News (1)
Latest study: SARS-CoV-2 can infect lungs through gums
Reporter : Li Zhaoxi / Editor: Li Jia / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2021/04/21/a103101024.html / Translation, editing : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA / Image courtesy : Vecteezy
It is widely believed that the virus SARS-CoV-2 (CCP virus, covi, novel coronavirus) infects the lungs through the upper respiratory tract. A new study shows that the CCP virus may also infect the lungs through the gums. This discovery opens a new path for the treatment of covid.
On 20 April 2021, an international research team from the United Kingdom, South Africa and the United States published their findings in the Journal of Oral Medicine and Dental Research. They pointed out that there is evidence that the CCP virus can enter the blood directly from the saliva of the mouth and invade people’s lungs. This is especially serious for people with gum disease.
Evidence shows that the CCP virus in saliva can enter the blood through openings in the gums, then travel to the heart, and then to the lungs.
The blood vessels in the lungs, not the respiratory tract, were initially infected by the CCP virus. If the concentration of the CCP virus in saliva is high or one suffers from periodontitis, it will greatly increase the risk of death.
The researchers wrote that this discovery will also fundamentally change the management of the CCP virus and provide a new route of exploration for targeted treatment.
Dr. Shervin Molayem, one of the co-authors of the paper, told the Washington Examiner that the infection receptor of the CCP virus—Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) is found in saliva and exists in large numbers. Once the virus enters the gums, it enters the heart through the jugular vein and then into the lungs.
Morayam also hinted that poor oral hygiene, especially gum disease, may be a more predictable factor for the severity of infection with the CCP virus. People with gum disease will form "periodontal pockets" in the gums, which makes it easier for microorganisms, including the Chinese Communist virus, to enter the bloodstream.
A recent study of 568 Chinese patients with pneumonia found that those with gum disease are 8.5 times more likely to die from the virus and 4.5 times more likely to need a ventilator.
Experts say that simple oral hygiene measures, including the use of certain mouthwash products, can help reduce the risk of lung infections in patients with covid and help prevent the infection from getting worse.
Morayam recommends some mouthwashes, which can kill 99% of the viruses in the mouth. These mouthwashes can contain 0.05%-0.1% acetopyridine chloride, 0.147% ethyl lauroyl arginine or 0.2%-0.5% povidone iodine.
Morayam also recommends that people with gum disease should brush and floss regularly, and have regular dental checkups.
News (2)
Patients with allergic rhinitis and asthma at risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection after vaccination
Report by : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA
The China CDC journal CCDC Weekly published online an investigation report of a hospital inspector in Xi'an who was still infected with SARS-CoV-2 (CCP virus, covi, novel coronavirus) after receiving two doses of a CCP virus vaccine. The reason is that she may have been exposed to environmental conditions carrying the British mutant virus 5 days before the onset of illness symptoms.
The case involves a mild patient discharged from hospital on 9 April 2021. The report believes that vaccination with the new crown vaccine makes patients have milder clinical symptoms, short course of disease, and low viral load, which is almost non-infectious. At the same time, medical staff are reminded that even after vaccination, appropriate personal protection is still required during the treatment of covid patients.
According to epidemiological investigations, the inspector was likely to be infected while collecting throat swabs for 2 inbound covid cases from Uzbekistan on 12 March. Virus testing confirmed that the two foreigners had a high viral load on March 12, and they were British variants of the CCP virus (B.1.1.7). On the same day, the inspector collected two nasopharyngeal swabs and one oropharyngeal swab for the two patients. This is a high-risk operation process. The patient may sneeze or retch, which will cause high discharge concentration of covi in a short time. At the same time, the inspector suffers from chronic rhinitis and is used to breathing through his mouth, which increases the risk of inhaling the virus. Studies have found that allergic rhinitis and asthma are at greater risk of susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection.
News (3)
Thais report stroke-like symptoms after vaccination with CoronaVac
Source : The Bangkok Post / Editing : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA
The Thai Public Health Ministry insists the Sinovac vaccine CoronaVac is safe and it will continue to administer it, despite seven people suffering stroke-like symptoms after CoronaVac vaccination.
The ministry's announcement came after Dr Thiravat Hemachudha, Director of the Health Science Centre of Emerging Diseases at Chulalongkorn University's faculty of medicine, revealed on Facebook on Tuesday that seven people suffered stroke-like symptoms after being given the Chinese company's jab.
Officials say all seven -- six in Rayong and one in Chon Buri – has recovered after doctors gave them medication to dissolve blood clots.
Dr Taweesap Siraprapasiri, a specialist at the Department of Disease Control, said six of the people -- five medical workers and a hospital employee, all in Rayong -- had pre-existing conditions before CoronaVac vaccination. According to him, one has cancer, one has high cholesterol and is medically obese, while four are taking contraceptive pills.
Dr Taweesap said they had all been given injections of CoronaVac from vaccine batch number J202103001 between 5 and 9 April 2021. He did not mention the seventh recipient in Chon Buri but a colleague told reporters that the Chon Buri case is no different from the six in Rayong.
Prof Dr Kulkanya Chokephaibulkit of the Faculty of Medicine at Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University said the six had different degrees of neural symptoms but all fully recovered in 1-3 days. She said, "Some developed stroke-like symptoms but we can't still determine what caused them. An investigation, including MRI scans, found no abnormalities. Most of them are women who are not so old and not at any risk of a stroke. We think that the symptoms were linked with the inoculation because they happened [just] 5-10 minutes after their injections."
Dr Kulkanya said that an investigation panel had found no irregularities in the vaccine batch. About 500,000 doses had been distributed from it and it had so far been given to more than 300,000 people. She said, “Such symptoms have not occurred with recipients elsewhere but we will keep looking for such incidents in the future. The committee has therefore resolved that the vaccine in this batch can continue to be used because the benefits outweigh the side-effects, which were temporary."
Dr Tasanee Tantirittisak of the Department of Medical Services, said the same temporary side-effects has been widely reported in international studies but it seemed to occur very rarely. Such a reaction has been also found in many other vaccines, including those produced by AstraZeneca and Pfizer.
Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul insisted that the government would not halt its Sinovac vaccination programme and instructed health authorities to closely monitor the symptoms of people after they receive the vaccine. He said post-vaccine symptoms could happen depending on the body's response, which is different in each person. That was exactly why the Thai government had decided that people receiving covi jabs must be closely monitored for the first 30 minutes afterwards.
Sathit Pitutecha, Deputy Public Health minister, also insisted
there was no reason to suspend the Sinovac vaccine following the recent
incidents. "This vaccine is still very important in stopping the
disease," he said. "However, it will be up to those people adversely
affected to decide whether they want to have the second jab or not."
News (4) to (5) / Reports by : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA
News (4)
TraceTogether-SafeEntry token mandatory nationwide in Singapore from 1 June 2021
Large retail stores and supermarkets inside a mall will not need to have SafeEntry check-ins. However, TraceTogether-only SafeEntry are required at solemnisations and weddings, funerary events and wakes, pre-schools and student care centres and healthcare facilities. TraceTogether app users are reminded to ensure that their app is updated to the latest version and to turn on their Bluetooth and keep the app active in the background.
Token users should make sure that their tokens' batteries are running. To check if a TraceTogether token is working, users should look out for a green light that blinks once about every minute. If the token is blinking red or if there is no light at all, please replace the token at any community club, community centre, or a token replacement booth at a select mall.
The authorities said the use of the TraceTogether token has
enabled Singapore to reduce the average time taken to contact trace from four
days to less than one-and-a-half days.
News (5)
28 migrant workers diagnosed with covid in Westlite Woodlands dormitory, and 27 of them are suspected of re-infection
Singapore's Ministry of Manpower issued a statement on 21 April 2021 saying that after a construction foreman living in Westlite Woodlands dormitory was diagnosed the day before yesterday, its "protection, care and contact group" and the Ministry of Health immediately put the foreman in the dormitory and isolated people who have been in close contact with the workplace.
A roommate of the foreman was tested in a special isolation facility and the result was positive. For safety reasons, the authorities tested all the residents in the dormitory and found that 27 recovered patients tested positive. So they were sent to the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID) as of 22 April 2021 to investigate whether they were re-infected.
The statement did not specify how many guest workers live in the Westlite Woodlands dormitory. It is expected that the authorities will disclose more details in the future. The number of confirmed cases disclosed in the Ministry of Manpower's statement was not included in the Ministry of Health's daily epidemic report on 21 and 22 April.
The Straits Times quoted a notice issued to workers at Westlite Woodlands. The foreman who was diagnosed the day before lived in Block A of the dormitory, and residents on the second to seventh floors of the block were tested. After 568 times of SARS-CoV-2 PCR tests and serum tests, 11 people were found to be infected with covid at 9 am on 21 April.
