I suspect that they are now vigorously enforcing real name registration, and some shop staff just cannot comprehend how to input foreign passport holder's information.
I think that the stepping back comes naturally.
New media, and all the technology it relies on, didn't exist when the earliest control mechanisms were put in place decades ago.
New controls get implemented as new things to control appear.
In that perspective, I wouldn't say that it has gone worse in relative terms.
Just the absolute number of things that the party considers challenge to their authority has increased.
Of course it is unfortunate to have such controls at all.
I don't think that Kim will launch nukes on China, or even South Korea, knowing that the aftermath from their own bombs may carry back home.
Similarly I don't believe that USA and their allies will retaliate to DPRK's nuke strike (against Japan, Guam, or even continental USA) with nukes of their own. Collateral damage, and not just to civilians in DPRK, but to neighbouring countries, would be too big.
Besides, nuclear retaliation would eat away the political "we told you so" victory that DPRK's launch would have just provided.
I believe that "the west" will do just fine with traditional weapons.
So I may very well not go anywhere further than perhaps occassionally that new new shelter on BaiYun Lu if it gets finished by then. It'll be just a few blocks away.
Howevever, if it comes to it that population in China (foreigners included) start fleeing the country on sudden notice, I think the situation will be such that any nearby (or even semi so) country isn't much safer. Airports will be a chaos, trains too if even operational.
The question then may be how to get anywhere, rather than where you want to go.
Here's one laughable example case from August this year from Weibo stream of CGTN (previously CCTV News)
2017-08-11 19:30
China's top social media sits including Baidu, Tencent, Weibo, are under an investigating over failing to comply with strict laws which is required to ban violent, obscene or deemed offensive content to the Communist Party[...]wiping out a combined 1.3 billion US dollars worth of stock between Weibo and parent firm Sina Corp.
2017-08-11 22:21
correction: China's top social media sites, including Baidu, Tencent and Weibo, are under government investigation for failing to comply with laws which ban violent and obscene content.
That mess up showcases both the reasons for requiring real name registrations, and the entity the users utimately are supposed to be responsible to. It's not the Chinese public and not the Chinese state, but the party.
My concern about this kind of monitoring is not about state spying on me, but not trusting that they have professional and responsible people doing it. Who knows what kid they have doing the spying, or that the data does not end up somewhere else.
Weibo is too big in China to end to this, especially since obviously any other app trying to take its market share will face the same restrictions.
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China and Thailand's visa-free deal further reshapes Asia travel
Posted byRelated for visitors from USA:
"Tourist visa applicants within the United States will no longer be required to submit round-trip air ticket booking record, proof of hotel reservation, itinerary or invitation letter."
us.china-embassy.gov.cn/[...]
Kunming one of best cities to live in China
Posted byCoVid experiences possibly affecting this could could of course come from many perspectives.
For example, those who are or have been in urban lock-down, may appreciate the prospect of going out once it is over - opportunities which are perhaps different in Kunming/Yunnan, than somewhere else.
If the survey took place during or after lock-downs in China, people will acknowledge this and it would show in results more strongly than perhaps otherwise. Appreciating what the city or region can offer beside 12h work days and big bucks.
Kunming one of best cities to live in China
Posted by"Survey of Economic Life in China"
If this "economic" is to be taken as in affordability, then at least for me it is a major point.
If I speculate this from local perspective, last I checked the local average salary was below the monthly automatic 5000 RMB tax deduction, so average Kunming resident gets by without paying any income tax - in many other country I would probably feel satisfied if I see the city and society develop even without having to contribute to it myself by other means than my own consumption.
There isn't that much industry here, but the benefits of developing society keep trickling in anyway, and this curve (or imbalance or whatever you'd call it) will ultimately show in this kind of surveys, positively.
It is perhaps same in some more remote places, where some farmers can make a small fortune with modern technology to help them.
Also curious about when this survey was conducted - would CoVid experiences weigh in it, and how?
New strict dog regulations in 36 Kunming areas
Posted by"Dogs raised outside the key management areas may not be brought in."
Curious how this regulation deals with people (foreigners or Chinese) who may want to move in Kunming and bring their pet dogs with...?
Announcing the new website Destination Lijiang
Posted byI'm curious whether the separate website for Lijiang means less Lijiang-specific content appearing on GoKunming. For me personally it would be double to effort to navigate two websites, which may be why I will not frequent on the Lijiang site.
So basically will the information on the two sites be mirrored so that those who only read GoKunming, may catch all/most of the content about Lijiang as well?