In mainland China dial the following numbers in an emergency:

Police tel 110

Fire tel 119

Ambulance tel 120

In Hong Kong and Macau , dial tel 999 for any of the emergency services.

As a tourist, and therefore someone far richer than anyone else around, you are an obvious target for thieves . Passports and money should ideally be kept in a concealed money belt; a bum bag offers much less protection and is easy for skilled pickpockets to get into. Be wary on buses , the favoured haunt of pickpockets, and trains , particularly in hard-seat class and on overnight journeys. Take a chain and padlock to secure your luggage in the rack. On internal flights take your luggage on to the plane with you and don't trust anything valuable to the hold. Hotel rooms are on the whole secure, dormitories much less so. Most hotels should have a safe, but it's not unusual for things to go missing from these. It's a good idea to keep US$200 or so, separately from the rest of your cash, together with your travellers' cheques receipts, insurance policy details, and photocopies of your passport and visa. On the street, try not to be too ostentatious. Flashy jewellery and watches will attract the wrong kind of attention, and try to be discreet when taking out your cash. Not looking ostentatiously wealthy also helps if you want to avoid being ripped off by traders and taxi drivers, as does telling them you are a student - the Chinese have a great respect for education, and much more sympathy for foreign students than for tourists.

If you do have anything stolen, you'll need to get the PSB to write up a loss report in order to claim on your insurance. If possible take a Chinese speaker with you and be prepared to pay a small fee. Make sure they understand that you need a loss report for insurance purposes, otherwise you could spend hours in the station as the police fill out a crime sheet, which is no use either to you or them.

Violent crime is less of a problem, though be wary at night on dark streets. You may well see street confrontations, when huge crowds gather to watch a few protagonists push each other around, which can give the impression that China is a violent place. Mostly they are caused by the stresses and frustrations of life in overcrowded China, and usually take place where the crowds are at their most overwhelming, such as at bus stations. Though they look frightening, such fights rarely result in violence, just a lot of shouting. You may find yourself caught up in one if, say, you get in an argument with a rickshaw driver, in which case a fast exit is the best policy.

Women travellers usually find incidences of sexual harassment much less of a problem than in other Asian countries. Chinese men are, on the whole, deferential and respectful. A much more likely complaint is being ignored, as the Chinese will generally assume that any man accompanying a woman will be doing all the talking. You may get some hassles, however, in Dongbei, where Chinese men may take you for a Russian prostitute (much embarrassment ensues when they realize their mistake) and in Muslim Xinjiang. Women on their own visiting temples, especially remote ones, definitely need to be on their guard - not obsessively paranoid, but don't assume that all monks and temple caretakers have impeccable morals. As ever, it pays to be aware of how local women are dressing and behave accordingly. Miniskirts and heels may be fine in the cosmopolitan cities, but fashions are much more conservative in the countryside.

Homosexuality is officially regarded as a foreign eccentricity, and gay sexual activities are technically illegal, though increasingly tolerated. Gay Chinese men often approach foreigners, partly because they are much less likely to shop them to the police.

Since liberalization, Chinese society has seen an increase in petty crime. Prostitution , though still illegal and harshly punished, has made a big comeback - witness all the girls who stand by the side of major roads, soliciting for trade from passing drivers, and all the new saunas and massage parlours, every one of them a brothel. Single Western males are likely to be approached, most commonly inside hotels. Bear in mind that AIDS is on the increase and that China is hardly Thailand - consequences may be dire if you are caught.

The Chinese are hard on drugs , with dealers and smugglers facing execution. However, heroin use has become fairly widespread in the south of China. A mild strain of cannabis grows wild, especially in the south, but is not much used by the Chinese; some Uigurs smoke it and, if you want to score, head for their quarter. The police pretty much turn a blind eye to foreigners with drugs, as long as no Chinese are involved. As ever, be discreet.

Visitors are not likely to be affected by political crimes , but foreign residents may be. Foreign teachers or students may find themselves expelled from the country for talking about politics or religion. The Chinese they talk to will be treated less leniently. In Tibet, and at sensitive border areas, censorship is taken much more seriously; photographing military installations, instances of police brutality or gulags is not a good idea.