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Gulf Times
Thursday, April 9, 2015

COMMENT
Chairman: Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Attiyah
Editor-in-Chief : Darwish S Ahmed
Production Editor: C P Ravindran

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GULF TIMES
Poll campaign
reects Britains
global retreat
Britains membership of the European Union hangs
on the outcome of a knife-edge election in four weeks
time, but the issue and that of the countrys wider global
role have been largely absent from a campaign narrowly
focused on domestic worries.
Its not unusual for British elections to be dominated
by schools, hospitals and taxes, but foreign policy debate
has rarely been so slight as before the May 7 vote.
This reects Britains shuffle from the global stage
and a self-inicted downgrading of its military and
diplomatic muscle.
The only full TV debate of the campaign last Thursday,
a day of world drama, underscored a pivot towards the
parochial.
Iran had just sealed an initial nuclear deal with six
world powers including Britain; Yemen, a former British
colony, was engulfed in erce ghting; and in Kenya,
another former possession, militants had slaughtered
more than 100 people.
None of those events rated a single mention in the
debate, which featured Conservative Prime Minister
David Cameron and six other party leaders.
Instead, the participants discussed Britains debts, its
stretched public health service and immigration.
The only words on foreign policy were about whether
there were too many
foreigners in Britain
and whether leaving the
EU would make things
better.
Former prime
minister Tony Blair,
channelling fears inside
Britains foreign policy
establishment, said this
week that the ballot was
a chance to show London
wouldnt turn in itself.
It is about character. It is about who we are and where
were going as a nation, said Blair, a fervent believer in
liberal interventionism, who led Britain into a string of
overseas military engagements from 1997 to 2007.
Britain, which under Margaret Thatcher sent a otilla
to the South Atlantic in 1982 to recapture the tiny
Falkland Islands seized by Argentina, still packs a global
punch.
It has the biggest defence budget in the EU, a seat on
the UN Security Council and is the worlds sixth biggest
economy.
It took part in 2011 air strikes against Libya to topple
Muammar Gadda and only ended its combat role in
Afghanistan last year. It also has one of the biggest
foreign aid budgets and was at the heart of international
efforts to combat Ebola.
But some diplomats date Londons retreat from the
global stage to August 2013 when Cameron failed to win
parliaments backing for air strikes in Syria.
Britain did join the US-led effort to bomb Islamic State
targets in Iraq, but only after France piled in. Londons
contribution - estimated to average just one air strike per
day - is, in the words of parliaments defence committee
strikingly modest.
On Ukraine, Cameron also took a backseat, leaving
his French and German counterparts to negotiate with
Vladimir Putin.
Traumatised by the heavy cost in blood and treasure
of Blairs wars of choice supporting Washington in
Afghanistan and Iraq, neither of which was a military
success, Britons appetite to use force has waned, it
seems.

The only full

TV debate of
the campaign
last Thursday
underscored a
pivot towards
the parochial

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China urges citizens to

behave well during travels
Overseas tourism has
boomed in China since
restrictions on foreign travel
were relaxed in 2002

By Updesh Kapur
Doha

andalism, being drunk and

disorderly, engaging in
brawls, air rage and urinating
in public the list goes on.
Here are just some examples where
improper behaviour by members of
the public is not only shameful but
disrespectful to those around them.
Sadly the actions of the few tarnish
the image and perception of the
majority. Such conduct is common
in some societies more than others,
yet it is nevertheless offensive and
unacceptable.
Disgraceful acts at home and abroad
paint a negative picture of certain
nationalities and one that can be
difficult to erase. Its not uncommon
to see headlines of European
holidaymakers locked up abroad for
anti-social behaviour.
Last summer, the number of British
arrests in Spain soared 32% over the
2013 level largely due to drunkenness
and loutish behaviour, essentially in
popular holiday resorts. Now, one
country far from Europe, is stepping
up damage limitation and coming out
with hard-hitting measures against
its nationals to protect its reputation
internationally.
For the second time in two years,
the Chinese government has issued
warnings to citizens to behave well
during their travels. Inappropriate
behaviour of some Chinese travellers
has earned the country a bad
reputation around the world, admits
the government.
Bad behaviour includes violating