According to the announcement, the guest workers living in the dormitory will move to government facilities for 14 days of isolation today. Half of their work will be recalled to the dormitory to wait for relocation. They are not allowed to go out. There are believed to be hundreds of relocated guest workers.
The construction foreman diagnosed the day before yesterday is a 35-year-old Bangladeshi man who works for Prosper Environmental & Engineering. He has lived in Singapore since July 2019. He has runny nose on 16 April but did not report the symptom. He received regular tests on the same day.
On the 18th, his collective laboratory test sample was positive and he was immediately quarantined and sent to the NCID by ambulance. He was tested separately on the same day, and the result was positive the next day.
The migrant worker received the first dose of vaccine on 12 March and the second dose of vaccine on 13 April. He is the second dormitory resident who contracted covid after two doses of the vaccine this month. On 7 April, a 23-year-old docker from India contracted covid after being vaccinated nearly two months later.
News (6)
Source : ASEAN
ASEAN covid tally as at 20 April 2021
Ruili epidemic has been covered up, authorities continue to lock down the city, internal situation exposed
Image : On September 15, 2020, people in Ruili conducted a nucleic acid test. (STR/AFP via Getty Images)
Ruili, Yunnan has been locked down for more than 20 days, and a new round of national nucleic acid testing began on the 22nd. The local people revealed to the outside world that the official cover-up of the epidemic, but imposed high-pressure quarantine measures on the people has extended the quarantine period indefinitely.
News (8)
People: Officially, the epidemic is under control, but the opposite is true
On 19 and 20 April, Ruili continued to have confirmed cases. On 22 April, the Ruili Epidemic Prevention and Control Work Headquarters issued a notice to launch a new round of CCP virus nucleic acid testing within the urban area, prohibit people from unnecessary travel and gathering activities, and continue to implement home quarantine after sampling.
According to The Epoch Times, Ms. Zhang, a resident of Ruili City, revealed, "I still stay at home now, and the entire Ruili city area has been sealed off. It has been more than 20 days."
Ms. Wang, who lives on Renmin Road in Ruili, revealed that a friend of hers developed fever and was told to be sent to quarantine. Many people upstairs in the friend’s residence who had been to the "Jiejiao Border Trade Zone" were required to be quarantined. Even those who have not been diagnosed now must be isolated.
Mr. He, a villager in Mengmao Town, Ruili, said: “In the Jile area, the patrol team is required to conduct door-to-door inspections without missing blind spots. I heard that there have been many confirmed cases in this area."
Mr. He revealed that the official media’s news of the epidemic in the past few days has been saying that “the epidemic in Ruili is basically under control” but the locals know that “a case has suddenly appeared. How can this be completely controlled? I started to investigate, and every household checked their work mistakes. How is this like what they said (basically controlled)."
News (9)
The authorities neglect their duties and the media cover up
He believes that the Ruili epidemic is directly related to the dereliction of duty by CCP officials. “In that case yesterday (19th), I didn’t do nucleic acid at a time. I did it seven or eight times in the city at most. Those government functionaries are still dereliction of duty and their work is irresponsible. It was originally planned to start on the 21st in a place that is not a high-risk area. Unblocking it slowly, suddenly another case came out yesterday."
Mr. He said that the person had never done a nucleic acid test, but someone was quarantined well at home. There were no emergencies and no symptoms of infection, but the government asked him to go (centrally) quarantined again. "I really don't understand how these people do things," he said.
Mr. He also said, “The ten service calls they (the authorities) announced on TikTok. I called them a few days ago. None of them were able to get through. Either the line was busy or no one answered. Suddenly someone answered. It hung up immediately, and few people could get through."
He said: “Just forget if the job is not in place, and then face the media and the public and cover up, and use cloth to wipe out the areas that you don’t do in place. This is even a bit of credibility in the eyes of our ordinary people. No. Now the quarantine period is extended indefinitely."
Mr. He learned that since the confirmed cases on the 19th had not undergone a nucleic acid test, the local government has now begun a large-scale investigation. "Every household, enter the place where they live, and then see if there is anyone hiding under the bed or in the kitchen."
News (10)
The living conditions of the quarantined people are worrying
Mr. He also disclosed, “Some time ago someone jumped off the building and couldn’t bear this kind of (isolation) like going to jail; some people were in a trance, just like that all day long; some people had a quarrel with those working staff, this There are many things. Our village had this kind of thing two days ago. He obviously didn't let them out, and then he came out, quarreled with them, and finally shocked 110."
Ms. Zhang said, "The whole Ruili city is very strict now. If you go out and get caught, they will educate you. If you don't listen to them, you will go to the bureau and stay for two days."
The living conditions of the people who have been asked to quarantine are worrying. Mr. He said that during the sudden lock down of the city, some tourists, takeaway boys, people who sell vegetables, and go to the jewelry market could not return to Ruili. They were sealed there and could only stay in the hotel of Jie Gao. All costs are borne by the government and the government does not care.
He said, "The price of food and lodging is extremely high. If you are staying, you can get one hundred or two, one hundred and five a day, and the same is true for meals. Any two dishes cost seven or eighty yuan, and the cost of one day is two or three hundred. People don’t care about it. They apply to the government and can apply to come to Ruili for quarantine. The reply they get is: This is the hardest hit area, and everything needs to be arranged by the superior. It must be a lot of pressure for them. I have to pay 10,000 to 20,000 RMB per month."
News (11)
"Vaccine death" becomes banned in China
Reporter : Yu Ting / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2021/04/21/a103101397.html / Translation, editing : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA
At present, all countries have announced the serious side effects and deaths after vaccination. However, in the People's Republic of China, due to the opaque information of the CCP, it is difficult for the public to understand the pros and cons of vaccination. "Vaccine death" has become a new Internet banned word.
On 21 April, nearly 200 million people have been vaccinated with doses of the CCP virus vaccine in China, and a Nanjing netizen recently posted a short video about the death of the vaccine on the Internet and was administratively detained by the Chinese Communist Party for 7 days.
In addition, a netizen in Shenzhen, on 15 Aprilto seek justice for his family, said that his 28-year-old brother, who had no medical history, died of a cerebral hemorrhage after being injected with the Sinopharm vaccine. The news was also blocked by the authorities. The netizen left a message later, saying that he had received a warning call from the border armed police and the Shenzhen Health Bureau.
There is also a 22-year-old college student who developed acute cerebral hemorrhage, shock and other symptoms on 12 April after being vaccinated. The hospital even issued a critical illness notice. It has not been out of the critical period yet, but the news has also been blocked by the authorities.
The effect of the CCP's vaccine is unknown to the outside world. However, overseas, the President and Prime Minister of Pakistan, after receiving the Sinopharm Group vaccine, were diagnosed with the infection in less than a month.
At present, countries around the world have successively announced the side effects and deaths after the vaccination. Seven people in the UK died of blood clots after being vaccinated with AstraZeneca. There are 8 vaccine-related deaths in Italy (related to the AstraZeneca vaccine). In the United States, six people experienced blood clots after being injected with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, and one of them died. In Hong Kong, 15 people have died after being vaccinated with CoronaVac ...
However, in China, the Chinese Communist Party has not officially notified any vaccine side effects or deaths, and has tried to cover up the relevant situation among the people.
News (12)
Paraguay rejects China's vaccine diplomatic extortion, confirms purchase of vaccine from India
Editor : Xiao Jing / Source : The Epoch Times / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2021/04/21/a103101209.html / Translation, editing : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA
The Presidential Palace of Paraguay issued a tweet on 20 April 2021, stating that the Paraguayan government has successfully obtained vaccines from india and rejects China's vaccine diplomatic extortion.
The Presidential Palace of Paraguay pointed out in a tweet on the 20th that President Mario Benitez announced that he has confirmed that it will purchase 2 million doses of vaccines from India, and that the second batch of 100,000 doses of vaccines donated by India will be released on 22 April. India has shipped out the vaccines and other vaccines will also be delivered to Paraguay. President Benitez emphasized that Paraguay does not accept diplomatic extortion by China's shared vaccines.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China stated on the 21st that the government is happy to see that with the efforts of the Paraguayan government and other parties, Paraguay has successfully obtained the necessary SARS-CoV-2 vaccine.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that in the face of the spread of the pandemic, vaccine acquisition is not only a public health issue, but also a humanitarian issue. Matters concerning the lives and health of people of all countries should not be reduced to a tool of political manipulation. Not only does the Paraguayan government not accept any vaccine diplomatic extortion, the Republic of China also strongly opposes any implied conditional provision of vaccines as a means of undermining Taiwanese friendship.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that in the future, the Republic of China will continue to uphold the spirit of helping each other in the same boat, combine the strength of countries with similar ideas, jointly defend the democratic and free system, and assist Paraguay in fighting the spread of the pandemic and promoting the country's sustainable development.
