Hot Topics - 41. page

After Beijing replaced the Hubei Provincial Party Secretary and Wuhan Municipal Party Secretary for ineffective control of the coronavirus in Wuhan and Hubei, the media rarely mentioned the Wuhan Mayor, Zhou Xianwang.

However, HK01, a media in Hong Kong, reported that, on February 28 at a press conference, Ma Xiaowei, a member of the Central government’s Supervision Group at Hubei and Director of the National Health Commission, called Zhou Xianwang out and praised him for “directing work on the front line, mobilizing people in person, and organizing (hospital) construction work around the clock.” One of Zhou’s achievements was building 16 modular hospitals with 13,000 beds that host 12,000 patients.

New Tang Dynasty (NTDTV), a New York based independent Chinese language Television media, pointed out that this news was special because, in the past, Zhou Xianwang openly challenged the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) central leadership, which is very rarely  seen in China’s political system.

In an interview with China Central Television (CCTV) on January 27, 2020, Zhou said that, until January 20, he had not been “authorized” to release information to the public or to take action. (See Chinascope posting: Leadership: Wuhan Mayor Not “Authorized” to Release Epidemic Information to the Public Before)

Then on February 11, 2020, Changjiang Daily, the official newspaper under the Wuhan Communist Party Committee, published an article to defend Zhou as he was not authorized to take action. (See Chinascope posting: Leadership: Wuhan Municipal Website Defended Its Mayor)

In his CCTV interview, Zhou also stated that he made the decision to lock down Wuhan. However, on February 20, Ding Xiangyang, the Deputy Chief Secretary of the State Council and a member of the Central government’s Supervision Group at Hubei, stated that it was Xi Jinping who ordered the Wuhan lockdown. (See Chinascope posting: Leadership: Ding Xiangyang: Xi Jinping Ordered Wuhan Lockdown)

Therefore, the praise of Zhou Xianwang may have a number of political messages behind it.

The Director of the Central government’s Supervision Group at Hubei is Vice Premier Sun Chunlan. The Deputy Director is Chen Yixin, Party Secretary of the Communist Party Central Committee Political and Legal Affairs Committee, who is said to be a Xi Jinping loyalist.

Related postings on Chinascope:

• Leadership: Wuhan Mayor Not “Authorized” to Release Epidemic Information to the Public Before
• Leadership: Wuhan Municipal Website Defended Its Mayor
• Leadership: Ding Xiangyang: Xi Jinping Ordered Wuhan Lockdown

Continue reading →

The China Media Project, according to the description on its website, is a Hong Kong based independent research, fellowship and exchange program in partnership with the Journalism & Media Studies Centre at the University of Hong Kong.

The China Media Project published a lengthy analysis of a special propaganda series that People’s Daily has been running called “The General Secretary Came to My Home” (总书记来过我的家). It has been in the newspaper as a front page story. This series, with its feel-good reminiscences has been extolling Xi Jinping as a man of the people.

The first article in this series appeared on January 5. There were five front pages that the series dominated up until January 20, the day that marked a key turning point in the epidemic. On that day, Xi Jinping made his first major statement on China’s response, which confirmed the outbreak of the coronavirus and asked governments to take action.

It then published another 12 articles, each on a different day, between January 31 and February 18. Each article in the series is very similar in style, with its tone triumphant and pleasant at turns, conveying a fulsome sense of happiness and gain, treating Xi Jinping’s every step as a miracle.

The analysis commented that, from a purely design standpoint, the series is unappealing. Every installment is designed in exactly the same way, with the series title against an orange banner, a bold vertical headline, and a gold-shaded box at the top including an inspirational quote from Xi. The series is pushed so intensely and regularly that it seems it can only fatigue the reader. The more serious problem is, however, that the series has little newsworthiness at all – at a time when everyone knows there is plenty to report, plenty to talk about, plenty to decide and to act upon.

It then asked, “Do the editors not understand that these choices will actually have an adverse impact on the image of the CCP and the image of Xi Jinping?”

[Editor’s Note: There is a Chinese term “witty sarcasm” (高级黑), meaning that someone uses praise or other seemed-to-be-supportive methods to actually ridicule another person. The overly boring praise of Xi Jinping may bring bad a public opinion to Xi. Also, to keep saying, “The General Secretary Came to My Home” may lead people to realize that Xi has not visited the epicenter of Wuhan or Hubei since the coronavirus outbreak in China.]

