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People’s Daily: CMG and EBC Established Media Cooperation Relationship

People’s Daily recently reported that the China Media Group (CMG, aka China Central Broadcast and Television) and the Brazil Communication Company (EBC) just signed a deal for the exchange of contents and 5G new media technology, joint productions, cooperative broadcasts, and personnel training. Sheng Haixiong, CMG Chief Executive and Deputy Director of the Central Propaganda Department of the Chinese Communist Party, explained that this new deal was the result of a deepened comprehensive strategic relationship between China and Brazil. Since 2009, China has been Brazil’s largest trade partner. EBC is a Brazilian public company, founded in 2007, to manage the Brazilian federal government’s broadcast network. It includes domestic and international television as well as the nation’s primary radio stations.

Source: People’s Daily, November 14, 2019
http://paper.people.com.cn/rmrb/html/2019-11/16/nw.D110000renmrb_20191116_9-02.htm

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

For Spreading Propaganda for the CCP’s United Front, Swedish Christian Democrats Expel Chinese Councilor

According to recent reports from the Swedish television station (SVT) and radio station Serige Radio, the Central Committee of the Christian Democrats (KD), a Christian-democratic political party in Sweden, decided to strip the party membership of a Swedish Chinese city councilor on the grounds that this person had generated propaganda to expand the influence of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in Sweden. Lydia Liu (Chinese name Liu Fang) was a KD member and a city councilor of Nacka in east central Sweden. The Swedish media reported that internal investigations showed that Ms. Liu’s attempt to expand the influence of the CCP was carried out in a way that harmed the reputation of the Christian Democrats.

In August this year, the “Konflikt” section of Swedish Radio reported that the Ms. Liu was implementing the CCP’s United Front strategy so as to exert influence on the political parties in Sweden, prompting them to turn toward the pro-communist position. That councilor had contacts with the staff of the United Front Work Department, a CCP organization dedicated to increasing the CCP’s influence around the world. The program also revealed that she held important positions in a number of CCP related organizations and actively promoted the CCP’s “Belt and Road” project in Sweden.

Secretary General of the Christian Democrats Peter Kullgren said, “According to our party constitution, we can dismiss members who have damaged or may damage our party’s image or reputation. Based on this clause, we made a decision to expel Ms. Liu.”

Source: Epoch Times, November 13, 2019
http://www.epochtimes.com/gb/19/11/13/n11652190.htm

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

CNA: Beijing Declared It Has Ten Rights in Hong Kong

Major Taiwanese news agency Central News Agency (CNA) recently reported that Zhang Xiaoming, Director of the Hong Kong and Macau Office of the Chinese State Council, published an article discussing how to “improve” the “One Country, Two Systems” arrangement. Zhang declared that the Mainland government has ten rights in Hong Kong. These include especially the right to appoint the Hong Kong Chief Executive and the principal officials of the Hong Kong Government, the supervisory right over the autonomy of the SAR, and the right to issue commands to the chief executive. The Hong Kong Basic Law does not spell out the details of these rights of the Mainland central government. Analysts expressed the belief that, given the current situation in Hong Kong, Beijing is prepared to be serious in the exercise of these rights. It is widely understood that the right to issue commands to the Chief Executive will be used more frequently in the future since such commands cannot be challenged in Hong Kong’s local courts and (exercising this right) is faster than taking a legal approach. This right has been invoked before to invalidate the eligibility of some elected lawmakers (all of whom have been considered anti-Mainland), but not very frequently. Zhang’s article also indicated that the right to appoint major HK officials will be exercised “substantively.” It appears Mainland interference in the Hong Kong political landscape will be intensified in the future.

Source: CNA, November 11, 2019
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/201911100090.aspx

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

Chinese State Media: For Police to Fire at Protesters Is both “Reasonable and Legal”

In response to the Hong Kong police shooting the demonstrators at close range on November 11, the Chinese official media posted articles condemning the demonstrators and stressing that for the Hong Kong police to shoot was both reasonable and legal and followed the international standard.

People’s Daily, the mouthpiece of the Chinese Communist Party, commented on November 12 that, when facing demonstrators’ violent criminal actions, attempts to grab guns out of the policemen’s hands, and the acts that might pose a danger to public safety, “police officers have no choice but to fire their guns, which is reasonable and legitimate.”

