China's Hawaii

We've spent the past week in Hainan, an island off the south coast of China,  at Yalong Bay in Sanya. It's advertised as China's Hawaii. And as you can see, it's very pretty, with golden beach and blue sea and surf (and even a Chinese tourist in a Hawaiian suit.)

I first went to Sanya nearly twenty years ago, when there was nothing but beach and surf, and not a hotel in sight,  but you could see the potential even then. The natural beach is really amazing. Now the whole bay has been developed so it is lined with Marriotts and Sheratons and Ritz Carltons and Crowne Plazas. The Chinese military – not to be outdone – has also developed the area  just around the corner with a big naval base, so destroyers can be spotted sailing to and fro across the shining sea. When James and Alistair went kayaking, they were warned to stay well away from the military base, because it was 'very dangerous'.

For some reason that I can't work out, it's a destination very popular with Russian tourists.

In the week that we were there, the taxi drivers went on strike, as they did in two other cities (and have done elsewhere since.) They complained that they had to pay exorbitant fees to the authorities, while the same authorities failed to take action against unlicensed cabs that stole their business. Some of the protesters called for the setting up of an independent taxi drivers' union.

Update: Since my return to Beijing, I've talked to local taxi drivers here, who have similar complaints. They are aware that the protests elsewhere in the country are being met with some concessions, and also with arrests. They also know that the authorities are far more worried about protests in the capital than anywhere else. One of their biggest complaints is the price of petrol – they know perfectly well that the price of oil has dropped. So why haven't prices dropped at the pumps?