Crime, Scams, and Nuisances
A little caution needed in Běijīng, but only a little
Part of A Better Guide to Beijing’s Practical A-Z
The Party’s 2012 budget for ‘stability maintenance’ — keeping public order, monitoring and suppressing criticism of itself — was US$111 billion, which is more than it spends on the armed forces. Yet it’s amazing how difficult it is to find a policeman when you need one. Luckily the need for them is very rare indeed.
Uniforms are certainly everywhere. But the policeman who is an onlooker to a fight in the street will tell you that he belongs to the ‘economic police’ and will show his shoulder flash to prove that it’s not his business to get involved. The violence may even involve one of the notorious quasi-police forces itself, the chéngguǎn (城管, city management), so noted for brutality, particularly towards street vendors, that its name has become synonymous with it.
Visitors are more likely to get a helpful response from the police than are local people.
Crime
小偷 xiǎotōu pickpocket
警察 jǐngchá police
I have not been in the town, but some of the party were there this morning, and one had his pocket picked, which is proof of civilisation.
Letters and Journals of James, Eighth Earl of Elgin, London, 1872
Other than overcharging, there is very little for foreign visitors to China to fear. Elgin was speaking of Tiānjīn, through which he passed en route to Běijīng in 1860, but stealthy theft should still be your main concern, and even then the risk is little higher than at home and easily thwarted by the usual sound policies of extra caution at transport hubs, keeping a hand on day-pack and camera, keeping wallet and passport (which must by law be carried at all times) in an inside pocket, and generally staying alert.
Crimes of violence against foreigners tend to get wide publicity and be talked about in expat communities for months, but this merely emphasises how unusual they are, although crimes of all kinds are on the rise. The government’s response is a ‘Strike Hard’ policy, which leads to the execution of thousands every year, some for minor offences, although those have recently been reduced in number. If you do catch a thief in the act, think twice before handing him over to the authorities, since you might not agree that the punishment, from being given a life-threatening beating to three years’ hard labour without trial, or worse, fits the crime.
Keep your perception of other risks in perspective. There are a few stories of visitors disappearing in some remote parts of China, but Běijīng is in no sense remote. Occasional bomb blasts, earthquakes, and rioting are considerably less likely to injure you than crossing the street (or even crossing the street in your home town). Nevertheless consular staff cover themselves by erring on the side of caution, and several nations suggest registration with their consulates on-line or by telephone before travel or on arrival. See Embassies and Consulates for consulate addresses and more information.
Scams
骗子 piànzi cheat
假币 jiǎbì counterfeit money
真的假的? zhénde jiǎde (of anything) Is it real or fake?
There are three common varieties to which many visitors fall victim, but which are easily avoided. Fall for any of these and your consular service may lend a sympathetic ear, but is otherwise unlikely to assist. The art student scam is very long-standing, and simply involves being enthusiastically accosted by an English-speaker in the street, typically around Wángfǔ Jǐng, Liúli Chǎng, or Tiān’ān Mén, with ‘Hello. Welcome to Běijīng. Where are you from?’ or similar. The story is that your new-found friend is part of a group of art students raising funds for an exhibition in Edinburgh (or Frankfurt, or somewhere else). Would you like to come and see the show they have set up just round the corner? Once there the pressure sales begin, the prices are astronomical, and the unique painting you succumb to buying is replaced with its identical twin moments after you leave.
The tea ceremony scam has a wider range of ages involved. You may find yourself casually striking up conversation with a Chinese couple looking round the Forbidden City at the same time as you, and end up wandering around with them. As you leave, someone asks if you’ve ever experienced the tea ceremony, or just whether you’re familiar with Chinese tea: there’s a good tea house nearby. The ‘tea ceremony’ is merely preparing the leaves by traditional methods involving rinsing them, pouring water over the outside of the pot and cups, and so on. (If you’re expecting something really ceremonious then you’re thinking of Japan.) The bill, when it comes, is hair-raising; perhaps ¥2000. Your friends are abashed and apologetic. They had no idea. They perhaps even protest and try to negotiate a discount; perhaps even succeed, although the bill is still huge. You may pay it all, or they may, in obvious pain, pay their part. As soon as you’re out of sight they’ll return to get their portion back, plus a cut of yours.
