Hi, I'm seeing conflicting info when I google to see if it's cool to carry my pepper spray in China.
Does anyone here happen to know for sure if it's if it's legal (I know it can be bought there, but that doesn't mean it's legal)?
I wouldn't want to get in trouble, but I feel naked without it.

Thanks!!

I only need to know about Beijing and Shanghai, really. I know different areas could have different rules.

I'm not sure you can bring it, as in bring in airplane (even in checked luggage). I thought all compressed aerosols were nono.

They make pepper in a spray? Wow. Salt is sometimes hard to get in China (like those little sachets - they just don't have them at places like MacDonalds or KFC!!). So i take in a supply of those!

Seriously - there is like zero need for any sort of defensive weapons in China. It is one of the safest places i have ever been to. Get scammed? Absolutely! But personal violence / aggravated robbery? Nope. They run an extremely tight ship when it comes to crime in China.

Quite a few years ago I gave a friend one of those pepper spray pens.
http://www.bljselfdefenseproducts.co...gnum-p338.html

Apparently they brought it to China on a trip. On the flight back they pulled it out on the plane and started fiddling around with it. I was pretty shocked they got the thing thru security and advised they quickly put it away as it might go off in a closed airplane cabin halfway across the pacific. That would probably be some jail time.

I can't find my long-lost source but I don't think it is legal to carry. And frankly, pretty unnecessary. As others have said above, your body is not likely to be in physical danger in China, to the point where chances of an accidental mishap with the spray is more likely. And anything aerosol like that is prone to being confiscated at airport checks.

If you get to China and feel the need for sprayable "protection," duck into any toiletries store and get a small purse-size can of Chinese hair spray--they make some pretty obnoxious ones that are not only legal to carry, but also accomplish the same ends on an attacker.

Yes, in the US it is definitely a federal offense. As it is to ship this stuff without declaring it and requiring ground shipping only.

Yes, and if caught...I know the immediate response would have been "I got it from that guy".

While I agree with the bolded part of your statement, for the most part, I have witnessed some pretty wicked violence in China. This is usually limited to bar areas on weekends, but the most horrific act I ever saw occurred during broad daylight on Guanghua Lu (Beijing). I started a thread about the latter --attempted murder!-- circa 2007 because I was seriously traumatized by this episode. More recently, I started a thread entitled something like "violence against foreigners" after one of my friends got his clock cleaned.

Bottom line:
1) some migrant workers are so poor that they don't mind risking their lives in order to take yours (I'm pretty sure that the perpetrator of the ~2007 crime died on the scene)
*fortunately, people of this ilk don't typically hang around in the same areas as us, and they tend to target taxi drivers
2) fights break out in SLT almost every weekend
*the key here is that if someone verbally insults you or hits on your SO, leaving is the best course of action
*if this is not an option, stay calm, and enlist the help of others

I recall one of the regulars on this forum said they routinely carry a knife while in China.

Probably me. It's a utility-type knife with foldable blade, but sizeable enough to do enough quick damage (though likely not lethal) to someone if needed. That said, protection is not the primary purpose for carrying it, there's all sorts of useful and perfectly innocent things one needs a utility knife/tool for on the road, at least the way I travel. When it comes to trouble in China, the best courses of action are 1) avoid in the first place; 2) as moondog said, leave the scene. IMO, it's better to put up one's ears and run like a rabbit than stand ground and fight like a man. As a protective weapon, my little friend is not a fighting tool, only good (along with element of surprise) to do just enough damage to allow me to get away. Similar to pepper spray though requiring better aim and closer quarters.

Downside is in airports. After a long series of overlands on trains and buses where carrying it was no problem due to differing security protocols, I rocked up to CTU security for a flight, forgetting I had it in carry-on bag. Yep, confiscated. I begged with them to give it back (expensive knife + great sentimental value) and I'd leave security and go check it. (They agreed to let me do this and come back to re-do security.) Likely pepper (or any) spray in an aerosol would get flagged as well.

One time going through PEK T2 domestic the guy in front of me got flagged at security
they opened his small hard luggage and on top was a Rambo knife with an
18" inch blade.
They had an issue with my camera bag and started digging thru it.
Buried in one of the seams was this tiny 2" long screw driver. They refused
to give it back. It was in there for years and never got confiscated in any US travels.

Whereas I'd generally agree China is very safe in terms of personal safety, I have seen a bunch of 保安's (rent-a-cops) at Shenzhen car parks whip out machetes from their booths when trying to deal with miscreant drivers.

Many of the scuffles I've witnessed seem to rapidly blow up, then nearly as quickly settle down, though always without the help of the police.

This is one area where China is really really bad. The general citizens will start to think (if they don't already) that they can get out of any ticket or issue with police by starting a yelling match and then brawl with them if that doesn't work.

Don't try that in America.

My wife and I were walking to the maglev station at PVG a few weeks ago when we heard a very loud argument between two men (or rather, from one of them). I think one of them was in a police uniform and there was a third policeman in uniform just following them on a segway. Not violent, just very loudly vocal.

Pepper spray is illegal in many countries. I'm pretty sure it would be illegal in China. In general China is very safe, so there is no need to carry it.