China's Olympics Guide: Do's And Don'ts For Foreigners

With China expecting an enormous influx of foreigners for the 2008 Olympics, they've helpfully issued an Olympics guide, which is filled with a wide range of do's and don'ts for incoming foreigners:

Do not bring any printed materials critical of China. Do not plan on holding any rallies or demonstrations in China. Do not think that you are guaranteed an entry visa even if you hold tickets to an Olympic event. And do not even think about smuggling opium into China...

...The advisory to foreigners, posted on the committee's Web site, but only in Chinese, provides answers for each question in a deadpan style (burning or soiling the Chinese flag or emblems is a criminal offense; food poisoning symptoms are to be reported to the local medical health department). Some of the rules, like a ban on religious or political banners or slogans at Olympic sites, appear aimed at preventing protests of China's crackdown in Tibet this spring and other Chinese policies...

...The advisory issued on Monday by the Beijing Organizing Committee includes a ban on bringing into China, "anything detrimental to China's politics, economy, culture or moral standards, including printed material, film negatives, photos, records, movies, tape recordings, videotapes, optical discs and other items." All rallies, demonstrations and marches, at athletic venues or anywhere else, are also banned during the Games unless approved in advance by public security agencies - a longstanding policy in China even when there are no Games or other big events being held.

China also issued a manual to thousands of volunteers who will help the Olympics run smoothly. However, the manual was apparently not thoroughly vetted, as the government has now apologized for some insensitive stereotypes when describing how to deal disabled people:

Beijing Olympic organizers have issued an apology for the language used to describe disabled athletes in a manual compiled for thousands of volunteers...

...A section dedicated to the disabled said that "paralympic athletes and disabled spectators are a special group. They have unique personalities and ways of thinking."

To handle the "Optically Disabled," the guide said: "Often the optically disabled are introverted. They have deep and implicit feelings and seldom show strong emotions. ... Remember, when you communicate with optically disabled people, try not to use the world `blind' when you meet for the first time."

On the "Physically Disabled," the guide said: "Physically disabled people are often mentally healthy. They show no differences in sensation, reaction, memorization and thinking mechanisms from other people, but they might have unusual personalities because of disfigurement and disability.

Read more HuffPost coverage of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games

Comments

[eleutheros]

Well at least they didn't have anything to say about Rachel Ray's scarf in that Dunkin Donuts' ad !

[drblack]

Supporting anything Chinese is helping the Enemies Of Freedom. A person would have to be insane to go to China for the Olympics.
I will be sure to mock anyone using products from the Olympic sponsors.
Anyone who supports Freedom will stop supporting the tyrannical Chinese government. Don't buy anything made in China,unless it is life or death.
Mao was an asshole of the highest order and Mao's wife was pure evil.
Republicans are trying to make the USA like China,we must take back our freedom or we will be under the rule of agovermnet as disgustingly vile as that of China.

[AtTheMoon]

Americans are the ones starting illegal wars and torturing people.
Americans have lost their right to be morally outraged.

[SiberianRat]

Here here! The American moral compass is shot, and the rest of the world sees that. In a recent survey done by the BBC which asked people around the world what they thought of other countries' influence in the world, we were in the bottom 5, with N. Korea, Pakistan, Israel, and Iran. That's right friends: The rest of the world has a very poor view of America right now. China ranked higher.

[hcbuck]

It is the current American government that starts illegal wars, not the PEOPLE of America. Contrary to popular belief, almost 80$ of the Americans do not agree with the policies of this government.

It's no more fair to classify Americans with that broad brush as it is to brush the Chinese people with the brush of what the Chinese government is doing.

[DrFelch]

Madam Mao, ( his third wife, I believe) was tried after he died. In her own defense, she said:
"I was Mao's attack dog. When he told me to bite, I bit!"

[Blurp]

Those Communists gotta go.

[Chavez08]

We Americans are as bad as the Chinese when it comes to acting as sheep and blindly obeying every order their government issues. The Framers of this country would probably shoot us all for Treason for our cowardice. We have no right to criticize the Chinese when we are as bad or worse.

