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China Continues Lockdown and COVID Control against Its Citizens Even During and After Earthquake

On September 5, a 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck Sichuan Province in southwestern China. Nevertheless, and despite the imminent danger, local officials continued the strict COVID control measures and locked residents inside their apartment buildings.

The quake took place in Luding County and caused landslides involving both rocks and boulders. According to state media reports on September 8, the death toll so far has risen to 86.

China’s state media reported several aftershocks in nearby areas. The US Geological Survey also detected a smaller magnitude 4.6 tremor which hit eastern Tibet less than an hour after the initial quake.

Online videos showed that, despite the quake, local authorities stayed firm on the Communist Party’s COVID control measures.

One video showed that residents rushed downstairs in their apartment buildings, but only found the gate was locked and they could not get it to open.

Another one showed that a staff member guarding the gate argued with the people who wanted to get out, “Let me ask you, did the building collapse?” (meaning: if the building did not collapse, residents should just stay in it.)

A picture showed a notice posted for the residents: “Hello Everyone! An earthquake just took place. Please do not be panic. Please wear your mask and go upstairs back to your home. During the COVID control period, (you) should not go downstairs, take a walk, or gather into groups. Outdoor activities are prohibited. Thank you!”

When volunteers arrived on site to help with rescues, the first thing authorities did was to give them a COVID test.

Source: Epoch Times, September 5, 2022
https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/22/9/5/n13817657.htm

 

Briefings | | |   @CS Government/Politics Social Stability

Article Praising the Policy of Closing the Country from the World

The Chinese Academy of History, under China’s Academy of Social Science, recently published an article on “closing the country.” It set up a project team to research the foreign policy of two dynasties in China’s history: the Ming and the Qing. The team published this article, arguing that the policy to “close the country from the world” was the proper foreign policy at that time, or the right choice to deal with the Western countries.

The Chinese Communist Party has a tradition of using history to give hints about current affairs or policies. Many people questioned  whether this article is to reverse the “opening up” policy that the CCP has adopted since Deng Xiaoping’s time and instead move into a “closed country” stage.

Source: United Daily News, August 30, 2022
https://udn.com/news/story/7331/6575481

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Attorneys In China Are Required to Sign Commitment to Practice That Endorses the Party’s Leadership

A local Commitment to Practice statement for attorneys was posted on the Internet. Attorneys are required to sign in order to practice law. The statement specified that the signee agree to five promises. The first promise is to “Uphold the guidance of Socialism with the Chinese Characteristics of Xi Jinping’s new era, to uphold the authority of the communist party’s central committee with Xin Jinping as the core and central leadership, and to endorse the communist party’s leadership.”

The second item is to follow the law for attorneys , attorney’s business ethics and practice disciplines, and other requirements for attorneys. The third to fifth items are to follow the regulations on attorney’s interactions with other legal professional, follow the management of the judicial administrative office and the attorney association, and to establish the right law practice ideas.

The exposed picture is said to be a local version. However, attorneys are saying different regions have similar commitment documents for them to sign and they all stress  following the party’s leadership.

Source: Epoch Times, August 29, 2022
http://cn.epochtimes.com/gb/22/8/29/n13813299.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

UDN: China Makes Tech Giants Hand Over System Algorithms

United Daily News (UDN), one of the primary Taiwanese news groups, recently reported that Chinese tech giants such as Alibaba, Tencent and TikTok’s parent company ByteDance have handed over details of the online algorithms of some of their services to government regulators. The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), which oversees the Chinese Internet, released a list of 30 algorithms, for regulation purposes, that companies use to collect user data and promote content and services. Tech companies around the world keep their algorithms closely guarded as trade secrets, but in March, China announced  rules that force companies to hand over their algorithms to authorities using the reason that it will preventing them from misusing data. The new rules require that companies cannot engage in activities that could threaten national security or social stability or encourage excessive addiction. The regulations state that service providers must frequently self-assess to ensure compliance and submit records to the relevant Chinese authorities. China’s move to establish an algorithmic registration system is unprecedented. So far, neither the United States nor the European Union (EU) have implemented such regulations. Applicable internet businesses range from social media provider like Weibo to food delivery platforms like Meituan.

Source: UDN, August 17, 2022
https://udn.com/news/story/7331/6542508?from=udn-ch1_breaknews-1-cate4-news

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics Information/Technology

Seventeen Ministries Issued Joint-Notice to Encourage Chinese to Have More Babies

China is facing a severe population drop. According to the China Business Network’s report, China had 10.62 million newborn babies in 2021, a significant decrease from the 18.83 million in 2016.

On July 25, seventeen ministerial-level agencies in China issued a joint notice to encourage Chinese people to have more babies. The agencies include the National Health Commission, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Chinese Communist Party, the Propaganda Department, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Civil Affairs, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, and the People’s Bank, to name just a few.

The notices mentioned the need to improve services for pregnancy, child health, education, job finding, and a number of other issues. It also stressed a need to increase childcare services and reduce its cost.

