Is it just familiarity, or is Beijing getting easier and easier to travel to as a westerner? I flew up on Sunday and was lucky to get a new fit out SQ flight – you know the ones with lounge suites and flat panels in first class? Well we certainly don’t travel first class, but fortunately the economy class seats are reasonably comfortable and the entertainment system is very good (no room to work and not much inclination to either, so it is down to snoozing and watching movies). On arrival, we had to wait while quarantine officials came on the plane and individually scanned everyone’s temperatures. They did this with a little device they put next to your forehead. Fortunately no-one had a temperature, because I think they quarantine the entire plane if someone does. Then we had to go through another temperature control before going through immigration. Since I have an APEC card I got a fast path through immigration and was in a taxi in little time. I did take the precaution of getting the hotel name and address written in Chinese before getting in the taxi. Roads were smooth and clear and it took little time to get into the hotel, where the staff speak pretty good English.
I spent all yesterday in meetings in the hotel, then went for dinner last night in the hotel restaurant where they had a Louisiana chef presenting a special menu. It was OK but not brilliant.
Just as a reminder I am in China, here is the statue just outside our meeting room.
Starship Heart of Gold 