customs, destroying infrastructure

and historical sites, causing disruption
on public transport and getting
involved in prostitution.
Being the worlds most dynamic
travel market, China is facing a
problem which it never imagined
but admits has been getting out of
hand. But enough is enough it says,
wanting citizens to be the countrys
ambassadors rather than pour shame
on the nation.
Chinese authorities will keep
records of uncivilised tourists in
the latest measures aimed at curbing
unruly behaviour of those travelling at
home or abroad.

More than 110mn

people from China
8% of the population
travelled overseas
last year
In a notice issued on its website,
Chinas National Tourism
Administration announced that
records of badly behaved tourists will
be kept for up to two years. Regulators
would hunt out badly behaved
travellers through tips from tour
operators, hotels, media reports and
the public, without citing further what
the repercussions were.
Chinas image has already been
tarnished, said the notice, adding
that badly behaved tourists needed
to learn a lesson. Chinese citizens
will be subjected to increasing levels
of supervision. Chinese provinces
and countries around the world
are encouraged to notify Beijing
if nationals commit any social
violations during their travels. The
image of mainland Chinese took a hit
in December after a mid-air brawl
between four women on a ight from
mainland China to Hong Kong over a
noisy baby.
Two women became angry at the
noise from an infant in the row behind
them and retaliated by reclining
their seats. An argument ensued and
escalated into a physical ght. The
scuffle went on for a while before
cabin crew stepped in, warning that

the ight would return to Chongqing if

they did not stop.
The incident occurred only days
after a Chinese woman scalded a Thai
ight attendant with a cup of hot
noodles in a heated exchange over
seating arrangements on a ight from
Bangkok to Nanjing and her boyfriend
threatened to blow up the plane. In a
scathing statement, Chinas National
Tourism Administration said the
tourists disrupted the ight, hurt
other passengers and badly damaged
the overall image of the Chinese
people. Chinese tourists overseas
have also developed a reputation
for bad behaviour. Last month, one
Chinese tourist was caught on lm
kicking bells at a Buddhist temple in
Thailand.
And more recently, three Chinese
tourists were arrested for taking lewd
photos while on holiday in Japan.
Such incidents come at a time
when the Chinese are travelling
in greater numbers. Overseas
tourism has boomed in China since
restrictions on foreign travel were
relaxed in 2002.
More than 110mn people from
China 8% of the population
travelled overseas last year, more than
any other country with spending
exceeding $160bn, up 28% on 2013.
Popular destinations included Europe,
South East Asia, Australia and the US.
Forecasters suggest the number
of Chinese travellers overseas will
exceed a staggering 500mn within ve
years. Its no wonder the government
is concerned about keeping its image
intact.
Chinese tourists have gained a
reputation for spending large amounts
on luxury goods while abroad, leading
some retailers to hire Mandarinspeaking staff to cater to them. Some
countries are streamlining their visa
processes to attract more Chinese
tourists.
In 2013, Chinese authorities issued
instructions on how to be civilised
tourists, with an illustrated list
of dos and donts to ensure their
nationals dont give the country a
bad name. Chinas National Tourism
Administration promoted a 64-page
guidebook on its website, entitled
Guidebook for Civilised Tourism,
advising Chinese nationals not to,

