U.S. Department of State
95/07/01 Consular Information on 4WCW, China, Sept. 4-5, 1995
Bureau of Consular Affairs


                         Consular Information
                    Fourth World Conference on Women
                            Beijing, China
                        September 4 - 15, 1995


The Department of State and the American Embassy in Beijing stand ready 
to provide regular consular assistance to and protection of U.S. 
citizens traveling to China to participate in the Fourth World 
Conference on Women and the NGO Forum.  The Consular Section at the 
American Embassy in Beijing strongly urges all participants to register 
by fax in advance of leaving the United States.  Consular officers from 
the American Embassy will be available to participants who need consular 
assistance at the Conference  and NGO sites, and after hours through an 
emergency duty officer program.

Registration:  The fax number for the Consular Section at the U.S. 
Embassy in Beijing  is (011) (86-10) 532-3178.  Please provide the 
following information by fax to the U.S.  Embassy, Attn:  American 
Citizens Services Section, Consular Section:

	--	Name (as it appears in your passport)
	--	Date and Place of Birth 
	--	Passport Number
	--	Date and Place of Issuance of Your Passport
	--	Address and Telephone Number in Beijing
	--	Arrival and Departure Dates
	--	Travel Itinerary in China (if any)
	--	U.S. Contact (address and telephone number)

Country Description:  The People's Republic of China (PRC) has been a 
one party state controlled by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) since 
its founding in 1949.  It is one of the world's largest and fastest 
growing economies.   Modern tourist facilities are not widely available, 
except in major cities. 

How to Avoid Legal Problems:  While in a foreign country, a U.S. citizen 
is subject to that country's laws and regulations.  In some instances, 
laws in China differ significantly from those in the United States and 
do not afford the protections available to the individual under U.S. 
law.  Exercise caution and carefully obey local laws.  Penalties for 
breaking the law can be more severe than in the United States for 
similar offenses.  Persons violating the law, even unknowingly, may be 
expelled, arrested or imprisoned.  Chinese laws prohibit public 
demonstrations without a valid permit  obtained from the Chinese Public 
Security Bureau in the city where the demonstration is planned.

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 to obtain new visas from Chinese authorities.  Chinese 
authorities require that travelers have valid visas to exit China and 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 for $1 from the Superintendent of Documents, 
U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402.

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.   Importation of equipment for personal  
use during the conference and forum such as computers and other 
electronic devices  may  be permitted without the payment of customs 
duty, so long as the items are re-exported from China upon China.  The 
U.S. Embassy can make inquiries about customs disputes, however, 
interpretation of Chinese customs laws and regulations is solely the 
jurisdiction of Chinese authorities.

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.  As noted above a 
valid visa is required to exit China. 

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.  U.S. 
citizens attending the conference should report any difficulties 
immediately to the U.S. Embassy.  The United States requires that all 
U.S. citizens enter and depart the U.S. on U.S. passports.  Dual 
nationals who enter and depart China using a U.S. passport and a valid 
PRC visa retain 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 (202) 647-6769 or the U.S. Embassy in 
Beijing at (86-10) 532-3831 (ext.  229)  for additional information. 

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 Chinese Consulate in the 
United States.

Document Seizures:  Chinese authorities have seized documents, 
literature, and letters which they deem to be pornographic or political 
in nature or those which are intended for religious proselytizing.  If 
you seek to enter China with religious materials in a quantity greater 
than what is considered needed for personal use, you could be detained 
and fined.  Religious proselytizing or passing out of religious 
materials is strictly forbidden.  Americans suspected of engaging in 
such activities have been fined, arrested or deported.  Magazines with 
photographs considered commonplace in Western countries, including some 
advertisements, may be regarded as sexually explicit pornography.  
Books, films, records, tapes, etc., which are "detrimental to China's 
politics, economy, culture, and ethics" will be seized by Chinese 
Customs to determine that they do not violate these prohibitions.

Entry Requirements:  Passports and visas are required.   Conference and 
NGO Forum participants require a business visa.  The length of stay is 
determined by the amount of time requested when applying for the visa.  
Most tourist  visas are valid for only one entry.  Travelers require a 
new visa for additional entries into China.  Chinese authorities fine 
those who arrive without a visa up to 5,000  renminbi (about $600 U.S.) 
at the port of entry and may not allow them to enter China.  Specific 
information is available through the Chinese Embassy at 2300 Connecticut 
Avenue N.W., Washington, D.C. 20008, tel:  (202) 328-2500, or from one 
of the Chinese Consulates General in Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New 
York, or San Francisco.

Consular Access:  U.S. citizens are encouraged to carry photocopies of 
their 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.  (Do not carry your original passport with you.  Your 
passport and other valuables should be placed in a hotel safety deposit 
box.)  U.S. consular officers are not always notified when a U.S. 
citizen has been detained.  However, 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.  If you are denied this right, continue to protest. 

Under the U.S. -P.R.C. Consular Convention of 1980, U.S. consular 
officers shall be notified if a U.S. citizen is arrested or detained no 
later than four days after  the arrest or detention.  Under the 
Convention, U.S. consular officers must be informed upon request of the 
reasons for the arrest or detention and have a right to visit the 
citizen after a formal request is made by the consular officer.  Visits 
shall take place as soon as possible, no later than two days after the 
request is made.  Visits may be made on a recurring basis.

