Having got my new China Unicom WCDMA 3G number, I was somewhat confused that (a) data service worked through my China Mobile settings (b) it didn’t work using the settings Unicom customer service provided, and (c) I found yet another set of settings that can be used.
Whilst I still don’t know why the above is true, I found the following:
1) Use China Mobile settings (APN: CMNET) for GPRS / 3G Data with no proxy works fine. MMS should be received using WAP profile (APN: CMWAP , MMSC: http://mmsc.monternet.com , Gateway or Proxy: 10.0.0.172. Port 80 for HTTP, port 9201 for WAP)
I don’t know if this is just compatibility, or a problem with China Mobile’s network.
2) The settings Unicom customer service now provide will only work through a proxy.
GPRS APN: 3gwap
WAP APN: 3gnet
- for both must set proxy through 10.0.0.172 . These settings provide support for web (HTTP) traffic only.
3) Older data suggests to use:
GPRS APN: uninet
WAP APN: uniwap
MMSC: mmsc.myuni.com.cn
- I use this and it works. No proxy needed for GPRS ; but use 10.0.0.172 (as above) for MMS. Works across all protocols (MSN, FTP etc…) unlike 3G settings.
Therefore if you have a China Unicom 3G card and have been given the new settings, don’t bother. It’s just more complicated, and using 3gwap non-HTTP based services will not work.
Note: I’ve subsequently discovered this site claiming that for certain applications like Mobile Television you must use the 3G settings. I haven’t tested.
Those Hong Kong passport holders out there may be interested to know that as of July 1st 2009, a mutual visa free arrangement between Hong Kong and Russia will allow visa-free access between both regions for a period of 14 days.
Russia isn’t high on my list of places to visit, but this is certainly welcoming news. Being so close, it even sounds mildly tempting…
Edit – Noting that many people get here searching ‘visa free access China’ in Google, note the following:
1) Only passport holders from Singapore, Brunei, and Japan can visit China visa-free for up to 15 days. Visitors from Hong Kong, Macau, or Taiwan should use a separate document issued by mainland authorities for travel.
2) Visa-free access to Russia granted to the following countries as of 28/08/2009 : Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Kyrgyzstan, Cuba, Moldova, Tajikistan, Thailand, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, Israel, Macedonia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Venezuela, Argentina – and Hong Kong.
I’ve never heard of it, but BBC news reported on Shizuishan (石嘴山), apparently China’s most polluted city, now blacklisted by the government.
What struck me about this report is not so much the content but yet more attempts by the Chinese government to cover up foreign media reporting. The BBC crew were subsequently questioned by police and denounced by local communist officials for reporting this ’sensitive topic’ – albeit simply a matter of pollution, and that much of the top polluters in the city are still operating (despite supposedly being shut down). Yet again the Chinese government fail to see that despite censorship, the western media will get the news they want: only with interference it makes the Chinese look pathetic, and the censorship itself draws attention amongst foreign viewers. It’s simply counter productive on both counts: it does not allow the media to seek genuine change and improvement in China where issues count, and it does nothing to improve the image of China externally.
Again, the west will see the news regardless, only with the added pathetic-ness of the attempted censorship.
The widely reported wielding of umbrellas in Tiananmen square during the 20th anniversary of was equally amusing – if not plainly embarrassing.
When will they learn.
I am told I don’t write enough good things about China. That’s not entirely true: despite my criticisms I have a very positive outlook for this country! Nonetheless I will praise China Mobile for their efficient use of text messaging for customer services. Afterall SMS popularity is not new in China.
Through SMS you can change plan, redeem your bonus points for gifts, apply or cancel mobile value added services (e.g. mobile news, caller id etc…) – even find out where a friend is. This is by far more advanced than most other mobile systems I have used, or at least they have been doing this for years even if others are just beginning.
China is now the biggest mobile market in the world and growing. For many it’s their only connection to the Internet, or indeed the world. For some, it’s also a handy payment platform.
Now that the telecom industry has been shaken up, and 3G becomes more prevalent (although China Mobile will use its homegrown standard), the service offerings are set to grow.
