163.com recently posted a video program under its military segment titled, “If a war were to start, how much of your savings would you be willing to donate to the motherland?” In the video it stated that every time after a war was over, the U.S. economy didn’t collapse but became stronger because the American people actively donated money and supplies during the war and their sons and daughters actively joined the military. The video then posed the following question: “Even though China was able to build an aircraft carrier . . . the problem is that China has a large population. Will that be a driving force or a source of pressure for our national policy? If at that time there was shortage of national financing during a war, would you be willing to donate money and supplies like the Americans have done?” This video has currently been taken down and the responses that were posted were deleted. Epoch Times published a list of screen shots of the responses and below is the translation of some of the responses:
1. Our motherland is so wealthy. Why do you still need me to donate? The corrupt officials are involved in hundreds of millions of funds from corruption and I couldn’t even come up with the down payment for a house.
2. Who would we have the war against and why? Is it for high housing prices, medical expenses, education or a different retirement system?
3. For sure I will donate US$10,000 to the U.S. As for other people, let those people who are among the elite or the special power class or the second generation of the rich and powerful people take care of it. We, the bottom class, have no idea.
4. If we won the war, housing prices would double, earning would be cut in half; if we lost the war, housing prices would be reduced by 80 percent and salaries would double. You decide whether to donate or not to donate.
5. I can’t even afford a loan for housing. Where would I get the money for a donation?
6. I am not qualified to enjoy any benefits. I would be even less qualified if I were to donate. Don’t count on me.
7. What donation? I wish that day would have arrived sooner.
6. Agree! I am willing to be an informant for the U.S. military.
7. I would donate US$1,000 to the U.S. even if I had to sell what I have.
8. Everyone is responsible for the fate of the nation. If the nation is prosperous, you claim the ownership; if the nation is dying, we, the little people, should take the responsibility?
9. We are not the umbrella. When it rains, you bring us out. When it is sunny, you leave us in the corner. If there was a war, those who receive special treatment should be in the front and the public servants should pick up the cost.
10. Looks like everyone gets the point now. I feel relieved.

Source: Epoch Times, August 13, 2018
http://www.epochtimes.com/gb/18/8/13/n10635467.htm

Wang Zuo’an, deputy chief of the Chinese Communist Party’s Department of United Front Work and director of the State Administration of Religious Affairs (SARA), published an article in the official Qiushi magazine, asserting that foreign forces are not allowed to dominate China’s religious affairs; he called for “Sinicization.”

The article stated that there is no affiliation between Chinese religions and foreign religions. Chinese religious groups and religious affairs are not subject to foreign influence. “When dealing with religious relations, one must uphold the leadership of the Communist Party, insist on the separation of church and state, and make sure religion must not be involved in administrative, judicial, and educational functions.” “It is necessary to persist in resisting foreign forces that use religion as a means of infiltration.”

According to the Union of Catholic Asian News (UCA News), by the end of this month, all Catholic parishes in China must submit a five-year plan to the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association (CPCA) and the Bishops’ Conference of the Catholic Church in China (BCCCC) and report on the work of “Sinicization.” The CPCA and the BCCCC also drafted a five-year national work plan with the objective of accepting the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party. All measures of “Sinicization” ought to be under the leadership and supervision of the CPCA and the BCCCC. UCA News expressed the belief that the plan and measures are intended to control and deal with opposition from nonconforming Catholic followers in China.

Source: Radio Free Asia, August 19, 2018
https://www.rfa.org/cantonese/news/religion-08192018101150.html?encoding=traditional

In July, the Student Association of Sun Yat-Sen University, one of the best universities in southern China, issued an “Announcement of the Appointment of Cadres for the 2018-2019 Academic Year.” Among the nearly 200 positions, there were 23 secretarial organizations, 12 functional departments, and 144 working offices. In addition to the sheer size of the student union, the school’s announcements mimicked the rankings of the Chinese Communist Party and Chinese government officials, such as “ministerial level” and “deputy ministerial level.” This invited ridicule from many netizens. An example of some online posts are below:

A. It is not a naive imitation. It is the quintessence of the real society.

B. Cultivating officialdom worship at a young age. This is truly great.

C.  … haven’t learned much knowledge, but perfectly grasped the bureaucratic stuff!

D. When administrative power can so easily infiltrate into student organizations, one can imagine how full of administrative stuff their daily operations must be.

On August 17, the Chinese Education Daily newspaper carried an opinion article that criticized this phenomenon. “On the campus, young students are keen on inter-personal relationships, playing the bureaucratic jargon, and vying to be a student cadre. This is a revelation that a few young people have the mentality of officialdom worship, that they are so skilled at calculation that they pursue an official position, and that they have an incorrect understanding of power.”

Source: Education Daily, August 17, 2018
http://www.jyb.cn/zgjyb/201808/t20180817_1193645.html