China's war on spitting

By Holly Williams
BBC, Beijing

China's government has come in for some harsh criticism over its handling of the Sars crisis - for its slow reaction to the outbreak, and its cover up of the real spread of the disease.

Many people hope that the scandal will encourage the government to change and become more open.

China is trying to encourage better hygiene to combat Sars

But in Beijing, authorities fighting Sars (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) have said that it is not the government that needs to change, but people's personal habits.

Despite Officer He's blue uniform with silver epaulets, he is not a policeman or even a security guard. As a member of Beijing's anti-spitting team, he is on the look-out for offenders.

"If we catch people spitting we fine them 50 Yuan and make them clean it up," he said.

The fine is about $6 - more than half a week's income for many people here.

I once caught 19 people spitting in one day. But since the new fines came in I've caught hardly any

Officer He, Beijing anti-spitting team

The amount has just been boosted ten-fold because the government became worried that spitting could be a means of spreading Sars.

The weighty fines could be why Officer He does not seem to be catching anyone.

"I once caught 19 people spitting in one day. But since the new fines came in I've caught hardly any," he said.

But just to make sure, the squad has also started an education campaign. They set up a desk on a busy shopping street, handing out leaflets, as well as tissues and plastic bags.

"We teach people to spit into tissue, then put it in the plastic bag and throw it in the bin. It's good for the environment," Officer Jia explained.

With all that plastic, that's questionable.

But China's anti-spitting campaign is not just about cleaning up the streets and fighting Sars, it is about image.

If I had a nice job in a luxury hotel, I wouldn't spit in public, I'd go to the toilet. But for ordinary people like us there isn't anywhere convenient to spit. We don't even have bathrooms

Beijing resident, Mr Wang

The squad's leader, officer Zhang, said: "Spitting isn't acceptable in an international city like Beijing. We're standing in Wangfujing street, China's equivalent of the Champs Elysees in Paris. These bad habits will give people the wrong impression."

And well-heeled shoppers seemed to agree.

One expensively dressed woman said the government should have started the campaign years ago.

"It's mainly peasants and migrant labourers who spit," she said, "and we need to educate them.

Volunteers hand out tissues to discourage spitting in Beijing

But not everyone feels the same way. The noise of spitting is ubiquitous in Beijing's backstreets.

Mr Wang, a laid-off factory worker and die-hard spitter, said the new fines were unreasonable, not to mention discriminatory.

"If I had a nice job in a luxury hotel, I wouldn't spit in public, I'd go to the toilet. But for ordinary people like us there isn't anywhere convenient to spit. We don't even have bathrooms," he said.

But that is not going to cut it with the anti-spitting team. They will be out again tomorrow, keeping Beijing's streets saliva free.