'Generation Gap' is a monthly series where we ask two Beijingers from two different generations their thoughts on a random issue. This time we ask Zhang, 24, and Lei, 43, about the safety regarding Chinese nationals studying abroad.
Do you think it’s safe for Chinese nationals to study abroad, considering recent news about students going missing in the UK?
Zhang, 24
“I believe we cannot reason in terms of whether foreign countries are safe or not because danger is everywhere, and will always be present. We have to be conscious of the fact that danger simply exists, and that our responsibility is to protect ourselves. When I travel abroad I take specific precautions: for instance, while in Africa, in an unfamiliar environment, I was more prudent and alert. I believe that to state that a country is not safe is simply a truism that also applies to China, India and to any other place. Furthermore, saying this does not mean they are completely unsafe. If we really want to put forward the issue of safety, then no country is ever ‘safe’ in its own right.”
Lei, 43
“I think China is a comparatively safer environment for students [because] it’s able to impose a high degree of control both on its internal population and on its borders. This allows citizens to feel safer, but also heightens their sensitivity towards the issue of security when they go abroad. On whether to study abroad or not, I think it’s all a matter of priority and whether a person values their career or safety more. But I would still encourage Chinese students to visit other countries. Personally I would choose safer destinations, such as the US, which I think is safer than Europe, but also Japan and Singapore, which can offer high-quality education as well.”
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