Guidelines issued for overseas travel

Mainland citizens travelling and living abroad should keep away from strangers and refrain from yelling in public to avoid standing out in the crowd.

The pointers are included in the advice listed in a guidebook released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday in an attempt to better protect the increasing number of globe-trotting mainland businessmen, workers, students and tourists.

The guidebook, a revised version of the 2000 edition, is also seen as a response to high-profile incidents in which mainland nationals abroad have been put in dangerous, and sometimes fatal, situations over the past few years.

Lin Fengmin , an education attache at the Chinese embassy in Egypt, said the revised guidebook, which was made public via the ministry's website and major news portals yesterday, was necessary because of the mainland's changing relationship with the world.

'A lot of things have happened recently, especially given what happened in Pakistan and Africa,' Mr Lin said. 'It's time the ministry updated the guidebook and told its citizens how to better protect themselves on foreign soil.'

'Though some advice is really just common sense, there are people who are not aware of what they will be exposed to.'