I would like to relay a previous event that a friend told me as a warning to FTs and to possibly save some of you from what they experienced. I am only relaying what I was told and would like to keep personal information out (such as names, companies and the city to protect those respectable parties). Here goes:

A foreign teacher was acosted by four Chinese participants when the water pipeline burst within his apartment. This caused a great deal of damage in the surrounding apartments. There were pools of water on each floor below his flat and after weeks of negligence on behalf of the landlord, the walls were emitting a foul smell. Bugs were starting to flock and obviously the surrounding neighbors were becoming very frustrated.

Three male such neighbours and one older female decided to invade the homestead of the foreigner, and as I was told, they kicked or somehow forcably entered the apartment and began verbally and physically harassing the foreigner. That later broke into a full blown physical battle, the old woman all the while spitting on the FT.

The FT and one of his attackers fell down a flight of stairs during the struggle. The confrontation ended with three of the male neighbors being rushed to the hospital while the FT was escorted by police through a mob of people swearing and cursing the foreigner and foreigners as a whole.

The FT was badly bruised, relocated and couldn't eat or sleep for three days. He was not kicked out of China because he simply had not done anything illegal, he was viciously attacked without just cause.

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This happened about a week ago, and I just thought that a mentality like this is apalling. The FT was obviously just used as a scapegoat of anger that was entirely directed at the landlord. But somehow the FT was blamed and attacked, who knows what reasons they conjured up in their own minds.

I am not posting this to inspire hatred towards anyone, I am simply posting this to warn you of the mind set that FTs may face when coming to China. Obviously these people were very angry with large damages to their aparments and were so frustrated after weeks of nothing that they needed an outlet.

Do not put up with such things from landlords and if your neighbors enter your home without permission, quickly call the PSB. Remember that almost no matter what, if other Chinese witnesses see a foreigner strike a Chinese person... even in self defence... you are deemed the villian. China has had a hard and troublesome history with foreigners, so all these buried feelings seem to rise to the surface.

I tried to be as neutral as possible in post of my story. Take care and always take extra precaution.