Context of China

 

China (Chinese: 中国; pinyin: Zhōngguó), officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and borders fourteen countries by land, the most of any country in the world. With an area of approximately 9.6 million square kilometres (3,700,000 sq mi), it is the world's third largest country by total land area. The country consists of 22 provinces, five autonomous regions, four municipalities, and two special administrative regions (Hong Kong and Macau). The national capital is Beijing, and the most populous city and largest financial center is Shanghai.

Modern China trace its origins to a cradle of civilization in the fertile basin of the Yellow River in the North China Plain...Read more

 

China (Chinese: 中国; pinyin: Zhōngguó), officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and borders fourteen countries by land, the most of any country in the world. With an area of approximately 9.6 million square kilometres (3,700,000 sq mi), it is the world's third largest country by total land area. The country consists of 22 provinces, five autonomous regions, four municipalities, and two special administrative regions (Hong Kong and Macau). The national capital is Beijing, and the most populous city and largest financial center is Shanghai.

Modern China trace its origins to a cradle of civilization in the fertile basin of the Yellow River in the North China Plain. The semi-legendary Xia dynasty in the 21st century BCE and the Shang and Zhou dynasties developed a political system to serve hereditary monarchies. Written script were developed and inscription of Bronze and engraving of Oracle bone became common. Classic literature, and the Hundred Schools of Thought emerged during this period and influenced the region and beyond for centuries to come. In the third century BCE, the Qin dynasty ended the Spring and Autumn and Warring States period when Qin Shi Huangdi assumed the self-invented title of Huangdi (Emperor of China). Fractured by the uprising peasants, the Qin was replaced by Liu Bang's Han dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE). Together they laid the foundation for a political tradition of nearly two millennia in which the Chinese empire was one of the world's foremost economic powers. The empire expanded, fractured, and reunified; absorbed foreign religions and ideas; and made world-leading scientific advances, such as the Four Great Inventions: gunpowder, paper, the compass, and printing. After centuries of disunity following the fall of the Han, the Sui (581–618) and Tang (618–907) dynasties reunified the empire. The Tang welcomed foreign trade and culture that came over the Silk Road and adapted Buddhism to Chinese needs. The early modern Song dynasty (960–1279) became increasingly urban and commercial. The civilian scholar-officials or literati adopted the examination system and the doctrines of Neo-Confucianism to replace the military aristocrats of earlier dynasties. The Mongol established the Yuan dynasty in 1279 before the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) re-established Han Chinese control. The Manchu-led Qing dynasty nearly doubled the empire's territory and established a multi-ethnic state that was the basis of the modern Chinese nation, although subsequently suffered heavy losses to European imperialism in the 19th century.

The Chinese monarchy collapsed in 1912 with the Xinhai Revolution, when the Republic of China (ROC) replaced the imperial ruling of Qing. In its early years, the country underwent a rather unstable Warlord Era before mostly centralizing in 1928 under the Nationalist government. A civil war between the nationalist Kuomintang (KMT) and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) broke out in 1927, though the war was halted when Japan invaded China in 1937. After Japan's surrender in 1945, China's civil war renewed. A division was caused in 1949 when the CCP established the People's Republic of China on the mainland while the KMT-led government of the ROC retreated to the islands in the South and East China Sea. Both claiming to be the sole legitimate government, the United Nations has recognized the PRC as legitimate since 1971. From 1959 to 1961, an economic and social campaign, the Great Leap Forward resulted in a sharp economic decline and massive famine. From 1966 to 1976, the Red Guards' Cultural Revolution led to greater political instability, economic and educational decline. Eventually, with a change in the leadership, a series of political and economic reforms began in 1978 that greatly improve the economy and standards of living.

China is a unitary socialist republic led by the CCP. It is one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and a founding member of several multilateral and regional organizations such as the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, the Silk Road Fund, the New Development Bank, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, and the RCEP. It is also a member of the BRICS, the G8+5, the G20, the APEC, and the East Asia Summit. China ranks poorly in measures of democracy, transparency, press freedom, religious freedom, and ethnic equality. The Chinese authorities is often criticized for human rights abuses. Making up around one-fifth of the world economy, China is the world's largest economy by GDP at purchasing power parity, the second-largest economy by nominal GDP, and the second-wealthiest country. The country is one of the fastest-growing major economies and is the world's largest manufacturer and exporter, as well as the second-largest importer. China is a nuclear-weapon state with the world's largest standing army by military personnel and the second-largest defense budget.

