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Government: Office Document Shows Jilin Plans to Impose Lockdown with No Advanced Notice

The Epoch Times reported that an internal government document revealed that the authorities in Jilin Province have decided not to provide notice in advance to all of the residents before locking down a city or a region.

The document referred to the provincial COVID control meeting on April 15, where both the Provincial Party Secretary and Governor attended and spoke. The meeting requested, “After the current lockdown is over, residents should store at least a month-long supply of meat, eggs, and milk and a two weeks-long supply of vegetables. In the future, there won’t be any advanced notice before a lockdown takes place. [The Authorities] will impose a lockdown immediately to avoid close contact [and COVID infections] due to people’s rushing out to buy supplies.”

However, people are questioning if it is realistic for them to store such a big volume of supplies of perishable goods since  they have limited living space and only a small amount of room in their refrigerators.

Related postings on Chinascope:

Source: Epoch Times, April 16, 2022
https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/22/4/16/n13713245.htm

Hot Topics | | |   Government/Politics Social Stability

Government: Beijing Criticized Shanghai Officials for Passively Resisting COVID Control

Shanghai’s COVID continues spreading causing many humanitarian problems to occur. Beijing blames Shanghai officials for their inaction in the control of COVID .

People’s Daily, the CCP’s central media, published a commentary on April 10 to stress that the country persevere in the “Zero-COVID” strategy. It criticized certain officials’ for not putting in their best effort. “The antonym of ‘persevere’ is to ‘give up.’ Surrendering or giving up in front of the pandemic means to give up the previous success of COVID prevention and control.” “Any thought of lying down or waiting or relying on [the central government] or any thought of taking it lightly is greatly irresponsible to the big picture of pandemic prevention and control.”

From April 7 to April 9, Shanghai removed eight local officials for their poor performances .

Related postings on Chinascope:

Sources:
1. Epoch Times, April 10, 2022
https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/22/4/10/n13707998.htm
2. People’s Daily, April 10, 2022
http://opinion.people.com.cn/n1/2022/0410/c223228-32395450.html

Hot Topics | | |   Government/Politics Social Stability

People’s Daily: Who Is Intentionally Perpetuating the (Russian-Ukraine) Conflict?

China’s propaganda machine People’s Daily published a commentary on the Russian-Ukraine war under the title, “Who Is Intentionally Perpetuating the Conflict?” The author’s name is Zhong Sheng. This is a pen name that sounds like “The voice of China.”

The article states, “The Russian-Ukrainian conflict broke out and the stock prices of U.S. military industry companies rose sharply. Who is making a fortune from this war? Who is intentionally perpetuating the conflict? It is a self-explanatory fact.”

The commentary continued, “The Ukrainian crisis has put more pressure on the already burdened world economy. However, according to a former U.S. Department of Defense official, in Washington, many lobbying companies, military enterprises and people in the Capitol are quietly popping champagne to celebrate. The U.S. stock market data showed that, from February 24 to March 28, Lockheed Martin shares rose more than 13 percent, Northrop Grumman rose more than 13.4 percent, and General Dynamics rose more than 10 percent. The Russian-Ukrainian conflict broke out and the stock prices of U.S. military industry companies rose sharply. Who is making a fortune from the war? Who is intentionally perpetuating the conflict? The answer is self-explanatory.”

“Provoking the Russian-Ukrainian conflict and profiting from it is the desired wish of the U.S. military-industrial complex. It influences U.S. foreign policy through interest groups. It constantly challenges Russia’s bottom line. By exaggerating the “military threat from Russia.” It sells security anxiety and exaggerates the need for European countries to increase defense spending significantly and to strengthen “military deterrence.”

The article concluded, “The United States has long regarded itself as a ‘beacon of democracy.’ In recent years it has tried to exaggerate the narrative of ‘democracy against authoritarianism.’ However, a strong contrast between the lack of U.S. domestic anti-epidemic funding and the huge profits that the military industry makes, as well as the U.S. history of creating wars and conflicts all over the world, have eroded the democracy and human rights appearance it has so promoted with holes and scars everywhere. The United States, which has such  interest groups as the military-industrial complex, is a hegemonic chariot corrupted by money. What it brings to the world and its ordinary people is only turmoil and harm.”

Source: People’s Daily, April 2, 2022
http://world.people.c.om.cn/Tn1/V2022/0402/c1002-32390419.html

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

He Lifeng Took Some Powers from Wang Hu’ning

Hong Kong’s Ming Pao reported that He Lifeng (何立峰) might have taken certain powers away from Wang Hu’ning (王沪宁).

