I used my bank card one time in Beijing to get cash. The next day, my bank card was my card was locked.

The bank told me the card was locked because of rampant identity theft and fraud in China...at least that is their excuse... The truth is probably that most bank and credit cards ensure the user that they will not be liable for loss due to fraud; the bank is...so the banks are protecting themselves from losses.

If you alert your bank and credit card companies of your travel plans abroad, they will not/may not lock your creditcard or bankcard.

The locking of my bank card forced me to take a cash advance from my creditcard for the first time ever. You know you get klobbered with interest on cash advances!

If you notify the bank and creditcard companies you may be able to avoid this inconvenience.