More than mere diplomacy can boost Sino-British friendship

It's been a while since I visited parents in China, and this time I noticed something different when I went to apply for my Chinese visa, because I have taken up foreign citizenship.

I turned up 15 minutes before the visa center opened, expecting to get the first number. But there were quite a few people there ahead of me.

I sat down and waited as more people streamed in. There were old couples with gray hair, students carrying big backpacks, parents holding their children's hands and professionals in business suits.