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China’s manners blitz.
Written By: Due-East on January 23, 2007
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| About 45,000 Shanghai cabs are about to be fitted with ‘spit sacks’. Why, you ask? Because hawking lugeys is a really popular activity in China’s public places. And with Shanghai’s being pretty much China’s most advanced city (on the mainland, anyway), the authorities decided it would be a good idea if people could clean up their manners. This is especially important since Shanghai is supposed to host the 2010 World Expo; a lot of people think China is still a backwards country, so it has a lot riding on the world’s perception of it when the 2010 World Expo roll around. I showed someone pictures of Shanghai’s skyline recently, and she remarked that she didn’t realize China had cities like that. Ouch. How important is this perception to the Chinese government? This important: there actually exists a Shanghai Patriotic Sanitation Committee. Wow. |
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| Even more pressing is the need to clean up the manners of Beijingers ahead of the 2008 Summer Olympics. Beijing Olympics organizers have pointed out to the Chinese government multiple times that they need to teach their citizens: to stand in line instead of bum-rushing whatever point it is that has what they want, to stop spitting all over the place, to stop littering, and to “generally be better mannered.” Maybe they should work on teaching people not to vigorously pick their noses at dinner tables and on public transportation as well. That may help a bit, too. |
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| Ok, in defense of the Chinese, awareness is a big step. Once you’re aware of your problems as a society, you can make the needed changes. And with the historic adaptability of the Chinese, I’m sure they’ll do just fine. |
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