TNAG-2293-FCO40-3305-Official-visits-from-Hong-Kong-to-China-1991 — Page 155

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7.

Beijing as

whole is free of litters in the

streets, but people are seen spitting.

Banners are seen

large emporiums, educating

everywhere in streets and in

people on the need to be 'civilized' (to queue for bus and

service, to be courteous and say 'please' and 'thank you'

Banners advocating the need for family planning

etc.).

births (計劃生育

('planned births' (†

evidently the

promoted.

one-child

) are most prominent and

policy is vigorously upheld and

8.

While in capitalist countries, rich people have an

advantage in gaining access to better services because of

affordability, in Beijing, the key to better homes for the

aged or better hospitals seems to be a status commensurate

with "contribution to the state". Both the Beijing Number

One Social Welfare Institution and the Beijing Hospital

(both being best of their its kind in Beijing or in the

whole of China) are operating

(the Beijing Hospital has an

I suppose places

well below their capacity

excuse of still undergoing

expansion).

are only reserved for the

'deserving. Miss Chen Bing-ling, our minder, was keen

during the visit to the Beijing Hospital to enquire about

the occupation of a patient, and told the Hong Kong

delegation emphatically that he was a bus-driver.