Gawkers stand by and do nothing to help after an accident. Photo: CFP

In the small industrial city of Dongguan, Guangdong Province, a Brazilian man tried to intervene in the robbery of a young woman in the middle of a busy downtown shopping area on May 4, the Southern Metropolis Daily reported.

The man, who later gave his name as Mozer, tried to stop a thief from stealing the young woman's purse. In return he was beaten and hospitalized by three of the thief's accomplices, one of whom was wielding a stick.

None of the passersby on the street gave a second glance, including two nearby security personnel. The woman, whose belongings he had saved, did not even notice she was being robbed until informed by others later on.

This case has triggered yet another nationwide discussion about the nature of morality in China. What do people think of Mozer's actions? Are we living in a morally bankrupt society? And would the same thing happen in Beijing? Metro Beijing posed the big moral question to Chinese and foreign residents of the capital to find out.

David Friesen, writer, UK

I commend Mozer's bravery and moral convictions. As a foreigner I don't know if I could get involved, simply because I have no idea whether I would be blamed or whether I would have the law on my side.

It is sad because you want to help. It is not just a Chinese thing, people in groups often fail to act and shift responsibility to others around them. I think this was a truly tragic case, but it is sadly brought on by a lack of rule of law, whereby you can help someone and end up paying for it. This is not right and only discourages people to help; particularly people who are poor, and any money they need to pay will ruin their lives.

I admire Mozer and any man who would try to act in a similar situation. Even though he says that the incident taught him not to get involved next time, he is likely to do the same, that's just his nature. I hope I have the courage to act like that in a similar situation.

Peter Krasnopolsky, lecturer, US

Chinese people often justify their indifference with the fear of getting ripped off at the end.

They often cite an incident which was in the news years ago, where a student tried to help an old woman who fell in the middle of the street. The student later had money demanded of him (it is now known as the Peng Yu case, named after the young man).

The law does not protect the "helper" in such instances. In the US it's somewhat different. We have a so-called "good Samaritan" law: anybody who accidentally causes additional physical damage while trying to help an injured person cannot be held liable for these injuries. Yet, the matter is not one of legal protection, but rather in cultural and social upbringing.

While Americans are often reserved and accustomed to looking after our own interests, we don't shy away from helping a stranger. I once witnessed a car, driven by a drunk driver, crash and flip in one of the worst neighborhoods of my city, but everyone around tried to help him out.

Lin Chaoyun, IT worker, China

I felt great shame when I heard about this incident, not only over my compatriots' choice to remain silent, but also for the local government. I saw in the newspaper that when Mozer was attacked by the thieves, one witness sought help from members of the local security department, who were standing just 30 meters away. The staff refused to lift a finger, claiming that it was not their area of responsibility.

I've read that these particular criminals have been around for years and have never been stopped. This somehow made the story easier to understand. Maintaining public security is the responsibility of the government. And it's the local government that should be blamed, rather than civilians who lack a conscience.

David Drakeford, editor, UK

First of all, it's important to not always draw universal significance from news events. There was a recent story of a girl in Xi'an falling through a pavement and a taxi driver immediately stopped to help.

Having said that, I do believe this kind of incident could happen in Beijing. Generally speaking, Chinese people operate in small social circles, working together with their family and their guanxi, so are unlikely to help a complete stranger.

It's a problem faced in most big cities around the world - a city simply has too many people for everyone to regard themselves as part of a community. It's a difficult social problem to solve. I think that Chinese society should try to reward the actions of good Samaritans and certainly stop punishing those who help strangers, as happened in the terrible Peng Yu incident, where logic directed people to believe that only a guilty person would have tried to help.

Wan Fanyu, student, China

I wish Mozer a quick recovery, and I hope it hasn't tarnished his experience of China. Although some Chinese people do show indifference to the evil in the world around them, with a population of 1.3 billion it is no longer news that such incidents happen. The truth is, there are still large numbers of Chinese people serving their consciences and building up moral values.

Last month I witnessed a thief attempting to escape on a stolen motorcycle, one brave driver stopped his van in front of the thief and many people of all ages chased after him. I don't know whether the thief was caught, but it shows that many Chinese can act if "justice calls."

Liu Peng, consultant, China

I feel sorry for Mozer's suffering. Though similar stories have been reported many times, it is still appalling to know that none of the Chinese witnesses offered help. It also helps us to understand why philanthropic acts by foreigners have seen such praise in recent years. Chinese people are in need of morality and sympathy within their society.

We were once taught to learn from Lei Feng (a traditional folk icon), and his spirit of offering help to those in need should be given merit, it seems to have vanished from today's China.

But still, modern society does make many people indifferent, as people are all busy doing their own things, which makes "avoiding extra trouble" an easy excuse.