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Comment by nmfisher | Hacker News Reader

> As someone who has never been to China could you list some things the West is missing?

It's been mentioned elsewhere in this thread, but it's worth reiterating - safety.

China is one of the safest places in the world. I literally never had a single concern for the physical well-being of my mother, my wife, anyone - no matter what part of the city they were in, or what time of the day.

Worth mentioning that I've found Singapore to be the same.

Contrast that with life in Australia (Melbourne), where I was constantly on edge even in the early evening, I'd worry every time my wife was out late, not to mention the instances where I was physically threatened or assaulted.

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> It's been mentioned elsewhere in this thread, but it's worth reiterating - safety.

Maybe if you're Chinese. Right after college, a friend of mine (white American) worked in a job where he spent time at a factory in China, until he got stabbed in the lunch room by some older worker. He's fine, and while there is may be a degree of safe, it's definitely a question of safe for whom.

I won't pretend that violent crime doesn't exist, I've certainly witnessed it first hand.

I'm mainly talking random street violence, which is far, far rarer than somewhere like Australia. I'm fairly sure that applies to most of "the West", too.

I'm curious how you know this. Neither Chinese statistics nor news are reliable at all, and especially won't be reliable about basic quality of life issues like this where the government is highly incentivised to make their society seem really safe and controlled.

So that leaves anecdotes and personal experience. How many direct experiences of violent crime in both places have you had, and how do you know this generalises?

I live in Melbourne. Can I ask what parts of life here felt unsafe? I live out the suburbs in a moderately expensive area and not much happens here at night. Is it "youth gangs" in the city that caused the issue?

Mainly the CBD. The area around Elizabeth St/Flinders St is particularly rife (unsurprising that's where I had to defend myself from assault on a Tuesday evening at 8pm). Not youth gangs, but homeless and drug addicts. Constant incidents in Melbourne Central, too.

Not just the CBD though - almost every time I caught the 57 tram, there was some kind of screaming match or altercation (none involving me, thankfully). Visiting St Albans at night, I was treated to roving groups of young men smashing windows and helping themselves to whatever they felt like. Even the train back was really sketchy too.

That's without mentioning the Eurydice Dixon and Aiia Maasarwe cases, which were really unsettling.

I never worried about any of this stuff in China. There were literally zero occasions where I felt physically unsafe. Whereas Melbourne? Every time I was in the CBD after dark, I felt I needed to be on guard - and I'm a physically capable male.

I'm sorry you had to experience that. I hope you did get to experience some of the beauty of our country too. People are quick to bash China but there are some things they are doing well. I feel that Asian exchange students need to be warned about the danger of night time in Western cities.

I know the relations are strained between our countries but I hope they improve. Our government has "do not travel" recommendations in place for China due to the current political issues between our nations but I would love to visit one day.

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