He Lifeng heads the National Development and Reform Commission. Ming Pao received information that he has taken over the CCP Central Committee for Deepening Reform Office, which seems to be separated from the CCP Central Committee Policy Research Office that Wang Hu’ning oversees.

The Wall Street Journal quoted from its source that Xi Jinping is thinking about letting He Lifeng take over China’s economy and financial system in the future, and possibly giving him the first Deputy Prime Minister position.

Wang Hu’ning, according to a Washington Post report, “is almost certainly the most dangerous man in the world that most people have never heard of. He is a member of the Politburo Standing Committee of the Chinese Communist Party but is best understood to be the big thinker in President Xi Jinping’s inner circle.” Wang has a “considerable influence over Xi.” He also advised two previous CCP heads, Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao.

There is infighting between Jiang Zemin’s faction and Xi Jinping. Some political observers have the view that Wang has stayed in Jiang’s camp and has been misleading Xi Jinping to get him to make irrational decisions.

Source: Epoch Times, April 1, 2022
https://hk.epochtimes.com/news/2022-04-01/24028216

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Global Times Editorial: Don’t Let the “Bucha Incident” Be Used to Fan the Fire

Below is an excerpt from an editorial that China’s state-run media Global Times wrote on the “Bucha killing” in Ukraine:

“The United Nations Security Council held a meeting on April 5, discussing the  Ukraine situation, with the ‘Bucha incident’ being the focus. Ukraine alleged that the Russian army killed a large number of civilians during the occupation of Bucha which is located in the western suburbs of Kyiv. Russia resolutely denied it and submitted the evidence of the Ukraine side’s fake propaganda to the Council.”

“Unfortunately, after the ‘Bucha incident’ was exposed, the initiator (the United States) of the Ukrainian crisis has not shown any signs of urging peace and promoting talks. On the contrary, it is ready to exacerbate the Russia-Ukraine tensions and create obstacles to the peace talks between the two sides by increasing sanctions against Russia, providing more weapons to Ukraine, and continuously pressuring Russia in diplomacy and in public opinion. In particular, Washington expressed that it will provide a series of heavy weapons systems to Ukraine. The U.S. national security consultant, Jake Sullivan, said that the extent and depth of sending weapons and military equipment to Ukraine will be ‘unprecedented.’ We have to say, it is very irresponsible to fan the flames.

“Many Western media describe the ‘Bucha incident’ as the turning point in the Russian conflict. This is a vague judgment. Is it a direction in which the situation is further deteriorating? This is precisely why the peace-loving people need to be vigilant. At present, the direction of  the ‘Bucha incident’ seems to have deviated from the normal orbit, and the elements of a public opinion war and psychological war are getting stronger. However, any attempt to use the Ukrainian crisis so as to unilaterally occupy the ‘moral high-ground,’ and continuously push up conflicts to extract the geostrategic interests, will in the end, trigger a larger humanitarian tragedy.

“People have reason to suspect that some people in the U.S. and the West are hiding a ‘double standard’ and a not so simple political purpose over the ‘Bucha incident.’ The reason is that, over the years, the military forces of some countries have committed numerous crimes in killing civilians with impunity. According to incomplete statistics, as many as 100,000 Afghan civilians have died under U.S. gunfire, and a significant number of them were children. The Australian special forces have killed 39 unarmed Afghan civilians, including juveniles, by slitting their throats only for ‘practice.’ What’s more, in order to obstruct the International Criminal Court’s (ICC’s) investigation of U.S. war crimes in Afghanistan, the U.S. government went so far as to restrict the issuance of visas for ICC staff and threatened to impose sanctions on them.”

The “‘Bucha incident’ once again reminded the international community that, while having a serious investigation, it is also necessary to avoid fanning the flames and ‘passing the knife.’”

Source: Global Times, April 5, 2022
https://opinion.huanqiu.com/article/47UHALnFtHl

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics US-China Relations

Top U.K. Judges Resigned from the Hong Kong Court

Robert Reed, the President of the U.K. Supreme Court, and Patrick Hodge, the Deputy President of the U.K. Supreme Court, resigned with immediate effect from their positions as  non-permanent judges on the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal (CFA), the highest court in Hong Kong.

They took this action because of the severe deterioration in Hong Kong’s political environment and the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) intervening in the judicial process in Hong Kong.

Reed said, “I have concluded, in agreement with the (U.K.) government, that the judges on the Supreme Court cannot continue to sit in Hong Kong without appearing to endorse an administration which has departed from the values of political freedom and freedom of expression.”

Source: Radio Free Asia, March 30, 2022
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/gangtai/al2-03302022131611.html

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend Government/Politics