Memoir | No Mishap in China | Part V of VI

Trip Briefing on China

When I met with my supervisor for my trip briefing, he made a startling statement.

He sternly said,

“You may be watched while in China, so don’t do anything crazy, Mia. We don’t need an international incident to happen, and the U.S. has to come and get you out of there.”

I replied,

“I saw that movie Midnight Express; I will be good while in China, trust me.”

I consciously tried to be on my absolute best behavior during my time in China!

The Late Historian Howard Zinn

After the trip briefing, I headed home and pulled out my college History textbook written by the late historian Howard Zinn to deepen my understanding of China.

Beijing, China

My all-male U.S. Air Force team, affectionately known as my “Mission Impossible Team,” landed at a military base in Beijing, China.

We were all thrilled at the prospect of exploring three iconic landmarks: the Great Wall of China, the Forbidden City, and Tiananmen Square.

Before we could exit the aircraft, an Asian woman, a military official, boarded the C131 aircraft and lectured us on what we could and could not do while in China. This one Chinese law scared me and stuck with me — we could not use the U.S. Dollar in China. If so, we would be subject to being jailed!

The military official took our U.S. Dollars and exchanged them for the Chinese Yuan.

Innocent Inquiry — Walking a Fine Line

While in the van driving to the hotel, I was looking to see what their churches would look like there in China. I asked one of the guys why there are no churches on corners like in the United States.

He quickly said,

“Be quiet! They don’t talk about Christ Jesus here in China, and there are no churches. The driver may choose to report you for your inquiry.”

I had come to recognize that this was my first attempt at trying to act properly.

We checked into the hotel, met for dinner, and settled in for the night.

A Currency Conundrum Averted

The next day, we headed out to the Great Wall, first.

The entrance to the Great Wall was bustling with vendors, tour buses, and tourists. As we walked up the street-level entrance to the Great Wall, a woman vendor was selling souvenirs.

As I was about to purchase my souvenirs, the woman said, “Give me U.S. Dollars.”

My instincts kicked in right away!

We were warned against using U.S. dollars, or we could end up in jail.

Even though I still had U.S. dollars in my wallet, I cheerfully handed the female vendor Chinese Yuan to buy my souvenirs. However, she insisted on U.S. dollars.

I chuckled and silently thought that I wasn’t about to get in trouble for her. I continued to assert that I had no dollars, but she rolled her eyes at me and snatched the Chinese Yuan from my hand.

Two police officers were stationed near her vending stand, observing our interaction closely.

Avoided Diplomatic Blunders

I’m thrilled to share that I managed to avoid any diplomatic mishaps during my trip to China, much to the relief of my supervisor as well!

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(Copyright © 2025 by Mia Z. Edwards. All rights reserved.)