Beautiful blue skies are paralleled with serene starry nights. I go outside in the morning, fill my lungs with fresh air as the warm of the sun shines on my face, and go about my seizing the day. Mountain-ranges are clearly visible on the eastern out-skirts of the city.

For some of you, this may be sound familiar, so familiar that it is taken for granted. For those of you living in mainland China, you realise that this is not usually the case. To experience this on a daily basis in Beijing is more akin to a fantasy. However, over the past week, this we have been living in that fantasy. Since I came to Beijing in 2011, I’ve never experienced anything like this. I didn’t even think anything like this was possible. Beijing has put on its best face for all the foreign leaders that are here for the APEC meeting.

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