Is It Safe for Americans to Travel to China? – A Local’s Honest Take

Trust me when I say: I know that there are tensions between the U.S and China. I see the constant headlines about trade issues, the technological race, and the political friction.

For my Western readers, I am sure that similar headlines appear in your media. If you are an American, you may wonder if it is even safe to visit China.

“Will it be safe?” “Will I feel welcomed?” Are all totally valid questions to have.

From my experience, American visitors are safe. Take it from me who lives here. Reality is different from the clutter of geopolitics and mainstream media. Whether street crime concerns you, or you are worried about negative social attitudes towards Americans, I can assure these are minimal.

An Everyday Chinese’ Perspective

We in China do not pay much attention to international politics. Plus, we recognize that political disputes are between governments, not the people. Hence, we do not connect your average American to those in power.

Rather, a lot of Chinese get excited about foreign visitors.

A Desire for Connection: We believe that your people help our local economy, support our small businesses, and promote cultural exchange,

A Hope for Real Understanding: I think that the image of China shown in Western media is often biased and one-sided, not showing the true nature of our people. Many of my countrymen share this opinion.

When American visit us, we hope that with their own eyes and ears, they can discover the true nature of our people.

We also cannot tell an American walking down the street from a Russian, a Canadian, or a European. For your average Chinese, they are simply a “guest from afar.”

This phrase carries a lot of positive cultural weight. We get that nationality does not define a person, and is no reason treat someone poorly.

As long as you treat others with respect and follow the local laws, you are almost guaranteed to receive genuine kindness. You may see how a stranger goes out of their way to help you with directions, or how a shopkeeper teaches you local history. Maybe even a curious child who waves at you hello, a wide smile gleaming in their face.

Welcoming visitors is amongst our oldest traditions. It reminds me of a quote we learn at a young age. It is from Confucius:

“To have friends from afar, it this not a joy?”

(有朋自远方来，不亦乐乎？)

It has a been shared sentiment in our society for millennia, and continues to define how we treat our guests.

The Government’s Stance

The government in China actively encourages international tourism from many regions, including America. Policies have been put in place to facilitate a foreign visitor’s stay. Visa-free or transit-visa-free stays are options for people from various countries. Multi-language services have also been improved, making communication, navigation, and transactions easier. There is also a focus on bettering transportation guides.

These show that at a state-level, international visits are encouraged. This includes the Americans. Showing how despite the competition and the trade disputes, it is not in the interest of our government to make things hard for individual tourists.

If you still feel uncertain, feel free to look-up the experiences of Americans who recently visited. You can find many U.S. bloggers on YouTube, TikTok, or Reddit sharing their experience of the Chinese streets, interacting with the locals, and their takes on safety. These are amongst some of the most honest takes you can find about the experience of visiting China.

A Question for Americans:

How safe is it for Chinese citizens to travel to the United States right now?

I occasionally see news about Asian travelers undergoing very strict questioning at U.S. Customs. I have also seen reports of discrimination or being unwelcome in public places. This has caused some of my friends to hesitate on going to the U.S. I know the media likes to focus on the negative and often misrepresents the whole picture, so I would love to hear your honest opinion in the comments.