9 ms·

I have a trip to China on Saturday and I'm worried about: a. Chinese retaliation. I don't think they are going to start arresting Americans, but it might get u

I have a trip to China on Saturday and I'm worried about: a. Chinese retaliation. I don't think they are going to start arresting Americans, but it might get uncomfortable if I don't have my passport in the subway station. b. American retaliation. My wife has a greencard, this is actually worrying me more than anything, although as far as I have heard so far, we should be OK. Trip is still on. I'm really interested in how China has changed since I left 8 years ago.

pb7 2y ago
[flagged]
- seanmcdirmid 2y ago
  I don't think you have lived experience to back that up. There are definitely people being turned away at customs in the US, and China has targeted nationals of other countries they have disputes with (e.g. during the Huawei daughter incident and putting two Canadians in jail for two years while she got house arrest in her mansion). And anyways, having your passport in a Beijing subway station is just the way things are now (never was needed before, but they random check all the time before I left in 2016).
  - pb7 2y ago
    There have been people turned away at customs for as long as you have been alive. These are only stories because they're effective at manipulating you into believing the narrative du jour.
    - noname120 2y ago
      What quantitative evidence do you have of that?
    - seanmcdirmid 2y ago
      Yes, and I've always been the "it could never happen to me" person. But now things are volatile and chaotic. That is elevated risk, and you just shouldn't ignore it.
    - amanaplanacanal 2y ago
      You seem to be asserting that the risk is no higher now than it was last year. I suspect you are in the minority on that one.
silexia 2y ago
Totalitarian countries like China and Russia routinely arrest American visitors to use them as negotiation chips. Be careful.
- immibis 2y ago
  America's started arresting visitors from any country to use as negotiation chips so is it officially totalitarian now?

pb7 2y ago

[flagged]

seanmcdirmid 2y ago
I don't think you have lived experience to back that up. There are definitely people being turned away at customs in the US, and China has targeted nationals of other countries they have disputes with (e.g. during the Huawei daughter incident and putting two Canadians in jail for two years while she got house arrest in her mansion). And anyways, having your passport in a Beijing subway station is just the way things are now (never was needed before, but they random check all the time before I left in 2016).
- pb7 2y ago
  There have been people turned away at customs for as long as you have been alive. These are only stories because they're effective at manipulating you into believing the narrative du jour.
  - noname120 2y ago
    What quantitative evidence do you have of that?
  - seanmcdirmid 2y ago
    Yes, and I've always been the "it could never happen to me" person. But now things are volatile and chaotic. That is elevated risk, and you just shouldn't ignore it.
  - amanaplanacanal 2y ago
    You seem to be asserting that the risk is no higher now than it was last year. I suspect you are in the minority on that one.

silexia 2y ago

Totalitarian countries like China and Russia routinely arrest American visitors to use them as negotiation chips. Be careful.

immibis 2y ago
America's started arresting visitors from any country to use as negotiation chips so is it officially totalitarian now?