Travel Warning & Consular Information Sheet

China - Consular Information Sheet
December 27, 2000

COUNTRY DESCRIPTION: The People's Republic of China was established on October 1, 1949, with Beijing as its capital city. With well over one billion citizens, China is the world's most populous country. It is also the third largest country in terms of territory, bordering most Asian countries and Russia. China is undergoing rapid, profound economic and social growth and development. Political power remains centralized in the Chinese Communist Party. Modern tourist facilities are available in major cities.

ENTRY/EXIT REQUIREMENTS: Passports and visas are required. Americans arriving without valid passports and Chinese visas are generally not permitted to enter China and may also be subject to fines. Please do not rely on Chinese host organizations claiming to be able to arrange visa issuance upon arrival. Visas are required to transit China, even if one is only changing flights at an airport. Persons transiting China on the way to and from Mongolia or North Korea or who plan to re-enter from the Hong Kong or Macau Special Administrative Regions should be sure to obtain Chinese visas with sufficient entries. Permits are required to visit Tibet as well as many remote areas not normally open to foreigners. Long-haul flights departing China are routinely overbooked, making reconfirmation of departure reservations and early airport check-in essential. Passengers must pay a RMB 90 airport user fee (approximately US$10) when departing from airports in China on flights to all foreign destinations as well as Hong Kong and Macau. For information about entry requirements and restricted areas, travelers may consult the Embassy of the People's Republic of China (PRC) at 2300 Connecticut Avenue N.W., Washington. D.C. 20008, or call tel. (1-202) 328-2500 through 2502. For more information regarding PRC visas, please contact the Embassy's visa section at telephone (1-202) 328-2517 between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. There are also Chinese Consulates General in Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco. Americans have also generally been able to obtain visas from the Chinese visa office in Hong Kong and the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Seoul, South Korea. Americans who overstay or otherwise violate the terms of their Chinese visas will be subject to fines and departure delays and may be prevented from returning to China.

DUAL NATIONALITY: China does not recognize dual nationality. The Nationality Law of China holds that persons lose their Chinese citizenship, if they voluntarily take a foreign citizenship (naturalize). Some U.S. citizens who are also Chinese nationals (mostly U.S.-born children of Chinese students) have experienced difficulty entering and departing China on U.S. passports. In some cases, such dual nationals are required to use Chinese travel documents to depart China. Normally this causes inconvenience but no significant problems for affected persons; however, in child custody disputes, the ability of dual national children to depart from China could be affected. Chinese "Travel Permits" (Luxingzheng), usually issued to American-born U.S. citizen children of Chinese citizens, are essentially one-way permits that allow entry into China but do not permit the holder to depart. Persons holding Chinese "Travel Permits" are regarded as Chinese citizens by Chinese authorities. In addition to being subject to all Chinese laws affecting U.S. citizens, dual nationals may also be subject to other laws that impose special obligations on Chinese citizens. In some cases, such dual nationals are required to use Chinese documentation to enter China, in which case U.S. consular access and protection will be denied. (Similarly, the United States requires that all U.S. citizens enter and depart the United States on U.S. passports.) Dual nationals who enter and depart China using a U.S. passport and a valid PRC visa retain the right of U.S. consular access and protection under the U.S.-PRC Consular Convention. The ability of the U.S. Embassy or Consulates General to provide normal consular services would be extremely limited should a dual national enter China on a Chinese or other non-U.S. travel document, including PRC documents issued to persons from Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau.

If one or both parents of a child are PRC nationals who have not permanently settled in another country, then China regards the child as a PRC national and does not recognize any other citizenship the child may acquire at birth, including U.S. citizenship. This is true regardless of where the child is born. Such children are required to enter and depart China on PRC travel documents. Although Chinese consulates have frequently issued visas to such individuals in error, they are treated solely as PRC nationals by Chinese authorities when in China. Specific questions on dual nationality may be directed to the Office of Overseas Citizens Services, Department of State, Room 4811A, Washington. D.C. 20520 or to the U.S. Embassy or one of the U.S. Consulates General in China. For additional information, please see the Bureau of Consular Affairs home page on the Internet at http://travel.state.gov for the Dual Nationality flyer.

