[beijing's imperial palace] home of starbucks

In the early 90s I was in Salzburg, walking down one of the cobbled lanes in their "shambles", when suddenly - there was a McDonalds and what struck me was that it was a dusky green colour like the rest of the shopfronts in the lane. There were no golden arches and one might have missed it, it was so discreetly situated.

I'd always thought McDonalds refused to compromise on such things but I assure you it was so. Which got me to thinking about the need for American food outlets in every nook and cranny on earth. Is it U.S. cultural imperialism or is it the need for the American tourist to never have to leave home wherever he travels?

As I sat in that McDonalds, the familiar menu was a bit of a relief, it was reasonably priced compared to the local fare - in other words, one knew exactly where one was. It gave a lonely tourist a sense of security.

On the other hand, are there places where a McDonalds or a Starbucks simply should not be?

China's imperial palace has closed its Starbucks outlet following protests led by a state television personality against the American coffee chain's presence at a major Chinese cultural site. The small outlet, a popular resting spot for visitors to the sprawling Forbidden City in central Beijing, closed yesterday afternoon, the Beijing Morning Post and other newspapers reported.

The Starbucks opened in 2000 at the invitation of palace managers, but critics said it was inappropriate for the site. Palace managers offered Starbucks the option of continuing to operate as part of a combined coffeehouse with other brands but the Seattle-based company declined, the Post said.

I don't know. If there were a string of Chinese takeaways tucked into a lane round the corner, well all right. No need for a Starbucks. But if not, then I'd imagine the Starbucks would be a welcome relief after traipsing round for half the day.

Besides, every major city has its Chinatown so what's the big deal?