Is it now safe(r) to go to China?

TLDR: Yes, it’s physically safe, but that’s not what most people are worried about.

DAVID DAYTON; DEC 07, 2024

This week the US State Dept. lowered the Travel Advisory from 3 (reconsider travel) to 2 (exercise increased caution). So of course this raises the question: Is China demonstrably safer this week than last? No. But it was never really physically dangerous to begin with.

I’ve lived and worked in China for 15 years. When I first went to China in 1995 it was safe, but difficult. Life was still hard in China despite officially starting to open up. Petty theft was common. Food quality was questionable. But there was little concern for physical safety, other than road safety—which was honestly terrifying!

10-20 years later, from the 00’s through 2017, China was much cleaner, but still pretty much the same safety story; food scandals, petty theft in railway stations, and millions of new drivers (a whole new road-safety threat). But expats were generally not afraid for their physical safety.

I had my pockets picked a number of times and I had a few phones stolen. Once I chased down a thief trying to make off on my bike, but can only remember two times when I felt unsafe in 15 years in China.

Today, it’s different, but not in the way that you might think. Petty theft is down. Driving safety is up. Food and product standards are higher, though scandals are still common—see the cooking oil and sanitary products scandals in the last year. But being in China “feels” different (appropriate use of scare quotes).

The biggest concern that I hear from other expats is about the gray areas in government policy and media censorship and surveillance. These are things that no one seems to have a handle on and may or may not be consistently applied across the country. The unknown is scary.

When I was teaching at a university in Shanghai last semester the Department Chair asked my help in recruiting other foreign teachers. She wondered why I was willing to come to China when they were having a very hard time getting anyone else (from the US or the EU) to come. She said that China was very safe and that they’d raised their pay rates and travel reimbursement but still couldn’t attract the teachers they needed. So, why was I (very) willing to come?

I told her that safety wasn’t the issue. At least not physical safety. I’d lived in China before, my family is Chinese, I’m very comfortable here because I’ve studied the culture and experienced decades in China. China isn’t an unknown for me.

Other professors that could come to China won’t for a lot of reasons that don’t have anything to do with China (tenure, family, economics, etc.). Other issues that relate to China, but are still individual include the questionable professional and monetary value of spending a semester in China.

But the concerns that are at the top for most foreigners, professors and business people alike, are much more legal and governmental. Things that the university can’t really address, and that’s the concern. Here are a few.

Exit bans. This is the scariest thing. I have two friends/associates who are stuck in China and can’t leave due to exit bans. If there is a legal case against you, you can be detained in China until it’s resolved. One of my friends has been detained in the country for more than 2 years now because the case has never come to court—he claims the prosecuting party is paying the court to not hear the case to force him to negotiate. This is not an uncommon story.

Foreign Espionage Law. This too is pretty scary, again because it seems to be so arbitrary. When going to China, we all (should) know that someone will likely always be watching us. Not just because we stand out as foreigners, but because the law now rewards our neighbors for snitching on us. Every class we teach will have someone that reports on ALL discussions and any questionable topics/comments had in class. Corporations all have a Party rep that does the same thing. If you’re not careful, you could be reported, questioned, detained, and/or deported because of something you’ve said. Does it happen often? No, but the law itself has a chilling effect on people who would otherwise be willing to teach/work in China. I have had the police invite me to tea twice. And let me tell you that those visits can have a very chilling effect.

These two points, the Exit Bans and the Foreign Espionage Law are specifically why the Travel Advisory was previous at 3—arbitrary enforcement and local govt harassment of small businesses. And the laws are still in effect, even if US citizens are no longer being detained. So is China really any safe(r)?

Media Censorship. Whether in China or out, social media is typically the most common use of a phone. If people are cut off from that, it’s likely going to be an unwelcome lifestyle change. And it’s not just losing access to stupid cat videos. Families use SM apps to keep in touch, friends use them to digitally “hang out” together. Going to a foreign country usually means sharing everything on the apps with those back home. China is like going into a media black hole. While in China I can’t get access to foreign university or professional sites or resources, even on campus. No google (translate, scholar, doc, maps, etc.), no linked in, no fb/TT/insta/WhatsApp/messenger/etc. And, honestly, Bing and WeChat suck.

Food and Consumer Product Familiarity and Safety. China is not known for high quality standards when it comes to consumer products. And many western products and brands are just not available—a great example is the complete lack of tampons in the country. If you're not familiar with China/Chinese products and foodstuffs, living in China can be difficult. Add in any type of eating limitations (and language limitations explaining said limits) and you’ll be hard pressed to have a comfortable experience.

Finally, Being Alone. In 20 years of being an expat, this is the most common problem I’ve seen with other expats—one member of a couple, a child, or someone who came over by themselves can’t deal with China. If you don’t speak Mandarin, if you don’t have a support system, if you can’t regularly contact your family/friends back home, China can be crushingly lonely. And China doesn’t have support services for expats like you’d find in more cosmopolitan countries, even fewer now than before Covid. Even ABCs can have a hard time adjusting to a world that is completely Chinese. Lots of affairs, divorces, early returns home, mental break downs, and drinking.

Bottom line? China is physically safe. And if you’re in China for a short period of time you may not have any issues at all. But there are real issues that a company, or the university in the case of the Department Chair I was speaking with, can’t manage or make disappear with a bit of extra compensation.

My point isn’t to care people away from China. I will continue to go to China. And I’ll continue to teach people how to be more successful in their trips too. China is absolutely doable, but there are things that you have to know are out of your control that you have to live with in China. And the unknown can be scary. The more you understand about China and the longer you’re there, the more you lean how to adjust and adapt and enjoy it. Good luck!