News (13) to (14) / Editor : Li Yun / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2021/04/22/a103101526.html / Direct translation
The U.S. has passed a major bill to fight the CCP in seven areas
The US multi-party senator recently proposed the "Strategic Competition Act" against the CCP, which was passed by the U.S. Senate Foreign Affairs Committee on the 21st. The bill will counter the CCP in many fields, including technology, military, human rights, economics, and influence operations.
According to a report by the Central News Agency, the "Strategic Competition Act" was governed by the Democratic Senate Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Robert Menendez and the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee Republican Chief Representative Jim Risch (Jim Risch). It was jointly proposed on 8 April and passed by the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee on the 21st.
Menendez stated at the Foreign Affairs Committee that the CCP’s challenge is unprecedented in scale, scope, and urgency, and requires a comprehensive competitive policy and strategy to respond. The bill assembles unprecedented cross-party efforts to use all the economic and diplomatic tools of the United States to formulate an Indo-Pacific strategy, so that the United States can truly face the national security and economic challenges brought by the CCP.
Menendez said that strategic competition is undoubtedly the correct framework for viewing US-China relations, not because it is what the United States wants or is trying to create, but because of Beijing's past and present choices.
This cross-party bill is 281 pages long and comprehensively discusses the scale, scope, and urgency of the CCP’s challenge. Menendez stated on the 8th that the bill is to ensure that the United States has the ability to compete with the CCP at all levels of national and international strength in the coming decades.
The bill has five chapters and includes a number of plans to deal with Beijing’s problems, including predatory economic actions, malicious influence operations, digital authority, military expansion, ambitions for Taiwan, and oppression of Hong Kong and Xinjiang. The bill will also strengthen regional partnerships between the United States and the Indo-Pacific, the Western Hemisphere, Transatlantic and Africa, and counter the CCP’s ambitions.
According to the report, the bill proposes a number of response plans. The following is a summary of the main points of the draft:
1. Helping U.S. companies to withdraw from China's decentralized supply chain
In recent years, the United States has actively promoted the reorganization of the supply chain to reduce its dependence on China. After the covid outbreak, the pace has been accelerated.
In order to help achieve the goal, the bill authorizes an annual injection of US$15 million during the fiscal year 2022 to 2027 for the US embassies abroad to hire external experts to assist US companies or individuals withdrawing from the Chinese market, removing part of the production equipment, or supplying The chain is diversified to regions outside of China.
In addition, in the face of the CCP's expansion of economic and political influence through the "One Belt One Road" plan, the bill also proposes a plan for it.
The bill quoted Congress’s opinion that the United States should initiate cooperation with other governments, private sectors, and civil society, and encourage countries to adopt the infrastructure development standards promoted by the G20 Osaka Summit, including respect for the sovereignty of the country where the construction is located, anti-corruption, and the rule of law, human rights and debt sustainability, etc.
The bill authorizes the U.S. Secretary of State to establish the "Infrastructure Transaction and Assistance Network" (Infrastructure Transaction and Assistance Network) program and allocate US$75 million to promote the development of sustainable, transparent, and high-quality infrastructure in the Indo-Pacific region.
2. Injecting 300 million U.S. dollars each year against the CCP
The bill quotes a report submitted by the US President in accordance with the National Defense Authorization Act for the 2019 Fiscal Year, stating that Beijing conducts publicity and dissemination of false information through official media and online organizations, and uses specific agencies and agents as a cover to lock down companies, universities and colleges. , Think tank scholars, journalists, local and federal officials in the United States and other countries have carried out malicious influence operations in an attempt to influence public opinion.
The bill uses the testimony of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Christopher Wray in February last year as an example to illustrate that Beijing is actively carrying out malicious influence operations in the United States. Lei pointed out at the time that the CCP's influence actions in the United States are quite active, with the purpose of making American policies and public opinion more "inspiring" on various issues.
In order to fight against the Chinese Communist Party's global malicious influence, the bill authorizes an annual allocation of 300 million US dollars as the "anti-China (total) influence fund" during the 2022-2026 fiscal year. The bill also requires the Secretary of State to appoint an assistant secretary or higher level official to concurrently serve as the coordinator, responsible for policy guidance, coordination, and expenditures.
In addition, the bill stipulates that the CCP spends a large amount of money to carry out influence operations in Western countries, such as spending US$500 million in advertising in Australia to attract local TV viewers, and spending more than US$20 million in publishing the official media "China Daily" in the US media, involvement of sexual content, trying to influence public opinion.
In the face of the Chinese Communist Party’s media war, the bill authorizes an annual allocation of US$100 million to the U.S. International Media Agency (USAGM) during the fiscal year from 2022 to 2026 to support foreign media, establish independent media, and fight false information within and outside China and invest in plans to circumvent speech censorship technology.
The bill also authorizes an annual injection of 170 million U.S. dollars to fund programs that support media freedom, training and protection of journalists during the same period.
3. Call for a five-eye agreement with Taiwan, Japan and Europe to fight against digital authority
Faced with the rise of the CCP’s “digital authority”, ensuring the security of information and digital space has become one of the most important tasks of the United States in recent years.
The bill states that the United States should play a leading role in the international standard-setting organization to ensure that key digital technologies can operate in a free, safe, interconnected and stable space; the United States should also unite with allies and partners and use all economic and diplomatic tools to counter "digital authority." , That is, the CCP uses information or communication technology products and services to monitor, oppress, and manipulate the people.
In addition, the bill calls on the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) to negotiate bilateral and multilateral digital trade agreements with the European Union, Japan, Taiwan, members of the "Five Eyes Alliance" of the International Intelligence Union, and other suitable countries.
In addition to strengthening digital trade with allies, the bill also authorizes the Secretary of State to establish a "Digital Connectivity and Cybersecurity Partnership" (Digital Connectivity and Cybersecurity Partnership). Between the 2022 and 2026 fiscal years, it will allocate 100 million US dollars a year to help emerging markets expand safety nets. Road and digital construction, protection of technological property, and promotion of the export of U.S. information and communication technology (ICT) products and services.
4. Countering the CCP’s military expansion and ambitions towards Taiwan
The bill pointed out that the CCP’s military is rapidly modernizing and expanding, and the military balance in the Indo-Pacific region is becoming increasingly unfavorable to the United States. Beijing took the opportunity to weaken the confidence of US allies in the strength of US commitments, and some countries were forced to bandwagon the CCP to protect their national interests.
The bill specifically mentions the situation in the Taiwan Strait, pointing out that the reunification of Taiwan is a crucial step for the CCP to achieve regional hegemony ambitions. The bill says that the CCP will increase the frequency and scale of exercises targeting Taiwan, such as conducting amphibious warfare and live-fire exercises in the Taiwan Strait, dispatching co-aircraft to bypass Taiwan, and crossing the center line of the Taiwan Strait.
The bill stated that after Beijing has completely subdued Hong Kong, it may speed up the timetable for its actions against Taiwan, and the defense of Taiwan has become more urgent and important. The bill emphasizes that the defense of Taiwan will help limit the CCP’s ability to project military power beyond the first island chain, and it will also prevent Beijing from diverting military resources and manpower to practice greater ambitions.
In addition, the bill states that the defense of Taiwan also helps the United States maintain its credibility and can continue to be a defender of democratic values and free market principles, which are values embodied by the people and government of Taiwan.
The bill calls for the US to strengthen the Indo-Pacific regional security partnership, including supporting Japan to develop long-range precision firepower, encouraging and promoting Taiwan to accelerate the acquisition of asymmetric defense capabilities. U.S. foreign policy should first reprint the Pacific region and prioritize the allocation of resources to achieve the US political and military goals in the Indo-Pacific. The United States should also exercise freedom of flight and navigation in the Indo-Pacific region.
The bill plans to inject multiple funds to assist the United States in achieving regional goals, including the allocation of US$655 million in foreign military aid funds between 2022 and 2026.
5. The Taiwan-US partnership should be strengthened
In recent years, the CCP has used diplomatic, military, and economic means to coerce Taiwan. The bill uses two sections to explain how the United States should strengthen its partnership with Taiwan.
The bill stated that China is trying to use all means to unify Taiwan. The CCP insists that reunification is the only option for Taiwan, making the goal of reunification inherently coercive. The bill also warns that the CCP plans to use Taiwan's strategic position in the first island chain to project its power to the second island chain and beyond.
The bill calls for U.S. policy to recognize that Taiwan is a vital part of U.S. Indo-Pacific strategy, and to promote Taiwan’s security and democracy is essential for maintaining peace and stability in the "Greater Indo-Pacific region" and is also critical to U.S. national security interests. .
The United States should also strengthen its commitment to Taiwan under the "Taiwan Relations Act" and the "Six Guarantees" in accordance with the "One China Policy."
