By Andreas Landwehr Aug 21, 2008, 2:01 GMT
Beijing - The offer is prompt: 'Sex?' asks the prostitute as she approaches the two foreign tourists from a side street in Beijing's Sanlitun entertainment district.
'How much?' asks one of the foreigners, slightly taken aback. '500 yuan' comes the reply with a charming smile. That's about 75 dollars. 'For the two of you together.'
The attractive Chinese, in her late 20s or early 30s, looks self- confident and experienced. She takes one of the foreigners' hand and doesn't let go. 'Come on.' Back to the hotel? Her place? 'Whatever.'
Those who watch over the morality of Beijing's nightlife may have closed down some of the dingier bars in a pre-Olympics 'purge', but the oldest profession is alive and well - only, not as open.
Normally every foreigner getting out of a taxi at the entrance to the street full of bars in Sanlitun is bombarded with offers of 'lady bar', 'massage' or 'sex' from the girls and their pimps.
During the Olympics, business has been swept into the sidestreets and clubs. The red light district is not quite as sinful as normal, but it's still far from innocent.
Isn't she afraid to be out on the street alone? Isn't there someone protecting her? 'I work alone,' says the girl. '300 yuan,' she adds, quickly lowering the price.
But aren't the police especially strict during the Olympics? asks the foreigner. 'They only bother about the Chinese, not you foreigners,' she says, still not letting go of the hand.
Just 20 metres away stand two soldiers guarding the entrance of the diplomatic compound. They look on but do nothing. Their job is to stand guard, not stop prostitution.
Masses of football fans throng the street with the bars after Argentina's 3-0 defeat of Brazil in the football semi-final at the nearby Workers' Stadium.
Bands play in the clubs, beer bottles clink at the doors, the fans chant and shout. A big, broad foreign bouncer blocks the entrance to the China Doll club, ordering the rich and beautiful back into an orderly queue.
'200 yuan, please,' says a friendly Chinese woman at the cash desk - 30 dollars - for the men to get in. At the weekend the price can go up to 500 yuan. Attractive women get in for free.
Also allowed in free as Olympic medal-winners, and there have been quite a few sightings of them, too. Many of the guests also wear one of the Olympic family ID tags. And the music throbs.
Girls in short, turquoise-and-black dresses serve Qingdao beer for 50 yuan (7.5 dollars) - prices only the affluent night-clubbers can afford, or their expensive girlfriends, or the mistresses of wealthy Chinese all too aware of their market value.
In fact, prostitution is illegal in China. The girls - and their customers - face being sent to re-education camps. Occasionally the police will detain foreigners for a few days if they are caught in raids on brothels or massage salons.
However, the big danger is not from the police - who often look the other way - but from AIDS. After the disease was ignored for a dangerously long time, ignorance and a frequent change of partners have meant a strong increase in the number of people infected.
'Where's the Suzie Wong?' asks an Olympic tourist seeking the expensive bar by Chaoyang Park with more than its share of attractive women.
'You chat up three and score with one,' laughs an insider. 'Semi- professionals', perhaps - beauties with a daytime job financing their Gucci handbags and designer outfits. Or perhaps looking for the big catch - a rich Chinese or foreigner.
It's a dangerous game. Today there are an estimated 700,000 Chinese infected with AIDS, and it would be an achievement if this were only to double in the next two years. UN estimates say the number could rise to several million.
It's why several hundred thousand free condoms have been provided for the more than 10,000 athletes in the Olympic Village and guests in Beijing's hotels.
Every second infection in Beijing today can be traced to unprotected sex. There is little 'playing safe' in the Chinese capital, where a growing number of foreign students and business people are also becoming infected after a careless 'adventure'.
'I get more and more of these cases,' says a doctor at one of the city's clinics for foreigners.
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