Entry / Exit Requirments for China

A valid passport and visa are required to enter China for Tourism, Business or Transit.

Your passport must be good for at least six months upon entry in China. If you need a passport AAA Passports can help you.

A China Visa is a stamp that must be affixed to one of the pages in your Passport. Only Chinese Embassies and Consulates can place the visa stamp to your passport. There are two ways that you can have the visa issued. The first, appear at an embassy or consulate in person. The second, have a registered embassy agent represent you for your visa issuance. AAA Passports is registered at the China Embassy in Washington DC and Consulates around the US.

China Visa Application and Information

China Country Information
Additional China Information

Population
1,298,847,624 (July 2004 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Chinese (singular and plural)
Adjective: Chinese
Country Name
Conventional long form: People's Republic of China
Conventional short form: China
Local long form: Zhonghua Renmin Gongheguo
Local short form: Zhong Guo
Abbreviation: PRC

Climate
Extremely diverse; tropical in south to subarctic in north

Currency
Yuan (CNY)
note:: also referred to as the Renminbi (RMB)

Government Type
Communist state

U.S. Embassy Location
Chief of Mission: Ambassador Clark T. RANDT, Jr.
Embassy: Xiu Shui Bei Jie 3, 100600 Beijing
Mailing address: PSC 461, Box 50, FPO AP 96521-0002
Telephone: [86] (10) 6532-3831
FAX: [86] (10) 6532-6929
Consulate(s) General: Chengdu, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Shenyang

Legal System
Complex amalgam of custom and statute, largely criminal law; rudimentary civil code in effect since 1 January 1987; new legal codes in effect since 1 January 1980; continuing efforts are being made to improve civil, administrative, criminal, and commercial law

Religions
Daoist (Taoist), Buddhist, Muslim 1%-2%, Christian 3%-4%
note: officially atheist (2002 est.)

Country Background
For centuries China stood as a leading civilization, outpacing the rest of the world in the arts and sciences. But in the 19th and early 20th centuries, China was beset by civil unrest, major famines, military defeats, and foreign occupation. After World War II, the Communists under MAO Zedong established a dictatorship that, while ensuring China's sovereignty, imposed strict controls over everyday life and cost the lives of tens of millions of people. After 1978, his successor DENG Xiaoping gradually introduced market-oriented reforms and decentralized economic decision making. Output quadrupled by 2000. Political controls remain tight while economic controls continue to be relaxed.

Safety and Security
Americans visiting or residing in China are advised to take the normal safety precautions travelers take when in any foreign country. Specifically, travelers should remain aware of their surroundings and of events that are happening around them. Travelers should respect local police requirements to temporarily avoid travel in some areas. In light of the greatly increased numbers of older Americans traveling to China, U.S. tour operators should check that local guides are familiar with medical facilities and emergency medical evacuation procedures.

American citizens who rent apartments with gas appliances should be aware that in some areas, natural gas is not scented to warn occupants of gas leaks or concentrations. In addition, heaters may not always be well vented, thereby allowing excess carbon monoxide to build up in living spaces. Due to fatal accidents involving American citizens, travelers are advised to ensure all gas appliances are properly vented or install gas and carbon monoxide detectors in their residences. These devices are not widely available in China, and they should be purchased prior to arrival.

Chinese security personnel may place foreign government officials, journalists, and business people with access to advanced proprietary technology under surveillance. Hotel rooms and personal computing devices for these categories of visitors may be subject to search without the consent or knowledge of the traveler.

Terrorism is rare in China, although a small number of bombings and incidents of unrest have occurred in areas throughout China. Recent bombings have largely been criminal activity, frequently the result of commercial disputes between Chinese. There is no indication that acts of public violence have been directed against foreigners or that foreign elements in China have carried out terrorist attacks.

For the latest security information, Americans traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department's Internet web site at http://travel.state.gov where the current Worldwide Caution Public Announcement, Travel Warnings and Public Announcements can be found.

Up to date information on security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the United States, or, for callers outside the United States and Canada at 1-317-472-2328. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).

Medical Facilities We recommend meeting with a health care professional before your trip
Western-style medical facilities with international staffs are available in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and a few other large cities. Many other hospitals in major Chinese cities have so-called VIP wards (gaogan bingfang). These feature reasonably up-to-date medical technology and physicians who are both knowledgeable and skilled. Most VIP wards also provide medical services to foreigners and have English-speaking doctors and nurses. Most hospitals in China will not accept medical insurance from the United States, with the exception of the following hospitals, which are on the BlueCross BlueShield’s worldwide network providers - overseas network hospitals’ list (http://www.fepblue.org/wasite/wabenefits/wa-benefitsoverseas04.html): Hong Kong Adventist Hospital, Beijing United Family Hospital, Beijing Friendship Hospital, International Medical Center in Beijing, and Peking Union Medical Center. Travelers will be asked to post a deposit prior to admission to cover the expected cost of treatment. Hospitals in major cities may accept credit cards for payment. Even in the VIP/Foreigner wards of major hospitals, however, American patients have frequently encountered difficulty due to cultural and regulatory differences. Physicians and hospitals have sometimes refused to supply American patients with complete copies of their Chinese hospital medical records, including laboratory test results, scans, and x-rays. All Americans traveling to China are strongly encouraged to buy foreign medical care and medical evacuation insurance prior to arrival. Travelers who want a list of modern medical facilities in China can access that information at the Embassy’s website.