In terms of military affairs, the bill calls on the US to regularly sell arms to Taiwan to strengthen Taiwan’s self-defense capabilities, especially the development and integration of asymmetric combat capabilities. The US should also urge Taiwan to increase its defense expenditures and provide sufficient resources for its own defense strategy.
In the part of diplomacy and international participation, the bill states that the United States should promote and actively promote Taiwan’s meaningful participation in the United Nations, the World Health Assembly (WHA), the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) and other appropriate international organizations, and should also promote meaningful cooperation between the United States, Taiwan and other partners with similar ideas.
6. Call for equal treatment of Taiwan and other governments
The bill also rarely advocates that the United States should give Taiwan the same treatment as the governments of other countries. The bill states that the U.S. State Department and other U.S. government agencies should interact with Taiwan’s democratically elected government on the same basis as other foreign governments, and use the same language and etiquette.
The bill also emphasizes that although the American Association in Taiwan (AIT) continues to play a supporting role in implementing U.S. foreign policy and protecting U.S. interests in Taiwan, the U.S. government should not impose any restrictions to restrict officials from the State Department and other units and the Taiwan government. The ability to interact directly and regularly.
However, the bill added that the content of the bill should not be interpreted as the need to resume the establishment of diplomatic relations with the Republic of China (Taiwan) or to change the US government’s position on Taiwan’s international status.
On April 21, the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee included the text of the Republican Senator Ted Cruz's two Taiwan-supporting bills into the "Strategic Competition Act", including the "Taiwan Symbols of Sovereignty Act" proposed in February last year, the "Reassurance On Commitments Act" proposed in March this year.
The “Taiwan Sovereignty Symbol Act” calls on the US to allow Taiwan’s diplomatic and military personnel to display the national flag and wear uniforms on US territory; the “Re-assurance Act” prohibits the US State Department from spending 2022 fiscal year funding to restrict Taiwanese government representatives or military personnel from performing. Display sovereign symbols during official business, such as the national flag or military emblem of the Republic of China (Taiwan).
7. Inject funds to promote democracy in Hong Kong and expand sanctions
The CCP recently revised Hong Kong’s electoral system to further tighten the democratic space. Inhumane acts such as forced labor and forced birth control in Xinjiang have also surfaced and aroused high international attention.
In order to promote and invest in the value of the United States, the bill authorizes the allocation of US$10 million in fiscal year 2022 for the US Department of State Democracy, Human Rights and Labor Bureau to promote democracy in Hong Kong.
In addition, the bill also intends to amend the Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act, which took effect in June last year, to include major human rights violations involving forced labor, systematic rape, forced abortion, forced birth control, and the installation of contraceptive devices, etc. included in the case of being named and sanctioned by the President of the United States.
According to the Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act, the U.S. President can use sanctions including freezing the assets of named persons in the United States, denying entry into the United States, and denying or canceling visas.
News (14)
America's most important anti-communist bill in recent years
Because this is the most significant anti-communist bill in the United States in recent years, it includes stricter scrutiny of foreign donations to American universities. An amendment to the bill also prohibits the US government from sending a delegation to attend the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, and athletes' participation will not be affected.
Many members proposed amendments during the meeting, hoping to incorporate their ideas into this historic bill. This includes Republican Senator Marco Rubio's proposal to change the title of Director of the American Association in Taiwan (AIT) Taipei Office to "Representative", and the appointment must be approved by the Senate.
In order to prevent the content of the bill from touching other committee responsibilities, and to ensure that the bill has a chance to pass in the Senate and House of Representatives in the future, only a few amendments have been incorporated. Rubio's amendment received 11 votes in favour and 11 votes against, less than half of which was not included.
However, the "Taiwan Sovereignty Symbol Act" proposed by Cruz in the previous Congress to allow Taiwanese diplomatic and military personnel to display the national flag and wear uniforms on the territory of the United States was adopted as an amendment package at the beginning of the meeting.
With the endorsement of heavyweight members of the two parties, the bill passed the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee with 21 votes in favour and 1 against; Republican Senator Rand Paul was the only member to vote against it.
The bill will then be sent to the Senate for deliberation, and after it is passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives, it will be submitted to the President of the United States for signature before it becomes effective.
News (15) to (20) / Editor : Hao Yu / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2021/04/22/a103101514.html / Extract translations
News (15)
The U.S. defense industry is hacked. Will Biden be tough on the CCP?
Some time ago, some netizens made a comment on Biden. It probably means that Biden is tough on the United States, but very soft on the CCP. It may be possible to make a simple judgment by one thing on whether the comments made by netizens are correct.
Yesterday (20th), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency confirmed that cyber hackers used a weakness in a VPN to break into the networks of some important U.S. agencies. These include computer systems in the United States government departments, critical infrastructure departments, and some private sectors.
The Security Bureau stated in a statement that since March 31, it has assisted multiple departments and organizations that use some of Ivanti's encrypted communication devices to fix their problems and deal with the aftermath of the hacker attack.
The Security Bureau did not specify which departments and agencies were attacked, nor did it disclose the identity of the cyber hackers. However, a few hours before the Security Agency’s statement, the US cybersecurity company Huoyan disclosed some details.
Huoyan said in a report earlier that day that the encrypted communication device manufactured by Ivanti had an undiscovered vulnerability. Two hacker groups took advantage of this vulnerability. Starting in October last year, they broke into the computer systems of multiple U.S. defense contractors using this device. They were not discovered until March of this year.
Huoyan pointed out that in addition to US defense companies, US and European governments and financial industry players have also been attacked. One of the hacker groups is UNC2630, which belongs to APT5, a cyber espionage organization maintained by the Chinese Communist government. APT5 has invaded the "high-mechanism enterprise network" for many years, and its main targets are the aerospace and defense companies in the United States, Europe and Asia.
Ivanti of the United States confirmed Huoyan's statement and stated that it has issued patching measures for the developed products.
Regarding the Huoyan report, the spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in the United States stated that Huoyan’s accusations were "irresponsible and unkind" and that the CCP "opposes and stops various cyber attacks" and so on.
However, the Associated Press stated that US officials are still working to deal with the consequences of the SolarWinds invasion. This is a hacking operation discovered by Huoyan in December last year. At that time, the networks of the U.S. Department of Treasury, the Department of Justice, and the Department of Homeland Security were hacked.
Last month, Microsoft issued a notice stating that a hacker organization supported by the Chinese government had previously used undiscovered vulnerabilities to carry out multiple attacks on Microsoft’s email server, possibly remotely controlling the server, and then from the company’s computer system. Theft of data. At that time, the CCP also rejected Microsoft's allegations.
The Voice of America pointed out that in response to the large-scale attack by Chinese hackers, the Biden administration stated that it would take overall government countermeasures and set up a unified and coordinated response agency including the FBI and the Cyber Security Agency to assess and resolve the damage caused.
However, some time has passed and nobody has seen effective measures taken by the Biden administration against Chinese hackers. Now the CCP’s hacker organizations have invaded American defense companies, directly threatening the national security of the United States. Will Biden be tough on the CCP?
Let's look at two tough cases against the CCP first, and then look at a tough case against the Biden-Harris administration.
News (16)
Canceling the "One Belt One Road: Agreement, Australia slaps Xi Jinping
Today (21st) Australian Foreign Minister Payne announced that the two "One Belt One Road" cooperation agreements signed between Victoria and the Chinese Communist Party have been cancelled. This was the first Chinese-funded project to be blocked after Australia passed the "Diplomatic Relations Act" last year, and it was also an action to slap Beijing in the face.
Payne said that under the Diplomatic Relations Act, she decided to cancel four agreements, including two agreements reached between Victoria and the Chinese Communist Party in 2018 and 2019. Payne said in the statement, "These four agreements are inconsistent with Australia's foreign policy or are not conducive to Australia's diplomatic relations."
Regarding Australia’s tough moves, the Chinese Communist Party’s Minister to Australia, Wang Xining, stated that the CCP is ready to defend its own interests at any time. “China (the CCP) is not a cow”. The threat from the CCP is very strong.
Wang Xining's reaction may be due to Australia's slap in the face too tightly. Because yesterday (20th), Xi Jinping just spoke at the opening ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia, once again promoting the CCP’s Belt and Road Initiative.
In his speech, Xi Jinping stated that the "One Belt One Road" is a common prosperity, not a private path of one party." He called on all interested countries to join, "cooperate and benefit together."
But as soon as Xi Jinping's words fell, Australia cancelled the One Belt One Road agreement signed between Victoria and the Chinese Communist Party. This means like saying, if you feel good, then you go and play by yourself, we will not accompany you.
As all know, the current Sino-Australian relations are at a time of tension. Because the Beijing authorities concealed the CCP virus outbreak, the virus quickly spread all over the world. Payne and Morrison successively expressed their support for independent international investigations into the source of the CCP virus in April last year. This annoyed the Chinese Communist Party authorities and retaliated with economic sanctions against Australia.
