Chinese Olympics: A Bit on the Control Freak Side?

"China goes for gold in Olympic etiquette"
Globe and Mail (August 1, 2008)

"BEIJING -- Don't wear white socks with black leather shoes. Shake hands for only three seconds. Maintain eye contact for 30 to 60 per cent of the conversation. Don't wear more than three colours in your clothing. And above all, please stop spitting.

"China's long march to better etiquette has been under way for years, promoted zealously by millions of campaign volunteers and official booklets - including the rules listed above. But yesterday the government declared victory, announcing that China's personal manners have improved enough to reach Olympic standards.

" 'We have noted a big improvement in people's public manners over the past few years,' Zheng Mojie, deputy director for Beijing's Spiritual Civilization Construction Commission, said at a news conference...."

When I heard of this, in a sort of sound bite, it sounded crazy.

Maybe the Chinese government is going a bit control-happy, but it's understandable. The Olympics is a huge opportunity for China to make an impression on the rest of the world: good or bad.

Wouldn't you be a bit nervous?