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International News Title: Six Days in China Its 3:35 am on Saturday morning. I’m about to jump into the shower and head to the airport after spending six days in the People’s Republic of China. I spent three days in Shanghai and three days in Beijing. I wanted to share a few a thoughts while they are still fresh in my mind. Shanghai is a surprisingly nice city with a bustling, prosperous, and consumer- oriented population. With 17 million people, it’s the largest city in the world. But because it’s so spread out, it doesn’t feel as crowded as Hong Kong. The people seem happy and are very friendly. They also always seem to be in a hurry -- image millions of people on the roads driving like New York cabbies. Yikes! The roads are filled with late model American, German, and Japanese cars. Buicks seem to be especially popular. Most of the major roads also have wide bicycle paths – something that American cities, like Seattle, are just doing now. The city also has a large ex-pat community and a diversity cultural experiences. Shanghai also a beautiful city, with a lot of great architecture. The people in Shanghai have a penchant for French and Mediterranean style, with stucco walls and red barrel tiles roofs. Modern skyscrapers form the city’s skyline, which is breathtaking at night. I have a more limited view of Beijing, because my work relegated me to one part of the city, which was older and much more run down than Shanghai, with a lot of ugly, 1960s, communist-era buildings. The people were still friendly, but the city didn’t seem to have the spark that Shanghai has. China definitely does not feel like a police state. Walking the streets of Shanghai and Beijing is no different than walking the streets of NYC, London, or Tokyo. As is the case with most countries, the immigration and customs officials at the airport are far friendlier and much less invasive than their American counterparts. However, China is not a free country. The government heavily censors the media. The Great Firewall of China blocks thousands of Internet sites, including Facebook and Twitter – the only reliable way around this is connecting to a corporate VPN outside of the country. China’s citizens need government permission to move from one city to another. Foreign travelers who are not staying in a hotel need to register with the local police department. On and on. I had a great dinner on Thursday in Beijing. It was one of the best meals I’ve eaten in a long time. The conversation was even more interesting. Most of the Chinese people at the dinner had either lived in the U.S. in the past, or still live in U.S. but work in China. The conversation quickly turned political. I was a little stunned to learn that they love the U.S Constitution and think America’s Founding Fathers were absolute geniuses. I couldn’t help but wonder why these people get it, but American leftists (who view the Founding Father as nothing more than evil rich white guys) don’t. A lighter part of the conversation turned to the claims in Venezuela that the CIA caused the cancer that killed Hugo Chavez. At one point, one person said perhaps that’s the way to get rid of crazy Kim Jong-un in North Korea, before he destabilizes the entire region. Everyone laughed at that. With China’s growing prosperity, and increasing contact with the outside world, I wonder how much longer it can remain a one party state. I’ll probably be visiting China once a quarter from here on out. I’m looking forward to exploring more of the country and its wonderful people each time.
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