My husband got a job offer working in China in the US Embassy, is it safe over there for an American?

Question

I know nothing about the risks that are involved with him going overseas, and how China runs their government, and what that means for him..any thoughts? I mean financially, we will be taken care of, he'll be in a 4 star hotel and such...and it is for the US Embassy..they can guarantee safety right? I know nothing is 100%, but..it is the US Embassy... I just have no knowledge at all about this matter. What about bird flu? and sars?...the government? It will be located in Beijing, China.

Answer 1

The best part about a totalitarian government is that you are always safe on the streets. The embassy personnel will brief you upon your arrival about security and personal safety issues and procedures.

I've visited several times for work. Beijing is wonderful. Enjoy your stay.

Answer 2

China is fine. Actually, I just came back from Beijing about a month ago. Other than the weather will get really hot in the summer, the people will look different/speak a different language, and there's traffic, thing will be quite similar. I'm not familiar with the US Embassy, but as for China, everything is fine.

Sars was completely gone about 2 years ago. The bird flu, so far it has only been in the rural areas hours from Beijing in the countryside. The bird flu may eventually even get to the US so as long as you watch out, it's okay.

What's wrong with the government? Although people say its really oppressive and whatever over here, you REALLY cannot tell the difference. There is nobody watching where you are going, nobody monitering you, and all the other crap many westerners think are going on in China. You basically do whatever you want, no different from here. (The hotel will be probably be good. I went to a 5star one for a day and was blown away at all the amenities they had. Beijing has around 80 5-star hotels last time I checked)

By the way, the food is sooo good. Be sure to enjoy it, along with all the really cheap stuff you can get.

There's really nothing unsafe except there's lots of cars. Given the choice, I would rather live over there.

Hope this helped, ask me if you have any other questions, and good luck!

Answer 3

I am an American living in China, have been here for 5 years...but you got to be careful....these Chinese will kill you by forcing you to eat and drink and just be so damned nice you won't be able to bear it. There is absolutely no danger here and the police are super nice....Often the life guards at the beach won't let me swim for fear that I might drown...it is serious if an American in injured. I have been in most provinces but prefer the southern ones. There are great supermarkets in BeiJing with all sorts of goodies there. Taco Bell, McDonald, KFC, and Wal-Mart. SARS is gone. It was a problem three years ago and they have a test vaccine now. Chicken Flu is not a major problem and the government has taken fast action to stop any small outbreaks. People at Consulates and Embassies tend to become jaded but if he learns some simple Chinese, he will open the door to wonderful people and a great country. I would be happy to answer any further questions. [e-mail]

Answer 4

China is pretty safe for the most part. I travel to Beijing, Shanghai, Kunshan, Taizhou, and Guangzhou on business farily regularly. I've never had any problems with crime of any sort.

The most dangerous aspect of living or traveling in China is dealing with the traffic. Cars have only been part of the Chinese culture for a very short period of time and it shows. Traffic laws are largely unenforced. Lane markings and traffic signals are there for decoration only, or so it would seem. Pedestrian crossings are meaningless and turn signals are an alien concept.

Other challenges are the street hawkers peddaling counterfeit watches and pirated software. You'll be accosted half a dozen times every block by them in most areas. And the street beggars are a major annoyance. They often have small children do the dirty work and it tears at your heart but you don't dare hand anything over or you'll be inundated by them.

Embassy compounds are probably the safest places anywhere and you'll be surrounded by other Americans and English-speaking staff to it isn't quite the island feeling that business travelers and ex-pats sometimes have to deal with. There should also be plenty of opportunities to learn the language. Chinese is learnable though the writing is nearly impossible for westerners to catch on to.

The food is nothing like you find in Chinese restaurants in the US and Europe. It will take some getting used to! Western style restaurants are plentiful in the tourist areas though quality isn't what you're accustomed to. They tend to drown any "steak" in pepper sauce; probably for good reason. Restaurants in the better hotels, especially the western chains, are safe and the food is fairly good. Smaller "mom & pop" operations can be risky. Stick with bottled water or beer and canned Coke, but make sure that the container is sealed when they bring it to you!

I think that SARS and bird flu are over-hyped. The chances of catching either are pretty slim. You ARE much more likely to catch some sort of intestinal bug especially if you eat raw vegetables or drink the tap water. I've done OK so far on that score, but not all of my co-workers can make the same claim.

Answer 5

In terms of safe - there are many different factors. Disease might be your biggest concern with certain foods or areas. However, he will be with a lot of well informed people at the embassy. They will advise him well and give him the appropriate medications/precautions.

If you are talking safety between China and the US, I would say that you are ok. If something were to go wrong, it would be really wrong all over the entire world. The last major incident I can remember between China and the US is when we bombed their embassy in Belgrade in 1999. It was supposively an accident. Then, one of our military planes landed in their country by accident - which they reverse engineered. For something to happen to the US Embassy in China - it would be a shock. China has reason to protect the US embassy. After all, we import a huge part of their economy. Like Hu Jintao (China's president) said, you have the most developed country (US) and the most developing country (China).

Answer 6

It's really safe. And the embassy district in Bejing is one of the best neighborhoods in the city. The hotels are really nice, the restaurants are great (a bit more expensive but much cleaner) and people are used to seeing foreigners so there is much less staring. There are also tons of expats floating around so you have a good chance of making friends with some really nice folks. don't worry, it will be great! and if he's working for the us embassy, they'll definitely take care of him and make sure that he's safe. also, the sos clinic is right down the street from the us embassy so if he needs to see a doctor, he can see an american doctor. hope this helps. good luck!

Answer 7

My son-in-law regularly travels to China and Japan on business. The only thing you have to really worry about is being hungry, because the Asian people are the best hosts in the world. The shopping is second-to-none, and David, my son-in-law, has never had any problems there. The people are very kind. A wonderful adventure for you all, it sounds like. Might want to get some Chinese language tapes for your car, and the Chinese chanel on TV teaches the language. I would go in a minute.

Answer 8

China is probably as safe as anywhere. You would be in Beijing which I imagine should be as good as say Manila. Just check the CDC site for disease (link below). SARS seems to have gone. Bird Flu... just stay away from poultry, esp. wild and you'll be fine.

It should be a very interesting experience, and quite an opportunity for you as well as your hubby.

Answer 9

It's safe over there, as long as you're not Japanese... haha! Remember to respect Chinese laws and customs like any foreign nation... even if your husband might have "diplomatic immunity." Beijing is just a normal city; it's just that the historical buildings are of Asian heritage instead of your basic European/Anglo historical buildings. Also, the Olympics are going to be held there in a few years!

Answer 10

i feel safer in china than the us. the people are very nice and kind still have values. No bird flu or sars either check your governments website and it will tell you risks to be weary of. But i feel much more free and safe when i was in china.