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    THE U.S. State Department issued an alert for all Americans traveling abroad Monday, with some Americans in Shenzhen describing recent terrorist attacks as terrible but saying they wouldn’t be changing their travel plans.

    James Sung, 33, from East Brunswick, New Jersey, is a tech entrepreneur who has lived in Shenzhen for the past seven years when he isn’t traveling abroad.

    “I’ve been living international for the past 10 years and this is the first time I’ve heard of something like this so it makes me think about what’s going on in the world.”

    The State Department often issues individual country travel alerts, but this notice was a rare “worldwide travel alert” that comes in the wake of a series of attacks.

    Sung said he has been to over 40 countries and wouldn’t be changing his upcoming plans to travel to India and the United States.

    “Traveling for the past 10 years I try my best not to announce that I’m an American when I go to foreign countries,” said Sung, adding that terrorism is a small reason he doesn’t make his nationality well known.

    “But I haven’t found that to be too much a concern for me until recently.”

    Chris Thomas, 29, has lived in Shenzhen for six years, where he is a partner at an English training center called Lingoist.

    Thomas said he first read about the travel alert on website Reddit, but he isn’t worried.

    “It’s not anything with too much substance,” said Thomas, who is from Pennsylvania, the United States. “I think it’s a reaction to the political climate in the wake of the terrorist attacks. I don’t think it is anymore dangerous now than it was before.”

    Thomas said he won’t change his plans to travel abroad during the Chinese Spring Festival.

    The travel alert, which is to be in effect until Feb. 24, said current information suggests that militants with the Islamic State, al-Qaida, Boko Haram and other terrorist groups continue to plan attacks in multiple regions. U.S. authorities said the likelihood of terror attacks will continue as members of IS return from Syria and Iraq, and other individuals not affiliated with terror groups engage in violence on their own.

    In the past year, there have been multiple attacks in France, Nigeria, Denmark, Lebanon, Turkey and Mali. IS has claimed responsibility for the Oct. 31 bombing of a Russian airliner in Egypt, killing 224 people.

    “U.S. citizens should exercise vigilance when in public places or using transportation,” the alert said. “Be aware of immediate surroundings and avoid large crowds or crowded places. Exercise particular caution during the holiday season and at holiday festivals or events.”

    The travel alert was issued the same day that Belgium’s prime minister announced that Brussels would remain at the highest alert level for at least another week. The increased security measures following the Nov. 13 attacks in Paris that killed 130 people have virtually shut down the Belgian capital.

    (Additional reporting from AP)