Getting to know about modern China

Andy (the United Kingdom): I was born in London in the middle of the last century. In those days China could have been another planet, or even the dark side of the moon, since our knowledge of China was very scanty.

Forty years plus change later I was sent to China on a fact-finding mission for the company that then employed me. I have now visited more places than most Chinese. I have lived for a couple of years in the Northeast, lived for over a year in the Northwest and since 2002 here in Beijing.

A lot has changed since those days. For example today Beijing Capital Airport is a comfortable ultra-modern airport with many shops and kiosks. Unfortunately the prices have also increased. The nearly non-existent Duty-Free kiosk has been replaced with a modern Duty-Free shop. The prices may indeed be Duty Free, but in comparison to the shops in China the prices are Duty Plus.

All the information is from China Daily Forum.