However, Epoch Times reported that many online responses to the notice stated that the real reason that people do not want to have a baby is not the lack of childcare services but the overall high cost of raising a child from birth to college.

Sources:
1. China National Health Commission Website, August 16, 2022
http://www.nhc.gov.cn/rkjcyjtfzs/s7785/202208/9247dd64744c42df9522c4fa2cb78e42.shtml
2. Epoch Times, August 17, 2022
https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/22/8/17/n13804712.htm
3. China Business Network, January 17, 2022
https://www.yicai.com/news/101291490.html

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources Government/Politics

Xi Jinping Talked about “Common Prosperity”

Xi Jinping promoted the “common prosperity” concept last summer but then the media cooled down on it for about a year. Recently, he started talking about it again.

There have been doubts about what the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) intended to do. Its practice in the past was to confiscate the wealth from the rich and redistribute it to the people or to the “government” (the officials themselves). Chinascope has a deep analysis on this topic: Common Prosperity and Xi’s Desire to Be China’s “Greatest Leader (”http://chinascope.org/archives/28655  http://chinascope.org/archives/28655)

On August 15, People’s Daily republished Xi Jinping’s speech given on January 28, 2021.at the twenty-seventh collective study of the 19th Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) Political Bureau, His speech made five points:

  1. Implement new development concepts (innovation, coordination, green, open, and sharing)
  2. Focus on common prosperity.
  3. Continue deepening reform and opening up.
  4. Have the systematic (big picture) view.
  5. View things from a political angle.

On August 16, when visiting Northeastern China, Xi Jinping talked about common prosperity. Xi said that Chinese-style modernization is not just for a few people. Rather all people will be rich.

Source:
1. People’s Daily, August 15, 2022
http://politics.people.com.cn/n1/2022/0815/c1024-32502880.html
2. China’s Official Government Site, August 17, 2022
http://www.gov.cn/xinwen/2022-08/17/content_5705661.htm

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources Government/Politics

The CCP Connection to Lord Wei of Shoreditch of the U.K.

Lord Wei of Shoreditch, Nathanael Ming-Yan Wei is a member of the House of Lords in the United Kingdom. A son of a Hong Kong immigrant, he was born and grew up in the U.K.

Foreigninterference.org reported that Lord Wei had continuous contact with the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) United Front Work Department and its controlled entities between 2011 and 2016. For example, Li Xuelin (Lady Xuelin Bates), Chairwoman of the Zhejiang UK Association, had a good connection with Lord Wei and served as his advisor on China issues. Li married British Minister of State for International Development Lord Michael Bates. Li had served the Vice President of the Promotion of China Re-Unification Society in the U.K., which is under the CCP’s United Front Work Department. Li led Lord Wei to attend many activities at the Chinese Embassy or organized by the CCP’s United Front Work. Li also arranged his trip to China and meetings with Chinese officials during the visit.

Due to the controversy, Lord Wei resigned from the Chairman post of the Welcoming Committee for Hong Kongers.

Source: Epoch Times, August 10, 2022
https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/22/8/10/n13799344.htm

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend Government/Politics

China Published a New White Paper on Taiwan

On August 10, Beijing published its latest White Paper on Taiwan. China’s Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council and the State Council Information Office published the document titled, “The Taiwan Question and China’s Reunification in the New Era.”

The paper announced that, “Taiwan has never been a state; its status as part of China is unalterable.”

“The realization of complete national reunification is driven by the history and culture of the Chinese nation and determined by the momentum towards and circumstances surrounding our national rejuvenation. Never before have we been so close to, confident in, and capable of achieving the goal of national rejuvenation. The same is true when it comes to our goal of complete national reunification.”

It criticized Taiwan’s Democratic Progressive Party authorities for creating tension and external forces for “hav(ing) encouraged and instigated provocative actions by the separatist forces.”

“(W)e will not renounce the use of force,” the document stated, “and we reserve the option of taking all necessary measures. This is to guard against external interference and all separatist activities… The use of force would be the last resort taken under compelling circumstances.”

China published the Taiwan White Paper in both 1993 and 2000. Both earlier versions mentioned that, “(Beijing) will not dispatch soldiers or administrative staff to Taiwan” after the “re-unification.” The 2000 White Paper also stated, “As long as Taiwan recognizes there is only one China and does not seek independence, everything is negotiable.” These sentences were not seen in the new White Paper.

The Taiwan government disputed Beijing’s claim. The Taiwan Mainland Affairs Council said this White Paper was, “full of wishful-thinking, lies and reckless disregard of the truth.” “Only the 23 million people of Taiwan have the right to decide the future of Taiwan, and they will never accept the results set by an authoritarian regime.”

Sources:
1. China’s State Council Website, August 10, 2022
https://english.www.gov.cn/archive/whitepaper/202208/10/content_WS62f34f46c6d02e533532f0ac.html
2. Al Jazeera, August 10, 2022
https://chinese.aljazeera.net/news/political/2022/8/10/中国重申武统台湾立场

Briefings | | |   @CS Geo-Strategic Trend Government/Politics