First, an offhand comment. Now, a backhanded compliment. Abrasive dialogues expected with cloudtrapezer.

Allow me to elaborate.

The gradual easing of VPN restrictions starting with "foreign firms" to "attract more foreign investments," as mentioned...

which "may" possibly trickle down to expats "one day," as mentioned.

I did not mention anything about Chinese civilians. Nor did I imply this gradual easing would suddenly free up the internet for all, as you offhandedly concluded.

First of all from a legal perspective, this going against the grain first step creates policy transparency for foreigners conducting business in the Mainland,

For instance, Apple Inc. satellite R&D offices in several Chinese cities are prone to ramifications for something trivial like accessing their Facebook page via VPN if central government decided to retaliate against the U.S.-led Huawei ban. Currently AAPL is at the mercy & whim of tit for tat retribution.

With this official VPN permittance from Beijing, coming into effect in a few months, such murky political maneuvers are relegated back to aforementioned "dark ages,"

Of course this transparency chess move is meant to dissuade HQ of foreign firms from exodus to competitors in SE Asia, Yet from hindsight, laying out building blocks of transparent regulatory norms in trial cities such as the 1st tier Beijing or Shanghai, eventually spread across the map to other provincial capitals of secondary tiered cities. Particularly Kunming, which Beijing has designated as BRI investment gateway to SE Asia and beyond. It is a step in the right direction. Silver lining so to speak.

dolphin, perhaps Jordan Porter's target audiences are foreigners looking in.... to plant seeds of interest in those who have yet to visit China, let alone Yunnan.

As for us expats living inside the murky fish bowl, the silver lining is big brother's gradual easing of VPN restrictions in a bid to lift barriers to attract more foreign investments.

By end of this year, foreign firms will be permitted to invest in VPN services in designated trial zones in Beijing:

sg.news.yahoo.com/[...]

Though Jordan's "Destination China" channel will continue to be blocked, VPN usage to bypass the GFW may one day be officially legalized in cities like Kunming. Expats won't need to look over one's shoulders with so much dread.

No, America's mass shootings are another beast.

Brutality by Cambodia's corrupt military police is disturbing. The shooting in Sihanoukville village earlier this year comes to mind.

They've also begun the national drug war campaign in '17, though not to the extreme extent of the Philippines under Duterte.

Not mentioned in above article is the China-Cambodia arms deal. Pray those Chinese firearms sold to Cambodia don't fall into wrong hands, injuring innocent victims of crossfire.