The alleged abduction of a Chinese scholar in the US has prompted colleges to emphasize on-campus security, as Li Xueyao and Xia Lin report for Xinhua China Features.

A new school year is beginning in the United States, and as recently arrived international students adjust to the campus environment, security experts are offering tips to help them stay safe.

“The international students are enjoying the area. This may be their first visit, so they are looking around, taking pictures, maybe looking like tourists,” said Wade MacAdam, who works for the Police Department’s Safety Programs at the University of California, Berkeley.

MacAdam believes that those behaviors will make the new arrivals easy targets “so they need to be more aware of their surroundings”.

According to the Preliminary Semiannual Uniform Crime Report 2016, released by the FBI this year, the number of violent crimes in the US rose by 5.3 percent in the first six months of last year compared with the same period in 2015.

FBI data shows that the number of aggravated assaults rose by 6.5 percent, murders by 5.2 percent, rapes were up by 7.9 percent, and robberies rose by 3.2 percent.

Many international students arrive at their dream school in the US to enjoy a high level of education, but seeking a safe experience should be more important than academic success, the experts said.

That point is illustrated by the story of Zhang Yingying, a physics student from China who attends the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, who has been missing – allegedly abducted – since June 9. The 26-year-old Fujian province native is presumed dead, and a local man has been arrested in connection with her disappearance.

“Some international students, including those from China, are usually introverted, unfamiliar with the new environment, and even speak poor English,” said Qiao Fengxiang, a professor at Texas Southern University in Houston.

“When the police chief introduces security services during school orientation, some may not listen carefully or even fully understand what is being said. So they lack such knowledge.”

California, New York, Texas, Massachusetts and Illinois are the five top destinations for international students, according to the Institute of International Education.

Xinhua interviewed students, local residents, security officers and professors from universities in those states to discover useful safety tips. They provided four essentials for international students.

‘Blue light’ phones

Most US colleges employ “Blue Light” emergency phones. If a student feels threatened, he or she can push the “call’ button on the phone, which will alert campus police who will be dispatched within a few minutes. Students are usually familiarized with the system during campus tours and freshman orientation.

The emergency phone system is a timely way to call campus police, especially in areas where local conditions result in unstable or weak network or wireless coverage.

“Don’t necessarily call 911, because it goes straight to the Houston Police Department and they’ll call us, causing a delay,” said Fred Brown, deputy chief of the police force at Texas Southern University.

MacAdam, from UC Berkeley, agreed. “If you call 911 from your cellphone, it might go to a neighboring department and route to the university police. The big advantage with the blue light phones is that we know where they are located. If you call from your cellphone, we don’t know, and you have to relay that information to us,” he said.

Security escorts

The security escort service is another useful campus aid students can rely on. The service is usually provided late at night. Different universities have their own specific operating times and locations.

The service offered by New York University is called Safe Ride. It is a shared ride service, which is available for transportation to and from NYU facilities, and on three local mass transit stations during the academic term from midnight to 7:30 am.

Northwestern University, in Illinois, also provides a “Safe Ride” service. “If you are out late, you can call a police officer to walk with you, or even request a squad car,” said Shi Jiayan, an NU student.

Similarly, UC Berkeley has the “Bearwalk” program. It operates from sunset to 3 am. The major difference is that with Bearwalk, a uniformed security officer will walk students safely from point A to point B within the campus boundaries.

According to MacAdam, many robberies occur when individuals are walking by themselves. “So if someone is walking with someone in uniform, they are unlikely to be a victim of crime,” he said.

Avoid becoming isolated

Even though most of the students interviewed by Xinhua said the general on-campus safety environment is positive, the situation changes when they leave college boundaries, especially at night.

“When you go off-campus, it becomes a little bit more dangerous, at least at night it does,” said Molly Hurley, a sophomore at Rice University in Houston, Texas.

Qingni Yu, a junior student at UC Berkeley, echoed that view: “I don’t usually stay at school very late. If I have to stay at school, I will ask my roommate if we can go home together, or I will take the bus. My apartment is close to the school, so I can walk. However, I avoid walking alone, especially at night.”

Yuan Wang, a student at NYU, said, “Whether it is boys or girls staying outside at night or in places with few people, it is better to team up with friends, both for confidence and power.”

Awareness

Students and security officers said being alert to the surroundings and not wearing headphones are sensible approaches to staying safe.

According to Shi, from Northwestern University, students should always be aware of their surroundings. “If you buy a ticket at the subway station, you should take account of the surroundings before you take out your wallet, or you should make sure you have the right amount (in your hand) before buying your ticket. You should not wear headphones when you are walking. I think these tips are good for all students.”

Henry Cheng, a student at UC Berkeley, also warned of the dangers of a lack of awareness and the use of headphones.

“Don’t plug both your ears while you are walking home in the middle of the night because that will make you very vulnerable and an easy target,” he said.

MacAdam made the same point. “They (students) should not be on their cellphones, texting, looking at Facebook and therefore advertising their electronic devices. They need to be aware of their surroundings. Also, they should not wear headphones, because that also advertises their electronic devices, and they cannot hear if someone is sneaking up on them.”

Shanghai’s overseas Chinese affairs center has opened its first branch — in Changning District — to better serve Chinese who hold foreign passports to live and work in the city.

The move is a result of a cooperation agreement between the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of Shanghai and the Changning District government.

The aim is to attract overseas Chinese to contribute to development of the city by improving the services offered to them.

