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China And The Swine Flu. When Pigs Fly.

By Dan Harris and Steve Dickinson

If you are not reading Absurdity, Allegory and China, you should be. It just did an excellent post, entitled, "One Flu East," on what could happen to you if you come to China with an elevated temperature or even if you just come in on a plane near someone with an elevated temperature. The gist of the post is that you will be quarantined and there will be no special dispensations. The implicit message of the post, and one which applies to foreign businesses in China as well, is that once the Chinese government gets committed to something (and I mean really committed), it is difficult if not impossible to budge them. There is this idea that "guanxi" or just blame importance can cause the government to bend and that can be true. But there are certain central tenants that can take hold within the government that can become pretty much immutable. I do not know how many times I have had to tell foreign companies that do business in China that they have gone beyond the point at which my law firm can help them. Their response is oftentimes to complain about how Chinese law places "form over substance," to which my reply is usually, "yes they do, and that is why it is so important to follow it...." So with the Swine flu out there, what's the best way to get into China from the United States or Europe? What sort of monitoring is going on for those entering China via Hong Kong by train/bus/ferry/taxi?

Full post as published by China Law Blog on August 02, 2009 (boomark / email).