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China's Government Tells Citizens It's Unsafe to Travel in the US

Douglas A. McIntyre

Published: June 4, 2019 5:32 am

Last Updated: January 6, 2020 4:06 am

As trade and military tensions rise between China and the United States, China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism said it is “unsafe” to travel throughout much of America. The comments were listed as a “travel alert.”

The reasons given for the danger are “frequent occurrence of shootings, robberies and theft in the United States recently.” While crime in the United States has mostly fallen over the past several years, the observations may be based on violence in some American cities and a rise in mass shootings. The ministry did not make the source of its comments, or the reason for them, clear.

The warning came with advice for Chinese citizens who travel to the United States. They are “urged to learn about the information about the public security situation and related laws and regulations of tourist destinations, to raise safety awareness and step up precautions to stay safe.” It is not clear how knowledge of local law will protect Chinese tourists.

Chinese tourism in the United States has grown recently, as travelers go to popular destinations including Washington, Hollywood and the Grand Canyon, according to NPR. Chinese tourists are known to spend a lot when visiting other countries. In fact, China is among the countries that spend the most abroad.

Among the reasons fewer Chinese come to the United States is a strong dollar and, most likely, friction between the two nations. Whatever the cause, visits by Chinese tourists to the United States numbered 2.9 million in 2018, down 5.7% from the year before.

The United States keeps a list of dangerous nations it warns Americans should not visit. These are the 14 countries the U.S. government doesn’t want you to visit.

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