(Beijing, China) Welcome to the police state.  Cameras on high everywhere. There has never been a surveillance system like this on the planet. As Sting once sang: "Every step you take, every move you make, I'll be watching you."

The Chinese communist government has firm control over its 1.5 billion citizens. That's about five times more than the USA.  There is little public dissent because the law is clear: no violations of "the normal social order."

Of course, that could be anything.  So, the streets of Beijing are clean; littering would be a violation.  Public drug use: impossible.  Homeless, not tolerated. There is no "bail reform," and never will be.

I had been to China before, but this is a far different situation than in the past, and it caught me a bit by surprise.

After a half-mile walk from my flight gate to immigration, I found myself face-to-face with a young woman who had absolute power over me. I had flown in from Osaka, Japan and crisply presented my passport and customs card.

She scanned them.  Then her first words: "When you leave?"

I felt like I was watching that old Groucho Marx movie where the zany guy runs around saying, "Hello, I must be going!"

I gently told the uniformed lady that I was due to fly out in three days.  She frowned. She stared at the computer, for a long time.

I said nothing.

Finally, I was waived in.  Tourism to China is down 60 percent since COVID.  Clearly, welcoming folks is not a priority.

But things improved.  The Four Seasons Hotel was first class, service and food great.  Outside, cameras watched.  The Chinese on the street were largely indifferent to foreigners even though some of the Americans walking around looked like they flew in from a Hell's Angels convention. Tattoos galore.  Very few locals have tats because they are associated with criminal activity in China. That's not a good look if you're worried about conforming to normal social order.

Which everyone is.

My purpose in Beijing was to address a number of government people about the Trump administration. The Beijing power brokers follow my television commentary on social media and my books, especially "The United States of Trump."

The invitation I received in New York to speak was very kind and I will tell you what happened in my Sunday column posted on BillOReilly.com.  After the event, which was absolutely extraordinary, I left town fairly quickly.

Hello, I must be going.  For sure.  Talk on Sunday.  Back on TV Monday.