In a world of chaos, China is where stability pays off

By Liu Muqi

(ECNS)--The more turbulent the world becomes, the more valuable safety is.

After rounds of U.S.-Iran talks ended without progress, the Middle East is still shrouded in tension, with oil prices climbing back above the $100 mark. Brent crude rose to around $101.5 a barrel on May 8 amid renewed U.S.-Iran hostilities and continued uncertainty surrounding the Strait of Hormuz. At the same time, war-related risks surged. Reuters reported that some maritime war risk insurance premiums had risen as much as 1,000%. 

Rising oil prices and surging insurance costs are no longer confined to distant battlefields. Geopolitical risks are increasingly transmitted through supply chains, logistics and market sentiment, shaping everyday life. From travel plans to corporate investment decisions, uncertainty is being priced in across the board. 

As the world continues to grapple with supply chain disruptions and volatile market expectations, a sense of order that enables safe travel, confident business operations, and stable livelihoods has become a scarce resource—one that China possesses in abundance. 

The Western narratives portraying China as "dangerous" or "uncertain" is challenged by cold reality. Countries that have long warned about risks in China are now issuing travel advisories about each other: Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has updated its travel advice for France, warning of terrorism risks. The U.K. government, in its foreign travel advice for the United States, notes that "protests are common and can become violent." 

The data paints a clearer picture. According to Gallup's 2025 Global Safety Report, China ranks 3rd worldwide in perceived safety among 144 countries and regions. In the Law and Order Index, China scores 93, ranking 4th globally, while both the United States and the United Kingdom score 84, placing 46th. In China, 94% of respondents say they feel safe walking alone at night, compared with 71% in the United States. Data cited by the World Bank from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) shows that China's homicide rate remains below one per 100,000 people. 

Safety in China is becoming a tangible and comparable reality, one that is repeatedly confirmed in daily life. 

This sense of safety is first reflected in the surge of tourism. In 2025, China received 82.035 million inbound visits by foreign nationals, up 26.4% year on year.Among them, visa-free entries reached 30.08 million, with an increase of 49.5%. Tourist destinations are an honest indicator. Visitors’ firsthand experiences speak for themselves.

On April 13, 2025, foreign tourists visit the Forbidden City in Beijing. Photo by Jia Tianyong, China News Service

On social media, videos of foreigners sharing their experiences of safety in China are widely viewed. Some viewers also share their own experiences and honest impressions of China in the comment sections. A traveler commented that he or she left a laptop on a shared bicycle and only realized it the next day. Assuming it was gone, the traveler later found it at a subway lost-and-found office after several local boys turned it in. Another widely liked comment reads: "When I came to China, I felt like a character in the movie The Matrix. I always thought that the Chinese people were brainwashed, and then I found out that it was me!" Such experiences often overturn long-held misconceptions formed through secondhand narratives.

Businesses and investors are also voting with their feet, because safety allows companies to focus on innovation, expansion and services instead of hedging against disorder. The more stable a society is, the more viable long-term planning becomes. The safer a country is, the more willing capital is to invest in its future.

Anil Wadhwani, chief executive of Prudential plc, said that the "biggest attraction" when investing in China is "the country's continued economic prosperity and stability." Roy Jakobs, chief executive of Royal Philips, said the company remains optimistic about China's economic prospects despite ongoing global uncertainties and rising geopolitical tensions, adding, "We are very excited about the strength and the outlook of the Chinese economy."

China's appeal comes from the sense of safety it offers, allowing people to focus on what they do. Tourism values ease; consumption depends on continuity; innovation requires long-term expectations; capital seeks predictability. In this sense, safety is a core factor rather than a byproduct of development. It's translated into flows of people, orders, consumption and investment, and becomes a form of competitive advantage in an uncertain world.

China's safety is a matter of governance, but it is also deeply rooted in the broader social mindset. It’s built on long-term development, but also rooted in everyday values. Chinese people seek stability in their lives, value harmony and treat others with restraint and respect.

This is why many foreign visitors remember the small, ordinary moments: the ease of city streets at night, the calm inside high-speed trains, the warmth of shop owners and the kindness of strangers when being asked for directions.

While some countries ask people to learn how to navigate risks, China offers something more fundamental: a place where people can live, travel, invest and cooperate without constantly thinking about how to avoid danger.

As conflict and instability spread across the world, what is truly scarce is the ability to provide lasting security, while China is emerging as both a key provider and a driving force of that stability.