Beijing tightens security as Communist Party congress approaches

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(1 Nov 2012) • 1. Wide of toy market • 2. Close of helicopter models • 3. Close of helicopter model • 4. Wide of shop owner holding a helicopter model • 5. Close of helicopter model at his hand • 6. SOUNDBITE: (Mandarin) Chen Ziping, toy shop owner: • This kind of craft cannot fly long distance and it can hardly carry anything. They just told me to stop selling and I have to follow the order. • 7. Wide exterior of the Great Hall of People, the venue of the Communist Party's National Congress • 8. Close of the national emblem of China • 9. Mid of barriers and police • 10. Close of police car moving in Tiananmen Square • 11. Mid of police checking IDs of people at the square • 12. Mid of police in the square • 13. SOUNDBITE (Mandarin) Ms. Zhang (full name not provided) • I don't feel disturbed. It's quite normal and I think it is good to have enhanced security measures. • 14. SOUNDBITE (Mandarin) Mr. Zheng (full name not provided) • I don't know if it is necessary or not. It has nothing to do with my life so it is meaningless to talk about it. • 15. Close up of Chinese flags • 16. Wide pedestrian bridge with red banner of Chinese Characters reading (Mandarin) Joyously welcome the 18th Party Congress • 17. Wide of pedestrians walking pass a wall decorated with a plant sculpture • 18. Close up of the plant wall sculpture reading (Mandarin) Joyously welcome the 18th Party Congress • STORYLINE • For security reasons, London restricted airplanes from flying above it during the Olympics. During its big leadership change, China is imposing similar rules - but this time not just on aircraft but on model planes. • Hobby aircraft, pencil sharpeners and car window handles have taken on a sinister glean in the eyes of the security apparatus as the ruling Communist Party's all-important national congress approaches. • Balloons and homing pigeons are also banned from the skies, and purchases of kitchen knives and other sharp objects have been put on hold. • The security measures have been phased in over the past week in time for Thursday's opening of a meeting of the Central Committee, the roughly 200-member body that is finalising preparations for next week's congress that will name new leaders to run the massive country for the next decade. • Beijing always tightens security for high-profile political events, and this one is the most pivotal for the Communist Party in 10 years. But some of the measures seem downright bizarre. • Taxi drivers have been told to remove window handles and require passengers to sign a travelling agreement promising to avoid sensitive parts of the city and not to open their windows or doors if they pass important venues. • A man who answered the phone at Wan Quan Si taxi company in the south of the capital said the rule applied to all taxi companies in Beijing. He declined to give his name. • Police in the capital are also asking that citizens show their ID cards and foreigners their passports when buying remote-controlled model aircraft over safety concerns, the official Global Times newspaper reported Tuesday. • It quoted an unnamed police officer from Aoyuncun station in Chaoyang district as saying that people wanting to buy model planes during the congress should go to the vendor's local police station to register. • When the buyer receives approval from the station's police chief, he can make the purchase, the officer said. • Chen Ziping, a toy shop owner in the capital's Dongcheng district, explained he had been told to follow the new regulations. • Still, they won't be allowed to fly them in the city and balloons are also on the blacklist, the Global Times said. • • • Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork • Twitter: / ap_archive • Facebook: / aparchives • Instagram: / apnews • • • You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...

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