However, it is clear that the CCP’s report and arbitration did not scare Australia. The Australian government’s courageous measures show that they have continued to be tough on the CCP, so Beijing’s face is a bit unbearable. But there is no way to hang on, because the One Belt One Road has been proven to be an ambition invasion plan of the CCP and a diplomatic trap.
Australian media said that the two agreements signed between Victoria and the Chinese Communist Party did not notify the federal government. They signed the One Belt OneRoad Memorandum of Understanding with the Chinese Communist Party in 2018, becoming Australia's first state to join the Belt and Road Initiative. Later in 2019, Victorian Governor Daniel Andrews signed a framework agreement with the Chinese Communist Party to allow Chinese companies to set up offices in Victoria.
Andrews' arbitrariness caused severe criticism from the federal government at that time. But he was still holding on at the end of last year, saying that there is no market bigger than the Chinese market. However, the opposition party criticized that Victoria itself already has tens of billions of Australian dollars in debt, worrying that the CCP will take advantage of Victoria's financial difficulties to enter the country. Therefore, last year, the federal government was promoted to pass the "Diplomatic Relations Act," which allowed the federal government to expand its powers and veto agreements signed between states and foreign countries.
In February of this year, Australian Prime Minister Morrison had stated that the One Belt One Road agreement signed between Victoria and the Chinese Communist Party was “no benefit” and would be cancelled within a few weeks.
News (17)
TikTok violates children's privacy or compensates billions of pounds
Let's look at another case of being tough on the CCP. A 12-year-old girl anonymously filed a class-action lawsuit against TikTok, an overseas version of Douyin, accusing TikTok of illegally collecting the private data of millions of European children. If this accusation wins, TikTok will have to pay billions of pounds in compensation.
Former England Children’s Commissioner Anne Longfield, who represented the girl in court, told Reuters that since May 25, 2018, every child who uses TikTok may have been illegally collected private information by Bytedance through TikTok. So that unknown third parties can benefit.
However, a representative of TikTok said that Bytedance pays attention to "protecting privacy and security" and "has sound policies, procedures and technologies" to help all users, especially young users. The representative stated that the allegations were “unfounded” and would be defended.
However, Reuters pointed out that the plaintiff accused TikTok of processing the data of young users without adequate security measures, transparency, guardian consent, or legal rights, in violation of the data protection laws of the United Kingdom and the European Union. The complaint not only requires Bytedance to delete the personal information of all child users, but also pays thousands of pounds to each affected child.
People in Western countries attach great importance to personal privacy, especially teenagers and children. Penalties for crimes that violate personal privacy are generally heavier. So we need to pay attention to how the Supreme Court of London ruled this case.
Reuters said that if the lawsuit is successful, Bytedance’s damages could reach "billions of pounds."
News (18)
51 states controversy re-emerged, Biden government support
Having seen two examples of other countries being tough on the CCP, let's look at Biden's toughness. Yesterday (20th), the Biden administration formally declared that it supports Washington DC to become the 51st state in the United States and urged Congress to pass H.R.51 Act.
The White House stated in a statement that more than 700,000 residents of Washington, DC have been deprived of their representation in the US Congress for many years. H.R. 51 will make Washington, D.C. a state and provide residents of the D.C. with full representation in Congress that they should have long ago.
The White House Office of Management and Budget said that the Biden administration "strongly supports" Washington, DC's state-building legislation. Congress has the power to expand the scale of Washington, D.C., and calls on Congress to "provide an opportunity for a rapid and orderly transition to state status."
The US media pointed out that the Biden administration’s statement was the most powerful statement made by the White House on the promotion of Washington, DC. Before Biden, the statements of the Clinton and Obama administrations, which were also in power by the Democratic Party, were quite vague.
In other words, the Biden administration is quite tough on this issue. But obviously, this problem is really a domestic problem in the United States. It seems that the netizens really got it right, and Biden will only be tough on the country.
The House of Representatives, which is also controlled by the Democrats, will vote on the promotion of Washington, DC this week. Based on the comparison of the number of Republicans and Democrats in the House of Representatives, the Democrats are likely to pass this vote in the House of Representatives by virtue of their numbers.
The Senate currently has 44 Democrats supporting this proposal, including majority leader Schumer. However, if this bill is to be passed in the Senate, 60 votes are the threshold. If there are no rebel Republicans, then this bill will end in the Senate.
n fact, in June last year, the Democratic-led House of Representatives had a breakthrough once, that is, it was banned by the Republican Party in the Senate.
So why does the Democratic Party insist on upgrading Washington, DC? After all, it is partisan interests. Once Washington, D.C. becomes a federal state, it will be renamed "Washington State Douglas State" and will produce two federal senators and one voting member of the House of Representatives.
Washington, DC is the "sphere of influence" of the Democratic Party. Ever since the DC received the electoral votes to elect the president, it has supported the Democratic candidates. In other words, if the SAR is turned into a state, the new senators and congressmen will most likely be Democrats.
Trump told The New York Post when he was in office last year that if the SAR becomes a state, it will give the Democratic Party two more seats in the Senate and at least one more seat in the House of Representatives.
Because of this, the Democratic Party has always spared no effort to promote it, but it has also been resolutely resisted by the Republican Party. In addition, there is another reason for the Republican Party’s resistance. The founding fathers of the United States believed that the capital should not be influenced by state political power and should be a neutral zone.
Therefore, Republicans have always said that the establishment of Washington, DC is based on the Constitution, and any changes to the DC must be in the form of constitutional amendments, rather than legislation by Congress.
News (19)
Nearly 300,000 patients increase in a day, India's medical system collapses
Next, let’s look at the situation in India. CNN reported that today (21st) India has newly confirmed 295,041 cases of covid patients and 2,023 deaths. Both of these figures set a single-day record since the epidemic. In particular, the number of new cases exceeded 200,000 for the seventh consecutive day.
Jalil Paka, a senior lung specialist at Lilawati Hospital in Mumbai, said: "The number of patients is huge" and "like a tsunami", the hospital had to change the lobby into a temporary ward.
The Head of the Center for Disease Development, Economics and Policy in New Delhi said: "There is no oxygen. It is difficult to find a hospital bed. It takes more than a week to get a virus test. Almost all systems in the health care system that may collapse have collapsed."
Due to the shortage of hospital resources, many Indian families have to seek help through social media. The father of 34-year-old Mumbai resident Anil Tiwari was killed by the CCP virus in November last year. Last week, his 58-year-old mother tested positive again. Tiwari said his mother was admitted to the hospital but needed a bed in an intensive care unit.
Tiwari asked for help on Twitter and said, "I'm crying, I ran to find an ICU bed for my mother", "Please help save my mother. I love her more than anything else."
After several days of hard work, Tiwari's mother finally got an ICU bed. But oxygen is needed now, but the hospital's oxygen supply is insufficient.
At the same time, many doctors and nurses in Mumbai are frantically looking for beds and treatment options for their loved ones. Paka, a pulmonary disease expert, said, "Everyone is sick" and "There are no more beds for my colleagues, my parents, or my relatives."
A senior official in Nasik County said that at least 22 people died because they did not have ventilators.
The Indian government has announced that, starting on the 22nd, the supply of industrial oxygen will be banned and all will be used for medical treatment until further orders.
This situation is much like Wuhan in early 2020. At that time, the medical system in Wuhan was also destroyed by the outbreak, and it was difficult to find a single bed for patients. The situation of death from illness is very similar to that of Wuhan.
News (20)
The remains were piled up in the crematoriums, some cremation furnaces melted and collapsed
"The Sun" reported that with the surge in cases, India's medical system has collapsed. There is a serious shortage of manpower, the intensive care unit is overcrowded, and even the crematoriums and cemeteries are full of remains.
The crematorium in the western state of Gujarat operates day and night, and has to deal with three or four times the usual remains. Because there was no time to cool down, some chimneys and iron frames of cremation furnaces melted and collapsed.
An official of the Surat Crematorium stated, “Before March, about 20 bodies were cremated every day. But since the beginning of April, more than 80 bodies have been processed every day.”
Rajkot in the north has set up a 24-hour uninterrupted command center to dispatch the handling capacity of 4 crematoriums; Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh, can only ask family members to bring their own firewood because they ran out of firewood.
Indian Prime Minister Modi spoke to the whole country yesterday (20th) that India is facing a "huge battle" against the CCP virus.
The Central News Agency reported that a few hours before Modi’s speech, Jalkhand Province announced that starting on the 22nd, the whole province will be completely locked down for a week. This is another area subject to a complete blockade following the closure of New Delhi. Maharashtra Province, the most severely affected province, is estimated to have been locked down from 21 April.