 

More about China

Basic information
  • Currency Renminbi
  • Native name 中华人民共和国
  • Calling code +86
  • Internet domain .cn
  • Mains voltage 220V/50Hz
  • Democracy index 2.27
Population, Area & Driving side
  • Population 1443497378
  • Area 9596961
  • Driving side right
Stay safe
  •  
    Stay safe

    While China is generally safe for visitors, the government has some authoritarian aspects, and the topic of human rights in China is highly contested. Despite what's written in the Chinese constitution, in practice some freedoms are strongly curtailed, such as free speech, privacy, freedom of information and the press, freedom of religion, and the right to a fair trial. As long as you're not deliberately provocative, most of these are unlikely to affect you during your visit — especially since enforcement is somewhat arbitrary anyway — but if they do, punishments can be heavy. China is known to use extrajudicial detention, torture, and (rarely, mainly for murder and drug trafficking) the death penalty. Often criticized as "hostage diplomacy", detentions and enforcement are sometimes stepped up in reaction to geopolitical events, meaning that, for example, Canadian and American businesspeople have faced extra scrutiny in 2019. Chinese dual citizens and people of Chinese heritage who are citizens of other countries have been subject to "exit bans", kept in China, sometimes for years, to compel them to cooperate with government investigations or pressure their relatives to return to China.

    As long as you behave and do not get involved in drugs or political activity, you shouldn't have any problems. Even bypassing the Internet firewall or accessing potentially subversive material is usually overlooked for the average visitor. However, it doesn't hurt to have a contingency plan in case you run afoul of the government.

    ...Read more
     
    Stay safe

    While China is generally safe for visitors, the government has some authoritarian aspects, and the topic of human rights in China is highly contested. Despite what's written in the Chinese constitution, in practice some freedoms are strongly curtailed, such as free speech, privacy, freedom of information and the press, freedom of religion, and the right to a fair trial. As long as you're not deliberately provocative, most of these are unlikely to affect you during your visit — especially since enforcement is somewhat arbitrary anyway — but if they do, punishments can be heavy. China is known to use extrajudicial detention, torture, and (rarely, mainly for murder and drug trafficking) the death penalty. Often criticized as "hostage diplomacy", detentions and enforcement are sometimes stepped up in reaction to geopolitical events, meaning that, for example, Canadian and American businesspeople have faced extra scrutiny in 2019. Chinese dual citizens and people of Chinese heritage who are citizens of other countries have been subject to "exit bans", kept in China, sometimes for years, to compel them to cooperate with government investigations or pressure their relatives to return to China.

    As long as you behave and do not get involved in drugs or political activity, you shouldn't have any problems. Even bypassing the Internet firewall or accessing potentially subversive material is usually overlooked for the average visitor. However, it doesn't hurt to have a contingency plan in case you run afoul of the government.

    Law enforcement agencies

    Private security officers in China dress similarly to the police, and also often use lights and sirens on their vehicles.

     
     
    Typical public security police officers

    The major law enforcement agency you will encounter most is the public security police (公安机关人民警察), often abbreviated as the public security (公安, Gōng'ān), or civilian police (民警, mínjǐng).

    Most officers wear navy-blue peaked caps and light-blue shirts. Officers should carry their police identification document, which must be shown when you request them to do so. They are usually unarmed. Special police officers wear black uniform, and are armed. Traffic police officers wear white peaked-caps, and in some cities, they may wear fluorescent shirts. Auxiliary police officers have limited law enforcement power, and do not have the power of arrest. Their uniforms differ from city to city; but have the words "auxiliary police" (辅警), or something similar. Detectives, including domestic security agents, wear plain clothes. Typical police vehicles bear the word "公安". Special police vehicles are painted with black, and bear the word "特警".

    All public security police officers have nationwide authority. Most of the officers are friendly, professional and reliable, yet there will inevitably be corrupt ones too.

     
     
    A typical PAP soldier

    The People's Armed Police (PAP) (中国人民武装警察部队, often abbreviated to 武警, wǔjǐng) is a branch of the Chinese military tasked with assisting the public security police, riot control and guarding key infrastructures like railway stations and airports. Soldiers wear green camouflage or olive-green military uniform with red insignia, while officers have similar uniform with that of People's Liberation Army (PLA) Ground Force.