SAFETY AND SECURITY: Americans visiting or residing in China, as well as tour group operators, are advised to observe normal safety precautions. Specifically, travelers should check that fire exits are unlocked and free from obstructions in hotels, restaurants, theaters, and shopping centers. In light of the greatly increased numbers of older Americans traveling to China with tour groups, U.S. tour operators should check that local guides are familiar with medical facilities, carry fire extinguishers, cellular telephones, and first-aid kits on board tour buses, and are trained in CPR and first aid. Please see also the section below with information on crime in China. Chinese security personnel may at times place under surveillance foreign government officials, journalists, and business people with access to advanced proprietary technology. Hotel rooms and personal computing devices for these categories of visitors are sometimes searched. Terrorism is rare in China, although a small number of bombings and incidents of unrest have occurred in Beijing and in other areas inhabited primarily by ethnic minorities.

CRIME: Overall, China is a safe country, with a low but increasing crime rate. Pickpockets target tourists at sightseeing destinations and in stores, often with the complicity of low-paid security guards. Violence against foreigners occurs, but it is rare. In 1999 and 2000, two Chinese-Americans were killed in separate, violent incidents at nightclubs, one in Qingdao and the other in Beijing. Another American man, also of Chinese heritage, was found dead with his local associate in an apartment in Chengdu (Sichuan), apparently stabbed by robbers. This number of violent incidents against Americans is very low on a worldwide basis, but such incidents do occur. The Department of State advises Americans of Asian heritage to identify themselves as U.S. citizens when confronted with an unstable or threatening situation, and to make clear that they intend to contact the U.S. Embassy or Consulate. Other robberies, sometimes at gunpoint, have occurred in western Sichuan, especially at Kangding and Ganzi. There have been some reports of robberies and assaults along remote highways near China's border with Nepal and in areas of Mt. Everest. 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. In three recent incidents in Hunan, Henan, and Tianjin, American managers have been held hostage and threatened by dissatisfied Chinese factory workers in labor disputes. Hotel guests should refuse to open their room doors to anyone they do not know personally. Sexual assaults in China reported by American women usually involve acquaintances rather than strangers.

American visitors to China should carry their passports with them out of reach of pickpockets. Americans with Chinese residence permits (juliuzheng) should carry these, and may 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.

The loss or theft of a U.S. passport should be reported immediately to the police in the city where the loss occurs as well as to the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate general. Americans who give away or sell their passport in China are liable to arrest and prosecution in both China and in the United States. For useful information on safeguarding valuables, protecting personal security, and ways to promote a trouble-free journey while traveling abroad, U.S. citizens may refer to the Department of State's pamphlet, A Safe Trip Abroad. This is available by mail from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402 or via the Internet at http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs, or via the Bureau of Consular Affairs home page at http://travel.state.gov.

MEDICAL FACILITIES: In order to assure quality medical care for high-ranking government officers, please select hospitals in major Chinese cities have so-called VIP wards (gaogan bingfang). These feature reasonably up-to-date medical technology and physicians who are both knowledgeable and skilled. Most of these VIP wards also provide medical services to foreigners, feature English-speaking doctors and nurses, and may even accept credit cards for payment. Even in the VIP/Foreigner wards of major hospitals, however, American patients have frequently encountered difficulty due to cultural and regulatory differences. Physicians and hospitals have sometimes refused to supply American patients with complete copies of their Chinese hospital medical records, including laboratory test results, scans, and x-rays. Physicians have also frequently discouraged Americans from obtaining second opinions from outside physicians. Hospitals have sometimes been reluctant to release patients for medical evacuation in cases where they would prefer to keep the patient for an extended stay. Ambulances do not carry sophisticated medical equipment, and ambulance personnel generally have little or no medical training. Therefore, injured or seriously ill Americans should take taxis or other immediately available vehicles to the nearest major hospital rather than waiting for ambulances to arrive. In rural areas, only rudimentary medical facilities are generally available. Medical personnel in rural areas are often poorly trained and are often reluctant to accept responsibility for treating foreigners, even in emergency situations.

