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Xinhua Commentary Series: Spotlight on the U.S. Presidential Election

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Wu Guoguang: Xi Jinping’s Reversal of the Course, Will China’s Transition be Peaceful or Marked with Bloodshed?

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Cheng Xiaonong: U.S.-China Strategic Relations Have Crystallized

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Xinhua Commentaries: “Exposing the Three Major Political Deficits of the U.S.”

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Local Government: Some People Stuck in Wuhan Became Homeless

China Times Weekly (CTW), a Taiwan media, reported that some people (especially migrant workers from the farmlands) who were stranded in Wuhan became homeless after the Wuhan lockdown.

They did not have the money to pay for a hotel, so they stayed in the train station tunnel, under bridges, or next to trash bins. They went to hospitals or office buildings to search for the leftover food that was thrown out as trash. The local government stated that they would provide services to those who were stuck in Wuhan and faced difficulties in living, but the supply was insufficient. After their information was reported, some volunteers brought food and face masks to them.

Related postings on Chinascope:

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Hot Topics | | |   Social Stability

LTN: China Responded to Bernie Sander’s Military Protection Promise on Taiwan

Well-known Taiwanese Newspaper Liberty Times Network (LTN) recently reported that U.S. Democratic Party presidential candidate Bernie Sanders claimed that he would take military action to protect Taiwan if Mainland China took Taiwan by force. Sanders stated this position of his in a CBS 60 Minutes interview. He said he will “absolutely” take military action and he wanted to make this position clear to the world. The new spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Zhao Lijian, responded in a press conference. Zhao said that the Chinese government noticed Sander’s comments; however, Taiwan issues are Chinese domestic matters and foreign countries have no right to intervene. Zhao would like to urge American politicians to remain careful on this matter and avoid destroying regional stability. Zhao is new to the spokesperson position. He served in the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs for 24 years and worked at the Chinese Embassy in the U.S. and in Pakistan.

Source: LTN, February 24, 2020
https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/politics/breakingnews/3078700

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend US-China Relations

The Paper: British Retail Giant Tesco Exits China

Well-known new Chinese news site The Paper recently reported that the British retail giant Tesco just announce the sale of a 20 percent stake in Gain Land to China Resources Group (also known as CRC). Gain Land is a joint venture between Tesco and CRC. This 275 million pound deal marked the final exit for Tesco in leaving the Chinese market. From the beginning, Tesco’s Chinese venture did not do well. It changed its strategy later and partnered with CRC to continue with its 135 branch stores. Tesco has been retreating from major overseas markets, including Japan, the United States, and South Korea. It is also looking at exiting Thailand and Malaysia. Tesco plans to focus its business on Europe. The company said that the income from the Chinese CRC deal will be used for day-to-day operations.

Source: The Paper, February 26, 2020
https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_6166629

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

BBC Chinese: Key Hong Kong Freedom Movement Leaders Detained

BBC Chinese recently reported that Hong Kong police just detained Hong Kong Next Digital Group founder Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, former HK Legislative Council Member and former Democratic Party Chairman Yeung Sum, as well as Lee Cheuk-yan, who is a former HK Legislative Council Member and current General Secretary of the Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions. The Hong Kong government accused them of participating in an unauthorized gathering. Both Lee and Yeung said to the media that they were mentally prepared for the arrest and that the people of Hong Kong have the right to demonstrate, which does not need police approval. Lee also pointed out that there were a large number of people in the demonstrations. It is hard to understand why he was singled out. The Police claimed there was no political intent behind these arrests. All three gentlemen are currently on bail, pending court hearings in May. None of them were the initiators of the freedom demonstrations.

Source: BBC Chinese, February 28, 2020
https://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/simp/chinese-news-51670403

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

Mongolia President Visited China and Was Quarantined after Returning Home

The President of Mongolia, Khaltmaa Battulga visited Beijing and met Xi Jinping on February 27, 2020. Battulga is the first foreign head to visit China after the coronavirus outbreak in China in January. Battulga, along with his Foreign Minister Tsogtbaatar Damdin and delegation met Xi Jinping and Li Keqiang. Battulga donated 30,000 sheep to China.

