Is China safe?

Very safe. Very, very safe. Having lived in China for several years, I can assure you that safety will never be a problem.

I will add some examples. I remember wandering in Inner Mongolia last year. It is famous for its grasslands. I travel alone. Take a bus from Hohhot (the capital city) to see the grassland, get off at will, walk about 10 km, and then ask for a ride back to the city. I'm the only one, alone. Far away, I only see grass, some bison and hundreds of windmills.

The blue sky follows me everywhere. There will be a security checkpoint every few kilometers. The police will patrol the road. A few times, I walked past the security guards, thinking that they would ask me something, but I never did. Once I deliberately stopped to take some photos of the grassland, which was close to the security guards, and they didn't say anything.

Basically, I think they are convinced that you can't be an illegal immigrant wandering around China. So they won't bother you. Once, I asked a group of security guards about the bus time to Hohhot, and they talked to me a little shyly. When I return to the city, I will ask for a ride, get on any car that comes to this city for free, and then return to my hotel very safely.

In fact, during my entire stay in China, no police, soldiers or security guards asked me anything (and I didn't bother anyone). Besides, I have traveled all over China by myself, and I don't think there is any safety problem. I used to wander around China day and night, and no one threatened me.

So I often communicate with local people (I can speak basic Chinese) and try to understand their views on life. If you can speak Mandarin, it's really interesting, because only one language can be used almost anywhere. Besides, it is hard for China people to accept that a foreigner can speak Mandarin (which is a very difficult language).