Beijing

This is my last week in the World Bank, after working at the institution for 20 years, the last five as country director for China and Mongolia.

A few weeks ago I had the unique opportunity to camp out on top of the Great Wall, which was a fitting exclamation mark at the end of my five years as the World Bank's China Country Director. It was a cloudy, drizzly day as we started, but then cleared up and turned into a lovely evening. The large group of kids we had with us slept in one of the guard towers along the wall, but I and a few others opted to sleep under the stars. The next morning opened with some mist, but then turned into a spectacular blue day. Some long-term Beijing residents hiking with us noted that they couldn’t recall ever seeing the countryside so green.

Beijing’s dry climate sets a limit on how green and blue it’s ever going to get, but the improvement over five years is noticeable and is one of the two most striking achievements of China in this period. In many cities, air pollution has declined as a result of policies that include banning the use of coal in inner cities, strengthening public transportation, discouraging car use (gasoline now costs 50% more than in the U.S.), moving heavy industry out of inner cities, and more stringent enforcement of environmental regulations.

Children perform during "Call for Green China" – a unique cultural tour to raise awareness about pressing environmental issues in China and possible solutions.

The old people in the park are saying that this was the best April in 20-plus years in terms of air quality here in Beijing. There has been permanent improvement based on some of the changes made for the Olympics: some factories relocated to less populous areas, restrictions on private car use, improved public transportation as an alternative.

Other factors are more long term – the sandstorms common when I lived here in 1986 are largely gone, owing to successful re-greening efforts west of here. There was a frenzied pace of construction as modern Beijing was being built, which has naturally slowed down – construction dust was a key part of air pollution here.

There is more room for improvement, but the progress was notable during a lovely April. One key issue going forward will be to continue to control private vehicle use.

The Water Cube (or the National Aquatic Center) is where swimming and diving events are held.

My colleagues David Dollar and Mara Warwick have already posted some impressions from the Olympics.  As Mara has noted, it is certainly exciting to be living in the host city.  Beijing residents seem to be doing everything possible to welcome the influx of visitors–both from other parts of China and from around the world. In addition to the thousands of official volunteers, I have seen old men and women on the street providing directions to visitors, and have observed Chinese giving up their seats on the subway to foreign visitors who were on the way to watch the games.

On the eve of the Olympics, there is a collective holding of breath amongst Beijing office colleagues.  Will everything go smoothly?  Will it rain tomorrow?  Who will light the flame?  How will the flame be lit (will the phoenix come home to roost in the bird’s nest or will the sleeping dragon finally awake)?

Having the Olympics come to town – OUR town – is pretty amazing.  The last few frenzied weeks have seen The Great Polishing of Beijing taking place.  The newspaper reported that there are a million flowers in Tiananmen Square – I wonder who counted them?  Everything that could be decorated has been – banners and flowers and bright, shiny billboards are everywhere.  The Capital Museum is staging the greatest exhibition of China’s cultural relics ever seen – many priceless relics normally stored in the vaults of China’s Forbidden City are on public display.  My colleague Chunxiang Zhang’s 16 year old niece was so enthralled by the exhibition that she stayed for 8 hours.  Even my seven year old is getting into the spirit, working on an Olympic diary that requires us to think up at least one Olympic related activity for her every day so that she has something to write about.  My four year old is still a bit unclear about what the Olympics really are, but is quite happy that the five cute mascots – Fuwa –  seem to have taken over our house.