[Cobad]

Hi all, what effect if any will the Bejing Olympics have on referrals? Thanks for any input.

[Karen in MT]

I want to know too! We could end up there about then! YIKES! Has anyone talked with their agencies on this one? -Karen

[Chrysanthemum]

I really have no idea. My only thought is that the Olympics are in Bejing, so it may depend on which province your daughter was born in or maybe they won't be giving any T.A.s during the olympics.

[ttcasey]

My guess is that it will effect mostly on travel plans.

[Cobad]

Hi Karen, I am in MT too!!!! I am thinking that we could have the possibility of being there, probably a bit after if all stays about where they are now (judging on a 18 month referral time). So, who knows!!! I am concerned about an additional wait due to that. So, I will throw that by my agency, and see what they think!!!

[Cobad]

Hi Trish, yeah I hope you are right. I was hoping that travel plans would be the only thing affected.

[sak9645]

Here's my take on the subject.

In 1999, the U.S. accidentally -- some news stories say it was not so accidental -- bombed the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade, killing innocent Chinese civilians. There were huge anti-American demonstrations in the streets of China, probably organized, in part, by the Chinese government. But the CCAA, which is part of the Chinese government, kept on processing dossiers and making referrals. And once the demonstrations were over, families traveled to pick up their children.

In 2001, Chinese fighter planes damaged a U.S. surveillance aircraft, which had allegedly invaded Chinese airspace, and forced it to land on Hainan Island. Again, there were huge demonstrations in the streets of China, probably organized, in part, by the Chinese government. But the CCAA kept on processing dossiers and making referrals. No travel authorizations were given, but people already in China were able to continue finalizing adoptions. The U.S. Consulate was closed temporarily, but workers moved in to the White Swan and continued processing visas for children whose parents had already traveled and had made it to Guangzhou.

If these major diplomatic incidents -- and they truly WERE major incidents -- did not stop adoptions, I suspect that the Olympics won't, either.

Yes, it will be extremely hard to get flights to Beijing right before, during, and right after the Olympics, and hotel rooms in Beijing will be terribly scarce and expensive. But if you fly into Hong Kong, Guangzhou, etc., you are likely to be inconvenienced a bit less.

Yes, there will be a lot of restrictions on travelers in Beijing and its environs, both for security and traffic management reasons and so that the tourists and athletes don't see the "seamy" side of China. But travelers to other parts of China should not be affected greatly.

Yes, the U.S. Embassy in Beijing will probably be swamped with activities related to Americans visiting China -- people who have mislaid their passports or fallen victim to pickpockets, for example. (Chinese pickpockets love crowds and are very hard to catch.) But the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou, where you must go to get a visa for your newly adopted child, is unlikely to see such a huge increase in volume.

Yes, the media will be out in full force. But the Olympics will be the news story. They will be covering the events, and interviewing participants, coaches, and spectators. They will also be visiting the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, and so on -- world class tourist attractions that make a great backdrop for photos. I doubt that most reporters will have the time or inclination to start visiting orphanages, interviewing adoptive families, and developing positive or negative stories about the Chinese adoption process. And I suspect that Beijing knows that.

All in all, while the eyes of the world will be focused on Beijing, there is really no reason for a stoppage of adoptions to be contemplated. We think that our journeys to bring home our children are newsworthy, and of course, to us, they are the most important events in the world. But I am not sure that the organizers of the Olympics, the athletes and their retinues, the spectators, and the news media have much interest in the subject. And a few White adults with Chinese babies won't attract much attention in the enormous crowds that are expected to be present. Thus, I suspect that the CCAA won't be too worried, except about issuing travel authorizations for folks going to or near Beijing, because of the difficulties associated with travel during the Olympics.

Also, the Olympic Games don't last forever. Once the athletes and specators go home, and the garbage collectors come out to haul away the debris, things should rapidly return to normal. So even if travel is delayed for a couple of weeks, it really isn't a big deal in the grand scheme of things. Of course, for families who have endured waits of 18 months for a referral, if that's what is happening by 2008, every day counts. But with a little patience, they will soon be on their way to pick up the child of their dreams.

Sharon

[cooperbabe]

I suspect it will only make a big difference if you were planning on flying into Beijing and maybe Shanghai as your port city. Otherwise, there shouldn't be a lot of issues. It seems like the majority of people fly into either Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, or Hong Kong. You may see some issues with the first two - but Guangzhou and Hong Hong are about the distance from Iowa City to Miami so there shouldn't be a huge amount of traffic upswing there.

I'm not sure what effect, if any, the Olympics will have on the CCAA since they are housed in Beijing. I suspect they could possibly shut down while the Olympics are going on, but I suspect it would not be for more than a week or 2. So that also could slow referrals a bit.

[Karen in MT]

Thank you for the educated post, Sharon. It is bound to be an issue for some of us. But, we will have - no fear! I'm hoping that it is not something I'll even come close to dealing with, but who knows. Thanks again! Food for thought..........

[twoinblue]

I would definitely prepare for increased travel fees no matter where you fly into. It is so hard to second guess the CCAA that I wouldn't even try.

[lovemybulldog]

There are events in some other cities outside Beijing, but not many. Hong Kong, for example, is hosting the Equestrian events. This link has some info.

Olympic Cities

[KarenInCa]

Obviously, no one really knows this answer, but it seems that it wouldn't have much of an impact on anyone that is not adopting a child near Beijing. Most likely, all the tour trips to Beijing will not happen, and people will either fly through Hong Kong or Shanghai before going to their child's place of adoption, and then GZ.