Foreign-operated medical providers catering to expatriates and visitors are available, though their services are usually considerably more expensive than hospitals and clinics operated by local government health authorities. SOS International, Ltd., operates clinics and provides medical evacuation and medical escort services in several Chinese cities. For medical emergencies anywhere in mainland China, Americans can call the SOS International, Ltd., 24-hour "Alarm Center" in Beijing at (86-10) 64629100 or in Shanghai at (86-21) 62950099 for advice and referrals to local facilities. SOS International Alarm Centers can also be contacted in Hong Kong at (852) 24289900 and in the United States at (1-800) 523-6586.

The Australian firm, GlobalDoctor, Ltd., has opened clinics staffed by English-speaking doctors within the VIP wards of government-run hospitals in Chengdu, Nanjing, and Beijing and plans to open additional facilities within several months in Xian and Shenzhen. GlobalDoctor can be reached by telephone from China at (61-8) 92263088 or on the Internet at http://www.eglobaldoctor.com. Additional information on medical providers specializing in treating foreigners, including dental and orthodontic clinics, is available on the Embassy web page at http://www.usembassy-china.org.cn.

The Department of State brochure, Tips for Travelers to the People's Republic of China, contains additional information concerning medical care in China. This brochure is available from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402.

MEDICAL INSURANCE: Americans are advised not to travel to China without both health insurance and medical evacuation insurance (often included in so-called "travel" insurance and provided as part of a tour group package). U.S. medical insurance is not always valid outside the United States. The Medicare/Medicaid program does not provide payment for medical services outside the United States. Even when insurance does cover services received in China, it will usually be necessary to pay first and then file for reimbursement with the insurance company upon returning to the United States. Supplemental insurance with specific overseas coverage, including provision for medical evacuation, is strongly recommended and can be purchased in the United States prior to travel. Please check with your own insurance company to confirm whether your policy applies overseas, and whether it includes a provision for medical evacuation. Please ascertain whether payment will be made to the overseas hospital or doctor, or whether you will be reimbursed later for expenses that you incur. Some insurance policies also include coverage for psychiatric treatment and for disposition of remains in the event of death.

Recent medical evacuations by air ambulance from China to nearby areas have cost over US $50,000. Two private emergency medical assistance firms, SOS International, Ltd., and Medex Assistance Corporation, offer medical insurance policies designed for travelers and also have staff in China who can assist in the event of a medical emergency. (Disclaimer: The U.S. Department of State provides this information as a service to U.S. citizens but cannot specifically recommend any medical assistance firm or guarantee the quality of services offered by private companies.):

SOS International, Ltd.
(formerly known in some areas as Asia Emergency Assistance)
Beijing Clinic address: Building C, BITIC Leasing Center
No. 1 North Road, Xingfu Sancun, Sanlitun, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100600
Beijing SOS International Clinic, telephone: (86-10) 6462-9112, Fax (86-10) 6462-9111
For medical emergencies, please call the SOS International Alarm Center at (86-10) 6462-9100 from anywhere in Mainland China,
From Hong Kong: call (852) 2428-9900
From the U.S.: 1-800-468-5232. These phone lines are answered 24 hours by SOS International Alarm Center personnel. For information on purchasing health or travel insurance from SOS International, please contact (1-800) 523-6586 (8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday) in the U.S. or visit http://www.intsos.com on the Internet. SOS accepts major credit cards. SOS International has correspondent arrangements with hospitals in several Chinese cities. Persons in China should first call the Alarm Center in Beijing at (86-10)6462-9100.

