Posted on 03/21/2008 7:19:04 PM PDT by traumer
Americans traveling to China for the Olympic Games in August can expect their hotel rooms there to be monitored, the State Department warned on its website.
"All visitors should be aware that they have no reasonable expectation of privacy in public or private locations," according to the State Department site.
"All hotel rooms and offices are considered to be subject to on-site or remote technical monitoring at all times. Hotel rooms, residences and offices may be accessed at any time without the occupant's consent or knowledge," it said.
It added that many hotels and apartment buildings may be poorly built, lack emergency exits, fire extinguishers, carbon monoxide monitors and basic security like locks, alarms, and personnel.
It also said that the threat of terrorism appeared to be minimal, but urged caution nonetheless.
"The threat level for terrorism against Americans in China remains low. However, any large-scale public event like the upcoming Olympic Games could become the focus of terrorist acts or other forms of violence," it said.
"There is no reason to believe that US citizens are being targeted at this time," it said.
It also said crime rates were relatively low, with major metropolitan areas safer than similar sized cities in other developing countries.
But "while the overall crime threat is low, the number of criminal incidents, including those directed against Americans, continues to rise," it added.
The Olympic Summer Games will take place from August 8-24, followed by the Beijing Paralympic Summer Games 2008 from September 6-17.
Lol.
No, I'd suppose they probably wait for the Americans to start showing up just before the Games actually begin.
Resource Link:
http://www.travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1762.html
Olympics 2008 Fact Sheet (China)
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Bureau of Consular Affairs
Lol. Supposedly, they’ve gone around and fixed the signs. I’m sure we’ll find out how thorough they were. Lol
The good news is they can always find peace and solitude with the Tibetan Monks!
I’ll bet the US does not attend the Olympics.
As if that does not go on in the U.S.
I sure hope not. The mere fact of constant surveillance by the PLA should be enough reason for everybody to stay home.
And have we not already read of some athletes declining to go because of the health hazard?
Travel books do warn however, that the issue of privacy in a hotel pretty much only applies to the bathroom, as employees can and will enter the room at any time. And the books are right.
Aint it the truth
For the best assurance of privacy simply do not go to China.
Kinky.
One has to wonder how they make all those babies without any privacy.
LOL
That’s okay, there’s plenty of places in Europe and elsewhere I’ve yet to see where I need not worry about having my Bible confiscated from me when I pass customs.
No wonder their 1-child policy succeed!
Gee... I hope its not the same athletes...
The worst problem we experience was the concept of service. There wasn’t any. We did three-star hotels in Shanghai and Beijing. If we had a problem or questions the personnel seemed as if we were annoying them. We had to seek information outside the hotel.
Too many athletes have worked too hard to get to the Olympics … they will go. We had a chance to learn a critical lesson the last time we boycotted the Olympics (1980 (?)). (Didn’t accomplish anything.)
Most athletes only get one shot and I doubt that any would want to bypass a chance at world fame and to achieve their lifelong (hard earned) goals. Boycott, in my opinion, is not going to happen. ;-)
LOL
The concept of privacy has a different meaning in different places. In a densly populated country like China, there is privacy in the anonymity of crowds. Chinese are rather famous for not expressing their emotions, because to hide one's emotions is an act of privacy to them. They are astonished sometimes at how expressive Americans are, to them our openness violates their privacy.
Looking forward for the MARATHON....
You mean I've been doing it all wrong all my life?
Caution! Sidewalk has a stupid signpost right in the middle of it, just when it turns from concrete to grass.
That’s a racist sign. The green person is sitting down correctly.
One covert missionary couple . . . teaching at a univ . . .
at night . . . in bed . . . the wife whispered lovingly to hubby that she was pregnant.
The next morning, the wife of the security official for the univ congratulated her on passing her on the sidewalk on campus. No one else had been told.
ROFL!
I assume you are aware that this is no small problem.
Asian toilets are violin shaped porcelain bowls in the floor that one straddles and squats over.
Many folks . . . not thrilled and gahgah over all things western . . . think . . . that . . . uhhhhh
business is conducted more . . . uhhhh
flowingly and more anatomically functionally that way.
Without proper instruction or merely because they prefer squatting, the left position is one many take . . . with dreadful consequences for the next user, quite often.
They are loathe to clean up after themselves . . . that’s . . . beneath them in more ways than one.
ok.
Sorry. I may be tired or thick headed tonight. But I’m missing your humor and would prefer to get it/understand. LOL.
I often don’t ‘get it’ with humor, sadly.
i LOVE such signs.
I fear as things are refined that they will be less and less common.
One in Taipei in 1970 read:
HAPPY VD
CLINIC
—within say 5 blocks of the military base.
I guess the thought was that one would be happy to have finally made it to the clinic??
Much thanks.
I save every one I come across.
Sometimes, sadly, it’s because Chinese English dictionaries are rarely or used to be rarely, if ever, proof-read by a native English speaker working with a good bi-lingual Chinese editor.
Some of the dictionary definitions are as hilarious as the signs.
MUCH APPRECIATED, THANKS.
I should have been more interested when I lived there! LOL.
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