The comment claimed that (the authorities) should not let the demonstrator’s arrogance develop into a habit, and should “manage” (take actions) to stop the riots and the violence. It supported what the “bold head sheriff” Liu Zeji (from Hong Kong) stated on his Weibo on November 12, “Don’t think the policemen will never fire their guns. (Firing them) is the international standard.”

The CCP’s Political and Legal Affairs Committee also claimed through its WeChat account “Chang’an Sword,” that shooting is the international standard. “When a mob attacks a policeman and tries to take his gun, if (the police officer) does not fire, what was the use of the gun and what was the use of there being a policeman?”

The Global Times published a commentary to encourage the Hong Kong police: “You are fighting on the front line, but you are not alone. You are not only behind the Hong Kong people who love Hong Kong, but also the people of the whole country. There are national armed police forces and troops stationed in Hong Kong . . .  the mobs can’t turn the sky.”

Sources: Lianhe Zaobao, November 13, 2019
https://www.zaobao.com.sg/special/report/politic/hkpol/story20191113-1004812?cx_testId=45&cx_testVariant=cx_1&cx_artPos=3#cxrecs_s

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend Government/Politics

Global Times Chief Editor: China’s Armed Police and the PLA Can Support Hong Kong Police Any Time

On November 11th, Hu Xinjin, the Editor-in-chief of Global Times posted on his Weibo that he “absolutely supports the Hong Kong policeman in shooting down the mob that besieged him” and claimed that China’s armed police and the People’s Liberation Army can enter Hong Kong anytime to reinforce the Hong Kong police.

He called Hong Kong protesters “mobs,” and he described that incident as follows: “The policeman faced several thugs; he faced the threat of his gun being stolen and the threat of being beaten. He apparently warned the black masked mob that intended to steal his gun that they should not approach him, but they ignored his warning. The police officer fired back at these thugs on the scene and sent a clear signal to other mobs in Hong Kong. Their besieging the police would bear certain legal risks including being killed on the spot.”

Hu said that some Hong Kong and Western media focused on the policeman’s shooting and played down the mob’s crimes and how this type of report is disgusting.

He also said that he “wants to tell the police in Hong Kong not to be afraid of anything but to defend the rule of law in Hong Kong resolutely and in accordance with the law. You are fighting on the front line, but you are not alone. Behind you, there are not only the broad masses of Hong Kong people and the people of the whole country who love Hong Kong, but also the armed police forces of the country and the PLA troops stationed in Hong Kong. When necessary, they can enter Hong Kong any minute to directly reinforce you in accordance with the provisions of the Basic Law. The mob can’t turn the sky upside down, nor can the Western forces. Hong Kong’s sky and earth do not belong to them.”

Source: Weibo, November 11, 2019
https://www.weibo.com/1989660417/IfHrWu6h0?type=comment

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend Government/Politics

Greek Police Detained Falun Gong Practitioners during Xi Jinping’s State Visit

On November 10, 2019, when some of Falun Gong practitioners in Athens, the capital of Greece, came to the “Freedom Park” outside of the Megaro Moussikis subway station, to do their exercises as they have always done on weekends, a group of security police officers arrived to stop their exercises. The police took the practitioners to the police headquarters in Athens. The police checked the four Falun Gong practitioners and their identity cards, turned off and confiscated their mobile phones, and detained them for two hours. When the Falun Gong practitioners asked why, the answer was “execution of orders.” The practitioners further asked, “Since you have canceled our exercises today, why do you take us to the police station?” The answer was still “execution of orders.” During the period, a police officer sympathetic to Falun Gong practitioners made phone calls and attempted to reverse the decision, but his efforts were in vain: the order must be executed.

Falun Gong is a meditation practice that originated in China. Starting in 1999, the Chinese communist regime launched an extensive persecution campaign against Falun Gong. Many Falun Gong practitioners have been monitored, arrested, physically and mentally tortured and murdered.

November 10 was the day when the Chinese Communist Party President Xi Jinping arrived in Greece for a state visit. Due to the interference of the Chinese Embassy in Greece, it was not the first time that the activities of local Falun Gong practitioners had been cancelled. It was also not the first time that local Falun Gong practitioners had been brought to the police station. Similar incidents have occurred in other countries, including Australia, Iceland, Denmark, France, and Serbia, whenever Chinese Communist Party officials visited those countries.

