South China Morning Post

Authorities order bars not to serve black people
Tom Miller
July 18,2008

In our series looking at preparations for the Games, Tom Miller reports on plans to crack down on "undesirables" in the bars of Beijing

Beijing authorities are secretly planning to ban black people and others it considers social undesirables from entering the city's bars during the Olympic Games, a move that would contradict the official slogan, "One World, One Dream".

Bar owners near the Workers' Stadium in central Beijing say they have been forced by Public Security Bureau officials to sign pledges agreeing not to let black people enter their premises.

"Uniformed Public Security Bureau officers came into the bar recently and told me not to serve black people or Mongolians," said the co-owner of a western-style bar, who asked not to be named.

The local authorities have been cracking down on blacks and Mongolians in an attempt to stamp out drug dealing and prostitution ahead of the Games, the proprietors said.

A few months ago, police launched a violent sting on black men drinking in the Sanlitun bar district, and a notorious nightclub largely populated by Mongolian prostitutes was also shut down.

Security officials are targeting Sanlitun, which Olympic organisers expect to be a key destination for foreign tourists looking for a party during the Games.

The pledges that Sanlitun bar owners had been instructed to sign agreed to stop a variety of activities in their establishments, including dancing and serving customers with black skin, they said.

They have been allowed to keep copies of all the pledges except those relating to blacks, implying that the authorities are wary of charges of racism.

"I am appalled," said a black British national who works in Beijing. "I understand that the government is trying to stop certain illegal activities, but I don't think blanket discrimination is going about it the right way.

"Chinese people are prejudiced, but I would have hoped that the government would set a better example as it debuts on the world stage."

Calls to Dongcheng district and Chaoyang district public security bureaus, which oversee the bar districts, went unanswered.

The authorities' attempt to keep unwanted behaviour from damaging the squeaky-clean image of the Games is the latest example of heavy-handedness that critics say is killing the party spirit of the Olympics.

During the Athens Olympics four years ago, bars and nightclubs were allowed to stay open all night. But venues in Beijing that are not being shut down during the Games will have to close at 2am and maintain tight security.

"The officials told me to inform my customers that they must at all times carry their passports or ID cards," said one bar owner.

"Security is important, but Beijing is becoming a fortress, and that's not attractive."

Rumours that all bars within 2km of an Olympic venue will need to close remain unconfirmed, with many managers complaining that they still have not been told whether they will be allowed to open or not. Several bars have been raided in the past few weeks as local police step up a campaign of low-level intimidation, according to several witness accounts.

Bar and restaurant managers in Sanlitun have been instructed to remove tables from footpaths in a crude attempt to prevent fighting in the streets.

"The local police told us to get rid of the tables because they're scared that if too many foreigners congregate outside there could be trouble," said Song Xun , who runs a burrito joint in the area.

Local musicians say that a clampdown on live music risks stifling Beijing's thriving cultural scene and giving Olympic tourists the false impression that the city is artistically anaemic.

Several popular live music venues have been shut or instructed to stop all outdoor shows, and club owners complain they have got used to strange new guests nursing a beer for hours and suspiciously observing everything around them.

"The whole music scene is angry and bewildered. It is impossible to understand how keeping tourists from seeing an open, culturally vibrant and diverse Beijing is possibly a good thing for anyone," said one well-known figure in the local music industry.

David Mitchell, a Beijing-based jazz musician, said it had become increasingly difficult for his band to find anywhere to play.

"It appears the local government is trying to control every aspect of the experience that foreigners get when they come here," he said.

"Everything is aimed at creating stability, but they don't understand that is precisely the unfounded prejudice that foreigners have of Chinese society - that it is a highly controlled and not a very cultural place. It seems completely self-defeating."

Additional reporting by Peter Simpson

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Reponse as posted on Shanghaiist.com

July 18, 2008
Report: Beijing bars told to ban black people during Olympics
by Dedric Lam

In a couple of weeks Beijing will turn into a party town and Sanlitun is predicted to be the epicenter of the Olympic night events. The South China Morning Post has however reported that the bar owners in the area were asked to refuse service to black patrons. The article reports:



We checked twice just to make sure: This story comes from the SCMP and not The Onion ... in 2008 ... as the world awaits the ultra-harmonious "One World, One Dream" Olympics. Did you hear that? That was the sound of our jaw dropping.

