Zhang Yingying, a visiting scholar has been missing for more than 10 days in Illinois in the US. While members of the public pray for her return, the safety of Chinese international students remains a concern.



It reminds me of my own experience as a student at the University of Virginia. Not long after I started my program in Charlottesville in September 2014, I heard the tragic news of a second year student, named Hannah Graham, who had disappeared after a late night party and was later found to have been murdered by Jesse Matthew. Matthew was also found to be responsible for the murder of another person who visited Charlottesville for a concert on October 17, 2007, and had disappeared that night.



In China, I've never been worried about safety issues even when I have had to walk or take the metro at night by myself. Due to a pre-departure safety lecture, I realized that, despite the support offered by campus security, international students face many potential dangers such as fake cops, robbery and unidentified parcels while studying abroad. Therefore, it is wise to memorize all the safety instructions.



When I was in the US, the last thing I wanted to do was to go outside by myself after dark. I also limited the cash in my wallet to $20 in case of robbery. Luckily, I had quite a few close friends to keep me company when I went on holiday, exercised, visited the dentist or went to buy groceries.



Zhang's case has struck a nerve with international students. There is a topic about it at zhihu.com where users can get updates about Zhang and read about other fatal encounters abroad.



Web user Justin Lee said he was followed by two African Americans while waiting for a bus. When he sought help in a drug store, he was ignored. He was not able to return home until the two robbers mistook a person walking towards the door as somebody who wanted to offer Lee a hand.



Zhang's case has now been taken over by the FBI. However, many people have commented on the inefficiency of the US police since the suspect's vehicle, the most crucial lead in the case, has not been found yet. It seems that the only thing we can do is pray for her safety, and pray that the FBI can do half as well as the police in Hollywood movies.



This article was published on the Global Times Metropolitan section Two Cents page, a space for reader submissions, including opinion, humor and satire. The ideas expressed are those of the author alone, and do not represent the position of the Global Times.