Cautious Chinese

The Chinese don't want HIV/AIDS to spread during next year's Olympics. So here's their plan.

BEIJING- Beijing, preparing to host the 2008 Olympics, has ordered hotels to provide condoms in all bedrooms in a bid to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS after cases of infection soared 54 percent in the first 10 months of this year.

Announcing the move, the official Xinhua news agency made no direct reference to the Games, saying only that all the Chinese capital's 700 hotels must comply by the end of 2008.

With many thousands of visitors due to crowd into the city for the Olympics, which run from August 8 to August 24, every hotel is likely to be sold out.

While hotel managers must provide condoms for their guests, Xinhua said, they are not required to make a loss. The city health bureau said it was up to them how much to charge.

I thought the state set the prices in a communist nation. Then who says mainland China is communist any more?

Will the Olympic athletes get condoms too? If they do, will they be charged?

Author John Le Carre may have termed China's plans as 'extra special service'. Blogger GI at ROK Drop ponders if Chinese hotels will put condoms on pillows like some do with mints.

Linked to- Bright & Early, Bullwinkle, The World According to Carl,