Right after the delegation returned to Mongolia on February 28, the whole group was quarantined as a measure to prevent coronavirus infection.

Source: Apple Daily, February 28, 2020
https://tw.appledaily.com/international/20200228/RARYOD2TG4NY6QNOWR3SMUK5EE/

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend Social Stability

Shanghai Jiao Tong University Team Reported Ten Weaknesses in China’s Handling the Coronavirus

Chen Guoqiang, Dean of the Medical School, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, led the school’s medical team in publishing, “Reflections on the Novel Coronavirus Infection” in the magazine Scientia Sinica Vitae. The article listed the following problems and shortcomings in China’s handling of the coronavirus:

  1. Didn’t report the national major public health epidemic promptly to the public; lacked plan to prevent and control the coronavirus at the early stage.
  2. The public health and disease prevention and control system does not match the need to support the scale of economic development
  3. The emergency response mechanism cannot respond to life-threatening, major public health emergencies
  4. Scientific and technological innovation is disconnected from solving clinical problems, lacks channel for data sharing, transformation, and utilization, and lacks laboratory with relative safety level
  5. Insufficient medical supplies and strategic reserves to respond to major public health emergency
  6. Some officials do not have specialized skills and the capability to make decisions
  7. There is a large deficiency in responding to the public’s sentiments regarding public health emergencies and in directing public opinion
  8. Need to improve the response mechanism on studying and responding to the “secondary disaster” after epidemic outbreak
  9. The ecological civilization concept is missing and wildlife market supervision is weak
  10. The general public’s civilized quality and scientific knowledge need to be improved urgently.

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Hot Topics | | |   Social Stability

PLA Aircraft Flew Near Taiwan on February 28

On Friday afternoon, February 28, a number of China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft flew over the sea southwest of Taiwan, Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense said.

An unspecified number of Chinese H-6 bombers flew over the region before entering the Bashi Channel between Taiwan and the Philippines. Soon after entering the Bashi Channel, the bombers returned to an unspecified base through the same route, the ministry said.

Since President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) won re-election in January 2020, China has carried out an increasing number of drills near Taiwan .

On Feb 9 and Feb 10, China also dispatched Chinese J-11 fighters, KJ-500 early warning and control aircraft, and H-6 bombers on flight missions near Taiwan, the ministry said.

On Feb 10, several Chinese aircraft briefly crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwan’s airspace, but retreated to the western side of the line after Taiwan military dispatched F-16s and other military aircraft to meet them and issue radio warnings, the ministry said.

On Feb 12, the U.S. dispatched two B-52 Stratofortress bombers flying off Taiwan’s east coast, while an MJ-130J Commando II multi-mission combat transport plane flew over the Taiwan Strait.

On Feb 16, the U.S. sent the USS Chancellorsville south through the Taiwan Strait.

Source: Taipei Times, March 1, 2020
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2020/03/01/2003731871

Briefings | | |   Defense/Military Geo-Strategic Trend

PLA Ordered 1.4 Million Bullet Proof Vests

Apple Daily, a media based in Hong Kong, reported that the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) opened a bid for suppliers to provide 1.4 million bullet proof vests, including 930,000 general vests and 467,000 vests with enhanced functions. The price may be up to 13.4 billion yuan (US $1.92 billion).

Currently the PLA army has 13 armies, with 850,000 soldiers. This order, being the largest bullet proof vest order, will give an average of 1.65 bullet proof vests per person.

Some analysts thinks this was the PLA’s deterrence to Taiwan.

Also, China revealed its second 075-class amphibious assault ship at the Zhonghua Shipyard in Shanghai. This type of ship is designed for “military actions against Taiwan.”

Source: Apple Daily, February 26, 2020
https://tw.appledaily.com/international/20200226/2RLO6JRQWZ2JZWNI2WXZKAZPXU/

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend