China Embassy: 202-328-2500 through 2502 Beijing GMT +8 hrs

Entry Requirements:
Passport/Visa: Visas are required by all foreigners entering mainland China although, at this stage, visas are not required by western nationals visiting Hong Kong and Macau. A new visa policy allows foreigners from 17 countries (Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, Korea, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Singapore, Spain and the United States) to enter Shanghai (through Pudong or Hongqiao airports) without a visa and stay up to 48 hours. Plans are afoot to extend this new policy to other cities.
HIV Test: Testing is required for foreigners applying for residence permits. Testing is not required for entry or residency in Hong Kong. Persons found to be carrying anti-HIV drugs (antiretrovirals) may be detained at customs and denied entry.
Vaccinations: A valid yellow fever vaccination certificate is required from all travelers arriving from infected areas.
Telephone Country Code: 86

Embassies/Consulates: U.S. Embassy: 2 Xiu Shui Dong Jie, Beijing; Tel: 86-10-6532-3431, 6532-3831; Fax: 86-10-6532-4153, 6532-3178; Web: www.usembassy-china.org.cn.
U.S. Consulates: Number 4, Lingshiguan Road, Section 4, Renmin Nanlu, Chengdu; Tel: 86-28-558-3992, 555-3119; Fax: 86-28-558-3520; Number 1 South Shamian Street, Shamian Island; Guangzhou; Tel: 86-20-8188-8911 ext. 255 or 20-8186-2418; Fax: 86-20-8186-2341; Consulate: 1469 Huaihai Zhonglu, Shanghai; Tel: 86-21-6433-6880; Fax: 86-21-6433-4122, 6471-1148; Consulate: No. 52, 14th Wei Road, Heping District, Shenyang; Tel: 86-24-2322-1198, 2322-0368; Fax: 86-24-2322-2374.
Canadian Embassy: 19 Dong Zhi Men Wai, Chao Yang District, Beijing; Tel: 86-10-6532-353; Fax: 86-6532-5544, E-mail: bejing-cs@dfait-maeci.gc.ca; Web: www.canada.org.cn

Hospitals / Doctors:
The quality of medical facilities is uneven. Competent, trained doctors & nurses are available in the major metropolitan centers. Hospitals are often spartan, & medical technology may not be up-to-date. Most hotels have own clinics or access to doctors. They also help guests buy medicine or refer them to a hospital. Doctors & hospitals expect cash payment & may not accept checks or credit cards.
Beijing Airport Health Quarantine Bureau, 20 Hepinglibeijie, Beijing; Tel: (10) 456-2801.
Beijing Union Medical College Hospital (1,200 beds); emergency services; Tel. 6512-7733, ext. 372.
The Sino-German Clinic, Beijing (located in the Landmark Building); staffed by Chinese, German, and U.S. physicians; open 24 hours.
Medex Assistance Corp., Regus Office 19, Beijing Lufthansa Center, # 50 Liangmaqiou Rd., Beijing. Admin Tel: (86-10) 6465-1264; Admin Fax: (86-10) 6465-1267; E-Mail: medexasst@aol.com; Clinic Fax: (855) (23) 215 811.
Beijing International (SOS) Clinic, Building "C" BITIC Leasing Center, No. 1 North Road, Xing Fu San Cun.,Chaoyang District, Beijing; Admin Tel: (8610) 6462 9199, Alarm Center Tel: (8610) 6462 9100, Clinic Tel: (8610) 6462 9112.
Shanghai Medical University, Zhong Shan Hospital; Tel. 6310-400.
Shanghai Center Clinic (World Link Medical Center facility), Shanghai Center, 1376, Nanjing Xi Lu, Suite 203, Shanghai. Tel:(86) 21-6279-7688, Website: www.worldlink-shanghai.com.
The Shanghai Center Clinic is the preferred outpatient medical facility for travelers covered by SOS International.
Hong Qiao Clinic (World Link Medical Center facility) in Mandarine City, 10 minutes from Shanghai Int'l. Airport; Tel. 8621-6405-5788.
Guangzhou International SOS Clinic, 2/F, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of TCM, Da Tong Lu, Er Sha Island, Guangzhou; Clinic Tel: (86) (20) 8735 1051/1240/1843; Clinic Fax: (86) (20) 8735 2045.
Hong Kong International SOS Clinic, 27/F Soundwill Plaza, 38 Russell Street, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong; Admin Tel: (852) 2528 9998; Alarm Center Tel: (852) 2528 9900.
AEA Nanjing Clinic, Nanjing Hilton Hotel, Zhong Shan Dong Lu, 319 Hao Ground Floor, Nanjing; Clinic Tel: (86) (25) 480 2842; Clinic Fax: (86) (25) 480 2843.
International SOS #2606 Shartex Plaza, 88 Zun Yi South Road, Shanghai; Admin Tel: (86) (21) 6295 9951; Admin Fax: (86) (21) 6295 8277.
Alarm Center Tel: (86) (21) 6295 0099
AEA Tianjin International Clinic, Sheraton Tianjin Hotel, Zi Jin Shan Road, He Xi District, Tianjin; Clinic Tel: (86) (22) 2352 0143; Clinic Fax: (86) (22) 2352 0145.
The Australian firm, GlobalDoctor, Ltd., has opened clinics staffed by English-speaking doctors within the VIP wards of government-run hospitals in Chengdu, Nanjing, and Beijing and plans to open additional facilities within several months in Xian and Shenzhen. GlobalDoctor can be reached by telephone from China at (61-8) 92263088.
AT&T Dial: 10811

