Wayzata World Factbook 1995/World Factbook - 1995 Edition - Wayzata Technology (1995).iso/mac/text/Build/tvltxt/CHINA.TVL

Text File | 1994-12-07 | 9KB | 159 lines

China - Consular Information Sheet
October 31, 1994

Country Description:  The People's Republic of China has a communist
government.  It is one of the world's largest and fastest growing economies.
 Modern tourist facilities are not widely available, except in major cities.

Entry Requirements:  Passports and visas are required.  Most tourist visas
are valid for only one entry.  Travelers require a new visa for additional
entries into China.  Those who arrive without a visa will be fined a minimum
of 2,000 renminbi (about $232 U.S. ) at the port of entry and may not be
allowed to enter China.  A transit visa is required for any stop (even if
one does not exit the plane or train) in China.  Specific information is
available through the Embassy of the Peoples Republic of China at 2300
Connecticut Avenue N.W., Washington, D.C. 20008, tel: [phone], or
from one of the Consulates General in Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New
York, or San Francisco.

Medical Facilities:  The quality of medical care in China is uneven.
Competent, trained doctors and nurses are available in major metropolitan
centers.  However, hospital accommodations are spartan and medical
technology is not up-to-date.  Doctors and hospitals often expect immediate
cash payment for health services.  U.S. medical insurance is not always
valid outside the United States.  Supplemental medical insurance with
specific overseas coverage including provision for medical evacuation can be
useful for any U.S. citizen traveling or residing in China.  The
Medicare/Medicaid program does not provide payment of medical services
outside the United States.  The Department of State's brochure "Tips for
Travelers to the People's Republic of China" contains additional information
concerning medical care in China.  This brochure is available from the
Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington,
D.C. 20402.  Questions on health matters can also be addressed to the
Centers for Disease Control through its international travelers hotline at
[phone].

Information on Crime:  China has a low crime rate; however, crime has
increased in the past few years, principally in the major cities.  Americans
and other foreigners have seldom been victims of violent crime.  Theft is
the most common crime affecting visitors and occurs most frequently in
crowded public areas, such as hotel lobbies, bars, restaurants, and public
transportation sites.  The loss or theft abroad of a U.S. passport should be
reported immediately to the local police, and the nearest U.S. embassy or
consulate.  Police reports are necessary in China in order that travelers
may obtain new visas from Chinese authorities.  Chinese authorities require
that travelers have valid visas to exit China, or even to travel and
register in hotels within China.  Useful information on guarding valuables
and protecting personal security while traveling abroad is provided in the
Department of State pamphlet, "A Safe Trip Abroad."  It is available from
the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office,
Washington, D.C. 20402.

Adoption:   After completing lengthy pre-adoption procedures in the United
States, foreigners wishing to adopt a child in China can expect to spend at
least two weeks in China.  Current adoption information can be obtained by
calling the U.S. Department of State [phone], or writing to the
Office of Overseas Citizens Services, Room 4800, Department of State,
Washington, D.C. 20520.

Drug Penalties:  Travelers are subject to the laws and legal practices of
the country in which they travel.  Criminal penalties for possession, use,
or trafficking of illegal drugs are strict, and convicted offenders can
expect severe jail sentences and fines.  Hong Kong passport holders have
been executed for drug offenses, and one U.S. citizen, convicted on drug
related charges in Shanghai, has received a fifteen year prison sentence.

Customs Information:  Information concerning regulations and procedures
governing items that may be brought into China is available through the
Chinese Embassy and consulates.  Students may bring into China only a
limited number of items which are considered necessary for study and daily
life.  Some Americans resident in China have been required to pay customs
duty on certain large items each time they temporarily depart China, if
required procedures were not followed when the items were originally brought
into China.

Passport Confiscation:  The confiscation of foreign passports of persons
involved in commercial disputes occurs in China.  Under such circumstances,
the U.S. government will issue another passport to any American citizen who
applies for one.  Even if a new U.S. passport is issued, the Chinese
government may block departure.

Dual Nationality:  China does not recognize dual nationality.  U.S. citizens
who are also Chinese nationals have experienced difficulty entering and
departing China on U.S. passports, and some U.S. passports have been seized
by Chinese authorities.  Dual nationals may be subject to Chinese laws which
impose special obligations.  Such persons are often required to use Chinese
documentation to enter China.  The United States requires that all U.S.
citizens enter and depart the United States on U.S. passports.  Dual
nationals who enter and depart China using a U.S. passport and a valid PRC
visa do not lose the right of U.S. consular access and protection under the
U.S.- PRC Consular Convention.  The ability of the U.S. Embassy or
Consulates General to provide normal consular services would be extremely
limited should a dual national enter China on a Chinese or other passport.
China does not recognize the U.S. citizenship of children born in China,
when one of the parents is a PRC national.  Such children are required to
depart China on PRC travel documents.  Children born in the United States to
PRC national parents, who are neither lawful permanent residents nor U.S.
citizens, are not recognized as U.S. citizens under Chinese nationality law.
 Although Chinese consulates have frequently issued visas to such
individuals in error, they are treated solely as PRC nationals by Chinese
authorities when in China.  Before traveling to China, dual nationals may
wish to contact the Office of Overseas Citizens Services at [phone]
or the U.S. Embassy in Beijing at (86-1) 532-3831 EXT: 229 for additional
information.

Consular Access :  U.S. citizens are encouraged to carry their U.S.
passports or photocopies of passport data and photo pages with them at all
times so that, if questioned by PRC officials, proof of U.S. citizenship is
readily available.  U.S. Consular officers are not always notified when a
U.S. citizen has been detained.  This is particularly true when the U.S.
citizen is also a dual national, and is considered by the Chinese government
to be a citizen of China.  U.S. citizens have rights to consular access
under the U.S. - P.R.C. Consular Convention and should insist upon contact
with the U.S. Embassy or one of the U.S. Consulates General.  Dual nationals
who enter China on Chinese passports may be denied consular access to U.S.
consular officials.

Travel to Tibet:  The Chinese government requires U.S. citizens wishing to
visit Tibet to apply in advance for approval from the Tourist Administration
of the Tibetan Autonomous Region.  More information is available through the
Chinese Embassy or a consulate in the United States, or while in China, at
the U.S. Embassy or nearest U.S. consulate general.

Document Seizures:  Chinese authorities have seized documents, literature,
and letters which they deem to be religious, pornographic, or political in
nature.  They have detained and expelled individuals believed to be  engaged
in proselytization or in conduct they consider immoral.

Registration:  Americans who register at the U.S. Embassy or a U.S.
Consulate General may obtain updated information on travel and security
within the country.

Embassy and Consulate Locations:

The U.S. Embassy Consular Section in China is located at Xiu Shui Dong Jie
3. Beijing - 100600; telephone [phone], Fax: [phone].

There are Consulates General at Number 1 South Shamian Street, Shamian
Island 20031, Guangzhou; telephone [phone] - ext. 255, fax: (86-20)
886-2341;

Shanghai, located at 1469 Huai Hai Middle Road; telephone [phone],
fax: [phone]

Shenyang, located at  No. 52, 14th Wei Road, Heping District; telephone (86-
24) 282-0068, fax: [phone]

Chengdu, at Number 4, Lingshiguan Road, Section 4, Renmin Nanlu; telephone
(86-28) 558-9642, fax: [phone].

No. 94-257

This replaces the Consular Information Sheet dated October 18, 1994, and
informs U.S. citizen travelers of the importance of keeping proof of U.S.
citizenship readily available.  It also notes a reduction from four weeks to
two weeks in the period necessary for completion of adoptions in China.