Instagram may be blocked in China, as is the search term “Ai Weiwei” on the Chinese microblog service Weibo, but that did not stop China’s social and online art media focusing squarely on Ai at the end of July when his six-month visa application to visit the UK was rejected. He was granted a two-week visa on the grounds that he had not declared a (non-existent) criminal conviction but was subsequently told “an exception has been made” for a 20-day visa (from 9 to 29 September) to be granted for the opening of his solo show at London’s Royal Academy of Arts. The Chinese media usually shy away from Ai conflicts with the Chinese government and largely overlooked the return of his passport, also in July, but were prompt to cover his UK visa problems. Online articles about Ai’s visa problems spread in China via social media. The British government reversed its original decision within 48 hours and the Home Secretary apologised to the artist for the inconvenience caused. Ai’s frustrations resonated with Chinese for whom international visa snafus are all too familiar. The artist was able to use his passport to travel first to Germany without a hitch.