Social Stability – Page 20

Pandemic: Official Lies and Tragedies Associated with COVID

COVID has continued to spread and expand in China. On March 29, Beijing reported 8,825 cases (1,629 confirmed infection cases and 7,196 asymptomatic cases) . Shanghai had 5,982 cases (326 confirmed infection cases and 5,656 asymptomatic cases), or 67.8 percent of total reported cases on that day. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is known for hiding COVID information, so the actual infection count is unknown.

A YouTube channel, focusing on reporting uncensored news in China, reported several information items it received from its Chinese audience:

The Pandemic Situation:

A screenshot showed that a lab conducting COVID testing, after testing a little over half of the testing kits found 4,000 tubes positive (meaning, at least 4,000 people were infected with COVID). There are many other testing labs – indicating the infection number is much higher than the official number.

A person reported doctors stopped coming to a residence community to do COVID tests, since “almost everyone there is COVID positive already.”

A hiring posting showed Shanghai modular hospitals are looking to hire 30 janitors and will pay 1,500 yuan (US $236) per day. This is a relatively high salary since many people make only a few thousand yuan per month.

Officially Declared Rumors:

A citizen posted six COVID rumors that the Shanghai government rebutted in the past:

Authorities declared rumor that “Huating Hotel had a few hundred infected guests.” The truth that authorities didn’t tell people was that “a few thousand people were infected.”

Authorities declared there was a rumor that “a senior team at the Caoyang Residential Community has been group infected.” The truth that the authorities didn’t tell people was that “senior teams on the whole street (with multiple residential communities) have groups that have been infected.”

Authorities declared there was a rumor that “Shanghai is building modular hospitals.” The truth that authorities didn’t tell people was “Shanghai has completed building modular hospitals.”

Authorities declared their was a rumor that “Shanghai Jiao Tong University (Xuhui Campus) reported several hundred cases.” The truth that the authorities didn’t tell people was “Shanghai Jiao Tong University (Minhang Campus) reported several hundred cases.”

Authorities declared there was a rumor that “Pudong reported 8,000 cases.” The truth that authorities didn’t tell people was “Pudong had much more than 8,000 cases.”

Authorities declared there was a rumor that “Shanghai will lock down the city.” The truth that authorities didn’t tell people was “Shanghai will lock down half of the city (Pudong) first and then the other half (Puxi) later.”

Tragedies:

A citizen shared two sad stories in his community: A teenage girl was tested positive but the government would not take her to quarantine and instead asked her to home-quarantine. She didn’t want to pass the virus to her parents, so she jumped off the building to kill herself. An elderly person ran out of medicine that he needed to take regularly. The gate guard would not let him get out to buy the medicine. Then the elderly person jumped off from the top of the building.

A woman posted that her father, near 70, was doing business at Jiangqiao Market in Shanghai. After the lockdown, he was driven out of his market’s dormitory and had to sleep under a bridge. He paid for a COVID test but was not given the test results, so he was stuck in Shanghai and couldn’t buy a ticket to leave (he needed proof of a negative COVID test ).

Jilin City, Jilin Province

A citizen was informed that Jilin’s situation was worse than Wuhan City in early 2000. Two deputy majors had been infected.

He was also informed that as early as March 20, the CCP’s Chemical Corps had entered Jilin City. His video showed multiple Chemical Corps’ special vehicles driving through the streets of the city.

One in Four Hong Kong Residents Plan to Emigrate, Said Survey

Since March 2021, the Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institute (HKPORI) has been conducting semiannual online surv percenteys on immigration related opinions. The most recent one was conducted from March 21 to March 24). In that survey, 6,723 Hong Kong citizens aged 12 or above were being interviewed via an online questionnaire.

The results showed that 24 percent of respondents have plans to emigrate, of which 3 percent are “ready to leave at any time,” 7% are “preparing,” and 14 percent “have plans but haven’t prepared.”

When asked about confidence in Hong Kong’s future, 58 percent of the surveyed showed no confidence in Hong Kong’s future political environment, 57 percent were not confident in the personal freedom, and almost half, or 4 percent, were pessimistic about its the economic outlook.

As for the factors affecting respondents’ desire to leave Hong Kong permanently, 85 percent worried about the deterioration of personal freedom or personal safety; 79 percent worried about the future of their families, the education of their next generation or the deterioration of Hong Kong’s economic prospects; and 50 percent complained about the epidemic situation in Hong Kong or the government’s ineffective measures.

According to the Hong Kong Immigration Department, from the fifth wave of the COVID-19 outbreak to early March this year, the net departure of Hong Kong residents exceeded 92,000, including as many as 65,300 in February this year, a significant increase of more than three times compared to January this year. The vast majority of those departed were via the Hong Kong International Airport.

The number of residents leaving Hong Kong with money is also on the rise. According to the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority (MPFA), the number of claims for withdrawal of the Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) on the grounds of permanent departure from Hong Kong in 2021 was 33,800, an increase of nearly 12 percent over 2020. The applications for Certificates of No Criminal Conviction (commonly known as “Good Citizen Certificates”), a necessary document for emigration, has risen to 38,000 in 2021, from 29,000 the year before, or an increase of over 30%.

