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Diplomacy: CCP’s Domestic Report on “Xi Jinping’s Talk with Biden”

China Central Television (CCTV) reported that Xi Jinping talked to Biden on September 10. It reported that Xi Jinping criticized the U.S. for bringing difficulties to the U.S.-China relationship  and that Biden expressed that the U.S. is willing to bring the relationship back so it is on the ‘right track.’

“Xi pointed out that for a period of time, the U.S. policy towards China has brought serious difficulties to the Sino-U.S. relationship and that this does not meet the fundamental interests of the peoples of the two countries nor the common interests of the world. China and the United States are the largest developing country and the largest developed country, respectively. Whether China and the United States can handle their relations is critical to the future of the world, (and thus it) is the question of the century that both sides must answer well. If China and the U.S. cooperate, the two countries and the whole world will benefit; if China and the U.S. confront each other, then the two countries and the whole world will suffer. The relationship between China and the U.S. is not a multiple-choice question of whether it should be good, but rather a must-answer question on how to make it good.

“Biden said there is no reason for the two countries to get into conflict due to competition. He added that the U.S. has no intention of changing its ‘one-China’ policy. The U.S. is willing to engage in more frank exchanges and constructive dialogue with China, identify key and priority areas where the two sides can cooperate, avoid misunderstandings and miscalculations and accidental conflicts, and push the U.S.-China relations back to the right track.”

Source: CCTV, September 10, 2021
http://m.news.cctv.com/2021/09/10/ARTITj2vcOtfhgl4kNyB7T7d210910.shtml?prefer_safari=1&prefer_reader_view=1

Pandemic – Many Learned of the COVID-19 Virus in China Weeks before the CCP’s Report

The Daily Mail, a British newspaper, reported that Ian Lipkin, one of the world’s top epidemiologists and a professor at Columbia University, said on numerous occasions that he learned about the COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan, China on December 15, 2019. He repeated the date in a documentary film by the director Spike Lee. He also told Columbia University Medical Center that he first heard about the outbreak “in the middle of December 2019” from his friends at the China’s Center for Disease Control.

Beijing hid the outbreak news for quite a while. Dr. Li Wenliang revealed the information in a Wechat discussion group on December 27, after which the police admonished him. That was the first occurrence in which the Chinese talked about the virus.

The report also listed other sources that indicated the outbreak was earlier:

The academic in charge of collating official data told a Chinese health journal of a suspected fatality of a patient who fell ill in late September in 2019, followed by two more cases on November 14 and 21.

Connor Reed, a 25-year-old Briton teaching in Wuhan, said he fell ill on November 25.  Two months later, a hospital confirmed that his debilitating sickness was  the new coronavirus.

Lawrence Gostin, a professor of global health law in Washington, said he learned of the disease in mid-December, telling the Los Angeles Times he heard “from a friend in Wuhan that there is a novel coronavirus and it looks very serious.”

Dutch virologist Ron Fouchier told a documentary that he discussed the outbreak in the first week of December with his colleague Marion Koopmans, a member of the WHO inquiry team.

Source: Daily Mail, September 4, 2021
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9958207/Scientist-reveals-heard-Covid-Wuhan-TWO-WEEKS-Beijing-warned-world.html

Pandemic Diplomacy: South Africa Rejected China’s Vaccine

The COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) program under the World Health Organization (WHO) plans to distribute 100 million doses of Chinese COVID vaccines to countries in Africa and Asia. These vaccines are made by China’s two vaccine producers Sinovac Biotech and Sinopharm.

South Africa was given 2.5 million dozes of the Sinovac vaccine (CoronaVac). Its officials rejected these vaccines. Nicholas Crisp, Deputy Director-General in South Africa’s National Department of Health, overseeing its COVID-19 vaccine roll-out, said, “There is not enough information on the effectiveness of these vaccines against the Delta variant, nor is there information on the efficacy of the Sinovac vaccine in HIV-infected populations. We did not accept the Sinovac vaccine from COVAX because it was not mature enough in our evaluation and planning process.”

