A Letter From China

The Asian Games will pass under the radar of all but the most committed British sports fan but here in Guangzhou and around the rest of the continent they are a big deal.

10,000 athletes and as many journalists have gathered in this sub-tropical industrial city in southern China to play games and describe them.

As with the Olympic Games two years ago China has spent big. Stadiums, transport systems and accommodation are all new. Thousands of polite and patient locals have been hired to keep it smooth for athletes, spectators and the media.

At the China Mobile shop the staff are charged with putting the media community online. They, too, are long on politeness and patience. They had to go the distance for this iDiot and his iPad.

45 nations are taking part in the games and the enormous food hall caters for many different diets. The elongated serving counter is divided into Guangzhou Flavor, Asian Flavor and Western Flavor which mostly look and taste the same.

There is also a Muslim Flavor section but it is taped off and has different colour seats - presumably to keep out the sweet and sour infidels.

The organisers have thought of almost everything. They have, though, underestimated the Anglo-Saxon capacity for alcohol. By day three there was no more beer, gin or vodka. The finger of suspicion was pointed at the Aussies who were too busy stockpiling the remaining wine, brandy and whiskey to care.

It is too early to judge the quality of the 42 sports but in the women's cricket match between Malaysia and China the first ball of the match was a looping full toss which the batter missed and was bowled. The commentator almost stifled his guffaw.

Other sports are exotic. Rallies in soft tennis go on for ever, wushuw is martial arts dancing with grimacing and floppy swords and sepaktakraw is foot volleyball. They make for colourful television.

Work is full on but there was a day to acclimatise and three colleagues headed downtown. Guangzhuo is the third largest city in China and the fastest growing in the world. It is modern and busy but no tourist attraction.

Perhaps that was why we were treated as curiosities. People chatted, took pictures and pointed and giggled at the Westerners wearing shorts and shades in winter.

Even on a work day the streets were jammed with shoppers eager to be parted from their Yuan. Trade roared in small shops and department stores alike.

China has embraced capitalism but the state remains authoritarian and slightly sinister. Social networking and blogging are banned as is having more than one child or dog.

For the visitor there are ways round the censor. It will be decades before its 885 million official residents are allowed to do what they like.