At least the Chinese are open about their slavery status and they are OK with being slaves. We Americans pretend we don't want to be slaves but our actions tell a completely different story.

Americans don't have a leg to stand on criticizing tyranny in other countries.

[skahimself]

Don't lump me in with your bullshit.

I didn't vote for Bush.

Nor did a lot of other people.

I'm tired of these hyperbolic generalizations made by jackasses such as yourself. I know my rights. I exercise my rights as an American. I know what the Framers would have done and thought. I don't expect the world to get on their knees for us and I certainly don't bend over for the government.

[marko77]

To do list:

-When you wake up groggy in that hotel room, hope you still possess both kidneys.

-If your child doesn't come back to his seat at the games, check the closest child slave labor factory, and that he has both kidneys.

Anything else?

[reece2076]

You know there are Christian churches in china. They're referring to banners and other items used to protest tibet.

[mlaiuppa]

Wow. Apparently there are no disabled people in China. Otherwise, why would they feel a need to write a manual on how to interact with them.

[SevenSteps2Kevin]

No, thats just because with the one child policy, disabled kids somehow become "miscarried" or "stillborn"

[alted1663]

Don't stand in front of tanks.

[DrFelch]

The fascist olympics MUST be boycotted. It is another moral disaster for the USA that we are even sending athletes to that hell hole of oppression, China. Of course, our fearless leaders have already sold out the whole country to Mao's old cadres, who still run the show there, so, they are hardly in a position to stand up to them.
For the record. Mao is responsible for the deaths of 70 million of his own countrymen, starting with his "struggle" against generalissimo Chiang Kai Shek, through the sino-japanese war, and on through until the end of his life. But, the greatest slaughter came during the "great leap forward". The "Leap" was a euphemism for his superpower program, wherein he starved the entire country so he could use the sum total of the agricultural output of China as barter for weapons and technology. Over 10 million chinese died in the "leap" including members of Chou En Lai's (china's "president" under "chairman" Mao) family.
In the "cultural revolution", it was Mao's aim to actually eliminate culture from the lives of the chinese people, in an effort to make their lives completely empty except for allegiance to the state.
It was Mao's aim to replace human nature with "party nature", and only the most evil of his cadres could comprehend and implement his policies as he liked. Even Deng Xioping was purged at least twice during Mao's reign.

[MagisterLudi]

Dude, this is the 21th century. Look at the calendar. Keep your sordid preoccupations to yourself.

Petty bourgeoisie liberals fear China because China is too left wing for their tender little egos.

Neocons hate Chinese for the same sin of being too socialist. Both show zero understanding of monumental achievements of Chinese nation.
THE most important achievement: feeding, clothing and educating billion and a half people. And doing a damn good job at it.
Compare that to the pathetic education and medical care of Americans the richest country in the world where school districts often have to fire teachers or can't buy books cause of declining budgets, and which are ran by nice little democratic politically correct gangs of douche-bags.

Or Compare Karachi, laughably pathetic "achievement" of the Muslim culture or the hopeless slums of New Delhi to Beijing..... 'nough said.

The eternal China yawns at neurotic little Lao Wai and marches on to beat of its own drummer and Guzheng player.

.... NEXT....

[AfzaalKhan]

Quote
"Or Compare Karachi, laughably pathetic "achievement" of the Muslim culture "

wow pathetic achievment of muslim culture, looks like you have some issues to deal with. What city developement has to do with any religion? btw last 20 yrs MQM has been ruling karachi and have bene part of govt at both provincial and federal level. MQM is a secular party. So pray tell what pathetic muslim culture.

Moderators i find this flaming and abusive.

