Hopefully nothing will happen to the guys that attacked him after, its not like they did him any serious damage, just a few cuts and bruises. I know it sounds harsh, but if someone attacked and sexually assaulted a woman in front of me, I would probably try and cause physical harm to him as well. But probably with a swift kick right in his balls. Hopefully the memory would quell any future attempted rape incidents.

Oh yeah - the video is currently featuring on youku's homepage...

"I am trying to stop other lao wai doing the same by reinforcing to all lao wai that this behaviour is not acceptable. I hope this is clear."

Are we as a group in need of being told not to go around casually raping the locals? I mean, we all do a bit of raping from time to time, that is only to be expected of course, but I'm glad finally being informed that it is in fact not acceptable behaviour. I'll be sure to tell my acquaintances and fellow lao wai to stop the raping immediately.

As a little counter, here is a lao wai who got beat up by a gang of thieves for trying to help a Chinese girl, while not a single Chinese person helped him and 2 PSB officers refused to intervene because it's not their jurisdiction. www.chinasmack.com/[...]

Clearly you and your group get it Danmairen.

But we know of 1 guy that does not. Just because you would never act this way does not mean that everyone thinks the same as you. The video clearly evidences this. This is a very strange psychological pattern that many people have "I think like this and so do the people I hang around with, therefore EVERYONE thinks like this" despite evidence to the contrary.

Or are you in denial that there is view held by a number of westerners that Asia is a good destination for exploitive sex? I recommend a visit to Pattaya in Thailand if you harbour such delusions.

@blobbles
Trying to educate morons and imbeciles (or in this case, an imbecilic moron) is rather futile, but wish you luck. As for the people who intervened - usually, a SINGLE person will lead, then the mob will follow, so kudos to the person (male or female) who actually moved to intervene, inspiring the rest of the spectators to participate.

As per @danmairen's note:
As for thieves - most locals won't intervene for fear of reprisal. Most street PSB - especially in KM, are unskilled labor with a uniform. They have zero authority (can't issue enforceable traffic violations), can't particularly direct traffic effectively, and are usually locals (live within the neighborhood), so also fear retribution. The general rule of thumb for PSB - if they're not wearing a sidearm (aka a GUN), they're NOT genuine police with enforcement power and ability.

As a foreigner - IF you decide to intervene - you should weigh the consequences - are you being set-up for an assault and extortion scheme (it happens)? IF you decide to intervene - always remember, the cockroach you see is not the problem - it's the unseen nest of roaches behind you that are the problem. Better to take pictures (if you have such a device) and call the REAL police...assuming you want to hang around and give them the photos from your mobile phone.

Unlike China - in the USA all citizens are permitted to use deadly force to protect their property or loved ones IF you fear for your life (catch phrase). There is no such thing as "beating someone up just to teach them a lesson" as death can always occur accidentally. All situations such as the one Dan pointed out are potential life and death situations - so act accordingly. If you don't have the tactical skill and mental fortitude to put animals down AND accept the consequences - just call the police, take pictures, and perhaps record the audio as best as possible (video). In this particular case, the perps were all armed with blades - so they're obviously a gang. Remember that - thieves are generally cowards, so they tend to operate in gangs for mutual support - so you won't be dealing with a single roach - but a mobile nest.

Blobbles, I think we're on the same page on some issues here but I feel uncomfortable being lodged in the same camp as the guy from that video. I know it's not your call, but the average passive-aggressive netizen who tends to lump us all together. Not much to be done about that I guess. Furthermore, the guy looks to be British-Asian, probably Pakistani AND he's a pitbull and a cheap 2 litre bottle of cider short of looking like the standard Mancunian drug dealer. I and most expats here have virtually nothing in common with this chav piece of human excrement, so when I read Chinese comments speaking of 'Lao wai scum', 'hunt them down and kill them', 'keep China pure' and 'beat him to death and throw him in the river' I do feel puzzled and rather scared of the ignorance, mob mentality and the general hate ill concealed below a thin layer of apathy you often see on the Chinese internetz against anyone standing out during moments of rage: the rich, the police, foreigners, women, Xinjiang people, the middle class, home owners, people with cars, the Japanese, America, the South China Sea countries. It's a powder keg and too many people are fighting to light the fuse, often on shaky grounds.

@blobbles
You might want to move this thread to the classifieds if your girlfriend is for sale.

@ Robertp
@Blobbles

Do I have to quote myself ? "And if they are, you should put them in their place, not apologize or call for harsher punishments for non Chinese." So what is your logic? They are still racist and not open minded, so, since they aren't ready for progress, let's help them in their xenophobia by promising to be good laowai?

