Hot Topics – Page 18

World against the CCP: China Became the Target at the World Health Assembly

An article from Radio Free Asia stated that Beijing was isolated at the World Health Assembly (WHA) that was held on May 18 and 19, 2020. It mentioned several points:

1. A proposal, initiated by Australia, drafted by the European Union, and signed by 122 countries including Russia, Japan, and Nigeria requested an “independent investigation” into the origin and spread of the novel coronavirus. All 194 member countries, including China, voted yes and passed the resolution. The article commented that the reason the Beijing supported the resolution was that it changed its strategy after failing in a direct confrontation against the world. It will now join the investigation team, with the hope to alienate and instigate member countries and to muddle the investigation by changing the investigation site, the objectives, and the methods, to get itself out of having any accountability.

2. Xi Jinping promised to donate 2 billion dollars to the World Health Organization (WHO) in the next two years. John Ullyot, the Spokesperson for the White House National Security Council, said in a statement that China’s commitment “is a token to distract from calls from a growing number of nations demanding accountability for the Chinese government’s failure to meet its obligations.”

3. The article also stated that, despite the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) global propaganda campaign, it has ended up being in a worsened situation of isolation. It mentioned a few things that the CCP didn’t anticipate:

The entire world, including countries that used to have a good relationship with Beijing, aligned with the U.S. (against the CCP) as one side.
Russia joined the alliance despite China’s offer of substantial financial support to Russia when it was boycotted by the U.S. and Europe.
African countries, who used to be the CCP’s good friends, jumped uniformly to the opposite side, with Nigeria being the leader and demanding 200 billion dollars in compensation. The African League also asked for compensation.
WHO Director-General Tedros had a dramatic change. He supported the “investigation” request and even proactively requested a review of whether to invite Taiwan to attend the assembly.

Leadership: Xi Jinping Went to Shanxi Province While Sidelining the Commander of Beijing Garrison

The People’s Daily reported that Xi Jinping went to Shanxi Province on May 11 and 12. During the trip, he visited the Yungang Grottoes, which was famous for stone-carved Buddhist sculptures. (#1, People’s Daily)

Chen Pokong, a political commentator on China’s affairs who frequently appears on Voice of America and Radio Free Asia, said that Xi’s trip was linked to the soft removal of Wang Chunning, the Commander of Beijing Garrison. (#2, YouTube)

Xinhua announced on May 10, that Zhang Fandi, the Political Commissar of Beijing Garrison replaced Wang Chunning as a Beijing Communist Party Committee Member and a Standing Committee Member. (#3, Xinhua)

In the Chinese Communist Party (CCP’s) structure, the People’s Liberation Army unit has two top leaders: a commander in charge of the military actions and a political commissar for political activities. One of them, from a local garrison, also serves as a member of the locale’s (provincial or municipal) communist party standing committee, which is the highest power decision-making organ in the locale.

Wang Chunning is a Lieutenant General. He became the Commander of the Beijing Garrison in 2016. In January this year, he took over the Beijing Communist Party Standing Committee Member position from Jiang Yong, then Beijing Garrison Political Commissar. Major General Zhang Fandi took over the Political Commissar position from Jiang Yong at the same time. Wang has served the Beijing Standing Committee Member for only four months. (#4, Beijing News)

In his analysis, Chen Pokong pointed out:

The head of Beijing Garrison is extremely critical to Xi as it can control Beijing.
Wang Chunning has a higher military rank than Zhang Fandi. In a normal situation, Zhang would not take over Wang’s Beijing Standing Committee Member position.
This indicates that Xi Jinping no longer trusts Wang.
Xi might do a soft removal of Wang, like what he did to Fu Zhenghua recently. Fu was the Minister of Justice. He was removed from the position of Deputy Party Secretary of Justice Ministry’s Party Committee on April 20, then removed from the Minister of Justice post on April 29, and then removed from the position of Deputy Director of the CCP Central Committee’s Office for the Rule of Law on May 5.
When Xi took down Sun Lijun and Fu Zhenghua, he went to Shaanxi Province, probably to avoid the supporters of Sun and Fu, to take actions against him in Beijing. This time, Xi probably did the same thing: going to Shanxi Province while pushing out Wang Chunning. (#2, YouTube)

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