BEIJING - With China’s opening up, more and more Westerners have come to work
and live in Beijing. Many cherish the chance to witness its dramatic
modernization, yet others have mixed feelings about a city which suffers from
rising traffic deaths, where the air is often thick with pollution, and where
they and their children are exposed to the nation's often questionable food
safety standards.
Dan Sandifer-Stech and his wife are one example, their five-year-old daughter
was run over by a car just six weeks after they arrived in 2006. Their little
girl spent eight days in a coma, leaving them unsure about their future in
China. They decided to stay on, and are on the whole enjoying life in the
cosmopolitan capital, but
the father of three is still angry with the chaotic traffic situation.
"We find most driving behavior rude, competitive and dangerous, drivers just
don't slow down for children," said Sandifer-Stech. "It's a constantly
frustrating reality - it’s a wonderful city but the traffic etiquette and
behavior interferes with that experience."
According to Xinhua News Agency, 1,182 people were killed last year in traffic
accidents in Beijing, nearly 200 more than in 2006.
Many Westerners living in Beijing share Sandifer-Stech's frustrations, and
while most are fascinated by the country's unique culture and history, they
also find life in the ancient city full of risks and unpredictability.
More than 65,000 foreigners live in Beijing, according to the monthly magazine
the Chinese National Geography. They mainly came from Japan, South Korea, the
United States, Europe, Russia and Singapore, and most work for foreign
companies or teach in schools.
But Robert Gordon-Smith, 39, decided to move his young family to Hong Kong
earlier this year after having lived in Beijing for nearly four years.
"The unpredictability of everyday life in Beijing means something terrible
could suddenly happen and there's nothing you can do about it," said the
British IT consultant. He said his wife was constantly worried when he cycled
to work, as road accidents are a common sight in central Beijing and shoddy
construction often leads to tragedies.
Last December, a tall concrete electric pole fell on the side of the city's
eastern ring road, killing one cyclist and seriously wounding another two.
Foreigners who do not speak Chinese have little chance of getting immediate
help if an accident happens.
"I'm used to living in an ordered and more considerate society," he said.
Even though there are safety laws in China, enforcement is often not carried
out, he said, bemoaning the lack of a free press. "Official information is
often a joke - you don't expect them to tell you the truth," he said. "It's not
what you know, but what is hidden, that worries you."
Recent food safety scandals such as the chemical melamine found in milk and
eggs, and previous scares over tainted toothpaste, pet food and fake drugs and
tainted vaccines have made parents particularly nervous.
"You wonder what else is in the food chain," said Sandifer-Stech.
Air quality is also a cause for concern for those with young children. Although
Beijing implemented measures to control traffic and pollution during the 2008
Summer Olympic Games, after the Games were over, congestion and bad air
returned.
"Ultimately, the air quality issue will impact on how long we would stay in
Beijing. We have a fear of staying beyond four years because of the exposure,"
said Sandifer-Stech.
Foreigners in search of cultural experiences have also found it disappointing
that so much of the capital's past has been lost in the process of Beijing’s
rapid push for modernization.
"Beijing feels like just any other Asian city now - it doesn't feel
particularly cultural," said New Zealander Jane. "They've kept the older
imperial structures, but in their determination to get rid of all trace of the
past, you virtually can't find signs of how people used to live before 1949,"
she said.
A construction spree which accelerated in the run-up to the Olympics has led to
the demolition of many of the traditional courtyard houses and hutongs (alleyways)
in the old city, which date back to the Ming Dynasty in the 14th century.
Local Beijing residents in the old districts - many of whom have lived there
for generations - are often offered only meager compensation for being evicted
to the outskirts.
"China is pushing people out, and creating dead space, huge roads and huge
buildings for show," she said. "There is no buzz in the city and no feeling of
excitement in the Center of Beijing, unlike other big cities like Hong Kong or
Tokyo."
Yet many expatriates still think Beijing has many attractive aspects, such as
the relatively low cost of living and the cosmopolitan nature of the city to
the opportunity to witness an era of dramatic transformation. Others say they
value the fact that their children get to learn Chinese and believe the
cultural experience will benefit them when they grow up.
"It's an international setting, there are so many people from different
countries and because it is a wild posting, it is a self-selecting group of
people who want to find out about China," said Annabelle, 39, a former
environmental consultant from Britain.
"But the things I like about Beijing are things that are disappearing, like
cycle paths, hutongs, street food and local community life - but they are not
seen as valuable by those who are responsible for developing the city," said
Gordon-Smith.
Verna Yu is a journalist based in Hong Kong.
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