News (21)
India's "super mutant" virus broke out (in details)
Reporter : Zheng Gusheng / Editor : Mei Lan / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2021/04/21/a103101353.html / Direct translation
Image : The chimney of a crematorium in Bengaluru is smoking. (Manjunath Kiran/AFP via Getty Images)
Recently, the number of new infections of covid in India has risen sharply, the death toll is also high, and there are shortages of hospital beds in many places, and cremators in some cities have been overwhelmed and damaged. Some experts worry that this may be related to the B.1.617 variant virus known as "super variant" discovered in India.
India is one of the most severely affected countries in the world, with more than 15.6 million people infected. Recently, the number of new infections in India has been rising sharply every day, and the number of deaths has also remained high. This Tuesday (April 20), India had nearly 260,000 new infections and 1,671 deaths.
Many cities in India are currently reporting a shortage of hospital beds and insufficient supply of oxygen and essential medicines. There are many desperate calls for help on social media platforms. There are reports across the country that some people have died because they did not receive timely treatment. There are almost no beds in the severely affected cities such as Delhi, Mumbai and Ahmedabad.
Several state governments stated that they are building new facilities. Other cities use hotels and stadiums to increase the number of beds, but experts worry that it will be difficult to keep up with the increase in the number of infections.
The increase in the death toll has also overwhelmed crematoriums in some areas.
Due to the sharp increase in the death toll in April, incinerator equipment in some cities in Gujarat had to operate around the clock, which was overwhelmed and destroyed. Among them, the electric incinerator in the crematorium in Ahmedabad, the capital, operated for 20 hours a day for the past two weeks, and finally caused the chimney to crack and collapse.
The crematorium in Surat also had no time for the incinerator to cool down, causing the iron support in the furnace to melt. A staff member said that they cremated 20 bodies every day in March, but had to process more than 80 bodies every day in April.
Indian experts pointed out that the warming of the epidemic in the country may be related to a variant of the virus found locally. The virus appeared last year, and scientists recently named it B.1.617 and called it a "super virus." The spike protein of this variant virus undergoes a double mutation, making it more infectious. In India's severely affected states, more than 60% of patients are infected with this variant virus.
German experts pointed out that the two mutations of B.1.617 would reduce the neutralizing ability of antibodies or T cells, but the extent of the reduction is unclear. This means that people who have been vaccinated or who have been infected and recovered may also be infected by the variant virus again.
Currently, the World Health Organization has classified the variant viruses found in South Africa, Brazil and the United Kingdom as worrying variants but B.1.617 is still designated as a variant under observation by the WHO.
News (22)
The former prime minister of India is still infected after vaccination
Editor : Ye Ziwei / https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/21/4/21/n12894972.htm / Direct translation
Image : The picture shows the former Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh (Manjunath Kiran/AFP via Getty Images)
India is suffering from the second wave of the Chinese Communist virus (Wuhan pneumonia) epidemic. Among the many infected patients is the former prime minister Manmohan Singh (Manmohan Singh). What is particularly striking is that he has recently been vaccinated, but this week he still tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 and was admitted to the hospital.
Singh, 88, is an economist, scholar and member of the Indian National Congress. He led the country for ten years from 2004 to 2014 and was the first Sikh to hold this position.
Health Minister Harsh Vardhan called his condition "stable."
"We are providing him with the best care. We are all praying for his speedy recovery." Wadhan said on Twitter.
News (23)
U.S.-Japan joint investigation of Chinese enterprises, Japan becomes the anti-CCP Sixth Eye?
Editor : Li Hong / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2021/04/22/a103101491.html / Direct translation
The CCP uses too many methods to steal intelligence from other countries. What everyone is more familiar with may also be theft through corporate investment. But at present, many countries have become alert to this.
In March of this year, Tencent Group, a mainland Chinese company, took a 3.65% stake in Japan's Lotte Group and became a major shareholder. A month later, just after the meeting between the leaders of the United States and Japan, the two governments suddenly began to jointly monitor the group. The Japanese media disclosed that this was due to Japan’s concerns about national security.
Lotte Group's territory spans finance, communications, tourism, real estate, sports and other fields, and its e-commerce platform and financial business involve a huge amount of customer information behind it.
The investment in Lotte Group this time is IMAGE FRAME INVESTMENT, a subsidiary of Tencent Holdings. A source from the Japanese government told the Nikkei Asian Review that Tencent’s explanation of pure investment is still not clear enough.
Japan’s Kyodo News reported that Tencent needs to indicate to the Japanese authorities that it has no plans to send any company representatives to the Rakuten board of directors before mid-May and that it needs to meet other requirements made by the Japanese government.
According to reports, the Japanese government will subsequently conduct regular interviews with Lotte Corporation in accordance with the "Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Law" promulgated last year. This bill specifically restricts foreign companies and foreign investors from investing in Japanese companies in sensitive areas such as telecommunications.
The Japanese government will also share information with the US authorities to avoid the risk of information being leaked to the CCP. In fact, shortly after the investment news was announced, the US Embassy in Tokyo asked the National Security Agency of Japan and the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan one by one about how to handle this transaction in accordance with the "foreign investment rules."
Taiwanese strategist Su Ziyun said that the Chinese Communist Party’s enterprises choose to invade when democratic countries are too late to prevent blockages, which is part of its intelligence war.
Today, facing the CCP’s accelerating expansion of maritime power, its aggressive epidemic diplomacy, wolf-of-war diplomacy, and its continuous oppression of neighboring countries, all have prompted Japan to change its half-century of silence and ambiguity, and even be willing to become Responsible for the "sixth eye" of the CCP.
Japanese Ambassador to Australia Shingo Yamagami said recently that Japan is expected to join the "Five Eyes Alliance" intelligence sharing organization in the short term.
Currently, the member states of the Five Eyes Alliance are: Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States. Australian defense and security experts welcomed Japan's joining, believing that this is the best choice for expanding the Five Eyes Alliance. Prior to this, some experts believed that Japan's entry would fill the vacancy of the alliance in Asia.
Shingo Yamagami told Australia’s Sydney Morning Herald that the intelligence communities of Japan and Australia and other five countries are establishing cooperation, and said, “This is a real thing, and Japanese politicians and officials are becoming more aware of the importance of cooperation".
Current affairs commentator Wang He believes that in 2021, no matter how the United States adjusts its China policy, encirclement and suppression of the CCP will still be the main thread of the evolution of the international landscape.
News (24)
The Olympics torch relays, the traffic control police confirms infection in one day
Editor : Lu Yongxin / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2021/04/22/a103101667.html / Direct translation
The Tokyo Olympic torch relay, which was postponed for one year due to the Chinese Communist Party virus, started on March 25. For the first time, it has been reported that a police officer in charge of traffic control has been diagnosed with the disease.
The Japan Broadcasting Association (NHK) reported that the Tokyo Olympics and Para Transport Organizing Committee stated that the infected person was a male police officer in his 30s who was in charge of traffic control at the torch relay venue in Kagawa Prefecture on the 17th. He wore a mask while on duty and kept his distance from others at the scene. . On the 18th, PCR screening was confirmed positive due to physical discomfort.
The organizing committee said that judging from the police's performance on duty, there should be no close contacts, and said it was waiting for relevant information from the local health center.
The Japanese government plans to issue the third emergency declaration tomorrow (23rd) in Tokyo, Osaka, Hyogo and Kyoto. The implementation period is from the end of April to the beginning of May including the Japanese Golden Week consecutive holidays, which is about 2 to 3 weeks.
International Olympic Games President Thomas Bach said that he understands that this is the Japanese government's anti-epidemic measures for the upcoming Golden Week holiday in order to prevent the epidemic, and he believes that it will not affect the hosting of the East Olympics.
Bach said that frequent virus tests will be conducted during the Tokyo Olympics, and many foreign players and related people will also be vaccinated. He believes the player village will be very safe.
News (25)
The wolf becomes a cow? CCP's ambassador's strange remarks provoke ridicule
Reporter : Liu Minghuan / Editor : Wenhui / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2021/04/22/a103101662.html / Direct translation
The Australian government recently announced the cancellation of the "One Belt One Road" agreement signed between Victoria and the Chinese Communist Party. In this regard, the CCP’s envoy to Australia Wang Xining jumped to oppose it and declared that “China (the CCP) is not the only one 'Dairy Cow'". The strange remarks aroused heated discussion among netizens.
According to comprehensive media reports, Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne announced on the 21st that it would withdraw the One Belt One Road agreement signed between Victoria and China (the Chinese Communist Party), and said that this agreement does not conform to Australia's foreign policy and is detrimental to Australia's diplomatic relations.
According to data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Victoria's trade deficit with China has worsened by 25% since the signing of the One Belt One Road Agreement with the Chinese Communist Party. The accumulated trade imports with China have exceeded exports by 42 billion Australian dollars.
The Chinese Embassy in Australia is strongly dissatisfied with the above-mentioned actions by Australia and called Australia's actions unreasonable provocations.
