CHINA TRAVEL SAFETY GUIDE

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Rudolph Craig
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1 CHINA TRAVEL SAFETY GUIDE

Contents Contents... 2 1. Introduction... 3 2. Administrative Requirements... 3 2.1 Documents... 3 2.2 Vaccinations... 4 2.3 Currency... 5 3. Security conditions... 5 3.1 Political tension.

2 Contents Contents Introduction Administrative Requirements Documents Vaccinations Currency Security conditions Political tension Terrorism Sanitary Conditions Safety recommendations In case of emergency Guidelines for action Emergency telephone numbers... 11

3 1. Introduction Any trip requires advance planning and useful information about the destination. Knowing what steps to follow and who to contact in an emergency can help avoid unwanted events occurring, prevention lies in these aspects. The greater the person's cultural distance and lack of knowledge of the country they are going to visit the greater the need to find out information about it, which is especially true in environments that are conflictive or unstable. Because of this and MAPFRE's increasingly global reach, the destinations of people who are part of the group need to be specifically studied so that they can be offered the defensive protection necessary to safely carry out their business. This guide is intended for all expatriates who travel for business or pleasure and, especially, for those who travel abroad on a regular basis in order to carry out their business. 2. Administrative Requirements 2.1 Documents Passport / ID: A passport that is valid for at least six months. Visas: YES Exceptions include Hong Kong and Macao, where a visa is not needed if you are staying less than 90 days and for transits, see below. Authorised maximum stay: 60 days (90 days validity). It is very difficult to obtain multientry tourist visa. Check the validity of your visa before travel because, if you remain in China after your visa has expired, you will receive a warning and a fine of between 500 yuan/rmb (about 50 euros) to 5000 yuan/rmb (about 500 euros) for being illegally in China or you could also be detained for between 3 and 10 days. Foreign citizens entering China illegally will be fined between 1,000 to 10,000 yuan/rmb (about 100 to 1,000 euros) or be detained for between 3 and 10 days and may be deported from the country. If travelling to the Autonomous Regions of the P.R. of China, the Department of International Relations from the People's Republic of China's Tourism Promotion Bureau

4 announced that tourists can only stay in hotels approved by the Chinese Government. In addition, these travellers must limit themselves to tourist activities. The tourist visa does not allow access to the Autonomous Region of Tibet. You will need to apply for special permission to travel to that region. Travellers who enter the region without permission, illegally, could be heavily punished with penalties that include imprisonment. Some areas of China are forbidden, they include areas in the province of Xinjiang, Qinghai and Heilongjiang and Inner Mongolia. If travelling to Hong Kong and Macao, and then returning to China, you will need to have a double entry visa; if you only have a single entry visa you will need to request a new one to re-enter continental China. Transit visas: The general rule that you need a visa for travel to China (excluding Hong Kong and Macao) has the following exceptions: Travellers in transit in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou who fall into the conditions explained below: Nationals from 45 countries can apply for a transit visa that lasts 72 hours in Beijing (at the capital's airport), Shanghai (Hongqiao Airport and Pudong Airport) and Guangzhou (Guangzhou Bayun Airport). To apply for this visa, you must have a ticket that shows you are continuing travel to a third country and the appropriate visa for entering it. In addition, you may not leave the municipality of Beijing or Shanghai during transit. This service is limited to only those passengers who are in transit. A passenger on a return flight to Beijing or Shanghai, who will not fly to a third country, even in the case their stay in Beijing or Shanghai will be for less than 72 hours, must have the necessary visa to enter into China. Travellers should check with their airline to whether their itinerary is compatible with a 72-hour transit visa. A special permit is required for some areas such as the region of Tibet. 2.2 Vaccinations Mandatory: Yellow Fever if coming from an infected country. Recommended: vaccinations against tetanus and polio. Advisable (depending on the area that will be visited): Diphtheria, typhoid, hepatitis A and B. Yellow fever Foreigners coming from countries with risk of Yellow fever need a vaccination certificate. Vaccination is not recommended for travel to China.

5 Malaria: Risk of P. Falciparum (mosquito) on the island of Hainan and Yunnan Province. There is no risk of Plasmodium Vivax in the southern provinces. There is no risk of malaria in urban areas and those at an altitude over 1,500 m. Recommended medication: Mefloquine. Protect yourself from mosquito bites. AIDS has expanded considerably in China. The number of Chinese AIDS patients (officially) is one million, although some estimates put the figure at 2 million. The provinces of Yunnan, Guangdong and Henan are the most affected. Japanese Encephalitis: If travelling to the regions of Hainan, Yunnan, Guangxi and Guizhou vaccination against Japanese encephalitis (in rural areas) is recommended. 2.3 Currency The euro and dollar can be freely exchanged in authorised exchange offices. 3. Security conditions General Situation in China: TAKE LOGICAL SAFETY MEASURES PRECAUTION HIGH LEVEL OF ALERTNESS RECONSIDER THE NEED TRAVEL THERE DO NOT TRAVEL General Situation in Sichuan Xinjian: TAKE LOGICAL SAFETY MEASURES PRECAUTION HIGH LEVEL OF ALERTNESS RECONSIDER THE NEED TRAVEL THERE DO NOT TRAVEL High risk area: None.