     
     
    Chengguan officers of Shantou

    Chengguan (城管, chéngguǎn), known officially as City Urban Administrative and Law Enforcement Bureau (城市管理行政执法局), and often known as Integrated Enforcement (综合执法) or Administrative Enforcement (行政执法), may dress differently. Chengguan officers are often poorly-trained, brutal, and sometimes corrupt.

    The Chinese government is cracking down on corruption, so under no circumstances should you offer a bribe to any type of law enforcement officer, as this could result in legal consequences for you and the person accepting your bribe.

    Crime

    Crime rates vary across the huge nation, but in general it as safe as most Western countries. Many Western tourists will feel safer in China than in their home country, and it is generally not a problem for women to roam the streets alone at night. Violent crime is very rare, though scams and petty crimes are common, so it pays to be prudent and secure your valuables properly. As with anywhere else, a little commonsense goes a long way.

    Generally speaking, crime rates are higher in the larger cities than in the countryside. Nevertheless, they are no more dangerous than major Western cities, so if you avoid seedy areas and use your common sense, you'll be fine. Video surveillance is widely used in both urban and in some rural areas. CCTVs are generally welcomed by the police, due to the fact that front-line officers are often insufficient to deal with China's huge population.

    While not as rampant as in Europe, pickpocketing is a significant issue in crowded places. Be particularly vigilant when on public transport during peak hours, as it provides the perfect cover for pickpockets to get away after striking.

    Bicycle theft can be a problem. In big cities there are stories of locals who have lost three bikes within one month, but in some other places, local people still casually park their bikes. Follow what local people do. Assume your expensive lock won't help at all. Professional thieves can break virtually any lock. In China, bike parking is common outside supermarkets or shopping centers, and usually charges ¥1-2 per day (usually until 20:00-22:00). If you have an electric bicycle or scooter, be extra cautious as the battery-packs or charger may be targeted.

    The main crimes foreigners get in trouble for are around drug use (including drug use outside China before you arrived—they sometimes do a hair test for cannabis) or working illegally, with the consequence usually being a short sentence, fine and deportation. If you are accused of a more serious crime, then your first 72 hours of investigation is critical. It is during that time that the police, prosecutors and your lawyers will investigate, negotiate and decide if you are guilty. Police use hard interrogations (or torture) immediately after arrest because eliciting a confession is the quickest way to secure a conviction. Chinese law prohibits your lawyer from being present during your interrogation. If your case goes to trial, then your conviction is merely a formality (99.9% of criminal trials in 2013 ended in a conviction), and the judge's only role is to decide your sentence. Signing any document during your interrogation would be an extremely bad idea, especially if you do not understand what you are signing. You should politely insist that you be allowed access to consular services and a translator.

    Traffic See also: Driving in China
     
     
    Traffic in Shenyang

    The mortality rate per person for car accidents in China is lower than that of many Western countries. But, in general, driving in China can range from anywhere from nerve-rattling to outright reckless. Traffic can appear chaotic. Cars are allowed to turn right on a red light and do not stop for pedestrians, regardless of the walk signal. Cars drivers, cyclists and electric scooter drivers will all drive assuming they all have right of way/priority at once. Pedestrian crossings are a guide for the driver where pedestrians are more likely to cross.

    In cities, however, it is unlikely drivers will be traveling fast enough to cause significant damage. Do as the locals do: cross the road with confidence, be aware of your surroundings, know that cars, bikes and scooters will tend to continue rather than stop.

    It is advisable as a foreigner not to drive, since in an accident you will be poorly equipped to deal with the nature of Chinese compensation.

    Terrorism

    Although rare, terrorist attacks in China have occurred, mostly in Xinjiang, where Uyghur Islamist separatists are fighting for independence against the Chinese government, though there have also been high-profile attacks on people in Guangzhou station, Kunming station and Beijing. There is airport-style security at all major train stations, metro stations, and long-distance bus terminals. You will have your bag X-rayed and take water bottles out of your bag to be scanned separately, but there is no need to empty your pockets.

    Begging

    Chinese people traditionally disapprove of begging, so begging is not a major issue in most places. It is, however, never far off the scene and particularly common just outside the main tourist attractions and in major transportation hubs.

    Be aware of child beggars who could be victims of child trafficking. While it is becoming less common, you should avoid giving them any money.

