Chinese Railway Police, None Bigger

In researching the Chinese Railway Police I learned they at some 35,000 officers they are by far the largest railroad police agency in the world.  They are a division of the national police. With all the diplomatic issues lately with the U.S. trying to extridite Menge Wenshou, a Chinese company CFO from Canada, friends and family have been worried about me making contacts in China.

This was common all over, not just the railway police. They would stand at ease in a police box in a conspecuious area address people's issues that approached them, At least we didn't have to do that except at political conventions.

There are a lot of Canadians on the ship. Several Canadian tourists have been arrested in China recently on false charges. None of the Canadians are getting off the ship in China.

My feeling, and apparently I was right, was that they weren't going after someone who comes knocking at their door and asks to visit and pay his respects. As always, language was a problem but, one officer spoke a passible English. he'd never had anyone visit like I was and they'd never heard of it anywhere else in the country. They eased  up immediately and we were friends and comrades in no time.

I had gotten off their bullet train in Shanghai from Beijin. My coach had stopped not 10 yards from their office directly outside my train window. Also, apparently no one in China comes knocking on their headquarters door so they were a little jumpy at first.

My train coach stopped at just the right spot. Police offices on the left and my train car on the right.

They explained they had call in and get permission to let me visit them.  I got the impression they were calling Beijing. They had to wait for a reply so we talked and gestered about police work on our two railroads.

You would have thought I'd handed them a bundle of cash when I gave them a UP calendar. At first they thought I was just showing it to them but seemed amazed it was a gift. I also gave them a UP patch and they were amazed.  They said they couldn't give me a patch because they were embrodured into their uniform shirts. Anyway, we looked around and took selfies with each other on my camera and theirs.

Then the supervisor got a  phone call.  I don't know what they were saying but, it was a heated discussion if not an outright arguement.  He was shaking his head and yelling into the phone. Finally he handed me his phone and indicated it was for me. 

There was a text in very formal English that said they were unable to grant my request at that time, blah, blah, blah. Another time with prior written permission. Blah, blah. I was about to leave anyway and the local guy was appologetic. It took them so long to figure out a response that we'd already done what I came for. At least they didn't tell him to take that spying American dog into custody until Trump stops trying to extridite a important Chinese citizen.

Where our containers come from.

Freight Yard