China’s state media Global Times published a commentary article stating that the U.S. should bear the responsibility for the Russia-Ukraine war. Below are the major points in the article:
“The Ukraine crisis has been going on for more than two months. According to the U.S. State Department, the U.S. has pledged about $3.7 billion in security aid to Ukraine since February 24. A growing number of international sources point out that the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict is largely the result of the arrogance and successive mistakes of the US-led Western bloc over the past 30 years. The U.S. government should bear considerable responsibility. The current actions of the United States will not help end the crisis, but will continue to play up confrontation.”
“The Russian-Ukrainian conflict is, in a sense, a proxy war waged by the United States in Europe. However, the cost of the war is mainly borne by European countries.”
“The U.S. divides the world into different camps according to its own standards, which itself violates the spirit of democracy and will only bring more chaos to the world and more disasters to the people of all countries.”
“International public opinion generally believes that the Biden administration has continuously promoted ‘returning to multilateralism’ since taking office, but in fact, it is using ideological boundaries to form factions and force the selection of sides to divide the world. The United States continues to strengthen small circles and small groups such as the ‘Quadrilateral Mechanism,’ the ‘Five Eyes Alliance’ and the ‘G7.’ The fundamental purpose is to maintain the hegemony of the United States.“
“The Ukrainian crisis is yet another example of America’s push for hegemony. One of the root causes of this war is America’s opposition to European countries developing closer economic ties with Russia.”
“Analysts pointed out that the Ukrainian crisis reflects the unilateral definition of a ‘rules-based international order’ by the United States for a long time based on its own standards. Its essence is to maintain the rule order of the HEGEMONIC power of the United States.”
Source: Global Times, May 12, 2022
https://world.huanqiu.com/article/47yThzp10yU
China Tightens Restrictions on Its Citizens Leaving and Returning to the Country
Recently, many Chinese netizens left messages saying that when they intended to leave China, they were rejected by border inspectors, some of their passports were cut off, and even someone’s green card was cut off, too. An agent for studying abroad said that the government had suspended citizens from going abroad to study in primary and secondary schools and stopped issuing passports for primary and secondary school students to go abroad.
In response to these, China’s National Immigration Administration (CNIA) said on May 13 that the “suspension of passports and prohibiting exiting the country by cutting one’s passport or green cards are all fake news.” These are for “distorting and smearing our entry and exit management policies, intending to interfere with the legal, accurate and effective entry and exit management under the condition of normalized COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control measures.”
On May 10, the CNIA stated, “We should strictly implement strict and tight entry and exit policies, strictly restrict the non-essential exit activities of Chinese citizens, and strictly approve and issue entry and exit documents.”
Earlier on April 27, the CNIA spokesman said that it would “strictly examine and issue documents and visas, and Chinese citizens should not leave the country for non-essential and non-emergency purposes.” In addition, it will clearly continue to implement strict and tight entry and exit policies.
According to the official explanation, “non-essential” reasons include tourism and visiting relatives. The “necessary” reasons include studying abroad, being employed, doing business, or traveling for medical treatment, participating in epidemic prevention and control, or transporting of disaster relief supplies.
Chinese authorities’ restrictions on outbound travel can be dated back to November 2020, when the CNIA said it would strictly approve applications for entry and exit documents for Chinese citizens for non-essential reasons.
The strict control of entry and exit is an important part of the “Zero-COVID” policy. China’s recent stricter immigration policy was designed “to prevent foreign import of COVID” and China will not change it in the near future.
Sources:
- BBC News 中文, May 17, 2022. https://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/simp/chinese-news-61462183
- Aboluowang, May 10, 2022. https://www.aboluowang.com/2022/0510/1746668.html
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The Vatican Expressed a Desire to Keep the China-Vatican Agreement after the CCP Arrested Bishop Joseph Zen
The recent Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) suppression of freedom of speech in Hong Kong was that, on May 11, it arrested the 90-year-old Cardinal Joseph Zen and three other people in Hong Kong. Cardinal Zen is one of the most senior Catholic clerics in Asia.
However, the Vatican showed a weak response after the Cardinal’s arrest.
Cardinal Peitro Parolin, the Secretary of State of the Vatican, said they were sad about Cardinal Zen’s arrest but do not want this event to be viewed as a disavowal of the China-Vatican temporary agreement on the joint Bishop appointment.
People have been questioning the Vatican’s move in collaborating with the CCP. Who will the Bishops appointed jointly by the CCP and the Vatican be loyal to? To the CCP or to God?
Source: Lianhe Zaobao, May 14, 2022
https://www.zaobao.com.sg/realtime/china/story20220514-1272582
The CCP Central Office Warned Retired High-Ranking Officials
On May 15, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Central Office published the “Opinions on Strengthening the Party Building Work of Retired Cadres” (“Opinions”) to request retired officials to stand on the official CCP position and Xi Jinping’s leadership and not to express negative opinions.
The “Opinions” require the regulation and discipline of retired CCP officials to “better unite the majority of retired cadres around the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core. The “Opinions“ require retired party member cadres, especially those who have held leading positions, to adhere strictly to the relevant disciplinary rules and further enhance their spirit of supporting the party and the awareness of party discipline.”