    In China, local people usually only give money to those who have obviously lost the ability to earn money. Professional beggars have clear deformities, and some syndicates have been known to deliberately maim children as it is seen as more effective in soliciting pity. If you feel like giving them some, bear in mind that the minimum hourly wage ranges from ¥11 to ¥24 (2020).

    Buddhist monks

    The presence of foreign tourists unaware of local Buddhist customs has also given rise to many scams, with many fake monks and temples preying on unsuspecting visitors. Buddhism in China generally follows the Mahayana school, whose monks are required to be vegetarian, and usually grow their own food in the temples, or buy their food using temple donations. As such, they generally do not beg for food.

    Monks also do not sell religious items (these are sold by laymen), and neither do they offer "Buddha's blessing" in exchange for money, or threaten you with misfortune should you not donate. Most temples will have a donation box in the main hall for devotees to make donations should they wish to do so, and monks will never go out in public to ask for donations. According to traditional Buddhist philosophy, it is entirely up to an individual to decide whether and how much he/she wishes to donate, and genuine Buddhist temples will never use high-pressure tactics to solicit donations, or ask for any amount of money in exchange for services.

    Nature
     
     
    The Chinese bamboo viper

    Being a large country, China is affected by a range of different natural disasters. Pacific typhoons hit the coast in the summer and autumn months, bringing physical destruction and torrential rain. Floods also occur, in particular around the large rivers. Northern parts of the country have winter storms. Much of the country is prone to earthquakes and tornadoes.

    China has a variety of venomous snakes. Be careful when hiking and seek immediate treatment for any snakebite. The bright green bamboo viper (Trimeresurus stejnegeri) is especially notorious.

    Scams See also: Common scams, Pickpockets

    Chinese people are in general hospitable to foreigners, and want to leave a good impression on tourists visiting their country. However, as with anywhere else, there are also scam artists who operate at tourist hot spots, so it pays to be prudent and remember that if something seems too good to be true, it usually is.

    High prices do not necessarily indicate a scam. In a teahouse or bar, ¥50-200 per cup or pot of tea (including hot water refills) and ¥15-60 per bottle of beer is not uncommon. Tea samplings may also charge high prices for each sample.

     
     
    Shanghai skyline

    Touristy parts of Beijing and Shanghai have become notorious for various scams. If you are keen to avoid being scammed, the following are good rules of thumb:

    It is less likely for scammers to operate outside of the usual tourist spots If you are approached in a touristy area by a person who appears too enthusiastic about going to a particular place (teahouse or otherwise), you are likely to pay a premium and maybe get a better time elsewhere If you are uncomfortable, walk away. Most ordinary Chinese people are unable to speak English, so be on your guard if someone approaches you spontaneously and starts speaking to you in English.

    The police are sensitive to foreigners being targeted in this way and giving the country a poor reputation. In China, you have a legal right to ask for a "fa piao" (发票, lit. receipt/invoice) which is an official sales invoice issued by the taxation department. It is against the law for an owner to refuse to give it to you. For scams, they generally will refuse since it is legal evidence of their extortionate price.

    Accident scams occur, too, and even 'good samaritans' who help people genuinely in distress have been sued for compensation by the people they were trying to help. These scams are not tried on foreigners too often, but be careful when using a vehicle and always record your journey with a dashboard or bicycle camera.

    If you find yourself being or having been scammed then call 110 and report it immediately. Suspicious phone calls can be enquired through 96110, a hotline established in view of soaring telecommunications scams. The police may also notify you by this number with area code prefix if you encountered suspected scam calls, which is similar to a reverse-911 call itself.

    Illicit drugs

    Acts related to illicit drugs are dealt with harshly in China. Although drug use alone and the mere possession of small quantities of drugs (for example, less than 200 grams of opium and less than 10 grams of heroin or methamphetamine) are not prosecuted and are only subject to lengthy detention and/or a fine, smuggling, trafficking, transporting, and manufacturing illicit drugs are crimes punishable by death, and there are plenty cases of foreign drug traffickers being executed in China. In addition, the possession of large quantities of drugs is a crime punishable by up to life imprisonment, and sheltering others to take drugs is a crime punishable by up to 3 years of imprisonment. Chinese people usually associate drugs with national humiliation (due to an unlimited influx of opium after Opium Wars); publicly doubting the death penalty for drug offences or advocacy for drug liberalization will most likely get you publicly criticized.

    For recorded drug addicts, you may be subjected to sudden raids by the police, in order to verify that you did not consume any illicit drugs.

