Chinese working on their manners
TEXT OF STORY
SCOTT JAGOW: China’s middle class is growing, so more Chinese can afford to travel overseas for vacation. But in some places, they aren’t being welcomed because of their behavior. The Chinese government is giving its people some tips on how to be a tourist. Jocelyn Ford explains.
JOCELYN FORD: Don’t spit, don’t litter, don’t yell into your cell phone and for gosh sakes, wash your hands before eating.
That’s the advice to Chinese tourists from the Communist Party’s Spiritual Civilization Steering Committee. In other words, China’s official Miss Manners.
The committee says the bad behavior is hurting China’s reputation as a civilized nation, so, it’s launched an etiquette campaign.
Tourists aren’t allowed to slack off at home either. Beijing is preparing to host the Olympics two years from now and the city is fining people for bad manners.
Zhang Huiguang heads Beijing’s office for ethics development.
ZHANG HUIGUANG [TRANSLATOR]:“We will require the law enforcement team to step up the frequency of fines so that fewer people will spit in the streets.”
China is worried about the impression it will leave on the quarter of a million foreigners expected to attend the Olympics.
In Beijing, I’m Jocelyn Ford for Marketplace.
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