Tourists describe China's high level of security

Beijing, China — What would happen if someone left a backpack containing personal belongings unattended in one of the busiest commercial areas in China? YouTuber ‘Because I’m Lizzy’ decided to seek the answer in Chongqing, southwest China, last year. After spending about 100 minutes wandering through winding city streets, sampling local cuisine, and enjoying neon-lit nightlife, she returned to find all her belongings still in the same place as when she left them. The South African content creator, 29, was not at all surprised by the result. ‘I have proven many times that nothing will be stolen,’ she told Xinhua. ‘Safety is the main reason why I stay in China,’ she added. Currently based in Kunming, the capital of Yunnan province in southwest China, Jannelize Bessenger has lived in China for seven years. She has produced a series of videos about China after realising that many people have little information about the safety levels in a country with 1.4 billion people. Yet for Bessenger, the people who live there and the values and respect they show for life make China the safest place she will live for years. Her first impression of China was shaped by the unexpected kindness of a stranger. In 2019, just four months after arriving in China, she fell seriously ill while in Nanchang, Jiangxi province, eastern China. Although she had saved the hospital’s location on her phone, she could not find it. Because Mandarin was not yet fluent, she asked a man nearby for help using a translation app. To her surprise, the man volunteered to accompany her to the hospital by subway, then left. Bessenger wondered whether the man would ask for her contact details or expect something in return, but nothing happened. ‘He really just wanted to do good,’ she recalled. The moment made Bessenger realise she could live safely by herself in China as a foreign woman. Hailing from a small town in South Africa famous for wildlife and safaris, this solo traveller says that the safe environment in China allows her to enjoy a relaxed lifestyle there. ‘Whether walking around listening to music at 11:00 p.m. when I can’t sleep, or looking for fresh air without checking a map first, I simply go and explore,’ she said. China ranks high globally on the Global Safety Report 2025 by Gallup in the index of public safety and law and order. When Bessenger shared her appreciation for the safety aspects of China via Rednote, a lifestyle sharing platform, many Chinese users were astonished why she keeps talking about it. ‘They are used to it, so they don’t really realise how fortunate they are to live in a country with such a high level of safety,’ Bessenger said. Her mother, who visited China from South Africa two years ago and then decided to settle there, also shares the sentiment. Safety and openness in China are also felt by short‑term visitors. In 2025, the number of international tourist visits to China exceeded 150 million, up more than 17 per cent year on year. Of that number, more than 30 million foreign tourists entered the country under China’s visa-free policy. With expensive camera equipment in hand, Canadian YouTuber Dave Mani and his wife travel comfortably around Chinese cities or explore rural areas. ‘After visiting 56 countries, we can say China ranks very highly in general safety,’ Mani said. As an independent content creator, Mani recognises how deeply technology is integrated into daily life in China. Whenever he and his wife need assistance during their travels, locals quickly use translation apps to communicate with them. The couple grew to become fans of WeChat. They say the app is especially helpful through WeChat Pay, which enables easy and safe payments. ‘That level of daily security makes filming and exploring very easy and enjoyable,’ Mani said. Like Bessenger and Mani, Ana Rosa Neumann Devers, a Dominican exchange student now studying in Harbin, Heilongjiang, northeast China, feels comfortable and relaxed walking past rows of neatly arranged market stalls, both day and night. The Caribbean islander fell in love with the cold northern city, attracted by snowy nights there and the warmth of the kindness and sincerity of her school friends. At a school party, she wore traditional Dominican clothing and was greeted with enthusiastic applause and genuine praise. ‘People here respect cultures and customs that are different. No one treats me differently because I come from another country. I really feel valued,’ she said. In the last seven years, Bessenger has found that in China, every province and city offers something truly different for travellers to explore. But for those who do not know where to go or want to follow the ‘Becoming Chinese’ trend, she offers…