Current Advisories & Health Risks
AIDS/HIV: AIDS/HIV is an increasingly serious public health problem. Yunnan Province has highest incidence of HIV, especially among injecting drug users. Persons discovered to be carrying drugs for HIV treatment (antiretrovirals) may be not be allowed entry. Narcotic-containing drugs, legally-prescribed for personal use, may be prohibited.
Accidents: Road accidents and drownings cause the most fatalities in travelers. Important safety rules to follow are 1) Do not drive at night, 2) Do not rent a motorcycle, moped, bicycle, or motorbike, even if you are experienced, and 3) Don't swim alone, at night, or if intoxicated.
Accidents & Medical Insurance:
Accidents and injuries are the leading cause of death among travelers under the age of 55 and are most often caused by motor vehicle and motorcycle crashes; drownings, aircraft crashes, homicides, and burns are lesser causes.
Heart attacks cause most fatalities in older travelers.
Infections cause only 1% of fatalities in overseas travelers, but, overall, infections are the most common cause of travel-related illness.
MEDICAL INSURANCE: Travelers are advised to obtain, prior to departure, supplemental travel health insurance with specific overseas coverage. The policy should provide for direct payment to the overseas hospital and/or physician at the time of service and include a medical evacuation benefit. The policy should also provide 24-hour hotline access to a multilingual assistance center that can help arrange and monitor delivery of medical care and determine if medevac or air ambulance services are required.

Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS): Acetozolamide (Diamox) prophylaxis should be considered for travel to certain regions of Tibet (Lhasa 12,000 feet or 3,700 meters elevation), parts of Qinghai and Xinjiang Provinces, and parts of Sichuan, Yannan, and Gansu Provinces which are above 13,000 feet (4,000 meters) elevation. Immediate descent is the best treatment for more severe altitude sickness (AMS).

Air Pollution: Severe air pollution exists in Beijing. Pollutants include windblown dust and dirt, soot from coal burning stoves and furnaces, and exhaust from motor vehicles. Due to the widespread burning of soft coal, especially in cities with heavy industry, there is the potential for exacerbation of respiratory illnesses such as bronchitis, asthma, and emphysema.

Cholera: This disease is reported active in this country, but the threat to tourists is very low. Cholera vaccine is recommended primarily for people at high risk (e.g., relief workers) who work and live in highly endemic areas under less than adequate sanitary conditions.
The manufacture and availability of the injectable cholera vaccine in the United States ceased in June 2000.
Many countries, including Canada, license an oral cholera vaccine. The oral vaccine is not available in the United States.
Cholera vaccine is not "officially" required for entry into, or exit from, any country. Despite this, some countries, on occasion, require proof of cholera vaccination from travelers coming from cholera-infected countries. Anticipating such a situation, certain travelers may wish to carry a medical exemption letter from their health-care provider. Travel Medicine, Inc., recommends that travelers use the International Certificate of Vaccination (Yellow Card) for this purpose, having their health-care provider state "exempt from cholera vaccine" and validate the exemption with both their signature and their official stamp (the "Uniform Stamp" in the United States).

Dengue Fever: Dengue occurs as frequent, often widespread, outbreaks. The incidence is highest in southeastern China south of 42 degrees north latitude. Elevated risk occurs in coastal urban areas below 1,500 meters elevation. Most disease transmission occurs during the summer months; in the tropical provinces, however, the transmission period extends from March through November. The Aedes mosquitoes, which transmit dengue, bite during the daytime. Prevention of dengue fever consists of taking protective measures against mosquito bites.

Echinococcosis: Human alveolar hydatid disease, a potentially fatal disease caused by larvae of the canine tapeworm E. multilocularis, is common throughout western and northwestern China. This disease is caused by the larval stage of the fox tapeworm and is spread to humans by close contact with infected domesticated dogs and cats or by contact with fox/canine feces.

