Govt must act to end 'tips'

A Vietnamese woman sells local specialities to Chinese travelers at a Vietnam market in the city of Chongzuo, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, on the border between the two countries. [Photo/China Daily]

The claims of a Chinese tourist that he was beaten by Vietnamese border security officers after refusing to pay them a tip has provoked anger among the Chinese public.

The man said he was assaulted on Feb 7 in Mong Cai, when he was returning home with his fiancée and mother after a two-week wedding photo shoot in Vietnam and was forced to write a statement saying he had not been beaten.

The Vietnamese officials at Mong Cai deny beating him and claim he was injured when he fell while being chased.

Given that Vietnam's frontier security authorities are one of the parties involved, there should be a joint investigation into the incident to determine what really happened.

As the man is a Chinese citizen, China can demand the launch of a joint investigation into the case in accordance with international law and practices to find the truth and promote its just and reasonable settlement.

At the same time, the launch of joint investigations is also a necessary step for China to fulfill its consular protection responsibilities for Chinese tourists overseas.

It has long been a bad habit of some countries' customs and border security officers to charge tourists, especially Chinese tourists, a tip. The official advice offered to Chinese tourists encountering such a scenario is that no tips should be given, because doing so only fuels the practice targeted at Chinese tourists. Individual tourists and travel groups should resolutely refuse any unreasonable demands for tips to eradicate the perception among some that Chinese tourists are easy pickings.

The Chinese government should make official representations and urge the relevant countries to correct any malpractices in their tourism industries.

An increasing number of Chinese people traveling overseas will bring huge economic benefits to any destination. The government thus has enough chips to use to prevent Chinese being preyed on while traveling abroad.--Beijing News