This “fact sheet” from the U.S. Department of State has been covered by all of the major media, but I’m mentioning it because it touches on something that I’ve wondered about since the first time that I stayed in the “State Guest House” in Beijing.

“PRIVACY & SAFETY: All visitors should be aware that they have no reasonable expectation of privacy in public or private locations.  All hotel rooms and offices are considered to be subject to on-site or remote technical monitoring at all times.  Hotel rooms, residences and offices may be accessed at any time without the occupant’s consent or knowledge.  Many hotels and apartment buildings may be of substandard construction, lack emergency exits, fire suppression systems, carbon monoxide monitors and standard security equipment (locks, alarms, and personnel).”

I’ve always relied on the philosophy of, “Why would they care about me…?”, but it’s probably good to get a reminder that we’re not in Kansas anymore.

Speaking of “substandard construction”, the last time I was in Beijing, I stayed in a relatively new high-rise hotel.  The company that I was visiting had arranged for me to have a very nice suite.  The room had great views, plenty of space and was actually pretty comfortable.  Until it started to rain.  During the storms, and for several hours after they ended, water literally ran down the walls of the room in streams.  We mentioned the issue to the hotel office, and they just acknowledged that it was a known problem.

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