China warns nationals studying in PH of security risks over crimes

Jea Nicole Jacot

Amid ongoing maritime territorial disputes, China’s Ministry of Education (MOE) issued its second study abroad alert for Chinese nationals studying in the Philippines, citing a surge of criminal incidents targeting them. 

Photos Courtesy of Neocha/Earvin Perias/gov.cn.

In a statement on June 18, the MOE urged students considering studying in the country to “carefully assess security risks” and “strengthen safety awareness.”

“Recently, public security in the Philippines has been unstable, with frequent crimes targeting Chinese citizens,” the statement read, according to a report by the Global Times, a state-owned Chinese media. 

“The Chinese Foreign Ministry and the Chinese Embassy and Consulates in the Philippines urge Chinese nationals to monitor local security developments closely, strengthen personal safety precautions and emergency preparedness, minimize unnecessary outings, and avoid political gatherings and crowded areas,” it added.

Moreover, the MOE cautioned the Chinese nationals to remain vigilant over potential security and safety risks by adhering to local laws and regulations. 

According to the Philippine Bureau of Immigration (BI), the number of Chinese students decreased to 300 to 400 last year.

“We urge the Philippines to take concrete actions to protect the safety, dignity, and lawful rights and interests of Chinese students studying in the Philippines,” said Lin Jian, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson, in a press conference on the same day. 

In April, Filipino-Chinese steel business owner Anson Que and his driver were kidnapped and found dead inside rice sacks by the roadside in Manila. 

In another crime incident in February, a 14-year-old Chinese student was abducted by a criminal gang — composed of former Filipino police officers and soldiers and led by Chinese nationals — who killed his driver and cut off his finger to threaten his parents to pay a ransom.

Organized criminal networks reportedly surged after the total ban of licensed Philippine Offshore Gaming operators (POGO) in the country.

Meanwhile, Malacañang maintains that the country is safe for foreign students under the current administration, citing the decrease in crimes related to extrajudicial killings (EJK) and the illegal offshore gambling industry.

“Ang kanilang propaganda or rather advisory ay karapatan naman po nila […] Pero as far as the government is concerned, alam po natin na ang crime rate sa Pilipinas ay gumaganda at bumababa,” Palace Press Officer and Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said in a press briefing. 

Earlier in April, China’s MOE issued a similar alert for Chinese students studying in the United States, as it cited a law passed in Ohio that it believed “includes negative provisions related to China, imposing restrictions on educational exchanges and cooperation between Chinese and American universities.”