Filariasis: Both the Bancroftian and Malayan forms are reported in the southwestern provinces. Travelers to these areas should take measures to prevent mosquito bites.

Helminthic Diseases: Moderately to highly endemic in rural and urban areas. Diseases caused by soil-transmitted helminths (hookworm disease, strongyloidiasis) can be prevented by wearing shoes and not walking barefoot outside. Food-transmitted roundworm infections (ascariasis, trichuriasis) can be prevented by washing salads and/or vegetables or thoroughly cooking food to destroy infective eggs. Lung fluke and liver fluke disease (paragonimiasis, clonorchiasis) can be prevented by not eating raw freshwater crabs, crayfish, or fish. Fasciolopsiasis (large intestinal fluke disease) and fascioliasis (sheep liver fluke disease) can be prevented by not eating undercooked or raw water plants, such as watercress and other aquatic vegetables. Anisakiasis can be avoided by not eating raw saltwater fish, including raw octopus and squid; capillariasis can be prevented by avoiding raw or undercooked freshwater fish.

Hepatitis A & E: There is a high risk of hepatitis A in this country. All nonimmune travelers should receive hepatitis A vaccine. Hepatitis E is a leading cause of sporadic acute viral hepatitis in China. A high incidence is reported in rural areas. Transmission is primarily by water from contaminated pools and canals. To avoid hepatitis E, all travelers, especially to rural areas, should drink only boiled, bottled, or chemically treated water.

Hepatitis B & C: The hepatitis B carrier rate in the general population is estimated at 10%, but the incidence may be higher. In Guangdong Province, China's southernmost province, the hepatitis B virus may infect up to 75% of the populace. Elsewhere, up to two-thirds of the populace may be carriers of the hepatitis B virus. Hepatitis B vaccine is recommended for stays over 3 months and for short-term travelers wanting increased protection. Travelers should be aware that the risk of hepatitis B is increased by unsafe sex and the use of unsterile needles and syringes. Hepatitis C virus is endemic.

Influenza: Influenza is transmitted November through March. The flu vaccine is recommended for: all travelers over age 50; all travelers with any chronic or immunocompromising conditions; travelers of any age wishing to decrease the risk of this illness; pregnant women after the first trimester.

Japanese Encephalitis (JE): This mosquito-transmitted disease is present in all regions, except in Qinghai Province, Xinjiang Province, and Tibet (Xizang). Risk of JE is greatest in rural pig-breeding agricultural areas of the central and eastern provinces, especially during the warm, rainy months from May to September. Risk of JE is year-round in the tropical southern provinces. There is low risk of transmission in urban areas due to the relative absence of mosquitoes. Vaccination against Japanese encephalitis is recommended for travelers who will be staying in rural-agricultural endemic areas for extended periods (more than 3–4 weeks).

Leishmaniasis: Visceral leishmaniasis (kala azar) occurs in the temperate central and northeastern provinces, mainly Gansu, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Shandong and Sichuan provinces, and Xinjiang and Nei Mongol Autonomous Regions. Most cases reported from Gansu Province. Risk of disease transmission is elevated from May through October, when sandflies are more active. Cutaneous leishmaniasis has been reported from the Xinjiang Autonomous Region. All travelers to these areas should avoid sandfly bites when visiting these areas.

Lyme Disease: Lyme disease occurs mostly in northern and northeastern provinces through the warmer months. Sporadic cases are reported from other forested regions. Measures to prevent tick bites are recommended. The Lyme disease vaccine (Lymerix), previously available in the U.S., does not protect against the strain of Lyme disease in this country.

Malaria: The risk of malaria (P. falciparum variety) exists in all rural areas of Hainan, as well as in rural areas of Yunnan and Guangxi, and in the immediate border areas with Vietnam, Laos, and Myanmar. Very limited risk of P. vivax malaria exists in remote rural areas of Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hainan, Sichuan, Xizang (only along the valley of Zangbo River in the extreme southeast), and Yunnan. Even lower risk exists in remote rural areas of Anhui, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Shandong, Shanghai, and Zhejiang. Where there is transmission, it occurs below 4,900 feet (1,500 meters) from July to November north of latitude 33°N, from May to December between 33°N and 25°N, and throughout the year south of 25°N.
Prophylaxis with atovaquone/proguanil (Malarone), mefloquine (Lariam), or doxycycline is recommended in risk areas of Hainan, Yunnan, and Guangxi.
Chloroquine is recommended in areas with P. vivax.
All travelers should take measures to prevent evening and nighttime mosquito bites. Insect-bite prevention measures include a DEET-containing repellent applied to exposed skin, insecticide (permethrin) spray applied to clothing and gear, and use of a permthrin-treated bednet at night while sleeping.
Travelers visiting cities and popular rural sites on all usual tourist routes, including cruises, are not at risk, and antimalarial drugs are not recommended for these areas.

