They Love LA

More Chinese tourists are headed to America, thanks to new agreements between US and Chinese governments. And when they come to the US, they come to California.

"The Chinese are surprisingly big spenders when they come here, doling out about $6000 each -- more than visitors from any other nation. They also tend to stay longer -- a California state tourism agency study found that Chinese visitors spend 24.3 nights in the country and 15 in California, on average, while most overseas visitors spend about 10 days in the state.

"Big cities will benefit most as the ranks of Chinese tourists to the U.S. grow by an expected 80% over the next three years, to 579,000 visitors from 320,000 last year. As a favored destination for the Chinese and the only American city served by all three Chinese airlines, Los Angeles could cash in the most."

Beijing Blue Sky Days Hit 244

Beijing is like an athlete trying to get into shape by walking on a treadmill yet eating double cheeseburgers at the same time. Polluting factories have been moved or closed. But auto emissions are rising as the city adds up to 1,200 new cars and trucks every day. Dirty, coal-burning furnaces have been replaced, lowering the city’s sulfur dioxide emissions. But fine-particle pollution has been exacerbated by a staggering citywide construction binge that shows no signs of letting up.

China’s unsolved riddle is how to reconcile fast economic growth with environmental protection. But Beijing’s Olympic deadline means the city needs an immediate answer. The ruling Communist Party envisions the Games as a public relations showcase and is leaving no detail untended. Scientists are cross-breeding chrysanthemums to ensure that flowers bloom in August.