Source: Voice of America, March 28, 2022
https://www.voachinese.com/a/hong-kong-survey-shows-24-have-emigration-plans-under-pandemic-20220328/6505017.html

Briefings | | March 31, 2022 | Social Stability

Pandemic: Shanghai Started a Half-City Lock-down

China has continued to report that its COVID-19 infection numbers are increasing and are more than they were previously.

On March 27, Beijing reported 6,215 cases (1,129 confirmed infection cases and 4,996 asymptomatic cases). The CCP is known for hiding COVID information, so the actual infection count is unknown.

Shanghai reported 3,500 cases (50 confirmed infection cases and 3,450 asymptomatic cases), accounting for 56 percent of all announced cases in China. The city, with a population of 26 million, announced a lock-down in Pudong of half of the city on the east side of the Hongpu River from March 28 to April 1 and then a lock-down of Puxi, the other half of the city on the west side of the Hongpu River, from April 1 to April 5. April 5 is the day for people to worship their dead family members, but the government announced the cemeteries will be closed to visitors and they will instead offer online grave visits or valet grave visits instead.

Jilin Province reported around 2,000 cases. It is building modular hospitals in its two most infected, cities Changchun and Jilin, as well as a few other cities. The province has built 19 modular hospitals, including eight in Changchun, ten in Jilin, and one in Huichun. Liaoning Province and Fujian Province also started building modular hospitals.

China Trains Personnel to Censor Online Religious Information

China’s Zhejiang Provincial government recently issued a notice that it will train auditors of Internet religious information starting on March 31. The content of the training includes “basic knowledge of religion” and “religious policies and regulations.” Several provinces and cities have made announcements for such training and examinations.

Pastor Liu Yi, who now lives in California and once worked for many years in churches in Zhejiang, said that religious auditors have existed in China since a long time ago. Liu said, “At the beginning of the Chinese Communist Party’s takeover of China, there were such personnel in Christian and Catholic churches, monitoring the sermons and Bible studies. If any so-called anti-socialist content was found, it would be reported to the authorities.”

The Measures for the Administration of Religious Information Services on the Internet, published by China’s State Administration of Religious Affairs (SARA), came into effect on March 1 this year. The document prohibits any organization or individual from establishing any religious organizations, religious colleges, religious activity sites, or developing congregations online, and it also prohibits overseas organizations or individuals from “engaging in Internet religious information services” inside China.

According to the announcement of the Tianjin Municipal government on March 7, the scope of training also includes “Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era,” “Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law,” “Socialist Core Values ,” and “General Secretary Xi Jinping’s Important Discourse on Religious Work.”

Source: Radio Free Asia, March 22, 2022
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/renquanfazhi/sc-03222022150905.html

Briefings | | March 23, 2022 | Social Stability

Pandemic: Shanghai Partially and Shenzhen Fully Locked Down, Jilin Locked Down the Province

The COVID-19 virus is spreading in China. Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen all reported Omicron cases. Authorities reported 3,507 confirmed infection cases and 1,647 asymptomatic cases, or 5,154 cases in total, in one day on March 14; whereas, in the past, the official daily infected count was only in the range of one or a few hundred. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is known for hiding COVID information, so the actual infection count is unknown.

China’s National Health Commission issued a statement on March 15 that from March 1 to 14, the cumulative number of reported infections in China exceeded 15,000 and has spread to 28 provinces and municipalities.

Several cities in China were locked down. The Shenzhen City, Guangdong Province lockdown was from March 14 to 21. Shanghai is also partially locked down: schools, residential communities, and hospitals that had COVID cases or had people in close contact with COVID patients were locked down. All train and long-distance bus stations were closed on March 14, and all elementary and middle schools have changed to online teaching.

Other locked-down cities include Changchun, the capital city of Jilin Province on March 11; Yuchen City, Shandong Province on March 11; Dongguan City, Guangdong Province on March 14; and Langfang City, Hebei Province on March 15. Shengyang City, Liaoning Province shut down its international airport on March 15.

Jilin Province became the first locked down province in this round. It reported 4,067 cases on March 14 and an accumulation of over 8,000 patients since February 28. Authorities announced a lockdown of the whole province on March 14, prohibiting its 24 million residents from leaving the province. Jilin City in the province also built several modular hospitals with 10,000 beds.

Jiangsu Province, next to Shanghai, asked its residents to report any person coming from Shanghai or other infected areas. Wuxi City, Jiangsu published an award policy on March 12: reporting a person who had close contact with a COVID patient but didn’t quarantine himself would receive an award 2,000 yuan (US $315); reporting a person who left home while taking home quarantine – award 1,000 yuan; and reporting a person who came from an infected area but didn’t report himself to the local authorities – award 500 yuan. If any of the reported persons tested positive, the reporter will be awarded another 10,000 yuan. Nantong City, Jiangsu Province also announced an award of 200 yuan for reporting a person coming from Shanghai or other high or medium risk areas that the local authorities are not aware of.

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