In more than 30 years of regular visits to China nothing had prepared me for an almost cashless world. I hardly used any money the week I was in Beijing recently, except at the airport shop. Electronic payment is the name of the game and foreigners beware: it is becoming increasingly difficult to use cash anywhere. Even the rare beggars are said to use it.

Setting up a bank account quickly is not an option, either. This makes life difficult for visitors, coupled with the fact that learning English, though still compulsory in schools, is not treated as the priority it once was.

The first thing my friends in Beijing say is: “There is a lot of change happening.” This is most apparent in the centre of the city. Within the Second Ring Road, which encircles Tiananmen Square, Beijing is being made grander and more beautiful. To the annoyance of the locals, all except one of the popular food markets have been closed down.