Ambulances do not carry sophisticated medical equipment, and ambulance personnel generally have little or no medical training. Therefore, injured or seriously ill Americans may be required to take taxis or other immediately available vehicles to the nearest major hospital rather than waiting for ambulances to arrive. In rural areas, only rudimentary medical facilities are generally available. Medical personnel in rural areas are often poorly trained, have little medical equipment or availability to medications. Rural clinics are often reluctant to accept responsibility for treating foreigners, even in emergency situations.

Foreign-operated medical providers catering to expatriates and visitors are available in China.

* SOS International, Ltd., operates modern medical and dental clinics and provides medical evacuation and medical escort services in Beijing, Nanjing, Tianjin and Shekou, as well as 24hr Alarm Centers in Beijing and Shanghai. Through clinics in Beijing (24 hours), Tianjin, Nanjing and Shekou, SOS offers international standard family practice services, emergency medical services and a range of clinical services.

The emergency assistance services SOS offers through alarm centers in Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing compliment their clinics. Each Alarm Center provides 24-hour hotline services to all our global members when they are in China. Any problem from lost luggage to a serious medical condition can be reported to the alarm center, where multilingual coordinators and doctors are on duty to respond to all manners of emergencies.

To provide these services, SOS has developed an external network of hospitals, airlines and local authorities with whom they work to deliver a fast and efficient response. These services also support the many remote site medical staff, equipment and facilities that SOS provides to clients.

For medical emergencies anywhere in mainland China, Americans can call the SOS International, Ltd., 24-hour "Alarm Center" in Beijing at telephone (86-10) 6462-9100 or in Shanghai at (86-21) 6295-0099 for advice and referrals to local facilities. SOS International Alarm Centers can also be contacted in Hong Kong at telephone (852) 2428-9900 and in the United States at (215) 245-4707. For a full list of SOS locations and phone numbers, consult the SOS website at http://www.internationalsos.com.

*Beijing United Family Hospital and Clinics ("BJU") is the first and remains the only foreign-invested full service international standard 50 bed hospital operating in Beijing, China. BJU was opened in 1997 by Chindex International, an American company, which in 2002 was awarded the US Secretary of State’s Award for Corporate Excellence. BJU offers the full range of specialties including Family Practice, Internal Medicine, Surgery, Obstetrics/Gynecology, Pediatrics, Dentistry, Psychiatry and Physiotherapy, in addition to a 24 hour Emergency Room staffed solely by Expatriate Staff Specialists. These Physicians are all board qualified (or equivalent) in their respective fields and include specialties such as Anesthesiology, and Intensive Care Medicine. Additionally, staff are fluent in not only English, but also a wide range of languages including French, German, Japanese, Spanish, Swedish, and Finnish to name a few.

Facilities include 2 Operating Theatres, international standard 5 star LDRP birthing suites, Neonatal ICU, a 4-bed Adult ICU, General Inpatient facilities, and standard support services such as Digital Radiology, Ambulance services, Pharmacy, Laboratory and a 24 hour on-site Blood Bank with emergency blood pre-screened to the American Blood Bank standard.

Bayley & Jackson Beijing Medical Center
#7 Ritan Dong Lu, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100020
( 8610) 8562-9998 Fax: (8610) 8562-3497
email: info@bjhealthcare.com
Website: www.bjhealthcare.com

Beijing United Family Hospital and Clinics
#2 Jiang Tai Lu, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100016
(8610) 6433-3960 Fax: (8610) 6433-3963
Emergency Hotline: (8610) 6433-2345
Website: www.bjunited.com.cn Beijing United Family Clinic - Shunyi

Pinnacle Plaza, Unit # 818, Tian Zhu Real Estate Development Zone, Shunyi District, 101312
(8610) 8046-5432 Fax: (8610) 8046-4383
Peking Union Medical Hospital
1 Shui Fu Yuan, Dong Cheng Distict, Beijing 100730
Tel: 010-6529-6114 (registration); 010-6529-7292 (information); 010-6529-5284 (24 hours)
Modern Facilities with English speaking staff. Separate ward for foreign patients.

World Link Shanghai Clinics. Expatriate doctors and imported vaccines.

Portman Clinic:
Shanghai Center #203 W, 1376 Nanjing Xi Lu, 200040
Tel: 6279-7688. For appointments: 6279-8678
Fax: 6279-7698
Hong Qiao Clinic:
Mandarin City Unit 30, 788 Hong Xu Lu, 201103
Tel: 6405-5788; Fax: 6405-3587

Shanghai United Family Hospital and Clinics – To open in 2004
1111 Xian Xia Xi Lu, Chang Ning District, Shanghai 200336 PRC
Website: http://www.shanghaiunited.com/

GlobalDoctor, Ltd., has opened clinics staffed by English-speaking doctors within the VIP wards of government-run hospitals in Chengdu, Nanjing, and Beijing. GlobalDoctor can be reached by telephone from China at 86-10-8456-9191 or on the Internet at http://www.eglobaldoctor.com/.

Additional information on medical providers specializing in treating foreigners for general medical, dental and orthodontic problems are available at http://www.usembassy-china.org.cn/.