MEDEX Assistance Corporation
Regus Office 19, Beijing Lufthansa Center
No. 50 Liangmaqiao Road, Chaoyang District
Beijing 100016
Emergency telephone in China (24-hour): (86-10) 6465-1264
Beijing Office Fax: (86-10) 6465-1240 or (86-10) 6465-1269
Email: medexasst@aol.com (Baltimore, Maryland)
U.S. telephone: (1-800) 537-2029 or(1-410) 453-6300 (24 hours)
Emergencies (members only): (1-800) 527-0218 or (1-410) 453-6330
Web site: http://www.medexassist.com

Useful information on medical emergencies abroad, including overseas insurance programs, is provided in the Department of State's, Bureau of Consular Affairs brochure, Medical Information for Americans Traveling Abroad, available via the Bureau of Consular Affairs home page, or autofax: 1-202 647-3000.

OTHER HEALTH INFORMATION: Most roads and towns in Tibet, Qinghai, parts of Xinjiang, and western Sichuan are situated at altitudes over 10,000 feet. Travelers should seek medical advice in advance of travel, allow time for acclimatization to the high altitude, and remain alert to signs of altitude sickness.

Alcoholics Anonymous can be reached in Beijing at telephone (86-10) 6437-6305, or visit the U.S. Embassy web page in advance of travel to China for additional contact numbers.

Information on vaccinations and other health precautions may be obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's hotline for international travelers at 1-877-FYI-TRIP (1-877-394-8747); fax 1-888-CDC-FAXX (1-888-232-3299), or via the CDC's Internet site at http://www.cdc.gov.

TRAFFIC SAFETY AND ROAD CONDITIONS: While in a foreign country, U.S. citizens may encounter road conditions that differ significantly from those in the United States. The information below concerning the People's Republic of China is provided for general reference only, and may not be totally accurate in a particular location or circumstance.

Road/traffic conditions are generally safe for occupants of modern passenger vehicles wearing seatbelts. Most traffic accident injuries involve pedestrians or cyclists who are involved in collisions or who encounter unexpected road hazards (e.g., unmarked open manholes). Foreigners with resident permits can apply for PRC driver licenses; however, liability issues often make it preferable to employ a local driver. Three American traffic-related deaths have been recorded in the past five years in China, including one case involving an unrestrained infant. Child safety seats are not widely available. Americans who wish to ride bicycles in China are urged to wear safety helmets meeting U.S. standards.

Safety of Public Transportation: Good
Urban Road Conditions/Maintenance: Good
Rural Road Conditions/Maintenance: Fair
Availability of Roadside Assistance: Fair

For additional general information about road safety, including links to foreign government sites, please see the Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs home page at http://travel.state.gov/road_safety.html.

AVIATION SAFETY OVERSIGHT: The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has assessed the civil aviation authority of the government of the People's Republic of China as Category 1 - in compliance with international aviation safety standards for oversight of China's air carrier operations. For further information, travelers may contact the Department of Transportation within the U.S. at telephone (1-800) 322-7873, or visit the FAA's Internet web site at http://www.faa.gov/avr/iasa/.

The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) separately assesses some foreign air carriers for suitability as official providers of air services. For information regarding the DOD policy on specific carriers, travelers may contact the DOD at telephone (1-618) 229-4801.

CUSTOMS REGULATIONS: Chinese customs authorities may enforce strict regulations concerning temporary importation into or export from China of items such as antiquities, banned publications, vehicles not conforming to Chinese standards, or items exceeding personal use requirements or incompatible with status (e.g., tourists bringing professional-model video cameras). Information concerning regulations and procedures governing items that may be brought into China is available through the Chinese Embassy and Consulates in the United States. Students may bring into China only a limited number of items that are considered necessary for study and daily life. Some U.S. citizens residing in China have been required to pay customs duty on certain high-value items when departing China because procedures were not followed when the items were originally brought into China. Additional information concerning Chinese Customs regulations is contained in the Department of State brochure, Tips for Travelers to the People's Republic of China, which is available from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20420.