The Chinese Communist Party’s Minister to Australia, Wang Xining, also spoke to the public on the same day. In addition to criticizing Australia’s practice of banning Huawei again, he also slapped Australia on the deterioration of relations between the two countries. Was milked, and finally murdered by plotting, this remark has aroused heated discussion among netizens.
Aaron Connelly, an expert on Southeast Asian issues at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, wrote in a tweet: "It's not a lamb, not a cow, it may be a wolf, I don't know..."
Netizens also sarcastically said, "Maybe it's not a cow, but a fox, a sly fox, or a mouse!", "China (the CCP) may not be a cow, but it will definitely brag", "The Chinese (CCP) diplomat is saying, "China is not Which animals' are listed..."
The CCP continues to implement "wolf war diplomacy" in a blaming manner, and the strange remarks of CCP officials stationed abroad have frequently been exposed, arousing public attention.
When CCP officials met with U.S. officials in Alaska on March 18, apart from arbitrarily overtime for nearly 20 minutes, CCP officials also used reprimands such as "Chinese people do not eat this" and "The United States is not qualified to speak to China from a condescending position."
During the US-China talks, the Chinese Embassy in France insulted French scholar Antoine Bondaz as a "little hooligan", which triggered international condemnation.
On 28 March, the Consul General of the Chinese Communist Party in Rio de Janeiro, Li Yang, on Twitter insulted Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau for "turning Canada into a running dog of the United States", which caused an uproar in public opinion.
On 31 March, the Chinese Embassy in Ireland quoted the story of Aesop’s Fables "Wolf and Lamb" on Twitter, saying, "Who is the wolf? Many people say that China (the CCP) is war wolf diplomacy. In the famous In Aesop’s fables, the wolf accuses the lamb of doing wrong. The wolf is the wolf! By the way, China (the CCP) is not a sheep."
A netizen said, "This tweet is the Chinese Embassy's recognition that the CCP's policies are capricious and sometimes evil." "Yes, you are a wolf." "China (the CCP) is more like a nasty dog barking. , Like a nasty mosquito buzzing, always staying."
News (26)
An important question from Wen Jiabao's prose in remembrance of his mother
Commentator : Yuan Bin / Editor : Li Minxin / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2021/04/21/a103101105.html / Direct translation
Former Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao recently published a long serial article recalling his mother in the Macau media. After the article was published, it went viral in the mainland and aroused great attention, especially what he said at the end of the article: "I sympathize with the poor and sympathize with the weak, oppose bullying and oppression. In my mind, China should be a “country full of fairness and justice”, where there will always be respect for the human heart, humanity, and human nature, and there will always be youth, freedom, and striving temperament. I shout for this. Live and struggle. This is the truth that life taught me, and it was given by my mother."
In this passage, there is hardly the kind of party culture language that CCP leaders are accustomed to. It is not the kind of Mandarin and idioms that we commonly use. It is not difficult to see that Wen Jiabao belongs to a very small number of high-level CCP officials who have somewhat preserved humanity. But what I want to say is not this, but a question raised by Wen Jiabao's passage: Is the current China a "country full of fairness and justice"? Is there "respect for the human heart, humanity, and human nature" in this country? Is there a "temperament of youth, freedom, and struggle"? I think the answer is obviously no.
How do I say this?
Let alone other things, the dignified former Prime Minister of the Chinese Communist Party and a member of the Politburo Standing Committee, the article was banned from being shared by WeChat after it was published, and the media's reprint was also deleted. Isn't it the most convincing piece of evidence? !
Just imagine, if China is really a “country full of fairness and justice”, it really has “respect for the human heart, humanity and the essence of human beings”, and has “the temperament of youth, freedom and struggle”, not to mention the former prime minister, even if it is ordinary For ordinary people, the article cannot be deleted! Now even the former prime minister’s articles cannot be published, let alone ordinary people who are powerless and powerless. In such a speech environment, there is no "respect for the human heart, humanity and human nature", and what to talk about. The temperament of youth, freedom and struggle"? Without "respect for the human heart, humanity, and human nature", without "the temperament of youth, freedom, and struggle", such a country is definitely not and absolutely impossible to be a "country full of fairness and justice"!
In fact, Wen Jiabao's article itself implies a negative answer to the above question.
Readers are reminded that what Wen Jiabao said in his article is only in his mind that China "should be" a country full of fairness and justice. He did not say "already is". What does this mean? Explain that in his eyes, the current China does not have "respect for the human heart, humanity, and human nature", and whether there is "the temperament of youth, freedom, and struggle". In a word, it has not become his mind. "A country full of fairness and justice."
Isn't that true? !
Wen Jiabao said that he "sympathizes with the poor and the weak, and opposes bullying and oppression." In reality, are the “bullying and oppression” of the poor and weak in China still less?
Take Jin Deqiang, a truck driver who committed suicide a few days ago. Why did he commit suicide? In his own words, "I've been awkward for a lifetime", "I have been doing transportation for 10 years, not only didn't earn much money, but fell ill, three highs, and a broken heart. Facing such a body, I have to persist. "Work", "I have seen through life, it is too boring. Sooner or later it will be death, but only a few years earlier..." And all of this ultimately stems from the "bullying and oppression" he has suffered during his lifetime. . More importantly, this kind of "bullying and oppression" is not an accidental phenomenon that happened to Jin Deqiang. It is commonly faced by all the people at the bottom. It is caused by China's current system, and it has become more and more serious in the Xi Jinping era.
Wen Jiabao believes that he has "cried out and fought" for a "full of fairness and justice" China, but facts have proved that as long as the CCP mountain is not removed, a fair and just China will always be a pipe dream. Isn’t the fate of Wen Jiabao’s prose to his mother an excellent proof? !
News (27)
Against the Chinese Communist ambassador? Details of Pakistan bombing case exposed
Reporter : Li Yun / Editor: Li Quan / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2021/04/22/a103101715.html / Direct translation
A luxury hotel in the capital of Balochistan in southern Pakistan exploded on the night of 21 April, killing at least 16 people. The Minister of Interior of Pakistan stated that a four-member delegation led by the Chinese Communist ambassador stayed at this hotel when the explosion occurred. Some people believe that the explosion was directed at the Chinese Communist ambassador.
Pakistani officials said the bombing occurred in Quetta, the capital of Baluchistan province, in the parking lot of the national luxury hotel chain Serena. An explosive device was installed in a car.
A source from the Pakistani intelligence agency said that the explosion was loud, many vehicles caught fire in the parking lot, and the glass of the Selena Hotel and some nearby buildings was shattered.
Pakistani Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed told AFP, “At least 4 people were killed and 12 others were injured.” He described the incident as an “terrorist act”.
Ahmed said, "A Chinese delegation of about 4 people led by the ambassador stayed in this hotel. At the moment of the explosion, the ambassador was out for a meeting. No hotel guest was injured in the incident, but one police officer was killed."
The Pakistani Taliban claimed to have launched the suicide attack, but did not mention who the target was.
Voice of America said that some people believe that local anti-government organizations attempted to attack the CCP delegation to express their dissatisfaction with Beijing's investment projects in the region.
Balochistan is rich in natural resources but very poor. Local residents are extremely dissatisfied. They complain that they have not benefited fairly from the local natural gas and mineral wealth.
The report quoted Ijaz Khan, a professor of international relations at Peshawar University, as saying that there has been a long-standing armed secession movement in Balochistan, and local ethnic minorities have consistently resisted foreigners, including those who promoted the “One Belt One Road” project there started by the Chinese because they worry that their homeland will become a Chinese colony.
After the CCP’s multi-billion-dollar “One Belt One Road” initiative, the “China-Pakistan Economic Corridor” (CPEC) flowed into Balochistan. Local people became even more angry, believing that most of the new job opportunities were taken away by outsiders. They almost get no benefit.
In August 2018, Chinese engineers and technicians working in this area were injured in a suicide bomb attack.
At that time, the anti-government elements in Balochistan claimed that they were responsible for the suicide bombing. A spokesperson for the Baluchistan Liberation Army (BLA) said at the time that they were targeting a bus carrying Chinese engineers because the Chinese were digging gold mines there, harming the interests of the locals.
News (28) to (31) / Editor : Liu Mingxiang / Source : The Epoch Times / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2021/04/21/a103101340.html / Translation, editing : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA
News (28)
U.S. International Religious Freedom Report: CCP continues to persecute Falun Gong
On 21 April, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) released the 2021 annual report on religious freedom. The report pointed out that in 2020, the CCP will continue to persecute Falun Gong. Moreover, the CCP is likely to continue to force organ harvesting from Falun Gong practitioners.
14 countries, including the Chinese Communist Party and Myanmar, are listed by USCIRF as "Countries of Special Concern (CPC)" that violate religious freedom because these governments participate in and allow "systematic, continuous and serious violations."
In December 2020, the U.S. State Department also listed 10 countries including the CCP as CPCs that violated religious freedom.
