We probably arrived in Chongqing about midnight last night and I am up bright and early this morning waiting for the six o'clock morning coffee. Outside it is still dark but the sillhouettes of the skyscrapers indicate that this is a big city and it is. It is one of China's four provincial level municipalities, the other three being Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin and the administrative borders of Chongqing are bigger than the other three; the municipality has a population of about 32 million, which would make it just about the biggest city in the world. In actual fact though, the urban population of the city is much smaller and is only about ten million, which, of course, means that its population is closer to London than it is to Mexico City, Sao Paulo or Tokyo. Another interesting fact is Chongqing will be the terminal for a 2,380 kilometer oil and gas pipeline that will run from deep water port of Sittwe in Myanmar. The oil and gas that Myanmar supplies along with the tankers from the Middle East and Africa that dock there, will help to quench China's growing energy needs. In understanding those needs,we might begin to understand why China needs a government in Naypyidaw that is a stable and sympathetic friend. The picture was taken from the boat at about 6.30 a.m. with the fogs receding and the day breaking in Chongqing.
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