Algeria, which was given 8 million dozes of Sinopharm’s vaccine, is also cautious and said that vaccine is a “possible” choice.

Related postings on Chinascope:

Source: Taiwan Apple Daily, August 29, 2021
https://tw.appledaily.com/international/20210829/IXSELKR7KZF65MH4FBGCGK5SOA/

Propaganda: The Non-Existent Swiss Biologist Who Said China’s Lab Did Not Leak the Virus

In early August, Many of China’s state media, including Xinhua, People’s Daily, China News Agency, and Global Times, quoted Facebook about a Biologist named Wilson Edwards from Switzerland who stated that it is extremely unlikely that China’s lab leaked the COVID-19 virus. He worried that the World Health Organization lacks an independent scientific judgment and has become a political tool of the U.S. government.

However, on August 10, Switzerland’s Embassy in China issued an official statement that this was fake news. The statement said that Switzerland does not have a citizen whose name is Wilson Edwards, that no academic article was ever published by an author with that name, and that his Facebook account was created on July 24, 2021, with only one posting and three friends. This indicates that this account was not created for a social networking purpose.

Source: Liberty Times, August 11, 2021
https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/breakingnews/3634411

Pandemic: COVID-19 Is Spreading in China (August 11, 2021, Update)

The COVID-19 virus keeps spreading in China. During the latest round of the outbreak, a total of 17 provinces have reported COVID-19 cases. Since the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has hidden the real information, the actual number of those infected is unknown.

On August 9, Yangzhou City, Jiangzu Province reported 48 cases, with a cumulative total of 394 cases. Jiangsu Province sent 653 medical doctors and nurses and 2,260 COVID testers from other cities to Yangzhou. On August 11, Sun Chunlan, the Vice Premier of China, visited Yangzhou to check on the COVID-19 outbreak.

Zhengzhou City, Henan Province which just suffered a severe flood due to the government releasing water from a dam without informing people, also reported COVID-19 cases.

The CCP has been using an extreme lockdown method to create “zero” cases. Zhang Wenhong, the lead medical expert on the COVID-19 virus in Shanghai, recently suggested that more and more people feel the pandemic will not end soon. Therefore the world should learn to live with the virus. However, Gao Qiang, formerly of the Minister of Health, criticized this viewpoint.

Sources:
1. China.com.cn, August 11, 2021
http://news.china.com.cn/2021-08/11/content_77685454.htm
2. China’s State Council Website, August 11, 2021
http://www.gov.cn/guowuyuan/2021-08/11/content_5630831.htm
3. VOA, August 11, 2021
https://www.voachinese.com/a/China-weighs-whether-to-abandon-zero-tolerance-approach-on-Covid-20210810/5997594.html

Related postings on Chinascope:

Pandemic: COVID-19 Delta Variant Is Spreading in China Since July

Pandemic: COVID-19 Delta Variant Has Been Spreading in China Since July

The COVID-19 Delta variant has spread to many provinces across China. On August 3, China reported 96 cases of infection in 15 provinces. The Chinese Communist Party is known for hiding the actual infection status, so the actual number might be much higher.

As for the origin of this wave of COVID, it started in Nanjing City, Jiangsu Province in July. Zhangjiajie, a tourist city in Hunan Province became a center for its spread, as over 2,000 people attended an in-door performance there. Zhangjiajie didn’t call it a “lockdown,” but it is not allowing people to leave the city. Yangzhou City, Jiangsu Province detained a patient who didn’t report his travel to Nanjing. It also offered money to encourage citizens to report people who have COVID. Wuhan City, Hubei Province announced that it would test all of its 13.5 million residents. Beijing reported six cases officially, but other information indicated that 15 community neighborhoods in 11 districts had confirmed cases. China also cancelled all sports competition.