But something about this report doesn't gel. Could this possibly be true? Could it possibly be enforced? Given the strong national ties that China has built with African nations in the last two years coupled with the fact that many Olympic athletes (and their families) hail from African descent — not to mention that such a policy would be despicable and horrendous PR for a country looking to improve its image — it sounds like, perhaps, some racist in the Beijing government went out on his own on this one.

We hope strong denials from Beijing are in the works.

Will Kobe Bryant (pictured) be barred from enjoying a celebratory drink in Beijing?


"Yeah, tough practice. Let's go get a drink. Say what?"

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Refuting the allegations?

All Headline News

Authorities Deny Banning Blacks And Mongolians From Beijing Bars During Olympics
July 20, 2008 3:12 p.m. EST
Amy Beeman - AHN

Beijing, China (AHN) -- Reports have surfaced that the Chinese Government is forcing bar owners to ban blacks and Mongolians from their bars during the Olympic games next month.

The pledges are said to be secret, but The South China Daily reported that some bar owners, especially those in Sanlitun, an area known for its nightlife, said they were forced by Public Security Bureau officials to sign pledges agreeing not to allow black people into their bars. Mongolians are also reportedly banned.

Some police and bar owners deny this ban is in place, but some Africans reported being charged double what other's pay as entry fees, and others recently told the World Net Daily that they were forced to show their passports prior to being allowed into a bar. No one else had to show such identification. The South China Daily quoted one bar owner as saying police came to him and made him agree, "not to serve black people or Mongolians."

It is reported that Chinese officials regard blacks and Mongolians as largely responsible for drug dealing and other criminal activity, and this ban is another measure to control what the rest of the world sees when all eyes are on Beijing for 17 days during the summer games.

On the Chinese website Danwei it was written that these bans are highly unlikely, however, unless they were done by low-level police officers.


"Dah not fair!"

Mmm...Beijing burrito

One World, One Dream


Why do black people only have nightmares????


Cause we killed the last one that had a dream.........






John McCain LOVES that joke.

This post has been edited by strangerwithcandy11: Jul 20 2008, 06:30 PM

Ahhh... this explains a lot. So THIS is the reason the hookers in San Francisco are unionized. Maybe they can help out their follow ho's in China with a serious, union-style, ball-busting to get the employer to capitulate...

that's absolute bullshit!!!!! The only "bad" black people are in american ghetto's and nigeria running get rich quick scams... LOL (iz a joke people)

Yeah......Fucking China....they should take the example....uh.......
that ...the self-righteous America ......eh......has ...set

Does anybody understand the idea of past and present around here?

Eh, it's their country... they can do what they want...

But I mean... I am sure they would be pissed if our government went to all the DMVs in America and were like "Dude, don't give any Chinese people drivers licenses... they are an undesireable presence on the road..."

Just kidding

I think the point is its kinda hard to take a moral high ground when your past isn't much better. Of course things have changed here now BUT the fact that it hasn't everywhere doesn't give us the right pass judgment imo. Of course they should serve black people. I mean do they realize how much those people drink?

This post has been edited by brophy: Jul 22 2008, 06:12 PM

nah, but seriously.....China just thought this would happen








This post has been edited by brophy: Jul 22 2008, 06:23 PM

Ahhh.... I see he's been trained well....

I didn't realize this was a little BUBB RUBB in da' house!!!

"whistle go WOOO WOOO!!!"

And remember.... even though the whistle is welding about 3" INSIDE the muffler... it's "just decoration". At least according to Bubb and his equally intelligent girlfriend.

thas it an' thas all,mang


This post has been edited by brophy: Jul 23 2008, 06:25 AM

at 1:37 of the clip...

Peanut wants his gold!

LOL @ the guy with the leprechaun whistle that was passed "for thousands of years" from his Irish ancestors...Too fucking funny. Reminds me of Bernie Mac on Charlies Angels where he goes on about the Black Irish...."haven't you ever heard of the McRib? Shamrock shake?"