Beijing's Nervous PR Handlers

It's s so hard to get a good quote from anyone in Beijing these days. A reporter is unlikely to get anything more than the obvious from company spokespeople: they’re so scared of saying something that could be interpreted as negative by super sensitive local authorities. Here’s a sample of a reply I got to 5 questions I emailed to a local real estate developer that’s just opened a luxurious apartment complex in the centre of Beijing that’s too expensive for 95 percent of the local population.

“Obviously, Beijing will become a test field for many world class architectural dreams. Beijing strives for the best and it is my hope that whatever develops will be good for the city. Each building need not stand out on its own, but rather should contribute to the fabric of the city and serve the people it is meant to serve. No matter developer or architects, we must never lose sight of the human being. That is how we will keep our profession most relevant in the future. Quality is the foremost issue related to humanistic approach.”

My original questions related to how environmentally friendly the new building is, the quality of the construction and the chances that the real estate market will collapse after the Olympic Games next month. The gunk I got in reply doesn't serve the media-hungry company since now I'm not going to write anything about them.

[Read More...]