    Be particularly wary in the provinces of Yunnan and Guangxi, as these provinces border the Golden Triangle, a major drug-producing region in Southeast Asia. Police now target bars and nightclubs that foreigners frequent with drug-testing kits, with detention and deportation the likely consequence of a positive drug test. In a hair test, you may test positive even for drugs that you consumed three months before arriving in China. If you are driving from Chinese-Burmese border (eg. Xishuangbanna), you may also encounter layered narcotics checkpoints, in which you and your vehicle will be thoroughly searched or even partially dismantled (if suspicion arise) to intercept drug smugglers.

    Banned items

    Due to the fast pace of change in China, you may find some items (especially media) continue to be banned by customs although they are readily available for purchase in the country itself. Searching your belongings for illicit items such as the ones below could potentially happen when entering China through an airport, although in practice it is rare these days.

    Materials considered by the authorities as Anti-Chinese will be confiscated. This has a fairly wide interpretation, but can include the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan lion-mountain flag and literature about the Falun Gong religious group, independence movements in Xinjiang, Tibet, Hong Kong and Taiwan or the Tiananmen Square protests. As a rule of thumb, do not bring anything critical of the Communist Party of China; if some literature refers to the government of the PRC as the Communist Party of China (中共), then it's either from Taiwan (as the local official term when referring to the Chinese government), and/or its stance is likely to be critical of the party. The Epoch Times (大紀元時報) and Ming Hui Times (明慧周刊/明慧周報) are two examples of Falun Gong literature. The Falun Gong sect is known to print proselytising words on Chinese yuan bills, so consider checking your bills to avoid unnecessary hassle. A heavy penalty is imposed on all pornography and penalties are counted based on the number of pieces brought into the country.Religion

    Visitors to China rarely get into trouble for practicing their religion. As a communist country, China is officially atheist, and religion is banned for people working in government jobs. Although religion was targeted for extermination during the Cultural Revolution, in modern times, visitors and private citizens are generally free to practice a religion if they wish. However, proselytising is prohibited and taken very seriously by the government, and could potentially lead to arrest and imprisonment, especially if there is any fear that it could undermine the government's authority.

    Catholics in China are split between the state-sanctioned Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association (CPA, CPCA, or CCPA, 中国天主教爱国会 Zhōngguó Tiānzhǔjiào Àiguó Huì), which is run separately from the Vatican, and an underground church which is illegal; visitors should not associate with the latter for legal reasons.

    Falun Gong is illegal and heavily censored in China. Visibly supporting it will make you subject to arrest.

    Despite all that, modern Chinese society is in general rather secular, and religiously-motivated hate crimes are exceedingly rare.

    Racism

    Although unprovoked violent racist attacks are virtually unheard of, foreigners, particularly darker-skin ones, often suffer discrimination in employment and are the subject of stereotyping from Chinese people. Even white foreigners, who allegedly enjoy significantly better treatment than locals, have been occasionally confronted by Chinese people during politically sensitive periods. Xenophobia has intensified amid the COVID-19 pandemic, with many restaurants now refusing service to foreign customers. Discrimination is particularly severe against black people, some of whom have been evicted by their landlords and denied rooms in hotels.

    If your skin tone doesn't match people's assumptions for someone from your country, and especially if you're ethnically Chinese, you may be treated like the country on your passport isn't where you're really from. Visas on arrival are sometimes denied on this basis.

    Gay and lesbian travelers

    China is generally a safe destination for gay and lesbian travelers. There are no laws against homosexuality in China, though there is censorship of homosexual-themed content in the media. Gay scenes and communities are found in the major cities in China, but are generally non-existent everywhere else. Most Chinese are reluctant to discuss their sexuality in public, as it is generally considered to be a personal matter, and acceptance of homosexuality by Chinese people tends to be mixed. Same-sex marriages and unions are not recognised anywhere in the country. While openly displaying your sexual orientation in public is still likely to draw stares and whispers, gay and lesbian visitors should generally not run into any major problems, and unprovoked violence against homosexual couples is almost unheard of. In general, the younger generation tend to be more accepting of homosexuality, and gay dramas have been gaining in popularity among young Chinese women since the 2010s.

    Staff in hotels and guesthouses may assume that a mistake has been made if a same-sex couple has reserved a room with one large bed and try to move you to another room. However, they will generally back down if you insist that it is not a problem.

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