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:

1. BBC News 中文, May 17, 2022.  https://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/simp/chinese-news-61462183
2. Aboluowang, May 10, 2022. https://www.aboluowang.com/2022/0510/1746668.html

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

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

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