“Shanghai is an Unhealthy Place for you”…then and now it seems

Well it seems the Communist Party is having one of its occasional anti-foreigner fits – they invariably comes at times of stress and uncertainty for the Party and are the easiest, most knee jerk position for it to fall back on. I don’t know what percentage of the Chinese population fall for it and look at the right hand while they should be watching the left in a classic political sleight of hand but enough probably. The foreign press will enjoy reporting it too – CNN here in sombre mood for instance. Readers of this blog don’t need a chapter and verse history of how often over the centuries ruling elites in China have pulled this trick with differing degrees of success. Of course it occasionally backfires and the Chinese wonder if it’s possible that a bunch of economic refugee twenty-somethings from the European and America’s recessions can really be responsible for all China’s woes??? Question is – what’s this goon handing out to tourists? Tourists who may well now go away with more a jaded opinion on China than actual jade! “Thanks for Coming, and by the way nobody likes you”

Well I have a theory as to what is on those cards. China Rhyming has studied history!! Warnings in China come solemnly whether it’s some Little Napoleon from the Exit-Entry Administration Department (above) or unknown thugs sending Charlie Chan notes warning him to stay away (below). Ohhh, how history does indeed rhyme….I found myself watching the excellent 1935 film Charlie Chan in Shanghai (you can watch it on Youtube here) where, as his steamer approaches Shanghai Charlie is presented with the following note – ‘nough said, as we say in Norff London (where I am safely hiding from the Exit-Entry Administration Department – they’ll never take me alive!)