3.1 Political tension The Autonomous Region of Tibet and some specific areas of neighbouring provinces (Xinjiang, Qinghai, Sichuan) are frequent scenes of protests and riots; foreigners are

6 3.1 Political tension The Autonomous Region of Tibet and some specific areas of neighbouring provinces (Xinjiang, Qinghai, Sichuan) are frequent scenes of protests and riots; foreigners are restricted from visiting them, sometimes temporarily, sometimes for several months. We therefore strongly recommend taking extreme caution should you find yourself in or plan to travel to that area, request information from Chinese authorities about the current situation there before travelling. 3.2 Terrorism Currently the terror alert level in China is low. 3.3 Sanitary Conditions Conditions in China are typical to those of a developing country. In large cities there are hospitals with separate areas for foreigners, where all kinds of healthcare can be provided, including serious surgical operations. However, in smaller towns and rural areas health care is very precarious. Drink bottled water and avoid eating undercooked foods.

7 4. Safety recommendations The country in general is pretty safe, although stay alert in crowded areas such as tourist areas, buses and undergrounds, trade shows, restaurants, markets, etc. to avoid having your documentation, credit cards and money stolen. Lately they have been reports of thefts targeting tourists, even in luxury hotels, and disappearances of handbags and other belongings at trade shows (especially in the province of Canton). Before travelling make a photocopy of your national identification document, passport, visa and plane ticket and separate them from the originals; another copy to yourself. Before travelling note your Consular/Embassy contact details and your credit card cancellation phone numbers. Do not use unofficial transportation services during your stay, especially on arrival at the airport. Major hotels often have airport pick-up services which can be purchased at the time of booking. Taxis should be officially identified. In China legal taxis have meters and a plate inside the vehicle identifying the driver. If you have any problem write down the identifying number so that you can lodge a report with the local police and the corresponding complaint to the municipal taxi company. Catching illegal taxis is not advisable. Both the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Tourism Bureau of the P.R. of China do not consider that there are areas of risk but travelling in groups is advisable. In Shanghai (areas of Nanjing road and the Bund) and in Beijing (Wangfujing shopping street) there have been several reports of scams where Chinese female citizens attract businessmen and tourists to bars and restaurants. When they request the bill, the amount charged is often disproportionately high. If the victim refuses to pay the drinks or does not have sufficient cash, the bartender or friends of the Chinese citizen accompanies the victim to the hotel where he is staying so that he can get his credit card and pay the debt, even accompanying him to the ATM. It is very difficult to integrate in this country if you do not speak a Chinese language as very little English is spoken anywhere. In this sense, travelling to China with an organised group or at least with an interpreter is convenient. There are some hotels (the more economical ones) that are not allowed to accept foreign citizens, although police only occasionally act to prevent it. Road infrastructure is developing rapidly. However, driving in China is discouraged, especially at night, since the number of accidents continues to increase. You can rent a car but they usually come chauffeured as Chinese law does not recognise international driving permits.

