(Aug 9)

Yesterday the US diplomatic community in Beijing attended the opening of the new US embassy in Beijing. Apart from being held far too early in the morning (woke up at 6am), the event was very entertaining. There was a definite "All-American" flavor to the ceremony: A country band had flown in from West Texas for musical accompaniment, and the waiters serving the breakfast were decked out in Texas lonestar uniforms. It was a family affair for the Bushes, George HW and the President were both there. Following Ambassador Randt's speech the President made a pointed speech emphasizing China's need to give its people freedom of expression, mentioning that our world's most prosperous nations are those that allow their citizens to freely express their ideas...If I keep going with this discussion of politics though tomorrow my blog is likely to be no more.