Related postings on Chinascope:

• Leadership: The Hype and Stop of the Book “The Great Power Fighting Epidemic”
• Leadership: Chinese Leaders Are Planning Hide-out Place While Fighting the Coronavirus
• Leadership: “Turning Point Has Not Come Yet”
• Leadership: Ding Xiangyang: Xi Jinping Ordered Wuhan Lockdown
• Leadership: Some Chinese Media Showed Voices of Discord

Continue reading →

The Citizen Lab, according to the description on its website, “is an interdisciplinary laboratory based at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, University of Toronto. It focuses on research, development, and high-level strategic policy and legal engagement at the intersection of information and communication technologies, human rights, and global security.”

On March 3, the Citizen Lab published a report indicating that Beijing has intensified internet censorship and blocked many internet postings containing words related to the coronavirus, Xi Jinping, and the Communist Party, to prevent people from making negative comments about the regime.

Its key findings include:

“YY, a live-streaming platform in China, began to censor keywords related to the coronavirus outbreak on December 31, 2019, a day after doctors (including the late Dr. Li Wenliang) tried to warn the public about the then unknown virus.

WeChat broadly censored coronavirus-related content (including critical and neutral information) and expanded the scope of censorship in February 2020. Censored content included criticism of government, rumors and speculative information on the epidemic, references to Dr. Li Wenliang, and neutral references to Chinese government efforts on handling the outbreak that had been reported on state media.

Many of the censorship rules are broad and effectively block messages that include names for the virus or sources for information about it. Such rules may restrict vital communication related to disease information and prevention.”

It also found that Beijing has also blocked messages containing several words, for example, “习近平+疫情蔓延” (Xi Jinping + Epidemic spread), “武漢+中共+危機+北京” (Wuhan + CCP + Crisis + Beijing), “封城+部隊” (Lockdown of a city + Military).

Related postings on Chinascope:

• Hiding Information: Coronavirus Infection at Wuhan Women’s Prison Was Not Reported Until Feb 21
• Hiding Information: Shanghai Authorities Closed a P3 Lab for Publishing Coronavirus Genome
• Hiding Information: Liaoning Province Ordered to Destroy Files Regarding Epidemic
• Hiding Information: Media Not Allowed to Report Coronavirus Outside Party Messages

Source: The Citizen Lab, March 3, 2020

Censored Contagion: How Information on the Coronavirus is Managed on Chinese Social Media

The Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) Central Propaganda Department created a book called, “The Great Power Fights the Epidemic” (“大国战“疫”——2020中国阻击新冠肺炎疫情进行中”) and was ready to publish it.

According to Xinhua’s report, this book, “with over 2 million Chinese characters, selected materials from (China’s) mainstream media and integrated them together to show the care for the people, the mission, the strategic vision, and the excellent leadership of Xi Jinping, the General Secretary of the CCP and leader of a great power. … It objectively tells the truth and the story that China has forcefully and effectively contained the coronavirus epidemic …” The plan was to translate the book into five languages, including English, French, Spanish, Russian, and Arabic.

However, Radio Free Asia reported that people said that it was too early for the CCP to declare victory. Some criticized the CCP for attempting to glorify itself even before it was able to control the coronavirus.

Then, Radio France International reported that people found that the book was taken out of China’s major online stores such as JD, Taobao, and Suning. When inquiries were made to those bookstores the answer received was, “The book is temporarily unavailable.”

Related postings on Chinascope:

• Leadership: (Unconfirmed) Two High-Rank Officials’ Family Members Are Infected
• Leadership: Wuhan Unlocked the City for Three Hours and Then Re-closed It
• Leadership: China Postponed “Lianghui” (“The Two Conferences”)
• Leadership: Chinese Leaders Are Planning Hide-out Place While Fighting the Coronavirus
• Leadership: “Turning Point Has Not Come Yet”

Continue reading →

Looking further into the case of a woman released from Wuhan Women’s Prison coming to Beijing (Chinascope posting: Local Government: A Woman Released from Wuhan Prison Went to Beijing), Beijing News found that the government did not report the coronavirus infection at the Wuhan Women’s Prison until February 21, though a guard was confirmed to have had the infection on January 29.

In its investigation report about the case of Ms. Huang’s coming to Beijing from Wuhan, the Hubei Provincial Commission on Disciplinary Inspection mentioned that a guard was confirmed to have had the infection on January 29.

