When Shanghai's Pudong International Airport opened in 1999, it was meant to symbolize the rebirth of China's largest city as a 21st-century commercial metropolis. A soaring glass structure by French architect Paul Andreu, designer of the Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, it is of a quality and scale apart from other air facilities in China. Inside, travelers can sip espresso while reading uncensored international newspapers.
But the place is depressingly empty. Shanghai's air ...