Staying Out of Trouble

This section goes through some of what you can do to protect yourself from scams, crime, and legal problems.

Contacting your embassy or consulate

If your travel plans include staying at a place other than an international, standard tourist hotel, registering with your nearest embassy or consulate — before you need assistance — may be a good idea. Many embassies and consulates in China have registration procedures for visitors. In the event of an emergency, the embassy or consulate knows where to contact you.

If you need any help in China, contact your embassy or consulate as soon as you can. Keep the contact details of the embassy or consulate with you when you travel to China. Most European, North American, and some Asian countries have consulates in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, and other places in China.

Protecting yourself against crime

Researchers estimate that the transient population in China is over 120 million people, representing almost 10 percent of China’s population. Most of the transient population has flocked from the countryside to China’s booming cities in search of jobs. With such a large number of people on the move, it’s not surprising that crime is on the rise. Many people are out of work as China’s “iron rice bowl” (employment and benefits guaranteed by the government) no longer applies, and desperation can move some people to illegal actions.

Take the usual precautions while in China. The best advice is to be alert at all times. Here are some other tips:

✓	Try to keep only a minimum amount of cash with you at all times.
✓	Be mindful that expensive jewelry, watches, personal digital assistants (PDAs), and laptops are attractive targets for thieves.
✓	Walking the street at night in the larger cites is usually no problem, but try to stick to high-traffic areas and avoid poorly lit side streets.

China can be a safe place for visiting foreigners; however, crime does occur. Pickpocketing and theft are the most common types of crimes against foreign visitors. The pickpockets and thieves may work in gangs, so be aware that more than one person may be looking to take advantage of you. China’s pickpockets can be extremely skillful, so take nothing for granted.

Generally, crime against foreigners takes place in tourist areas, bar areas at night, street markets, airport areas, and so on. Beggars often work in gangs using young children as bait to get you to give them money. Sometimes, people may try to force business flyers or cards into your pockets with intent to pick your pocket.

Shenzhen and Guangzhou, to the south, have higher incidence rates of petty and occasionally violent crimes against foreigners. Sometimes foreigners are forced to withdraw cash from an ATM. Although these incidents aren’t very common, you should be especially careful at night in these and other southern Chinese cities. If you’re the victim of a crime, contact the police as soon as possible. Keep the police report in the event that your loss is covered by insurance.

Foiling scam attempts

Avoid people who approach you on the street to offer you sightseeing or shopping tours. Tour scams are particularly common in China. Guides may approach you at tourist places, offer special tours at inflated prices, and then make stops at factories, restaurants, and stores to try to get you to buy goods at inflated prices. If you do take a tour, often the best approach is to refuse to participate in the shopping stops by enjoying a brief rest rather than feeling pressured to spend money.

Staying clear of counterfeits

Fake currency is a major concern in China. It usually involves the 50 and 100 RMB bills, so use smaller bills to pay for whatever you buy in the local markets. This is a safe way to avoid having someone’s fake currency passed to you during the purchase.

Identifying a counterfeit bill can be quite challenging for foreigners. Like most fake currency, the forged bills in China contain images that aren’t as clear as the real notes. Other than carefully checking your bills, you can do little about it. If you do get a bogus note, you can do what most people do: Just try to pass it off on somebody else later (doing this in dark places is easiest)!

Don’t exchange money on the street, at tourist destinations, or anywhere else. Exchanging currency at unauthorized places in China is against the law. The rates of exchange will likely not be in your favor, and you may wind up with counterfeit money.

Fake or counterfeit goods are also a problem in China. If someone offers to sell you something below the expected price, be very wary. Bootleg DVDs are commonly sold on the street.

Avoid buying from the street vendors while in China. Buying fake merchandise is against the law in China, and it’s often an infringement on worldwide copyrights. The risk of getting into trouble at customs isn’t worth the discount you got for fake goods.

Keeping out of restricted areas

Most businesspeople travel to China for the more popular cities along the coast or those just inland a few hundred miles. More than 1,000 Chinese cities are open to foreign visitors, but that’s obviously not the whole country. Some remote and sensitive areas are closed to foreigners.

The restricted or closed areas are usually in remote areas in China. Generally, most businesspeople wouldn’t travel to these areas, anyway. If you have any questions, contact the Chinese embassy or consulate before you start your trip to China.

Avoiding legal problems

Be on your best behavior in China by respecting the local laws and customs, and you won’t have any problems. The best rule is to act responsibly and use common sense — go about your business as you would in your home country. Be sure to deal with people who are reputable and are acting within the law. Avoid areas where any illegal activity may be taking place, and keep clear of any activities related to the military or political activities while you’re in China. (For information on Chinese business laws, check out Chapter 8.)