However, the Hubei Provincial Prison Administration Bureau didn’t report anything until February 21, when it stated that there were 230 infection cases at the Wuhan Women’s Prison. On February 5, Hao Aimin, member of the Hubei Provincial Judicial Bureau Party Committee and Director of Hubei Provincial Prison Bureau went to Wuhan Women’s Prison to supervise the (epidemic) battle.

The Beijing News‘ report was no longer available on its website. Phoenix republished the article but later also removed it.

Related postings on Chinascope:

• Local Government: A Lady Released from Wuhan Prison Went to Beijing
• Hiding Information: Shanghai Authorities Closed a P3 Lab for Publishing Coronavirus Genome
• Hiding Information: Liaoning Province Ordered to Destroy Files Regarding Epidemic
• Hiding Information: Media Not Allowed to Report Coronavirus Outside Party Messages

Continue reading →

A few days ago, many Chinese media reported the story that a woman who was release from a Wuhan prison came to Beijing on February 22 and was confirmed with coronavirus two days later. People were asking how she managed to come to Beijing.

Hubei Daily, the newspaper under Hubei Provincial Communist Party Committee, reported on February 26 that Ying Yong, Hubei Provincial Party Secretary said it was absolutely not allowed to let such a case that bypassed traffic control happen. Hubei Party Commission for Disciplinary Inspection led the investigation.

On March 2, Beijing News reported the investigation result: Ms. Huang was serving a prison term due to a crime of corruption, at the Wuhan Women’s Prison. On January 29, a guard in her section of the prison was confirmed to have the novel coronavirus infection and Ms. Huang was in close contact with that guard. Ms. Huang finished serving her prison term on February 17, but stayed in the prison for “quarantine observation.” From February 17 to 21,the  prison checked her temperature 13 times; twice she had a temperature of 37.3 degree (celcius), which was at the borderline of a coronavirus symptom. On February 21, guards took Ms. Huang to the highway toll booth north of Wuhan to hand her over to her daughter and her daughter’s ex-husband. They then drove her all the way to Beijing on February 22. They managed to pass check points and took Ms. Huang to a residential neighborhood in Beijing.

The investigation team took action against several mid-level officials. It put the head of Hubei Provincial Judicial Department under further investigation; removed the head of Hubei Provincial Prison Bureau from his post and put him under further investigation and put the head of the Wuhan Prison, who had been removed from his position earlier due to the outbreak of the coronavirus infection at the prison, under further investigation.

Staff performing coronavirus checks at the entry points to Beijing were also punished.

Related postings on Chinascope:

• Local Government: Some People Stuck in Wuhan Became Homeless
• Local Government: Ying Yong Is in Full Control at Hubei Province
• Local Government: Xiaogan City, Hubei Province Sealed Residents’ Doors from Outside
• Local Government: Beijing Asked for “Protecting Patient’s Privacy”
• Local Government: Confiscating Each Other’s Medical Supplies

Continue reading →

Beijing News reported that, amidst the coronavirus outbreak in China, the China Performance Industry Association published a report on March 2. The report, titled, “The ‘Pause Key’ Continued and Nearly 8,000 Performances Were Cancelled in March,” stated that, based on statistics in over twenty provinces in China, nearly 8,000 performances in March were cancelled or postponed. The direct box office loss amounted to over 1 billion yuan (US $140 million). Continue reading →

Chen Jingyuan, Director of the Health Bureau, People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Central Military Commission’s Logistics and Support Department, stated that over 10,000 military healthcare workers have been engaged on the coronavirus epidemic control and, as of now, they have maintained “zero infection.”

Chen said that starting January 24, the PLA had sent three patches, with a total of over 4,000 medical staff members to Wuhan, including managing the Huoshenshan and other hospitals.

On the other hand, there has been a higher number of infections of healthcare staff members on the civilian side. China Business Network reported that, on February 17, there was a high-profile controversy between the National Health Commission and China’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The National Health Commission reported over 1,700 medical staff members had been infected with the coronavirus, while China’s CDC reported more than 3,000 cases. The National Health Commission later said that the CDC count might have included medical professionals who were infected at home, not on the job.

Editor’s Note: Even the lower count of the civilian medial staff’s infections of 1,700 cases as of February 17 presented a big contrast to the military’s “zero infection.” Does that mean the military has a special effective protection measure or has not been actively engaged in patient treatment and is thus much less exposed to danger?

Related postings on Chinascope:

• Military: PLA Biological and Chemical Protection Soldiers Died in Wuhan
• Military: Wuhan Lab Has Close Ties to the PLA

Continue reading →