Chinese customs officials encourage the use of an ATA (Admission Temporaire/Temporary Admission) Carnet for the temporary admission of professional equipment, commercial samples, and/or goods for exhibitions and fair purposes. ATA Carnet Headquarters, located at the U.S. Council for International Business, 1212 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10036, issues and guarantees the ATA Carnet in the United States. For additional information, please call telephone (212) 354-4480, or send e-mail to atacarnet@uscib.org or visit http://www.uscib.org for details.

CRIMINAL PENALTIES: While in a foreign country, a U.S. citizen is subject to that country's laws and regulations, which sometimes differ significantly from those in the United States and do not afford the protections available to the individual under U.S. law.

Americans in China who are not staying at hotels, including Americans who are staying with friends or relatives, must register with local police. Criminal cases often take over a year to bring to trial in China. Americans are rarely granted bail. Criminal punishments, especially prison terms, are more severe than in the United States. Persons violating the law, even unknowingly, may be expelled, arrested or imprisoned. Criminal penalties for possession, use, or trafficking of illegal drugs are strict, and convicted offenders can expect severe jail sentences and fines. Foreigners have been executed for drug offenses. Two U.S. citizens are currently in Chinese prisons pursuant to convictions on drug offenses; one was sentenced to death in 1998 with a two-year reprieve on a conviction of drug dealing. Several Americans currently incarcerated in China have been implicated in financial fraud schemes involving falsified banking or business documents. Four Americans are incarcerated in China for alien smuggling offenses. Americans have also been detained, fined, and expelled from China several times in the past year for activities on behalf of organizations that have been designated as religious cults by the Chinese authorities.

CONSULAR ACCESS: The U.S.-PRC Consular Convention of 1980 provides that detained U.S. citizens have the right to contact a U.S. consular officer, that U.S. consular officers shall be notified within four days whenever an American is taken into custody, and that a consular officer may visit detained Americans. Note, however, that U.S. consular officers do not always receive timely notification of the arrest of a U.S. citizen. U.S. citizens who are arrested or detained should request contact with the U.S. Embassy or one of the U.S. Consulates General. As explained in the section on Dual Nationality found earlier in this document, China does not recognize dual nationality. Naturalized U.S. citizens who enter China on Chinese passports or PRC-issued Hong Kong or Taiwan travel documents can be denied access to U.S. consular officials. The U.S. Government strongly recommends that all Americans enter China using only American passports containing Chinese visas.

SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES:
TRAVEL TO TIBET - It is possible to make travel arrangements to Tibet from outside of China. Once in China, travelers wishing to visit Tibet must join a group, which can be arranged by almost any Chinese travel agency. The travel agency will arrange for the necessary permits and collect any fees. The Chinese Government requires foreigners (including U.S. citizens) wishing to visit Tibet to apply in advance for approval from the Tourist Administration of the Tibetan Autonomous Region. More information is available from the Chinese Embassy or one of the Chinese consulates in the United States, or, while in China, from the U.S. Embassy or nearest U.S. Consulate General. (Please see the above section on ENTRY REQUIREMENTS.) Recently, some Americans with long-term Chinese visas have experienced difficulty obtaining permits to visit Tibet.

ENGLISH TEACHERS/SECONDARY SCHOOL TEACHERS - Americans considering teaching English in China should check that their contracts specify the maximum number of classroom hours per day and per week, maximum work days per week, and vacation periods. Americans teaching in China, particularly at newly established private secondary schools and private English training centers, have often found their employers unable or unwilling to honor contract terms or to assist in obtaining Chinese employment-based visas and other permits required for foreigners to teach lawfully in China. Health insurance provided by Chinese employers should be supplemented as described above. (Please see the section on MEDICAL INSURANCE.)

DISASTER PREPAREDNESS: Some areas of China frequented by Americans, notably Yunnan Province, are prone to earthquakes. Coastal areas of Hainan, Guangdong, Fujian, and Zhejiang provinces are subject to typhoons during the summer rainy season. General information about natural disaster preparedness is available via the Internet from the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) at http://www.fema.gov.

