China — Insurance

Comprehensive travel insurance with evacuation cover is strongly recommended — public hospital care is cheap but crowded and Mandarin-only, and any serious incident usually means transfer to Hong Kong, Bangkok or Singapore. International SOS, AXA and World Nomads all operate here; keep the 24-hour assistance number offline as foreign apps intermittently break behind the Great Firewall.

STI testing and treatment are available at municipal CDC clinics (free, anonymous HIV testing under the Four Frees and One Care policy) and at private international chains — United Family Healthcare (Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou) and Parkway Health (Shanghai) both run English-language sexual health services. PEP is available at designated CDC and infectious-disease hospitals within the 72-hour window.