Source: Falun Gong’s Zhenjian Website, November 14, 2019.
http://www.zhengjian.org/node/255202

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

CCP Special Forces Used Dim Mak Technique to Kill Hong Kong Protesters

Epoch Times reported that an Internet posting stated that the special police forces in China were responsible for a number of the “floating corpses of protesters” in Hong Kong. After comparing many pictures, the author, who said he is in the special police forces, concluded that the Chinese special police forces did the killing with a special killing technique that only they know, called Dim Mak.

Dim Mak (点穴 or 点脉), is a mysterious Chinese martial arts technique. It was invented by Master Zhang Sanfeng (born in the 12th century) as part of his Wudang martial arts and healing system. Chinese medicine theory stresses the flow of “qi and blood (气血).” The Dim Mak technique is to press or hit a person’s acupoint to block the qi and blood flow either immediately or slowly, which can give that person great pain, slow or hinder his movement, or,  in the severe cases, lead to his death. This technique is also called “Touch of Death.”

Dim Mak may sound foreign and incredible to Westerners, but, thanks to martial arts novels, the concept is widely known to Chinese. Many Chinese martial arts practitioners know or believe it.

Since the “anti-extradition” movement in Hong Kong started in May, the conflict between the police and the protesters has become more and more brutal. Since June, more than one hundred protesters have been found to have mysteriously committed “suicide.” A number of “floating corpses” were found in water or in the seas, including that of Chan Yin-lam, a 15-year-old female student who had been a diving team member and was a good swimmer. One reporter observed that, when being arrested, it is not unusual for protesters to shout their name and yell that they are not suicidal. “If they aren’t heard from again, they want to make sure it’s clear who’s to blame.”

The Hong Kong police have failed to provide a satisfactory explanation in those cases. Many times, the authorities did a quick examination of the dead body and then sent it to be cremated.

Since the dead bodies did not have any sign of a clear fatal injury or convincing drowning signs, the author of the posting argued that the Chinese special forces used the “Dim Mak” technique to put the victims in a state of near death and let them die “naturally” in the water over a period of time.

The author pointed out, “The training of special forces in any country in the world is focused on controlling and killing suspects. Only China has another kind of training to put the apprehended in a near death state that can last for some time via Dim Mak.”

“The bodies that were pulled out from the waters had obvious bruises, which were likely to be the result of the special forces staff hitting or pressing the acupoints on the person’s arms, chest, abdomen, thighs, ankles, and back.”

The author claimed that “this is the most secretive murder method of the Chinese special forces” and is “killing without evidence.” “Even the professional forensic doctors cannot find, through an autopsy, what the real cause of death was and where the fatal blow was.”

Epoch Times said that it is not able to verify the accuracy of the claim.

Sources:
1. Epoch Times, November 2, 2019
http://www.epochtimes.com/gb/19/11/2/n11628953.htm
2. Taiji World website
http://www.taijiworld.com/Dim-Mak.html
3. Atlantic, November 12, 2019
https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2019/11/escalating-violence-hong-kong-protests/601804/

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend Grapevine

India Declined to Join RCEP

Well-known Chinese news site Sina recently reported that, according a number of Indian media sources, India has decided not to join The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), which is mainly led by China, as an alternative to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) from which the U.S. withdrew under President Trump. The RCEP negotiations started in 2012 and are expected to be signed next year, without India. The Indian announcement sent a shockwave across China. According to multiple sources, India’s decision was mainly based on the concerns that the negotiation neglected some of India’s core interests and the agreement requires opening up the Indian services market to 15 countries as well as lowering tariffs on Chinese products. India is especially worried about China taking advantage of India’s weak economic situation and “eating into India’s breakfast and lunch.” India’s hesitation was the reason for the delayed negotiation and the other 15 countries have been waiting. Several internal sources also said that India raised some tough last-minute new conditions.

Source: Sina, November 4, 2019
https://finance.sina.com/gb/economy/economy_global/huanqiu/2019-11-04/doc-ifzqmtky6730542.shtml

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend