Speaking fluent Mandarin with a Beijing accent, Shyshov, 35, said he left the key in the ignition of his electric bike after he parked it at a metro station to catch a train to work at 7am.

At first he thought he had lost the key, but when he returned to the station at 9pm, he realised he had not lost it and was surprised to find it still there.

“This is Beijing. This is safety. I am so blessed,” he said.

The post attracted 33,000 likes and 4,500 comments. Some agreed with him, others said it was pure luck.

“I often forget the key on my bike. It is never stolen,” one person wrote.

“Try leaving some small items in your basket, like a cardboard box or a water bottle,” another person said, suggesting they would attract the attention of scavengers.

“My son lost his electric bike two days ago. There are still thieves out there,” said another Beijing resident.

Beijing ranked 46 out of 311 countries and cities, and third in China after Hong Kong and Shenzhen, on global internet database Numbeo’s 2024 Midyear Safety Index.

Shyshov moved to Beijing in 2008 after receiving a scholarship to study. He became an actor and television host and married a Chinese woman.

In April, he proudly showed his new permanent ID card, widely known as the “five-star card”, which is said to be one of the world’s most difficult residency permits to obtain.

Only foreigners who have made special contributions to China, have invested more than US$500,000 in the country, or who have been married to a Chinese citizen for more than five years qualify.

“China finally welcomed me. I need to pay back China,” Shyshov said in his Douyin video, which attracted 750,000 likes.

Some foreigners in China have deliberately left valuables such as a wallet or laptop in a public place to prove the country is safe and honest.

Chinese people did not fail them, and their videos all went viral.

Not all reactions were celebratory though.

One person warned: “There are good and bad people everywhere. Do not risk your fortune.”