Visiting Student Missing, But Where Did They Lose Her?.
A Twelve-Year-Old Chinese girl went missing at the San Fransisco Airport, they think. But it might have been at Stanford. Or maybe she defected. :rolleyes: Sheesh. This is nuts. It sounds like they just up and left without her, meaning this poor girl is wandering around completely alone, unable to communicate, no clue where to go.
I hope she’s okay, wherever she is.
::fingers crossed::
What’s most interesting to me are the early reports of “defection.” Was that just RED CHINA hysteria or what? Since when do twelve year old girls who can’t speak English “defect?”
Space how many millions of people have come over here without being able to speak a lick of English?
I think she could very well be a runaway. shrug
As a twelve year old kid unable to speak English, what prospects would she have in the US? As somebody who can afford to participate in this program, she is probably not somebody living in abject poverty who would see running away to the US as a solution to all her problems. It doesn’t make sense. But then, the actions of people that age often don’t make sense, so who knows.
Also, “runaway” I don’t have any objection to, even if it turns out to be erroneous. “Defection” sort of has a politically-motivated ring to it, which is fairly insulting to China if we start throwing it around for no reason.
Frankly, I just don’t think she ran away. I think she needed to use the bathroom so badly, that she risked getting in trouble and quickly made the trip. Unfortunately, when she returned her group was nowhere to be found. And didn’t even notice she was missing for a few hours at least. What happened to her after she realized she’d been left behind is anyone’s guess, but I don’t think she ran off on purpose.
I keep thinking of how her parents must feel, sending their child away for an opportunity like this only to have the people they probably paid BIG $$ to lose her. 
bella
I suspect that whatever happened, it was well planned - a kid with luggage doesn’t just wander off (esp SFO - pedestrian nightmare).
The ‘defection’ story apparantly originated along these lines:
“Amber” system engaged
It is realized that there is not enough info to use “Amber”, so it is de-activated.
Since it was de-activated, someone assume she had been found.
If she has been found, but is not back with the tour group, she must…
Right now, all I can imagine is how scared this little girl must be. Even if she ran off on her own, no way could she have known how difficult it would be for her to manage, not speaking the language, etc. I’m praying for her quick recovery.
Good News!
I wonder what the details will end up being? Or if the girl’s parent’s arranged this for some reason?
That story just made me more curious!
bella
Whew. Well thank God that this wasn’t another kidnapping and they found her body off in the woods somewhere.
Maybe she just wanted to see Chinatown?
Boy I hope this was planned by her parents if she claims asylum or something like that. I would hate to see another international custody battle break out. Although at least this one would be much much shorter.
The ones to watch are the tour guides.
Be assured that this will be the last time they set foot on US soil.
Let me ask the obvious question, then: if you’re a citizen of the People’s Republic of China, are you free to leave permanently if you so choose?
If so, then ‘defection’ is a meaningless term. If not, it’s not an insult.
Hint:
the kid’s passports were confiscated as soon as they cleared Customs.
Locally, it is assumed that agents of the state are keeping tabs on the PRC students studying here.
The local Consulate has taken a “no comment” position on the case (not surprising, they are not very chatty).
I don’t know about defection, but since she magically reappeared all the way across the company my spidey-sense tells me that this was not just some kid lost in the airport. Maybe a planned repatriation with family, home country rules notwithstanding. Maybe she’ll become the Chinese Elian Gonzalez.
I have no idea how the PRC’s emigration policy works, but I’m pretty sure it isn’t that “you can’t emigrate, period” because I know Chinese of mainland origin who, as far as I know, are here permanently and legally at both ends. But I don’t know exactly how they went about emigrating as it never occured to me to ask. Supposedly the girl indicated that “she wouldn’t be allowed to leave,” but I don’t know why not.
>> Supposedly the girl indicated that “she wouldn’t be allowed to leave,” but I don’t know why not
China doesn’t care but the US consulate will not grant a visa to anyone who it thinks might have a reason to stay in the US. It is the US consulate who would not grant the visa.
That’s what I thought seemed more likely, in which case it seems appropriate to call it garden-variety “illegal immigration” rather than “defection.”