Beijing moulds non-spitting, queueing 'civilized citizens'

By Bill Smith Feb 8, 2007, 15:43 GMT

Beijing - 'Welcome the Olympics; use civilized behaviour; create a new atmosphere' reads one of the slogans designed to mould Beijing's 15 million people into model citizens before the 2008 Games.

'Civilized citizens' should stop spitting in public, learn to queue for buses and other services, and put litter into bins, according to Zhang Huiguang of the Capital Spiritual Civilization Construction Committee.

'Random garbage disposal and spitting are not good for people's health and so we must point out the hazards to them,' Zhang told reporters on Wednesday.

'We must also tell them that this sort of behaviour is something we should be ashamed of,' she said, adding that people caught spitting will be fined up to 50 yuan (6.5 dollars).

Beijing will hold its first 'voluntary queuing day' on Sunday, February 11, with the double ones chosen to symbolize two people queuing in single file.

The city government decided last month to ask residents to take part in a queuing day on the 11th of each month, to help 'create an orderly environment for the Olympic Games, especially in public places'.

Many Chinese people are not used to queuing in shops, bus stations, theatres and other public places, especially outside the major cities.

'The reason for establishing such a day is to mobilize the Beijing population to ensure that where there are more than two people, they should wait in line,' Zhang said.

'We are hoping to enlist all the citizens of Beijing to be missionaries of civilization,' she said.

The government is urging Beijing residents to stop using swear words, keep the streets clean, observe spectator etiquette at sport events and 'treat others with sincerity and honesty.'

Slogans promoting the 'spiritual civilization' campaign and the Olympics are hung in all residential districts, main streets and at Beijing's Olympic sites.

'Create elegant words and deeds. Establish fine social order. Cultivate high-quality services. Build a beautiful environment,' read one new banner displayed in central Beijing this week.

A nearby billboard lists Communist Party leader and state President Hu Jintao's 'socialist ethics Eight Honours and Eight Disgraces' and 'building a harmonious society'.

Hu's slogans are part of a drive by the party to win back public support and ensure social stability in the face of widening income gaps and regional differences in China.

A campaign was launched last March to instil the new socialist values into Beijing's citizens by 2008.

'We will cut out uncivilized actions that are contrary to public morality, violate honesty, harm our image, pollute the environment and threaten order,' said a declaration from Beijing and other city governments planning to promote Hu's ideas.

Li Changchun, a top party propaganda official and a member of its elite Politburo, said Hu's list should be taken as a 'guide to improve citizens' behaviour and create a sound social atmosphere for the Olympic Games.'

During a visit to the office of a Beijing-based online news provider, Li said websites, too, must 'operate in line with the list of honours and disgraces, and resist uncivilized activities that go against the moral standard.'

The 'civlized citizens' campaign is also linked to law and order.

About one million volunteers, police and officials are expected to keep order during the 2008 Olympics.

During last November's China-Africa Forum, which was billed as a rehearsal of traffic and security measures to be used next year, Beijing said it employed about 810,000 security guards, traffic wardens, retired workers, government officials and volunteers, plus tens of thousands of uniformed and plain-clothes police and paramilitary officers.

Beijing police are targeting drugs this year and are considering the possibility of ordering compulsory one-year rehabilitation for all drug users, state media quoted a city police official as saying earlier this week.

The police also visit the homes of prominent dissidents and rights activists before any major event in Beijing, placing some dissidents under house arrest and forcing others to live temporarily at heavily guarded hotels.

This practise is expected to be repeated in the run-up to next month's meeting of the National People's Congress, China's nominal parliament, and in the weeks before next year's Olympic Games.