On 21 April, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) released the 2021 annual report on religious freedom. The picture below shows a screenshot of the report. (USCIRF)
The CCP continues to persecute Falun Gong and live organ harvesting is likely to continue
The USCIRF’s annual report said, “According to multiple reports, in 2020, thousands of Falun Gong practitioners were harassed and arrested for insisting on their beliefs. Some of them are likely to die due to abuse and torture while in custody.”
"Several credible international reports show that live organ harvesting, including organ harvesting from Falun Gong practitioners, is likely to continue."
"In this year (2020), the Chinese authorities continued to imprison and punish Falun Gong practitioners because they insisted on practicing and distributing Falun Gong (truth) materials, including a school principal who practiced Falun Gong with others at home."
According to a report from Minghui.com, in 2020, at least 84 Falun Gong practitioners were persecuted by the CCP and died. 21 people were tortured to death during illegal detention in CCP prisons, detention centers, police stations, and village committees, including 13 people over 65 years old. Falun Gong practitioners.
The USCIRF’s annual report also stated that “the Chinese Communist Party continues to actively persecute independent religious minorities, including Protestant Hmong, Montagnard Christians, Hoa Hao Buddhists, and Unity. Buddhists (the Unified Buddhists), Cao Dai followers, Catholics and Falun Gong practitioners."
News (29)
U.S. imposes sanctions on CCP’s religious freedom violators
The report said, "The (U.S.) State Department has used visa restrictions to combat human rights violators, including religious freedom violators."
According to Article 7031(c) of the Foreign Operations and Related Planning Act (PL 116-94), the U.S. State Department “publicly identified several foreign officials and their close relatives,” including “Chinese Communist Party official Huang Yuanxiong and his spouse who participated in the abuse of Falun Gong practitioners.”,three Xinjiang officials and close relatives.
News (30)
Urge other countries to find proof that the CCP committed the crime of genocide in Xinjiang
USCIRF called on, "The United States urges like-minded countries to conduct independent investigations and formal determinations on whether the CCP’s violations in Xinjiang committed genocide (genocide) or crimes against humanity in accordance with international laws."
On 30 March 2021, the U.S. State Department released the 2020 National Human Rights Report, which also identified the CCP’s crime of genocide in Xinjiang.
USCIRF also called on the United States to "openly express its concerns about Beijing's hosting of the 2022 Winter Olympics and declare that if the Chinese (CCP) government continues to suppress religious freedom, US government officials will not participate in the Olympics."
USCIRF also called on the United States to "continue and increase efforts to crack down on the CCP's influential activities in the United States, including the Confucius Institute, which suppressed information or claims about China's (CCP) violations of religious freedom."
News (31)
Vice Chairman: I hope the Biden administration will make religious freedom a priority of US foreign policy
USCIRF vice chairman Tony Perkins said, “In 2020, the Trump administration will continue to prioritize international religious freedom. We have made great progress.”
"In order to maintain international religious freedom as a key driver of U.S. foreign policy priorities, USCIRF strongly urges the Biden administration to take unique actions against each country designated as the CPC, hold accountable for violations of religious freedom, and implement other reports in the report."
At the end of March this year, Beijing announced sanctions against USCIRF Chairman Gayle Manchin and Vice Chairman Tony Perkins in retaliation for criticizing the CCP’s violation of religious freedom.
Religious belief is a basic human right, and it is also the cornerstone of the founding of the United States.
In 1998, the United States passed the 1998 International Religious Freedom Act.
Since 1999, the CCP has been listed by the U.S. International Committee on Religious Freedom and the U.S. State Department as a country of special concern for persecuting religious freedom every year.
News (32)
CCP counters sanctions, Lithuania intends to identify CCP as the mastermind of genocide
Reporter : Zheng Gusheng / Editor: Mei Lan / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2021/04/21/a103101270.html / Direct translation
Image : The Lithuanian flag. (Petras Malukas/AFP via Getty Images)
In March of this year, the European Union sanctioned CCP officials who violated human rights in Xinjiang. Beijing subsequently announced that it would "counter sanctions" a number of European parliamentarians and entities, and Sakariene became the first politician in Lithuania to be sanctioned by the CCP on the Xinjiang issue.
However, instead of surrendering, Sacaliene actively submitted a proposal to Congress, pointing out that the CCP’s violation of human rights conforms to the definition in the UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide, demanding that the CCP be condemned in this regard and the China policy should be re-regulated.
The Lithuanian National Radio and Television Station (LRT) reported that relevant international experts and family members of prisoners in Xinjiang concentration camps will attend the parliamentary hearing on the 22nd. If there are no special circumstances, the bill is expected to be passed.
Sakaliene said that sanctions and threats are old tricks of the CCP, and being sanctioned by the CCP shows that she did it right. She told the media that she will not be intimidated and will meet with Taiwan’s representatives in the Baltic countries next week to express her firm support for Taiwan.
Prior to this, the US government had determined that the CCP had committed genocide in Xinjiang. The Canadian and Dutch parliaments have also passed bills condemning the CCP’s mass extermination.
In early March, a UN independent expert group announced that the Chinese Communist government had violated all relevant provisions of the "Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide" in Xinjiang and "is the mastermind of this genocide."
News (33) to (35) / Editor : Ye Ziwei / https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/21/4/21/n12894972.htm / Direct translation
News (33)
Variant virus R.1 causes outbreak in Kentucky retirement center, one death and one hospitalized
According to one of the latest reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a variant of the CCP virus called R.1 was detected in an outbreak in an elderly care center in Kentucky. Almost all residents of this nursing facility Have been vaccinated. The health department pointed out that a quarter of the vaccinated residents were diagnosed, causing people to worry about the effectiveness of the vaccine.
The unnamed nursing facility provided vaccinations to all residents and employees in January. 90.4% of 83 residents and more than half of the employees were vaccinated.
An investigation by the Kentucky Department of Public Health revealed that an unvaccinated employee was infected at the beginning of March, which triggered the outbreak of this elderly care center, which eventually resulted in 46 people being infected. Among the confirmed cases, there were 26 residents (18 were fully vaccinated) and 20 employees (4 of them were vaccinated).
The report suggests that people who have not been vaccinated have 3 to 4.1 times the risk of infection compared to those who have been vaccinated.
In the outbreak of the Kentucky Nursing Center, three residents died, one of whom was vaccinated and one was hospitalized. Four more people may be infected again. None of the four have been vaccinated and all have symptoms of illness.
News (34)
Argentina's "worst moment" death toll approaches 60,000
The Minister of Health of Argentina said on Wednesday that Argentina is facing the "worst moment" during the pandemic. Under the impact of the second wave of the epidemic, the death toll will rise to 60,000, forcing the government to re-impose some lock down measures.
Reuters reported that Health Minister Carla Vizzotti warned that the current health care system in Argentina is at risk, especially in the metropolitan area around the capital Buenos Aires. The government has imposed restrictions on movement and Indoor activities were suspended.
Vizzotti said at Wednesday’s daily epidemic briefing, “We are now living in the worst moment of the pandemic,” and the variant virus has caused a massive increase in cases, especially in the capital and many areas.
Variant viruses are increasing exponentially in most parts of the country.
The number of confirmed cases in Argentina has exceeded 2.7 million, and a new record of new daily cases has been set in recent weeks. The death toll may reach 60,000 later on Wednesday.
Argentina is currently launching Russia’s Sputnik v vaccination, and a local laboratory on Tuesday said that it will produce a batch of Stunnik VI ahead of schedule on a large-scale manufacturer later this year. Vizzotti stated that this is "great news" although warning of the required quality control, the time frame depends on the way the process is done.
An infectious disease expert in Argentina said that the health system may be overwhelmed by a large number of infected patients.
The government's blockade has triggered some protests.
News (25)
New York Department of Health: People infected with SARS-CoV-2 should be vaccinated after turning negative
A spokesperson for the New York City Department of Health said that at the vaccination site, the staff will first ask the vaccinators some basic questions. If the person is infected but does not turn negative, the staff will tell him or her to come back after turning negative. .
According to the vaccination guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the answer to the question "I am currently infected with COVID-19. Can I be vaccinated?" The answer is: "No. People with symptoms of COVID-19 should wait until they have recovered and met the quarantine standards, vaccinate again. People who have no symptoms should also wait until the standards are met before vaccinating. The same is true for people infected before the second dose of vaccine."
ABC News reported on 20 April that experts said that the main reason for this is to prevent the virus from spreading to other people, because there are usually dozens of people in the same room at the vaccination point. They have not been vaccinated yet, or they have only been vaccinated. The probability of infection is still high if the vaccine is given. If the infected person gets the vaccine, it may spread the virus. In addition, studies have found that if one is infected before the first dose of the vaccine, it is beneficial to wait a few weeks after the patient recovers.
No comments:
Post a Comment