Malaria Info: Plasmodium falciparum accounts for 14.9% of cases (1998). P. ovale is rare, and P. malariae has been eliminated.
Chloroquine resistance was first reported in 1973 in Yunnan. 97.4% of P. falciparum in this region were resistant as of 1992. Resistance is also common in Hainan. Risk exists year-round.
Malaria risk exists only in rural of the following provinces: Hainan, Yunnan, Fuijan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Sichuan, Xizang (Zangbo River Valley only), Anhui, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Shandong, Shanghai, and Zhejiang. Transmission only occurs during warm weather. North of latitude 33° N, transmission occurs during July to November; between latitude 33° N to 25° N, transmission occurs May to December; south of latitude 25° N, transmission occurs year-round. Travelers to cities and popular tourist areas (including Yangtze River cruises) are not at risk.
Highest prevalence is registered in the rural east and south. Seven provinces(Guangdong, Guizhou, Yunnan, Guangxi, Hainan, Sichuan and Fujian) account for 76% of all cases. Less than 1% of cases are reported from the north and northeast.
Rates in Hainan have declined in recent years. The province reported 10.2 million cases in 1970; 5,043 in 1998. The rate in Guangxi declined from 296.7/100,000 in 1954 to 0.07/100,000 in 1998.
Currently, only P. vivax is reported from Guangdong province.
As of 1995, P. falciparum was limited to 56 counties in Henan and Yunnan provinces; 44 counties in 1997. P. malariae infection is common in Sichuan Province.
The estimated number of malaria fatalities decreased from 300,000 in 1950 to only 19 in 1993. 42 malaria deaths were reported in 1994; 34 in 1995; 24 in 1998.

Other Diseases/Hazards: Anthrax (mostly cutaneous; associated with animal contact), brucellosis, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (low endemicity; in Xinjiang Province only), Chikungunya fever, leptospirosis (periodic outbreaks countrywide; highest incidence in Yunnan Province), Lyme disease (human cases reported from Henan, Jiangsu, Fujian, Anhui, and Heilomgiang Provinces, and Xinjiang Autonomous Region), melioidosis (endemic in Guangdong and Hainan Provinces, and Guangxi Autonomous Region; risk elevated June through August), plague (reported in Gansu, Qinghai,and Yunnan Provinces and Nei Mongol and Xinjiang, and Xizang Autonomous Regions), Russian spring-summer encephalitis (presumably occurs in northern China, especially Inner Mongolia), Siberian tick typhus, tuberculosis (highly endemic), trachoma (widespread), and murine and epidemic (louse-borne) typhus (low risk).

Rabies: A higher than average incidence of rabies is reported in urban and rural areas, with stray dogs the main threat. All animal bites or scratches, especially from a dog, should be taken seriously, and immediate medical attention sought. Rabies vaccination may be required. Although rabies is rare among tourists—there is risk. No one should pet or pick up any stray animals. All children should be warned to avoid contact with unknown animals. Rabies vaccine is recommended for travel longer than 3 months, and for shorter stays for travelers who plan to venture off the usual tourist routes, where they may be more exposed to the stray dog population.

Schistosomiasis: Year-round risk occurs in southern tropical areas and June through August in temperate areas. Schistosomiasis is widespread south of 35 degrees north latitude, including the provinces of Anhui, Hubei, Jiangsu, Hunan, Jiangxi, Sichuan, Yunnan, and Zhejiang. Major endemic areas include the Yangtze River Valley, including tributaries and adjacent lakes. All travelers should avoid swimming, wading, or bathing in freshwater lakes, ponds, or streams.

Scrub Typhus: Year-round incidence in warmer southern areas. Scrub typhus is transmitted by mites; insect-bite protection is recommended.

Travelers' Diarrhea: Moderate to high risk. In urban and resort areas, most hotels have generally safe restaurants and potable water. Travelers should observe food and drink safety precautions and drink only boiled, bottled, or chemically treated water and consume only well-cooked food. Raw fish and shellfish, and undercooked aquatic plants (e.g., watercress salad), should be avoided. A quinolone antibiotic, combined with loperamide (Imodium), is recommended for the treatment of acute diarrhea. Diarrhea not responding to antibiotic treatment may be due to a parasitic disease such as giardiasis, amebiasis, or cryptosporidiosis.

Tuberculosis: Tuberculosis a major public health problem in this country. Travelers planning an extended stay should have a predeparture TB skin test (PPD test) and be re-rested after leaving this country.