One of the first things I noticed when we arrived in Shanghai was how clear the air was compared to last year. I actually saw the sunrise from the hotel in Hangzhou (pop. 6,200,000). Last year, I could barely make out the shape of the hills.
This year, China has essentially outlawed coal. As we attempt to spool up coal here, they are working to improve the air there. It was noticeable everywhere we went (except for Nanjing, where they are still burning coal - it was murky and dark).
We toured two of our supplier's factories in Hangzhou. One of the produces 30% of all the lockwashers used in China. That's a lot of lockwashers! The other factory makes parts for us. This was the third time I have met with them. The old guy that owns the lockwasher factory is quite a character. At dinner he goes around the table with a pitcher of baijiou (Chinese 80-proof white liquor) and does shots with each person at the table. Fortunately, the baijiou shot glasses are very small (about 1/4 of a normal shot).
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