not all that great. Prices for goods in large stores are clearly marked and these are the prices you pay.
Another problem with buying from street peddlers is their aggressive sales tactics. They would shout to you; they'd pull your sleeves; they'd follow you; they'd say "Hello!" incessantly. For some reasons they do this mostly to foreigners, but not the locals, probably because local people would simply ignore them. This practice can be really annoying to people who are not use to it. The simple way to deal with it is walk on paying no attention (if you're a nice person, smile slightly but keep walking). If you want to buy something, be cool; check out the goods and no need to talk a whole lot (not that a meaningful conversation can be conducted given the language barrier.
Yet another problem for foreign tourists in China is beggars. Given the huge population of China (one-fifth of the world's total), it should surprise no one that there are poor and unfortunate people in China, and some of them have come to city to beg in the streets. It should be noted, however, that in some cases begging around tourist sites is organized activities; they appear in various pitiful conditions, sometimes bringing small babies with them, and descend on foreign tourists. For some people it is a hard decision whether to give or not. Some people, among Chinese, would not give, on the account that giving would only encourage an unhealthy lifestyle based on foreign tourism; the society and state should assume responsibility and deal with the problems in fundamental ways.
As noted above, average Chinese, if they are not trying to get something off you, are mostly nice; young Chinese especially enjoy talking to foreign visiors as it is a good way for them to practice their foreign language skills. So, if you’re going to travel to China, be prepared psychologically and realistic, and you’ll be enjoy yourself.
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