Most visits to China are trouble-free but you should be aware of the global risk of indiscriminate international terrorist attacks, which could be against civilian targets, including places frequented by foreigners.

Following widespread unrest in Tibet, including violent protests in the city of Lhasa in March 2008 and in some Tibetan areas of the provinces of Sichuan and Qinghai and at Xiahe in Gansu in China, the situation remains tense. Travel to Tibet requires permission from the Chinese authorities and this is currently not being granted. Visitors should keep yourself informed of developments and be aware of heightened tensions, avoiding all areas where demonstrations are taking place.
On 12 May 2008, an earthquake measuring 8 on the Richter scale struck south-western China, 92 kms northwest of Chengdu, the provincial capital of Sichuan Province.    Transport links have been damaged. Chengdu airport is closed but Chongqing airport has reopened though flights are heavily delayed. Visitors are advised against all but essential travel to Sichuan given the damage to infrastructure and a warning from Chinese authorities warning about the possibility of aftershocks in the affected regions.

An intestinal virus, a variant of hand, foot and mouth disease, is affecting China with over 12,000 reported cases by 7 May 2008. Anhui province is the most affected area but there have also been reported cases in Hangzhou City in Zhejiang province, Hubei province, Beijing and Hong Kong. Children are at particular risk from the virus with 22 reported deaths being in children under the age of 6.

There have been outbreaks of avian influenza (bird flu) in poultry in China. Since November 2005, this has led to a small number of human fatalities in rural areas of Liaoning, Guangxi, Anhui, Sichuan, Hunan and Guangdong provinces, believed to have arisen through close contact with infected poultry. The risk to humans from avian influenza is believed to be low. However, as a precaution, travellers should avoid visiting live animal markets, poultry farms and other places where close contact with domestic, caged or wild birds could occur; and ensure poultry and egg dishes are thoroughly cooked. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned of the possibility that the avian ifluenza outbreaks could lead at some point to a human flu pandemic, if the virus mutates to a form which is easily transmissible between people.

Since June 2006, a number of people in Beijing have been hospitalised and diagnosed as suffering from meningitis caused by a parasite after eating raw or undercooked Amazonian snails at Beijing restaurants. The Chinese authorities are advising people not to eat raw seafood or snails. No deaths have been reported.

Since August 2006, there have been reports of a number of deaths related to Japanese Encephalitis in the Shaanxi and Shanxi provinces in northern China.

This advice is based on information provided by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in the UK. It is correct at time of publishing. As the situation can change rapidly, visitors are advised to contact the following organisations for the latest travel advice:

British Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Tel: 0845 850 2829.
Website: www.fco.gov.uk

US Department of State
Website: http://travel.state.gov/travel