among other things, pick their noses

in public, urinate in pools or steal
aircraft life jackets.
As well as urging would-be
tourists to comply with nonsmoking areas and not to throw
rubbish or shout in public, it also
warned against the annoying habit
of forcing locals to take their photos.
Other snippets of advice were
country-specific. The guide warned
Chinese visitors to Germany to only
snap their fingers to beckon dogs,
not humans. Visitors to Japan were
advised to avoid fidgeting with hair
or clothes in restaurants.
Last month, Thai authorities issued
thousands of Chinese-language
etiquette manuals after Chinese
tourists were caught drying underwear
at a temple, washing their feet in a
public restroom and kicking a bell at
a shrine.
Chinas Vice Premier Wang Yang
last year came out with advice to
travellers, telling them to consciously
obey social and public order and social
morality, respect local religions and
customs, pay attention to their words
and behaviour in public, especially
in the international environment,
protect tourism resources and protect
the environment. For a country that
has been going through an economic
revolution over the last decade having
its doors open to greater access for
trade and commerce, it is inevitable
the lure of travelling overseas presents
a great opportunity for those who had
never left their homeland before.
What is depicted is within a minority,
but the minority multiplies as the
number of travellers increase sharply.
Through education, guidance and
greater understanding of different
cultures, those few Chinese prone to
such actions will restrict themselves
through more inner respect. The world
needs Chinese travellers. They are the
new economic powerhouses and should
too be embraced with open arms with a
greater understanding of their cultural
traits that play a key role in their daily
lives at home and abroad.
zUpdesh Kapur is a PR &
communications professional,
columnist, aviation, hospitality and
travel analyst. He can be followed on
twitter @updeshkapur

Russias Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev talks with his Thai counterpart, Prayuth Chan-ocha, during their meeting at Government House in Bangkok yesterday.
Medvedev is on a two-day visit to Thailand for economic and trade talks.

Thailand shifting its diplomatic efforts eastward

By Cod Satrusayang
Bangkakok/DPA

iplomatically spurned by the

US and Western European
countries over its military
coup in May, Thailands
ruling junta is looking elsewhere for
friends.
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry
Medvedevs visit to Thailand
yesterday marked the first time a
leader from outside Asia has visited
the country since the military took
power.
Medvedev is an old friend, Thai
Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha
said, and characterised their meeting
as very important.
Warming up to Moscow lends
the Prayuth government signicant
short-term leverage against the West,
said Thitinan Pongsudhirak, the head
of the Institute for Securities and

International Studies think tank in

Bangkok.
For Thailand under the military
regime, Russia represents another
geostrategic hedge (against) Western
criticisms.

The military has to

balance its need to
be recognised with
the long-terms needs
of the country
At the same time that Prayuth
was hosting Medvedev in Thailand,
Defence Minister and Deputy Prime
Minister Prawit Wongsuwan was in
Beijing to boost defence ties.
China was the rst major power
to acknowledge Thailands military
regime.

They were to discuss the purchase

of submarines for the Thai navy
as well as joint military exercises
between the two nations.
Closer defence ties with China
are seen by analysts as a response
to cooler relations with the US.
Washington scaled down its
involvement in the annual Cobra Gold
exercises that is hosted by Thailand
each February.
Prayuth remarked before his
meeting with Medvedev that Thailand
was interested in purchasing Russian
arms.
The coup represented a unique
opportunity for both China and
Russia, said Pavich Supapipat, a
government policy analyst at advisory
rm Vriens & Partners.
For years, Thailand was the only
US ally on mainland South-East Asia
but the friction brought about by the
coup has let Russia and China move in
to ll the void.

But the military government

is due to be in place for another
year before it returns Thailand to
civilian rule, and Pavich argues
that any foreign policy shifts are
only temporary.
The Thai governments recent
embrace of China and warm
welcome of Russia are likely to be
short-term, expedient moves to
counter Western posturing, agrees
Thitinan.
Both analysts warn that short-term
measures could have long-term effects
for one of Americas oldest allies in the
region.
The military has to balance its need
to be recognised with the long-terms
needs of the country, Pavich argues.
Otherwise we risk damaging a very
good friendship.
Thailand is playing a costly
game in cosying up to these
authoritarian powers, Thitinan
said.