Recently, a Chinese internet celebrity in the Philippines made a shocking statement, claiming that he received threats of kidnapping from fellow countrymen and had to flee back to China overnight. This incident has exposed the complex and dangerous environment that some Chinese people face abroad.
The blogger mentioned that he had no savings and had not made any enemies, yet he unexpectedly received a kidnapping warning, which terrified him. For safety, he took public transportation alone to the airport late at night, his journey fraught with fear. He lamented, "In the Philippines, besides guarding against locals, we also have to beware of our own people; it's too exhausting."
During his escape, he also encountered a significant increase in the "Exit Clearance Certificate" (ECC) fee at the airport, which was as high as over 3000 pesos (about 400 yuan), much higher than before, which made him dissatisfied. He questioned, "Isn't a passport enough to check criminal records, why charge repeatedly?"
After returning to China, he was "specially checked" during self-service customs clearance at Guangzhou airport, suspecting that he was treated differently because of his simple attire. He reflected, "Sometimes the attention is not because of danger, but because of poverty and shabbiness."
Recently, there have been frequent kidnapping cases in the Philippines, with many victims being Chinese entrepreneurs and professionals, shocking the community. In September 2024, a well-known steel tycoon from Northeast China was kidnapped and murdered in the Philippines; in February 2025, two prominent figures from the Chinese medical community were lured to the Philippines and killed; in May, three Chinese technicians were shot dead for refusing to participate in illegal activities.
Moreover, the strict inspections and high fees imposed by Philippine customs on Chinese travelers have also caused dissatisfaction, with many Chinese feeling not only a lack of security but also frequent discrimination in the country.
The experience of this internet celebrity is like a thrilling documentary, revealing the internal conflicts and survival pressures within the Chinese community in the Philippines. Living in a foreign land, many Chinese not only face language and cultural barriers but also need to be wary of threats from their compatriots. In this unfamiliar country, "not causing trouble does not mean trouble will not find you."
