foreigners getting beat up
 

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I think this happens anywhere in the world if there is plenty alcohol and testasterone involved however in China,, foreigners become the obvious target.

夷

China's one child policy has resulted in a gender imbalance caused in part
by sex-selective abortions. There is an excess of over 30 million unmarriageable males.

Beating down a rich laowai lessens the competition and in turn elevates
his "sporting" prowess.

i'm pretty sure every young chinese has no respect for every young laowai who's going clubbing looking for easy chinese girls. but most of the time, it's the laowai's fault. there are lots of them running around doing who-knows-what in china taking advantage of cheap beer and curious girls.

it's annoying. everytime i want to have a decent conversation with a girl they tell me how they hate laowais because she had a bad experience with one.....

it's much worse in taipei, where all the foreigners run around thinking that they are superior to their local counterparts. there are fights all the time at the clubs because chinese girls most often aren't comfortable with the techniques used by the foreigners at the clubs....

they should tell the foreigners to stick to the foreigner bars, and there will be no fights...and all the girls that want to 'practice english' can just congregate there.

I think this is true. The common denominators of about 95% of all the incidents I've heard of include all of the following:
1) Foreign male
2) Chinese male(s)
3) Chinese female
4) Alcohol.

FWIW, In almost a decade in Beijing, I've only personally known 2 fellows (not including moondog) who got involved in fights. Secondhand known of a several more. While older folks aren't automatically immune, it does seem that the demographic for fights tends to be the 35-and-under set and bars/nightclubs are the primary locations.

I agree with moondog, that susie probably doesn't need to add this to her list of worries. :p

You have to have an understanding of Sino-West relationship at the commoner level.

Since the British gunboats showed up in the 19th century, beating up a laowai in front of witnesses is a great way to add to one's reputation.

Most probably its not "one's" reputation. Chances are its a group of
Chinese beating a single laowai.

Fighting style involves getting your opponent to the ground, then the pack comes
in and kicks your face in.

GongFu tradition

China v Brazil

http://www.netscoutsbasketball.com/_...inabrazil1.jpg

China v US

http://shananarocks.files.wordpress....l-aug-2011.jpg

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I don't think its irrational to not want to return to a place where you have
witnesssed violence with serious physical injury, in full public view, with no intervention from bystanders or police.

At 6'5'' & 270, i do not worry about a one on one 'issue' , but would be concerned about the 2nd Shanxi type guy having a knife.

need to be smart, just as you would if in a bad area of mexico, or chicago.

As the foreign male traveling with me, my hubby, is 62, I'm not worried about him sneaking out at night to look for a Chinese hottie at a club. He will be kept so busy by me with sightseeing, shopping, eating, and sherpa duties that he will be exhausted and ready for bed at 9:00pm.
We'll enjoy our alcohol consumption in the executive lounges of the hotels.
: D

Yeah, in China, they might cut your knee cap.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_IUYlNU10BM...e-Giant-01.jpg

Never saw a fight in China ever, but that's just me.

In Korea this is solved by denying non-Koreans, be they American, European, Chinese, Japanese etc. entry into many nightclubs if not in company of Korean friends.

In Japan, of course there are several "Japanese only" establishments where other ethnicities are not welcome,

What is natural back home in Asia is racism elsewhere if people from these countries encounter similar restrictions abroad. Some Japanese and Korean friends have told with bitter resentment how they felt bad being treated as second class citizens f.ex. at Italian restaurants or coffeeshops in Paris.