Sources:
1. China government site, August 4, 2021
http://www.gov.cn/xinwen/2021-08/04/content_5629348.htm
2. Epoch Times, August 3, 2021
https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/21/8/3/n13136774.htm

Leadership: The CCP’s State Advisors

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has a few political and ideological advisors. They are called the “state advisors.” The Epoch Times reported on four of them. All four came from Fudan University.

Wang Huning (王沪宁), a Standing Committee Member of the Politburo, is the top advisor to Xi Jinping. He also advised the previous two CCP top leaders Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao. Thus he is called the “Three Dynasties State Advisor.”

Wang was affiliated with Fudan University for 17 years, from 1978 to 1995. First he was a graduate student then a professor, followed by department chair and dean of the School of Law. He is deeply connected to Fudan University and brought a few other Fudan scholars as “state advisors” to the CCP leadership.

Zhang Weiwei (张维为), Dean of the School of China Studies, Fudan University, was invited to lecture to the Standing Committee Members of the Politburo on May 31 on the topic of “Strengthening China’s International Communication Capabilities.” The details of Zhang’s talk were not available, but he said in an interview the next day that his diplomatic stand was that the CCP is right, but the world has a “malicious misinterpretation.”

Zhang’s advice to the Standing Committee Members was clear, “When it is time to punch, then punch; when it is time to mock then mock; and when it is the time to give out a loud shouting warning then give out a loud shouting warning.”

Zhang is known for talking down about the U.S. His infamous quotes include, “China has fully reached moderate prosperity for the entire nation, but the U.S. still has 40 million people living below the poverty line.” His book “China Is Fighting the Pandemic,” claimed the COVID-19 pandemic was a catalyst for the world to tilt rapidly to the East while sending the West tumbling.

Another advisor is Zheng Ruolin (郑若麟), Researcher at the School of China Studies of Fudan University. Zheng frequently writes for the Shanghai Wen Hui Bao, the newspaper owned by the Shanghai Party Committee.

Zheng published articles that stated, “It is far from enough just to rely on the diplomat wolf warriors to fight the public opinion war.” Instead, media and scholars should all participate in that war. He suggested that China’s media “should assume the role of the main force” in the war of public opinion against the West. The most important thing to do is to “repeat, repeat, repeat;” and “a lie repeated a thousand times will really become the ‘truth’!”

Zheng also suggested supporting the “international friends” who speak for the CCP. “Some examples are: to purchase copyrights of their books to publish them to the world; give them China’s book awards or news awards; invite them to visit China; and hire them as professors at our universities. …”

Another advisor is Shen Yi (沈逸), Associate Professor at the Department of International Politics, Fudan University. He is known for his outlandish statements on nationalism and is popular among the people with extreme nationalist views.

On May 1, the CCP Political and Legal Affairs Committee (PLAC) published a picture titled, “China Lit Fire vs. India Lit Fire.” The picture showed on one side China’ launching a rocket and on the other side India’s burning the bodies of people who died due to the COVID-19 virus (India was at its peak of suffering from COVID at that time). Many people, including Huanqiu’s Chief Editor Hu Xijin, criticized the picture for lack of empathy. The PLAC then removed the picture. However, Shen praised the picture on the social media, calling it the normal response to India’s “sultry slutty style.” He even blamed Hu Xijin for not being tough on this point  and for issuing a surrender.

Source: The Epoch Times, July 19, 2021
https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/21/7/19/n13099514.htm

People’s Lives: Did Zhengzhou Reservoir Release Flood Water without Informing the Public?

Henan Province suffered much rainfall recently. On July 20, the streets of its capital city, Zhengzhou, were completely under water and cars were washed away.

The videos of people trapped in subway trains, which the city kept running during the flood, were widespread on social media. Around 6 p.m. on July 20, subway trains were stuck underground due to the water. Water started to flow into the cars through the doors and kept accumulating. Some reported water reached 1.6 meters high. Passengers stood on chairs to keep their heads above water and parents held their babies in the air. People started to call their families to leave their wills and account information. Quite a few people lost conscience as there was not enough air. Finally the rescuers arrived and many people were saved. The authorities announced 12 deaths. The people who survived the tragedy questioned this number.

