Chinese shocked by state of the British
CHINESE students coming to study in Britain expecting to meet ladies and gentlemen, instead find dangerous streets, drunken louts, and girls who dance on tables with no underwear on.
The shock view of the UK comes from the first-ever attitude survey of Chinese students carried out by Scottish researchers.
More than 50,000 Chinese study at Britain's universities with 5,170 in further and higher education in Scotland, including nearly 600 at Edinburgh University, 350 at Glasgow University and 263 at Stirling.
The study, by Professor Greg Philo of Glasgow University's Media Group, said yesterday: "They were especially shocked at the behaviour of young people, and felt the streets unsafe to walk in. Half gave examples of discrimination, which sometimes included abuse and physical attacks.
"Before they came, they thought Britain was a country of gentle people and gentlemen, based on traditional images from classic books like Sherlock Holmes, Pride and Prejudice and the stories of Dickens."
One student who moved to an English city said: "It was rough and dirty. Girls danced on tables with no underwear. They wore short skirts and were vulgar."
Another said: "I hate the teenage people with little education, gathering around, holding booze, talking rubbish."