DOCUMENT SEIZURES: Chinese authorities have seized documents, literature, and letters that they deem to be pornographic, political in nature, or intended for religious proselytism. Persons seeking to enter China with religious materials in a quantity deemed to be greater than that needed for personal use may be detained and fined. Books, films, records, tapes, and compact disks may be seized by Chinese customs authorities to determine that they do not violate Chinese prohibitions. Individuals believed to be engaged in religious proselytism or in conduct Chinese officials consider immoral or inappropriate have been detained and expelled.

PASSPORT CONFISCATION: PRC authorities occasionally confiscate passports and levy exit bans against persons involved in commercial or other disputes. The U.S. Embassy or Consulate General will make inquiries with local authorities to attempt to ensure that the U.S. citizen's rights under the U.S. - China Bilateral Consular Convention are honored. The individual usually is not taken into custody, but is sometimes confined to a hotel or other facility until the dispute is resolved. The U.S. Embassy or Consulate General will issue another passport to any U.S. citizen who applies for one under these circumstances; however, even with a new U.S. passport, Chinese authorities will often block departure by refusing to provide a visa for exit purposes.

CHILDREN'S ISSUES: For information on international adoption of children and international parental child abduction, please refer to our Internet site at http://travel.state.gov/children's_issues.html or telephone (1-202) 736-7000.

REGISTRATION/EMBASSY AND CONSULATE LOCATIONS: U.S. citizens other than tourists at major hotels are encouraged to register at the U.S. Embassy or at one of the U.S. Consulates General in China. They may also obtain updated information on travel and security within the country at the Embassy or Consulates General. It is also possible to register from the United States via the Internet through the U.S. Embassy's home page at http://www.usembassy-china.org.cn.

Beijing: The U.S. Embassy in China is located at 2 Xiu Shui Dong Jie, Beijing 100600, telephone: (86-10) 6532-3431, 6532-3831, and after-hours: (86-10) 6532-1910; fax (86-10) 6532-4153, 6532-3178. The U.S. Embassy Internet address is http://www.usembassy-china.org.cn. The Embassy consular district includes the following provinces/regions of China: Beijing, Tianjin, Shandong, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, Shaanxi, Qinghai, Xinjiang, Hebei, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, and Jiangxi.

Chengdu: The U.S. Consulate General in Chengdu is located at Number 4, Lingshiguan Road, Section 4, Renmin Nanlu, Chengdu 610041, telephone: (86-28) 558-3992, 555-3119;fax (86-28) 558-3520; after-hours (86-0) 13708001422. This consular district includes the following provinces/regions of China: Guizhou, Sichuan Xizang (Tibet), and Yunnan, as well as the municipality of Chongqing.

Guangzhou: The U.S. Consulate General in Guangzhou is located at Number 1 South Shamian Street, Shamian Island 200S1, Guangzhou 510133; telephone: (86-20) 8188-8911 ext. 255 or (86-20) 8186-2418; after-hours: (86-0) 13902203169; fax: (86-20) 8186-2341. This consular district includes the following provinces/regions of China: Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, and Fujian.

Shanghai: The U.S. Consulate General in Shanghai is located at 1469 Huaihai Zhonglu, Shanghai 200031 telephone: (86-21) 6433-6880, after-hours: (86-21) 6433-3936; fax: (86-21) 6433-4122, 6471-1148. This consular district includes the following provinces/regions of China: Shanghai, Anhui, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang.

Shenyang: The U.S. Consulate General in Shenyang is located at No. 52, 14th Wei Road, Heping District, Shenyang 110003, telephone: (86-24) 2322-1198, 2322-0368; after-hours: (86-0) 13704019790; fax (86-24) 2322-2374. This consular district includes the following provinces/regions of China: Liaoning, Heilongjiang, and Jilin.

This replaces the Consular Information Sheet dated September 14, 1999, to remove Y2K-related information, and to provide a comprehensive update of areas of concern for Americans traveling to or living in China.