8 The railway network is very comprehensive, especially after the construction in recent years of several high-speed rail lines (bullet trains) across the country. Regarding air transport, remember that any type of alcoholic beverage is prohibited on board. Other drinks are accepted (2 bottles) provided that each bottle does not exceed 500 ml. and is declared. Even then, Chinese authorities reserve the right to accept them or not. Seismic risk: China has several seismic zones: Heilongjiang, Lijiang (Yunnan), some areas of the Yangtze, Hebei Province and Beijing. Entering any kind of bird into China is prohibited. Important note: According to Chinese legislation, a person can be in detention for up to 30 days without being proven guilty. After that period, the investigation can legally take up to a maximum of 150 days (during which the passport of the detainee is retained and they are prohibited from leaving the country), before the prosecution decides whether to release the detainee or on their possible criminal accusation. Drugs: Legislation on drugs in China is very rigorous. People who traffic or consume drugs will be heavily punished by the Chinese authorities (this is a crime that can carry a capital punishment sentence). The crimes of smuggling, selling, transporting, preparing, possessing and consuming drugs are punishable by sentences that range from 3 to 15 years imprisonment to life imprisonment or the death penalty, in addition to corresponding fines. Severe punishment for drug-related crime is one of the characteristics of China's criminal legislation to control these substances. The Revised Penal Code fully embodies this principle. Firstly, the Criminal Code identifies 12 drugrelated offences, such as smuggling, trafficking, sale, distribution and production of drugs; drug abuse; transportation, cover-up and hiding drugs and money related to illicit trafficking; smuggling of materials used in the manufacturing of drugs; illegal buying and selling of materials to manufacture drugs; the illegal cultivation of the original plants of the drugs; the buying, selling, distribution and illegal possession of seeds and buds of these plants; the supply of illegal narcotics and psychotropic substances. The Penal Code further identifies the penalties for laundering drug money offences. It is worth noting that in the cases of illegal trafficking, distribution, production and possession, the quality of the drug is not taken into account, only the quantity seized. The penalties vary depending on the severity of the crime. These penalties can range from detention and payment of a fine, sentences to life imprisonment, to capital punishment in addition to confiscation of property. More stringent sentences are given to those who use minors for trafficking, sale, distribution or production of drugs and those who induce minors to use them; those who sell drugs to minors; those who deceive minors into consuming drugs and those who incite or force them to consume; those who, after serving their sentence for trafficking, sale, distribution, production or drug abuse, repeat any of these offences. Moreover, the regional legislative authorities of Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Gansu, Shaanxi, Heilongjiang, Ningxia, Jiangsu and other provinces and autonomous regions have

9 adopted regional laws and regulations on the control of drugs based on their own specific reality. Prostitution: Prostitution is illegal in China. Prosecution against the person who solicits prostitution services can be serious and includes insult, abuse, corruption of women or even rape. Penalties for organising and/or coercion into prostitution will be punished with imprisonment sentences ranging from 10 years to life and confiscation of property. Penalties for inducing or inciting prostitution include arrest, payment of a fine or up to 5 years imprisonment. More serious cases can include penalties of 5 years imprisonment and a fine. Very serious cases can include the death penalty. People suffering from syphilis, gonorrhoea or other venereal diseases and hire people who offer sexual services can be punished with imprisonment of up to 5 years. They can also be detained and must pay a fine. In cases where sexual services are contracted from minors under the age of 14, imprisonment will be more than 5 years in addition to the payment of a fine. Travellers to Shanghai are warned that local authorities have stepped up control of prostitution to the point where suspects who violate the rules can be detained for 15 days without bail. Relations between people of the same sex According to Chinese customs and ethics, relationships between people of the same sex are classified as acts that violate public morality and are therefore are not recognised by society. From a medical point of view, these relationships are categorised as sexual dysfunctions within psychiatric illness but have been removed from the list of mental illnesses. Human trafficking: Trafficking of women and children is punishable by 5-10 years imprisonment, in addition to a fine. More severe cases can be punished with 10 years imprisonment, life imprisonment or even the death penalty and confiscation of property. Groups that organise illegal migration of people out of the country, can be liable to penalties of between 2 and 7 years imprisonment in addition to a fine. They can be punished with more than 7 years imprisonment in serious cases.

10 5. In case of emergency 5.1 Guidelines for action In case you are in an emergency situation, follow these guidelines: If you are walking down the street and feel you are being watched, change direction and be alert to any reactions around you. If you find yourself in a dangerous or difficult situation, steer away from dark or empty streets, try to find your way to a public area and telephone for help. If you are robbed, keep calm and remember: o What is most important is to avoid physical harm. o Attackers should never be confronted. o Hand over your money and valuables without resistance, keeping a safe distance and speaking softly to build confidence. o If you suffer an assault or any other criminal act, report it to the authorities and also to the embassy.

5.2 Emergency telephone numbers Carry this emergency card with you during your trip which states "In case of emergency, please call the telephone number listed below" in several languages.

11 5.2 Emergency telephone numbers Carry this emergency card with you during your trip which states "In case of emergency, please call the telephone number listed below" in several languages. Write the number on the dotted line that you want called if an unexpected event occurs. FRONT BACK IN CASE OF EMERGENCY PLEASE CALL THE PHONE IN DRINGENDEN FÄLLEN STEHEN WIR RUFEN SIE DIE TELEFON الهات ف ع لى االت صال ي رج ى ال طارئ ة ال حاال ت ف ي EN CAS D'URGENCE S'IL VOUS PLAÎT APPEL DU TELEPHONE IN CASE OF EMERGENCY PLEASE CALL THE TELEPHONE NUMBER.. USEFUL TELEPHONE NUMBERS

SAUDI ARABIA TRAVEL SAFETY GUIDE

SAUDI ARABIA TRAVEL SAFETY GUIDE Contents Contents... Error! Marcador no definido. 1. Last Minute... 3 2. Administrative Requirements... 3 2.1 Documents... 3 2.2 Vaccinations... 3 2.3 Currency... 4 3.