If only they can re-record the English prompt announcements on the topup hotline!
As was announced throughout much of the international and local media yesterday, Wu Bangguo (吴邦国), chairman of the Standing Committee of the NPC, reiterated China’s position that it has no intention of becoming a multiparty democracy with separation of powers.
As quoted in the China Daily, Mr. Wu was reported to comment: “We will not have multi-party rule, or the separation of legislative, executive, or legal powers”. He called on deputies to maintain the “correct political orientation”. In other words: continue to do what they say. I suppose such an announcement is not entirely surprising: China has hardly made much progress in this regard anyways.
The SCMP takes a harsher view. It claims that “China will not have an independant judiciary. Elections will still have mostly government-approved candidates on the ballot”.
The statements are likely a renewed response to continued calls from the west for more political reform in China. To be fair, such a hard line answer should shut up critics who clung onto hope; and on the other hand western criticism (or even understanding) of China is often harsh and misrepresented. What surprises me about Wu’s comment was it’s brashness: to say now that China will never become something else politically would be as bold a statement as to attempt weather prediction for half a century later. Between now and then, anything can happen.
I do believe that China is opening up and will achieve it’s ultimate goal of a fair and just system with some semblance of a western style democracy. For that matter I think Wu Bangguo is wrong: China will some day have an independant judiciary and acceptable separation of powers. The question is when.
Meanwhile the west needs to understand that change will be gradual, that achievement takes time. People’s thoughts in China are not fully aligned and that’s not to say the west have it right. Afterall the China Daily does note that deputies to the NPC are broadly representative unlike western parliaments which can often also be one sided. China cannot be considered a dictatorship now by any definition of the word. Although the top job is not by mandate of the people, there is neither a personality cult nor absolute power to do whatever is wanted – no doubt to the disappointment of many in the West who still want to believe (and complain) that China is an evil empire run by a madman.
Although the merits of a Chinese vs. Western style democracy is certainly worthy of its own debate, I nonetheless still find Wu’s comments as somewhat drastic, if not childish.
Mannings has made a late foray into Beijing with the opening of four stores – here pictured is one in Beijing South Railway Station, the newly refurbished station that currently serves the high-speed express trains to Tianjin (天津).
Although a late entry to the China Market (Li Ka Shing-owned Watsons has been here for years), it is promising to see some healthy competition as well as yet another sign of Beijing’s growing importance as an international city.
They even sell Vitasoy and Vita Lemon Tea – some of the Hong Kong products I miss.
China |
Posted by Terence
Mar
01
2009
I was in Tianjin the other day, having to meet someone coming from Qingdao. I traveled there from Beijing, on the new CRH2C express trains, which arrives at Tianjin Station (天津站). I then ask someone –
me: Is this the only station in Tianjin?
other guy: Yes
me: So where do the trains from Qingdao arrive?
other guy: Oh, that would be Tianjin West Station (天津西站)
me: Ah. So where is this?
other guy: This station is in East Tianjin.
… and there you have it, a typical conversation in China. Asking for directions here is useless, asking for information equally futile. Sometimes you just learn not to bother, and figure things out for yourself.
Although my trip to Xinjiang (新疆) was a good few months ago, i’ve never found time to blog about it. Going through my pictures, one thing I am reminded of: a large number of boys playing with toy guns.
Sure we all did at some point, but nowhere before has it been so noticeable and prevalent to me. Should I be worried? In this day and age where talk is about muslim extremism and terrorism, it’s somewhat disconcerting to see so many boys running around with plastic pistols. That was particularly noticeable in Kashgar (喀什), where easily half of the kids I encountered were playing with toy guns, probably purchased and paid for by their parents.
If these are the values being instilled upon these young lads, it’s no surprise if one or two of them eventually move on to practicing real violence. Of course, giving a toy gun doesn’t imply they will; for that matter owning a real gun doesn’t mean you’ll use it. But as something I noticed quite obviously within minutes of walking around town – it does make you wonder.