U.S. citizens arrested abroad are subject to the judicial process of the 
foreign country.  Upon learning of an arrest, U.S. officials will demand 
consular access to you, visit you, advise you of your rights according 
to local laws, and contact your friends and family if you wish.  They 
will do whatever they can to protect your  interests and to ensure you 
are not discriminated against under local law.  Consuls can protest if  
you are held under  inhumane or unhealthy conditions or treated less 
favorably than others in the same situation, and will protest any such 
treatment.   Although U.S. consular officers cannot serve as attorneys 
or give legal advice, they can provide a list of local English speaking 
attorneys you may  retain  and help you find legal representation.  
Consular officers can assist in providing emergency medical and dietary 
assistance when necessary and act as an  intermediary in furnishing 
letters and packages from family members to arrested citizens through 
local authorities. 

Medical Facilities:  The quality of medical and health care in China is 
uneven.  Sanitation facilities, particularly outside Beijing, may not 
meet Western standards of cleanliness, convenience and accessibility.  
Participants should expect limited sanitary facilities at the NGO Forum 
site.  Competent, trained doctors and nurses are available in major 
metropolitan centers.  However, hospital accommodations are spartan and 
medical technology is not up-to-date.  Review your health insurance 
policy.  If your insurance does not cover you abroad, consider 
purchasing temporary insurance that does.  Doctors and hospitals often 
expect immediate cash payment for health services.  The 
Medicare/Medicaid program does not provide payment for medical services 
outside the United States.   Persons taking prescription medicines or 
syringes into China should carry a copy of a doctor's prescription.  It 
is wise to carry  more than one pair of eyeglasses or to bring a copy of 
your eyeglass prescription.   All travelers to China are encouraged to 
acquire medical insurance which covers medical evacuation from China.  
There are a variety of companies offering this service.  The following 
two suggestions are not endorsements; both companies, however, have 
doctors and clinics in Beijing and have worked with the U.S. Embassy in 
the past in assisting U.S. citizens who were ill.  You may wish to do 
comparison shopping if you are considering purchasing insurance for your 
trip:


Asia Emergency Assistance International  SOS International
Seattle, Washington                      Philadelphia, PA
Phone: 1-800-548-7762                    24-hour numbers: (215) 245-4707
24-hour number: ( 206) 781-8770          or (215) 244-1500

Questions on health matters can also be addressed to the Centers for 
Disease Control & Prevention through its international travelers hotline 
at (404) 332-4559.

Embassy and Consulate Locations:  Americans may call or visit the U.S. 
Embassy or a U.S. Consulate General to obtain updated information on 
travel and security within the country. 

If calling from within the United States about an emergency situation 
regarding a friend or relative attending the conference, you may wish to 
direct your initial call to the following number:

Bureau of Consular Affairs
Office of Overseas Citizens Services
U.S. Department of State
(202) 647-5226

Contact Persons:   Mrs. Kerry Holmes-De Haven
                   Ms. Robin Morritz

If you are in China and are involved in an emergency situation, the 
following information may be of assistance to you.

U.S. Embassy Beijing
2 Xiu Shui Dong Jie, 
Beijing 100600

The principal points of contact for emergency  matters related to the 
welfare and well-being of American citizens in China are:

Mr. Arturo S. Macias
Minister-Counsellor for Consular Affairs
Consul General

        and

Mr. Daniel W. Piccuta
First Secretary and Consul
Chief, American Services

During normal business hours, both gentlemen may be reached at the U.S. 
Embassy in Beijing's telephone numbers.


   Telephone:   (86-10) 532-3831 ext. 252 or 253
                (86-10) 532-3831 ext.  229
                (86-10) 532-3431 ext.  249

         Fax:   (86-10) 532-3178

For emergencies after normal  business hours, contact the U.S. Embassy's 
24 hour emergency number :

               (86-10) 532-1910 (Duty Officer)

Additional Travel:  In the event other travel within China is 
contemplated, the following information regarding locations of U.S. 
Consulates in China may also be of assistance:

Shanghai
1469 Huaihai Zhong Lu
Shanghai 200031

Telephone:    (86-21) 433-6880
Fax:          (86-21) 433-4122
After Hours:  (86-21) 433-3936

Shenyang
No. 52, 14th Wei Road
Shenyang, 110003
Telephone:    (86-24) 282-0038
              (86-24) 282-0048
              (86-24) 282-0068
Fax:          (86-24) 282-0074
After Hours:  Same as above

Chengdu
No. 4 Lingshiguan Road
Chengdu 610041
Telephone:    (86-28) 558-3992
              (86-28) 558-9642
Fax:          (86-28) 558-3520
After Hours:  (86-28) 901-1899 (mobile phone)

Guangzhou
1 South Shamian Street
Guangzhou 510133
Telephone:    (86-20) 886-2418
              (86-20) 886-2402 (ext. 256)
Fax:          (86-20) 886-2341
After Hours:  (86-20) 900-4511 (mobile phone)


Hong Kong
26 Garden Road
Hong Kong
Telephone:    (852) 2841-2211
Fax:          (852) 2845-4845

Consular Information Program:  The Department of State issues Public 
Announcements as a means to disseminate information quickly about 
transnational conditions which pose problems for U.S. citizen travelers.  
You can listen to them 24 hours a day by calling 202-647-5225 from a 
touchtone phone.  To receive them by fax, dial 202-647-3000 from a fax 
machine, using the machine's receiver, and follow the instructions.  To 
view and download with a personal computer and modem, dial the Consular 
Affairs Bulletin Board on modem number 202-647-9225.  Set your 
communications software to: no parity, 8 bits, one stop bit (N-8-1).