Foreigners copy the Chinese and climb over officially-erected street barriers. Photo: IC

Shanghai has become home to a large foreign population as more foreigners flock here for study, business or pleasure. And while most foreigners make efforts to have a good understanding and enthusiasm for Chinese culture, food and customs there have been reports that some foreigners in Shanghai are behaving more like the Chinese than the Chinese!

Foreigners running red lights and jumping bus queues have become commonplace around the city. A few days ago, two foreigners trying to exit through a metro turnstile with one fare card were confronted by a concerned citizen - the foreigners claimed they were just doing what locals get away with every day.

The Global Times visited the Shanghai International Studies University, one of the city's leading universities and a place where diverse cultures and countries meet, to ask some foreigners how they felt about this behavior.

Alina, student, Russia

I study economics and trade for my bachelor's degree at the Shanghai International Studies University and I've been in Shanghai for four years. It's true that foreigners are behaving more like Chinese than locals, both good and bad. But it depends on how long you've lived here.

I have a close Italian friend and we speak Chinese when we're together. We have so many similarities. And when you like a friend, you like to copy what he or she does.

We like living in China. If everybody else does it, we like to copy their behavior - it's psychological. But in Russia, I certainly won't do anything like running red lights because there are serious penalties for breaking traffic rules.

Jade, student, Australia

I just arrived in Shanghai a week and a half ago. Although I have seen many people running red lights, I tend to wait until the lights turn green because I'm too scared. But as time goes by, I think I may follow what the locals do here.

Tricky passengers want to commute for free on the metro. It also happens in Australia. For me, I have my metro card and it's actually a matter of personal quality, regardless of which country you are in.

Xiaomo, student, Dubai

I've been in Shanghai for three years. This happens a lot in Shanghai. It's not weird and actually it's a normal thing. Chinese people, especially Shanghainese, are really very busy. Most of the time, they have to rush so as to catch the early bus or get into the elevator. It forces us to do the same thing. There is so much pressure here.

In my country, I ask my friends or other people to go first. But obviously that doesn't apply to the situation in Shanghai. When I cross the road, I tend to judge if the road is safe or not. I don't follow people. I do what I think is appropriate.

Giorgia and Margherita, students, Italy

We are studying Chinese here and we've been here for three months. Although sometimes we know it's not good, we just do as the Romans do. Behavior like running red lights, pushing people on the metro station in order to get on and bargaining with vendors is so common that we've grown used to it. We like Chinese food very much - it's delicious. And now we've got accustomed to eating a lot of stuff in one big dish together, which is unimaginable in our country.

Danny, student, Columbia

I've been in Shanghai for four months and I am studying International Chinese Language Education for my master's degree. We imitate what the locals do in Shanghai and if it's a socially accepted behavior, why not follow it? It's human nature. We tend to imitate the majority's behavior. We are not here to change things and we just adapt to the environment we are in. If Chinese people go to foreign countries, I think what they will do will be to look around and see what other people are doing.

Foreigners are treated better in China for some reason. I can feel that. There are good sides as well as bad sides. On the one hand, foreigners feel more comfortable living in China while, on the other hand, some foreigners may take advantage of this "privilege." What the Shanghainese man did was absolutely right. Foreigners should be told that you are in my country and that you are responsible for obeying the rules. What the locals need to do is to raise foreigners' awareness so as to guarantee fairness.

In Singapore, people who spit in the street get the same punishment regardless of their nationalities. This is fair.

Aizhan, student, Kyrgyzstan

I've been in Shanghai for one year and for me, the language barrier is really a problem. I cannot understand Chinese and really don't know what to do when I walk in the street. I learn Chinese here and sometimes I am impressed by what the Chinese people do.

I just learned the fable about Yugong moving the mountains with determination. I seldom went to the library in the past, but now I have learnt from the Chinese people to be hard-working and I would also like to work hard at university. As for the fact that Chinese people run red lights in the street, if that's OK for them, I will also do so.

Milind, senior consultant, India

The decision to follow the rules is a personal choice but if breaking it is the norm, some people, both foreigners and locals will try taking an advantage. I've seen the same behavior in Dubai, UAE, when I was there for a short trip but that wasn't the case when I was in the US (Houston, Texas) or Australia (Melbourne, Victoria). I agree that everyone should be held equally and consistently accountable to local laws. This is the best way to tackle the problem since nobody is above the law.

Jeffrey Yao, professor, Canada

Strictly speaking, I'm not a foreigner. I've lived in Canada for 28 years and in China 42 years. There are many reasons for this phenomenon and we cannot give it a simple label: foreigners become bad guys in China. In Canada, even if people would like to run red lights, they have no opportunity and dare not do so. Thus, when such law-abiding foreigners come to China, they feel that they are in an entirely new world, in which there are no rules or social regulations. In addition, as Chinese people are more tolerant and lenient to foreigners when they break the rules, foreigners have no awareness of the consequences. Those who have just arrived in China think that that's the way it is and would like to do as locals do.

Of course, it has something to do with foreigners' personal qualities. As far as I know, some of my foreign friends will definitely not run red lights because they know exactly what's right or wrong. I myself would like to insist on not doing as the Romans do.

For the concerned citizen who tried to stop the two foreigners on the subway, I think what he did is absolutely right. If more and more people insist on what's right and reasonable, justice will prevail.

Global Times - Hu Han contributed to this story