Xinhua also published an article titled, “The Head of the CCP Department of Organization Answered Reporters’ Questions on the Opinions.”
One question was, “What clear requirements did the Opinions have on strengthening the education and management of retired party member cadres?”
Th answer was, “… In terms of strict disciplinary rules, it required that retired party member cadres, especially those who have held leading positions, should adhere strictly to the relevant disciplinary rules, should not discuss the major policies of the Party Central Committee with their own opinions, should not spread negative political statements, should not participate in the activities of illegal social organizations, and should not use their former authority or position to seek benefits for themselves and others. (They should) resolutely oppose and resist all kinds of wrong thinking, …”
Sources:
1. People’s Daily, May 16, 2022
http://dangjian.people.com.cn/n1/2022/0516/c117092-32422121.html
2. CCTV, May 16, 2022
https://news.cctv.com/2022/05/16/ARTIABpDUchNd46qBhZczKL5220516.shtml
Hu Xijin Boldly Interpreted Why Xi Jinping Was not on the CCP’s Core Media
Recently there have been many discussions on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) infight. One hot discussion was the fight between Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the CCP, and the faction of Jiang Zemin, former CCP head; and another one is the fight between Xi and Li Keqiang, China’s Premier. Chinascope is not able to verify the validity of these reports.
The Epoch Times reported that on May 17 and 18, People’s Daily, one of the CCP’s main mouthpiece, listed Li Keqiang, Wang Yang, and Li Zhanshu, one after the other, on its front page but didn’t cover Xi Jinping. That was unusual, since Xi usually receives the most coverage on the media. In the CCP’s internal factions, Li Keqiang and Wang Yang, ranked number 2 and 4 of the CCP Politburo Standing Committee members, are in the Communist Youth League faction; Li Zhanshu, ranked number 3 of the Politburo Standing Committee member, is Xi’s ally.
Hu Xijin, the former chief editor of the CCP’s mouthpiece Global Times, made an comment on his Weibo account. He highlighted in a red box an article on promoting China’s economy (which is Li Keqiang’s position) on the front page of the May 17 People’s Daily, and commented, “This is a very important signal. Follow this signal, put aside your doubts and uncertainties, and embrace new opportunities. Then you will be proved to be real business heroes and a hero of these times.” Next to Hu’s red box, were two other articles reporting Li Keqiang’s and Wang Yang’s activities. So Hu’s comments could be interpreted as having double meaning.
There are other reports on the power balancing as well. On May 11, the Wall Street Journal published an article titled, “Li Keqiang steps out of Xi Jinping’s shadow.”
On May 14, both Xinhua News Agency and the People’s Daily published the full text of Li Keqiang’s 9,000-word speech given on April 25. It is not very common to report something 20 days ago, especially publishing the full text.
On the other hand, the front pages of People’s Daily on May 15 and 16 reported Xi Jinping, without the appearance of any other senior CCP leaders.
No article about Xi Jinping appeared on the front page of the Xinhua website on May 18. Nor did the PLA Daily have one on May 18 either.
Source: Epoch Times, May 18, 2022.
https://www.epochtimes.com/b5/22/5/17/n13739454.htm
China to Plan Permanent Covid Camps and PCR Test Sites within 15-min Walk
Ma Xiaowei, director of China’s National Health Commission, published an article in the latest issue of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) official Qiushi magazine that permanent Covid camps should be prepared and planned in advance, and provincial capitals and cities with a 10 million population should establish PCR test sites within a 15-minute walking distance. Ma also emphasized weekly Covid testing.
Ma wrote, “Practice has proven that the existing enhanced prevention and control measures can achieve the goal of ‘dynamic zero Covid.’ The vast majority of the transmission chain can be controlled within the latent period, or in an even shorter period of time.” As the Omicron strain of Covid-19 virus is highly contagious and there are many asymptomatic infections, Ma suggested “the lockdown and quarantine be more resolute.”
Earlier, the Chinese government stated that it would require local provincial governments to build or renovate a certain number of camps to collect Covid patients.
Source: Central News Agency (Taiwan), May 16, 2022
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/202205160149.aspx
CCP Directive Demands Loyalty from Retired Cadres
On May 15, the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) issued a document that called for the strengthened “party buildup work” of retired cadres. The document requires retired cadres, especially former leaders, consciously to maintain a high degree of loyalty to CCP chair Xi Jinping as “the core of the CCP’s Central Committee,” and not to criticize the Central Committee’s major policies improperly. The document is seen as a move to regulate the minds of retired senior cadres to maintain the unity of the whole CCP before its 20th national congress in November this year.
According to the CCP’s Central Organization Department, this document proposes to “ensure that retired cadres continue to listen to the Party and follow the Party.” It requires that the retired cadres conduct an in-depth study of the CCP’s theories and consciously practice “Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics in the New Era.”
In addition, retired cadre CCP members are told to abide strictly by the CCP’s disciplinary rules, not to spread politically negative remarks, and to oppose and resist all kinds of “wrong thinking.”
Source: Radio France International, May 16, 2022
https://rfi.my/8QBZ