We always knew the arrival of the world's most powerful man in Hong Kong was bound to prompt some ludicrously bureaucratic behaviour from local officials.
But the lengths to which the Government Information Service went yesterday to keep an eye on journalists greeting Bill Clinton were stunning.
Accredited hacks had to turn up at the Central Government Offices at 1pm to catch a bus to the new airport, to enable them to view Mr Clinton's scheduled arrival a whole six hours later.
At 1.05pm they were told the bus was not departing until 1.45pm. The coach eventually left at around 2.20pm.
It reached the airport at 3.15pm - then the hacks were piled on to tarmac buses with minimal seating, locked in and left to rot for a while.
A tedious hour of standing around on the bus ensued, before the driver took the bus for a spin.