The language student scam tends to feature young women, usually in twos, who again strike up conversation of the ‘Where are you from?’ type, and hope you won’t mind if they practice their English. One conversational thing leads to another and you collectively repair to a nearby bar or café they suggest. Snacks and drinks appear unbidden, followed by a bill for ¥1000. The girls make themselves scarce. A large gentleman or two make themselves very present until you decide that discretion is the better part of valour.
Credit cards are often accepted for these scams, and some have tried to cancel payments or reclaim charges, but credit card companies are not always willing to assist. Neither are the police, although where foreigners have managed to get them involved matters have been put right fairly swiftly. Unfortunately it is necessary to treat with caution any accidental new acquaintance who seems to want to prolong the encounter, until he or she is proved innocent.
Any gentleman who pays attention to a whispered invitation of ‘Hello. Lady?’ or more directly still, ‘Sex?’, a particular problem in the Sān Lǐ Tún area, and who allows himself to be led into dimly lit premises, simply deserves what he gets. That is likely to include a very large bill for services hinted at but not rendered, and a trip to the nearest bank machine (ATM) with a well-muscled guard to withdraw significant sums.
Counterfeit money is a constant problem with bills from ¥20 upwards, but particularly the higher denominations, and it is even known for fakes to appear amongst notes issued by bank machines. All shops have machines for checking notes, and if they decide to reject one there’s no arguing with them. Some will try to give you real but damaged bills in change which you’ll then have trouble passing on to others. However, a polite refusal will quickly see that bill replaced.
In general you’ll need to carry a stock of smaller notes, particularly ¥10s and ¥20s, for paying taxi drivers, who will be unhappy to accept ¥100 for a shorter trip. If handing over ¥50 or ¥100 let the driver see you note the last few digits of its number before doing so, or photograph the note first. Drivers have been known to accept a good note and swap it for a fake, which they hand back saying they won’t accept. Paying a small fare with a large note may also see you receive fake notes among your change. For more on ‘black’ taxis, fake taxis, and other taxi-related problems, see By Taxi in Travel Around the City.
Nuisances
Seeing a foreign man with a Chinese woman brings out the worst in some Chinese men, and can lead to grubby speculation, prurient questioning, or even shouted abuse, of which your Chinese companion may quickly tire. Don’t rise to the occasion as you’ll get no public sympathy if you do, and indeed will likely quickly find yourself facing multiple opponents rather than just one. Simply move elsewhere.
Beggars are a little more under control than they used to be, but in many cases specifically seek out foreigners, who are both more likely to give, and likely to give far larger sums. The Chinese are largely unsympathetic, claiming that much begging is organised crime and that many beggars make far more than they do themselves. The media run stories about children kidnapped to work with beggars, and in March 2015 about a ‘beggar millionaire’ who owned two Běijīng apartments. Men beg for assistance with their mother’s medical bills with said mother supine and unconscious beside them. She revives herself in time to go and eat a substantial lunch before lying down in a fresh location in the afternoon. But it’s easier to claim widespread fraud than to imply criticism of the government or offer a solution to poverty. Profitable begging spots are highly coveted and ownership said to be retained by violence or payment to avoid it. Organisation of begging is long-standing, with early expats reporting a system of commissions flowing upwards to a King of the Beggars, but as the gap between rich and poor grows ever wider, there are very many cases of genuine need. You may wish to restrict your giving to those obviously maimed physically or mentally, or donate to a specific cause through a properly audited charity once you return home.
Many people may photograph you without asking, or may ask to have their picture taken with you. The capital is the number one tourist destination for Chinese, too, many of whom may rarely if ever have set eyes on a foreigner. Your odd looks make you a tourist attraction in your own right, much as the animals in the zoo. Play along or politely decline, as you please. The Chinese tourism industry itself may be regarded as a nuisance, dedicated as it is to separating you from every penny it can while providing the opposite of value. See Guides.
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