File photo: VCG

The news that a Chinese female student who went missing in South Korea was later confirmed dead has deeply saddened many people in China. The Chinese Consulate General in Busan immediately demanded that South Korean police launch a full investigation, bring the perpetrator to justice in accordance with the law, and provide full consular assistance to the family in handling the aftermath. Updates about the suspect have repeatedly trended on Chinese social media. Although this is an extreme individual case, it has drawn widespread attention at home. 

In recent years, cases of Chinese citizens going missing or falling into danger overseas - such as the murder of visiting scholar Zhang Yingying in the US and Chinese student Jiang Ge in Japan, as well as the secret transfer of Chinese entertainer Wang Xing from Thailand to a telecom fraud compound in Myanmar - have consistently attracted intense public concern. This is partly due to the rapid spread of information and the natural worry people feel for their fellow citizens abroad. It also reflects a broader reality: As more and more Chinese people travel and live overseas, strengthening safety protections for outbound travelers has become an important task in an era of frequent cross-border movement.

In the first half of 2026 alone, Chinese mainland residents made 88.023 million outbound trips, up 10.5 percent year-on-year. When such a large number of people are scattered around the world, even if overall security conditions in most countries remain stable, the number of safety incidents is likely to rise. The world is far from peaceful. Telecom fraud networks, extreme weather, and armed conflicts can all pose sudden risks. If outbound travelers lack sufficient knowledge of local security conditions, laws, and customs, or if they take a casual attitude toward pre-trip risk assessment and daily self-protection, they can easily fall into danger. International students and overseas workers are especially vulnerable: They often live for long periods in unfamiliar environments, have limited social networks, and lack emergency experience, making them more likely targets for criminals.

Overseas safety risks are a complex mix of violent crime, natural disasters, local public order problems, and differences in legal systems. Addressing them requires coordinated efforts by the state, society, and individuals. It is worth noting that China's outbound travel risk alerts and new management rules, issued to protect its citizens and maintain order, are often deliberately misinterpreted and hyped by some overseas media. For example, the new regulation on exit and entry administration released last month was aimed precisely at new problems such as cross-border telecom fraud and deteriorating security in certain regions. Yet some Western media outlets distorted them as signs that China wants to "close itself off" or that it is becoming "harder" for Chinese people to go abroad. The recurring tragedies of Chinese citizens encountering danger or death overseas once again underscore the necessity of strengthening safety safeguards.

Safety can never be overemphasized. At the same time, there is no need to stop going abroad out of fear of risks. Today, the comprehensive support system for the safety of Chinese citizens overseas is stronger than ever before. Countries are also paying closer attention to protecting Chinese nationals within their borders and cracking down on crimes targeting them. The safety net for Chinese citizens abroad is being steadily reinforced. No matter where they are in the world, the lives and safety of Chinese citizens are always closest to the heart of their motherland.