Since my last post I had returned to Hong Kong and now, as of yesterday, I am back in Beijing again. Took a leisurely 24 hour train journey up direct from Hong Kong – this time opting for moderate luxury (a soft sleeper) rather than the cattle class previously experienced. The ride was fine – though I would say the bitter melon in the dining car was a bit too bitter!
Things will be hectic here for another week at least – we’re currently living in the office, not having yet found a flat, and our office furniture consists of one table and three foldable chairs. Don’t get too jealous folks! Oh, and it also has an inflatable mattress. The to-do list for the next few days is very long, and we don’t even have proper Internet: what we have is leaking out of a nearby building… with a very weak signal. Already, i’m missing my daily dose of BBC News – it’s almost always banned here in all forms (website, BBC World, Worldservice). I find this very odd since CNN is not officially blocked, though it should be – on account of being complete and utter crud.
One wonders how much longer the Chinese authorities will be able to keep a grip on the flow of information in this country. Already, more and more Chinese are traveling abroad – or even to Hong Kong, where the press is supposedly free (although self-censorship is noticeable on occasions). The Internet is growing at a phenomenal rate – number of users in China already surpasses that in the US… yet that still amounts to less than 10% of the population! Although the ‘great China firewall’ is the most advanced in the world – there are still ways to bypass it, and in most cases it’s possible to smuggle banned books into the Mainland without being caught at the border. Sooner or later, the population would expect more – and the government will have to give.
I do give the Mainland authorities much credit though for their policies regarding ‘development’ – unlike countless examples to the contrary, mass migration and unrest has been avoided through careful planning and gradual implementation of reforms. Although the pace of social reforms is questionable (economic reforms on the other hand have proved extremely fruitful for many), I am in no doubt that ‘freedom’ is an ultimate goal. The only question is when – and how. One thing is certain though : I would probably still not dare protest against the 1989 pro-democracy ‘incident’ in Tiannanmen Square at the moment.
But then again, these days, who cares? Everyone is too busy making money!