With Beijing 2008 just round the corner you can definitely feel the pressure – last minute touches to spawning skyscrapers, subway lines about to open, the torch relay, hype everywhere. Everyone here is talking about the olympics. But in the name of the olympics, are some things taken too far?
In addition to moving factories away from the city and closing the remaining ones down for the duration in order to combat pollution, and in addition to new subway lines due to open this month or next, the Beijing government will in June implement restrictions on cars entering the city by way of an even/odd number plate alternation arrangement. Cars from outside provinces will also be restricted – all in an effort to reduce traffic pollution.
There are tighter visa controls for foreigners causing many to panic or even leave China as their current permits expire, and even Chinese with hukou’s (户口) from outside Beijing are facing tighter control with spot checks increased on companies to ensure that everyone has proper documentation.
Our co-location facilities now allow special permit-holders only to access our own servers – yet as a Hong Kong’er I cannot get this permit (I thought Hong Kong was part of China?). During August we are expected to not be allowed any movement in/out of the facility. I still don’t understand the rationale behind this.
Many more bureaucratic changes have taken affect also.
I’ve heard so many “because of the Olympics” excuses that one can’t help to be tired of the games before they even begin. You see signs to the effect of “作好文明迎奥运 (be a good citizen welcome Olympics)” – then telling you, e.g., not to spit. But surely people shouldn’t spit anyways?
A lot of these changes are good for Beijing, but the problem is the way they are enacted. In typical Chinese fashion they are often an overnight affair: consultation and transparency of course minimal. To be fair, drivers had plenty of notice of impending changes but many foreigners were caught by surprise with almost overnight announcements of changes to Visa rules. Meanwhile the pollution hasn’t improved much either, and i’m beginning to wonder whether the games should be dubbed the ‘inconvenience olympics’ instead.
* Edit: It’s now confirmed that the even/odd system will begin on July 20th beginning with even numbering.
