According to The Guardian, 28 July, 2005, despite bomb threats, doubtful food and pouring rain, the first coach load of ordinary Chinese tourists allowed into Britain were impressed.
The report said that in an interview, a Chinese journalist in the group, Ma Tianguo, opened with this ‘potentially tricky’ question:
"So, how is your country so democratic if you have a monarchy?"
"Well, Ma," The Guardian journalist replied:
"We have what is called a constitutional monarchy. You see the Queen doesn’t really have any power."
Later in the interview the Chinese journalist pointed to similarities between Britain and China that he thought would help to warm relations between the two countries.
"Our press is pretty free," he said. "We are like you.”
“We don’t write bad articles about the president like you don’t like bad articles about the Queen."
I wonder which newspapers the Chinese journalist had been reading?
Until next time,
David Flint