Finding out where a policy came from within the Chinese governmental system can be a bit like a game of ‘Pin the Tail on the Donkey’. It involves a certain amount of stumbling around blindfold, with occasional stabs in the dark.
A good example is the idea that when Mainland China relaxed its restrictions on Individual Visit Scheme visas to Macau earlier this year, it all came about because of a speech by China’s premier Wen Jiabao in December in Shenzhen. The story went that the relaxations regarding the so-called multi entry visa applied only to residents of Shenzhen.
This was reported first in the Chinese language press and then picked up by the English language media and repeated as fact. Trying to find someone who actually heard Premier Wen’s speech is more problematic.
Yet even Hong Kong’s Chief Secretary Henry Tang seems to have accepted this version of events. A few days ago he told the South China Morning Post that Hong Kong and the neighbouring Mainland province of Guangdong (where Shenzhen is located and has special economic zone status) would work to extend the multi-entry scheme to other cities in the province.
An ethnic Chinese gaming executive based in Macau told Asian Gaming Intelligence: “I’ve seen no evidence in Macau that multi-entry permits have been limited only to Shenzhen residents. I keep hearing this story about a speech in Shenzhen, but I’ve never met anyone who actually heard it. In a way it doesn’t really matter. As long as people have an explanation of one sort or another for a change of policy they seem happy enough.”
That surely must be a lesson for executives everywhere.