A bigger controversy was that people questioned whether the disaster was caused by the authorities’ releasing flood water from the reservoir near Zhengzhou without first informing the public.

An article listing several suspicious points was widely spread over the Internet. China Digital Times saved a copy in case the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) deleted the article. The following is a summary of the highlights:

1. When were people saved?

A number of the Zhengzhou and the Henan Provincial news media declared victory in early evening. Zhengzhou News Radio said at 7:23 p.m. that all passengers were saved. The Huanqiu website quoted Zhengzhou News at 8:02 p.m. stating people were saved. Henan Province Daxiang News reported victory at 9:17 p.m.

However, an online video showed that a passenger said it was past 8 p.m. and rescuers had not arrived yet. A microblog posting at 11:25 p.m. said that his family members were trapped in the subway No. 5 line and had not been rescued yet, but that posting was removed very quickly. Another microblog posted at 3:09 a.m. on July 21 said people at the Guangnan Road Station of subway No. 5 line had been trapped from 6 p.m. till then and still were waiting to be rescued.

Xinhua News Agency also reported at 0:54 a.m. on July 21 that the rescue was still ongoing and the number of casualties was unknown.

2. How substantial was the amount of rain?

The Zhengzhou authorities blamed the weather for the disaster. The Zhengzhou official weather microblog said, “Zhengzhou had rain of 201.9 mm (millimeters) in one hour (4 p.m. to 5 p.m. on July 20), and 552.5 mm in one day (8 p.m. on July 19 to 8 p.m. on July 20).”

However, the National Weather Bureau had a top article discussing the Henan heavy rainfall, “Hehan Province has had heavy rainfall since July 17. Zhengzhou’s average rainfall (from July 17 to 20) was 357 mm. In one day (from 5 p.m. July 19 to 5 p.m. July 20), the average rainfall in Henan Province was 73.1 mm and that in Zhengzhou was 286.5 mm. … The biggest rainfall occurred in Zhengzhou’s Jiangang site, which was 584.0 mm.”

It seems that the Zhengzhou officials exaggerated the rainfall dramatically. It took the biggest rainfall in one location and made it the city average.

3. Did the government release water from the reservoir near Zhengzhou?

Around 10 p.m. on July 20, messages started to spread among social media in China that the water broke the main gate of the Changzhou Reservoir and the authorities bombed the sub-gates to release floodwater.

The Henan Public Security Bureau sent a microblog message at 11:06 p.m. immediately to declare this was a rumor.

However, The Beijing News published an article at 0:48 a.m. on July 21, stating, “The Changzhuang Reservoir opened the gates to release flood-water around 4 p.m. on July 20.” It quoted the source as being from the CCTV Military channel.

National Business Daily reported at 10:53 p.m. on July 20, “According to CCTV news, … The water at the Changzhuang Reservoir reached 127.87 meters at 10:57 a.m. on July 20, which was 0.38 meters above the  “alerting” water level. Following the Henan Provincial and Zhengzhou Municipal Flood Control Command’s order, the reservoir started releasing flood-water at 3 cubic meters per second.”

Baidu Encyclopedia said that the Changzhuang Reservoir was 2 km (around 1.2 mile) away from Zhengzhou’s Xihuan Road. The Reservoir dam was 36.74 meters above the center of Zhengzhou city and 52.74 meters above the Zhengdong New District, of Zhengzhou.

All these media, including CCTV said that the Changzhuang Reservoir released water. The timeline seemed to be a good match: The reservoir released water around 4 p.m. and subway trains in Zhengzhou were taken over by flood-water around 6 p.m.

The article questioned whether the authorities were trying to cover up their releasing flood water without notifying the public, which caused a huge disaster for the people.

Source: China Digital Times, July 20, 2021

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