I suppose I should have phrased my comment differently- what I meant was that while the Kunming shift change policy is annoying and probably somewhat less than ideal, it isn't completely illogical. When I was in Shanghai last month I asked a driver about the change and she told me they go one day on, one day off; so there's no real crunch time in the middle of a day.

Bucko,

Kunming's taxis are not even close to being the dirtiest in China, much less the world. Smaller cities across the country use vehicles that look like they've survived mortar attacks. Even in Chongqing, the cabs are so badly outfitted that ordinary speed bumps provide an uncomfortable experience for the passenger.

Actually, the taxi shift change, while annoying, makes sense because the period around 5pm-8pm is the busiest of the day. As a result, all taxi drivers want a piece of this time frame, explaining the need for the shift change.

Just as a point of clarification- the Prague Cafe in the north is now closed and will be until the 21st. Samoana, Wicker Basket, and Silver Spoon in Beichen will also remain closed through the holiday.

Hedgepig,

Not at all. My point is merely that with increased competition Yunnan may see a relative drop in demand for some of its agricultural products as imports from Southeast Asian countries rise. This is likely to lead to decreased revenue for Yunnan farmers, who still comprise a significant bulk of the provincial population.

My larger point is that free trade agreements as such create winners and losers and aren't uniformly positive developments.

One caveat to the optimism- Yunnan agriculture may face increased competition for certain goods from farmers in countries such as Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia.

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