[DrFelch]

I suppose the deaths of 70 million of your countrymen under Mao is just a historical footnote with no relevance then. I suppose if the hitler gang were still running germany, you would say: "The holocaust is ancient history! They make the trains run on time and have a great school system" China is not "left wing" or "communist", it is, in reality, a totalitarian fascist state where people have no rights or access to information. Now THAT is sordid. You are obviously a paid media observer and disinformation implementer for the chi-com govt.
I noticed you did not bother to try to refute any of my historically accurate statements about china, you just changed the subject to other issues. Well, everybody here can see through that. Your statement was pure propaganda, whereas mine was informative and truthful.
"eternal china" My ass. Your nation will suffer the greatest disaster in history when the three gorges dam breaks. Millions will die, and it will all be on the heads of your glorious leaders, who were warned that the design was flawed, the construction techniques inadequate, and the danger too great. Your government is corrupt and as rotten as they come. Your leaders care nothing for the people or the land of china. They just want to hold onto power "eternally"

[dortmunder]

Thank you for comment from fourth assistant sub-minister of propaganda bureau 17. For your information, China's leaders long ago abandoned any notion of being socialist. The driving political force in China today is nationalism. They are a fascist, imperialist regime. So, I guess it is accurate to say they are busy westernizing.

[TravisMay11]

Boycotting the TV broadcasts...

[LeonBNJ]

Some of the requirements and rules Iike against bringing in drugs, keeping out criminals many countries have and are generally acceptable. The problem is the broadly defined areas. I suspect that anyone with a criminal record or a Facebook or other web reference of being involved with protest or critical of the PRC or their polices will defenitely be kept out. It seems it would also keep out any religious texts, probably keep out any active Muslims or Christians, and so on, in total violation of the Olympic codes and of Universial human rights that have no borders.
I hope their Olympics is a total public relations disaster, with many small protests they can't stop.

[MagisterLudi]

Leon posted:...[China] probably keep out any active Muslims or Christians, and so on, in total violation of the Olympic codes and of Universial human rights that have no borders.

1.It would be a blessing to ANY country let alone Chinese if ALL active Christians and Muslims would be kept out... permanently and with prejudice.
I wish this were true in U.S.

2. Olympic Game were designed to be free of politics and dour fanatics.
Hence, Olympics were held In Soviet Moscow, Nazi Berlin and Cult-driven Salt Lake City.

Small advice: don't whine.

[SiberianRat]

What are "active" Muslims or Christians? If by "active" you mean zealots, they should be respectful of others (in China or anywhere else). I'm not saying I agree with China's form of government, but at the same time, it is what it is, and for religious activists to go in and make a fuss will actually hurt those who are there and perhaps trying to practice their faith quietly.

I agree with Magister on this one: The Olympic games are hosted by a country but are a truly international event. I'm appalled by many things in China--but that doesn't mean I'm anti-Chinese, it means I don't agree with the political policies. When people use "they" to refer to the Chinese government and it's people, it's like other countries using "they" to paint all Americans with a Bush brush.

[Amalek]

Chinese is a rather blunt language. It does not translate well into english when directly translated as in this article. This kind of speech does not seem so rude in China.

[SiberianRat]

That's completely true.

[JackNasty]

It sounds a lot like the regulations for the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.

[ClarkJensen]

Don't think I'll go this time.

[conscioushope]

Do as they do which is:

DO NOT think for yourself.

If you are told the sun is shining on a rainy day, then the sun is shining.

[MagisterLudi]

Gee,m I didn't know the Christian fundamentalist Obama is now issuing weather reports!.

[AfzaalKhan]

I thought he was Muslim, trained in Madrassah?

lol dude make up ur mind abt Obama, we get it you dun like him but atleast have guts to speak truth instead of lying.

[Mort]

Do... keep your mouth shut.
Don't... say anything.

[SiberianRat]

Clearly you've never been to China.

[DrFelch]

The areas of china where the" communists" got their start are now the most backward and totally destitute regions of the country.
Fact: During the "long March" Mao was carried on a litter by his starving and shoeless
fighters.
Fact: Mao's red army never engaged the japanese during the sino- japanese war, choosing instead to run behind the japanese as they left the areas they had pillaged, due to the fact the japanese could not garrison such large areas of china. This was the single largest factor in Mao's ability to control large areas of formerly nationalist territory. Mao was both a cowardly and disastrous military leader.
Fact: Even Stalin was shocked at mao's inhumanity to his own people. Mao offered to take the first nuclear strike in an evisioned ww3 scenario, reasoning that china could easily take the loss of even 100 million people, if it resulted in bringing down the western "democracies"