The branch, located at the Shanghai Hongqiao One-Stop Service Center for Overseas Talents in Changning, will provide consultation on policies and procedures for overseas Chinese to work and live here.

This might include verification of their identities and those of their relatives, or children’s enrollment in local schools.

Changning will also be able to use “Shanghai Bridge,” the city’s special program for bringing in overseas talent, to publish its talent policies, recruiting advertisements or related messages.

The branch can also utilize the city office’s resources to encourage overseas Chinese to bring their startups to Changning.

Xu Li, director of the Shanghai Overseas Chinese Affairs Office, said more branches are planned for other districts.

“The first branch was set up in Changning as it hosts a lot of overseas Chinese,” said Xu. “In total, it has over 100,000 returned overseas Chinese.”

Both local enterprises and returning Chinese in the district are glad to see the new branch.

Rong He, chief executive of the engineering company Century 3, said nearly 50 senior executives at his company were returned overseas Chinese and they had found it troublesome to deal with such matters as application processing and children’s educational needs.

“We were not so clear about the policies and usually had to go to different government departments for consultation and application,” he said. “With the one-stop service branch, it will be convenient and efficient.”

Chengtie Wu, a professor at the Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, recalled his own experience five years ago when he came to work in Shanghai.

“The government had provided favorable policies for me as a member of Thousand Talents program, but I had no idea how to enjoy them upon my arrival,” he said.

“To enroll my baby to a local school alone, I spent several months. If there was such a one-stop service center then, it would have been much easier and more convenient.”

Xinhua News Agency Thursday published the full text of remarks made by Chinese President Xi Jinping when presiding over a symposium on poverty relief held in north China’s Shanxi Province on June 23.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, reiterated the need for joint efforts and precise measures to eradicate extreme poverty.

Areas suffering from abject poverty face the toughest job in poverty alleviation, Xi said.

There must be better support and more effective measures, Xi told the symposium.

China has set a target to build a moderately prosperous society in all respects by 2020, including complete eradication of poverty. The task becomes more difficult as the process nears its end.

“As long as we pay great attention, think correctly, take effective measures and work in a down-to-earth way, abject poverty is absolutely conquerable,” Xi said.

Xi raised a series of requirements on advancing the poverty alleviation effort in areas plagued by extreme poverty.

He said these areas must also meet the national target on eradicating poverty by 2020. Meanwhile, they need to be realistic in setting goals.

Local governments should take the lead in poverty relief with financial capital playing a coordinating role, Xi said, noting that newly added poverty relief funds will primarily be used in the most impoverished areas.

He said China must gather its forces nationwide to ensure the coverage of public services, infrastructure and basic medical services in these areas.

The president promised more residents living in extremely harsh natural environments will receive assistance to relocate, job posts such as forest rangers in ecologically vulnerable regions will be increased, and assistance will be stepped up for those who became impoverished due to medical reasons.

Impoverished areas should improve their economic development model by focusing on industries that will benefit the poor, such as specialty agriculture, labor-intensive manufacturing and services, Xi said.

He also asked developed regions in the country’s east and state entities to increase their assistance to the most impoverished areas, and encouraged the participation of the wider society.

Poverty relief in these areas should focus on empowering and stimulating the people and helping them develop basic job skills in non-agricultural industries, he said.

Local authorities should be strict and honest with poverty relief schedules and achievements, he said, adding that China will implement a strict evaluation system and insist on an annual reporting and supervision mechanism.

The full text of Xi’s remarks will also be carried in Friday’s Qiushi Journal, the flagship magazine of the CPC Central Committee.

Xiongan New Area in Hebei province sent out invitations across the country on Thursday to attract professional and technical leaders for its newly founded construction company, the first such practice since the central leadership unveiled the blueprint of the area in April.

The State-owned company – China Xiongan Construction & Investment Group Co Ltd – was set up on July 18, with a registered capital of 10 billion yuan ($1.5 billion).

Its business involves raising funds to construct houses and apartments, build transport links, energy infrastructure and public facilities, as well as to improve the environment and tourism development of Baiyangdian – a freshwater lake in Xiongan.

The company said it is looking for 23 professional and technical personnel at middle or advanced level to work in such fields as strategic research, planning and design, construction, environmental protection, finance, legal services and public relations.

All of the positions offered are at managerial level. The deadline to apply is Sept 6. Details are at www.ccthr.com/ch/xazp/xiongan.html.

“Applicants who are eager to participate in the area’s construction and development are welcome,” said a company announcement.

The announcement did not specify salaries for the positions. “I assume it won’t be bad, and possibly even be pretty attractive,” said an official surnamed Wang at the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei integrated development office of Hebei Development and Reform Commission.

Wang said the jobs also will be challenging because the new area has been given a lot of attention due to its national significance.

China announced the decision to set up Xiongan New Area on April 1 to advance the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.

It is another area with national significance after the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone and the Shanghai Pudong New Area, which are testing grounds for the country’s reform and opening-up.

Top officials have said that to enhance the area’s attractiveness to top-level talent, it should develop with “people” being the core by improving public services, promoting social life and being equipped with superior resources.

Basic public services at Xiongan should be superior to those in Beijing and Tianjin so it can attract top talent, He Lifeng, head of the National Development and Reform Commission, has said.

To help Xiongan draw top international talent, the Hebei Provincial Department of Human Resources and Social Security has rolled out special policies to attract high-level talent and innovative teams.