That is not how progress happens.

Don't be an uncle tom. If xenophobia is a problem in China, and if it effects you, stand up for yourself, or write the truth. Don't promote that thinking by saying "Oh, but I'm a good laowai, those are the bad laowai". If xenophobia is a problem, the thread and thread title are supporting xenophobia. it is very simple.

For myself, I confront people about this everyday. The kids in my xiaoqu even teach other kids in our neighborhood not to say "Hello" to laowai, but instead to say "Ni hao", just in case the laowai they are greeting can't distinguish the "Hello Joke" or a sincere "hello", and as a way to discourage the "Hello Joke". They have this subtlety of knowledge about such things through what I teach them and their parents.

There are other things I won't talk about here, but, I am brutally against xenophobia. I don't think this news story in Beijing will effect most Chinese or the Chinese people that you know. Wether I am right or wrong on that point DOES NOT MATTER with regard to this issue.

In fact, if I am wrong, and you are in a precarious position as a laowai here, then the original post is THAT MUCH MORE TREACHEROUSLY XENOPHOBIC. If you think you are shafted as a laowai in china, hey, I agree. So go ahead and replace the word laowai in what you wrote with "black" or "jew", and see how disgusting, and self hating it is.

ps. there was lots of anti-foreigner sentiment before the period of western imperialism in China.

@rick dikulous
Who is this Tom叔叔 and why is he such a bad person?

Rik, you seem to still be in denial about the reality of how we are viewed in China. For instance, growing up my girlfriend was taught that basically every foreigner comes from America. She is 24 yet that built in idea still comes back to haunt her all the time. She comes from a small rural town that hardly every sees foreigners. It shows you that, until recently, Chinese culture has only started accepting the multitude of different people in the world.

In the same context, I have been quizzed by her family and other people if my intentions with her are genuine. Whether I will sell her or not. Whether I am just using her for sex (from her dad). Where I think our relationship is going because they are scared to have a foreigners thinking in the family. This is xenophobia through ignorance, which I battle through and change with every conversation I have with them. But it highlights exactly how we are viewed here. I acknowledge the Xenophobia exists and try to change it, just as you do.

I will quote you when you say "And most Chinese nationals get that, and therefore won't be prejudiced against you because of some drunk rapist in Beijing." Did you do a poll? Wow, that was fast. After viewing this video my girlfriend got worried again (we have been together for over a year). After calming her down I asked her why she was upset - it was because the video reinforced a prejudice which she was taught by her culture. She has also received calls from her sister and mum who have seen the video and started worrying again. The responses to the video as outlined by Danmairen show that clearly a lot of Chinese nationals are prejudiced against foreigners.

"Don't promote that thinking by saying "Oh, but I'm a good laowai, those are the bad laowai"."

The intention is to do the opposite. If we as foreigners react with shock, dismay and anger at another foreigner who has wronged a Chinese citizen, we stand in unison with the Chinese who have the same reaction. When angry Chinese people see many of us standing next to them, they realise that we are individuals that are closer to them and share the same values as them. They won't therefore lump us all together with the bad ass in the video. If we do nothing and try to keep news under the radar, how do you think we look to Chinese who are angry about this? Please answer this question.

"If xenophobia is a problem, the thread and thread title are supporting xenophobia. it is very simple." & "So go ahead and replace the word laowai in what you wrote with "black" or "jew", and see how disgusting, and self hating it is."

Please explain how the thread title and first comment "support Xenophobia". It shows that I despise sexual violence and are shocked at some foreigners attitude towards Chinese. This shows solidarity with Chinese who think the same (probably 99% of them). If you think the title supports Xenophobia, you must also think headlines of papers do the same thing. e.g. www.chinadaily.com.cn/world/2012-05/09/content_15251340.htm (US soldiers are all murdering rapists!), www.telegraph.co.uk/[...] (asians must be all horrible!), www.nytimes.com/[...] (never trust NY city cops!). The Daily Mail: www.dailymail.co.uk/[...] Do you think the use of the words "British man" are offensive?

"ps. there was lots of anti-foreigner sentiment before the period of western imperialism in China." There was and it was xenophobic. Unfortunately from the 1800's to WWII foreign powers made their fears true. And in the last 70 years we have in many cases treated Asians with less than the respect they deserve. I aren't responsible for these actions but I do want Asians to know that I don't support such aggression and manipulation.