Why Travelling to China May Not be Such a Good Idea

An elderly friend of mine, Uncle Wu, recently retired after having worked several decades. He was very happy to receive a large pension payment and started planning his retirement life. Uncle Wu read many reports about China’s economic prosperity in the Chinese media, so he was beguiled into going to China and using his retirement fund to invest in a business enterprise there. Although Uncle Wu is Chinese, he knew very little about Mainland China and could not make up his mind. Before he took a risk, he decided to pay me a visit and ask for my advice.

After Uncle Wu told me what he had come to me for, I told him sincerely, “Uncle Wu, I appreciate your trust in me. Obviously it is entirely your decision what you wish to do with your retirement fund, but I feel obliged to advise you against making any business investment in China because I am deeply concerned for your life and safety. The reasons are three-fold. First, there is appalling persecution against people’s freedom of spiritual beliefs in Mainland China right now. The evil Chinese Communist Party (CCP) have incarcerated millions of kindhearted Falun Gong practitioners in China’s prisons and forced labour camps. These practitioners have been subjected to the most insufferable forms of torture on a daily basis. If you should make a business investment in China, you are in a way financially supporting the evil CCP regime. It would be a horrible act to assist the tyrannical regime in its crimes!”

Uncle Wu’s eyes widened and he mumbled, “I didn’t realise it was such a severe issue!” I added, “Secondly, China is still a totalitarian country. It is ruled by people, not by law. Sometimes legal agreements or contracts are as good as trash. Besides, you are not familiar with the hidden rules in its business world. These are two primary reasons why many businessmen have lost all of their investments in China. Even the federal government of country X has lost all of its investment in the Suzhou Industrial Park in China. How do you think your power and wisdom measure up against country X? Thirdly, China is now besieged by many types of epidemics that do not have any effective cure, such as bird flu, SARS and pig flu epidemics. Although it is important to make money, it is even more important to protect your life!”

Uncle Wu repeatedly nodded in agreement. He said, “I didn’t take any of these issues into consideration. What you said makes a lot of sense. I’d better be cautious.” After a moment of silence, uncle Wu said, “But as a Chinese, I start to drool each time I think of the delectable Chinese cuisine. I really want to have a taste of genuine Chinese Maotai Wine, Daokou roasted Chicken and pig intestine stew. Do you think it will be safe for me to just take one trip to satisfy my food craving?”

I immediately replied, “I sincerely advise you not to travel to China at all. There are now many types of fake Maotai Wine in China that are mixed with industrial alcohol. It would compromise your health should you drink fake Maotai Wine. Daokou roasted chicken may be a famous Chinese dish, but many restaurants in China made them from sick or dead chickens infected from the epidemic. Can you tell the difference? Pig intense stew is very delectable, but the pig flu epidemic is now prevalent in many areas of Sichuan. Aren’t you afraid of contracting the pig epidemic?”

Uncle became speechless with widened eyes. Finally he told me, “I see. I will not travel to China.”

Finally Uncle Wu asked me, “I have many friends and relatives in China. Now I am beginning to worry about their safety. Do you think if there is anything I can do for them?” I replied, “The Chinese Communist Party is the source of all of the evil. In order to secure one’s life and attain peace of mind, one must stay away from the evil Chinese Communist Party. If you call your friends and relatives in China and persuade them to quit from the Chinese Communist Party, you will be blessed with infinite grace and virtue!” Uncle Wu replied happily, “Your words of wisdom are worth tens years of study. Thank you so much for your kind advice!”