Foreigners highlight sense of safety in China

Social media reels showing Chinese police officers patiently explaining how firearms work to curious children; kids sitting atop police cars to watch a folk performance and expatriates revelling in wonder while taking a late night walk alone on the streets are grabbing attention from netizens overseas, fuelling much online discussion about the "sense of safety" in China.

These are not isolated reels. More and more foreign residents and travelers to the country are coming forward to share their daily experiences in China.

A British vlogger who goes by the name "Jason in China", previously filmed himself walking at night in Kunming, Yunnan province, pointing out the busy streets and the absolute absence of any sense of unease. In many Western countries, he said, going out late would mean looking over one's shoulder and worrying about danger. In China, such thoughts never crossed his mind.

Spanish vlogger "Zhuli from Spain" offered a similar account in a video recorded in a park in Guangdong province. "It's 11 pm… For me, this is real freedom — a woman on the street after 11 pm, walking alone without any fear. This is how it should be."

These accounts, widely shared and discussed, focus on everyday experiences — walking alone, interacting with police, being in public spaces after dark, or finding left-behind packages and personal items untouched.

Third-safest country

A recent survey echoes these impressions. According to the Global Safety Report 2025 released in January 2026 by Gallup, a United States-based analytics and advisory company, China ranked the third-safest among more than 140 countries and territories surveyed. The report also noted strong public confidence in local law enforcement in the country and low levels of personal experience with crime.

Official figures show a similar pattern. According to the Ministry of Public Security, in 2025, criminal cases in China dropped 12.8 percent year-on-year, the lowest level in decades, while public order cases also declined. Public perception of safety remained above 98 percent for the sixth consecutive year.

Experts said the online discussions reflect deep structural factors rather than mere impressions.

Kong Fanbin, dean of Nanjing University's Huazhi Institute for Global Governance in Jiangsu province, said the viral content highlighted the results of long-term efforts toward ensuring public security.

"It shows that China has built a high-level public safety network covering all citizens and social actors," he said.

He emphasized that the system extended beyond formal law enforcement. "Public security here is not maintained by police alone. Community and other grassroots forces also play an important role."

According to him, what many foreigners noticed in China was not just the absence of danger, but a wider environment shaped by public order, responsive governance and social cooperation.

He Yanling, a professor at Renmin University of China's School of Public Administration and Policy, described the phenomenon as part of a broader governance model that had so far received less international attention than China's economic growth.

"Grassroots governance in China is also a 'miracle'," she said. "The sense of safety people are talking about is a real social reality."

Prioritizing people

She identified several key reasons for it. First is the prioritization of public safety as a core public good. "Safety is placed at the center of governance," she said, describing it as a fundamental responsibility of the State. Another is a multilayered governance system, from national institutions to local communities. Long-term neighborhood policing and grid-based management allow for detailed management and early response. Broad public participation is also key.

"Safety is not achieved by government forces alone," she said. "It is supported by active involvement of ordinary people."

Many foreigners marveled at the fact that nobody touched packages left at doorsteps or public places. The professor said it reflected societal development, not fear. With major survival and development issues resolved, people did not need to break rules for minor gains.

She said that communities have also established norms where residents maintain public order, reducing societal costs and enhancing civic awareness through positive interactions.

The viral videos of children interacting with police, Kong of Nanjing University noted, also reflect a particular relationship between law enforcement and the public. Such practices, he said, are rooted in a long tradition of close police-community ties.

"Trust is built over time," he said. "It comes from consistent service and responsibility."

He added that protecting people's lives and property is seen not as a narrow legal duty, but a broad responsibility in China. That helped explain why people in both major cities and small towns feel safe going out late at night.

Debates around safety often intersect with discussions about privacy, particularly in Western discourse. Kong rejected the notion of a trade-off in China's management. He said surveillance in public spaces is intended to support safety management, not invade private lives, and that access to such systems is governed by strict legal procedures.

In an increasingly digital society, Kong said, safety management and information-based governance should not be seen as opposites. "Only when authorities have sufficient real-time information can they provide more effective protection. The two are complementary," Kong said.

He, from Renmin University, also stressed that as a rapidly developing, highly market-oriented, and urbanized country, China prioritizes safety and order as fundamental to social progress. She added that legal frameworks governing technologies such as surveillance continue to evolve, aiming to balance security and data protection.

"The key measure is people's sense of gain," she said, referring to public perception as an important indicator of policy effectiveness.