Five Chinese experts went to Vietnam, still infected after vaccination

Reporter : Chen Han / Editor : Shang Yan / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2021/05/20/a103123996.html / Direct translation / Image : Video Screenshot

News (1)

Five Chinese experts went to Vietnam, still infected after vaccination

On 20 May 2021, Shao Yiming, a researcher at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention of the Communist Party of China, said at a press conference that preliminary research results show that China's existing vaccines can deal with Indian variants. However, a message a few days ago revealed that five Chinese experts were infected with the Indian variant virus in Vietnam. They were vaccinated before going abroad. In addition, the source of the recent local outbreaks in Liaoning and Anhui, China, have not yet been identified.

Guangxi Satellite TV reported on 17 May that five Chinese citizens, including Cao XX and Xiong XX, returned to China from the Pingxiang Friendship Pass. Upon entering the country, they successively tested positive for the CCP virus nucleic acid. They were infected with B.1.617 covi variant. Among the 5 people, there were 1 case of severe and 4 cases of common type.

The report was very vague about the identities of the five people, saying at the beginning that they were "citizens", but in the second half of the article, the Vietnamese media was quoted saying that these Chinese expert groups may have been infected by Indian experts in quarantine hotels. People are "experts" who go to Vietnam for inspection.

This caused netizens to wonder, what kind of experts are these? Why do you go to Vietnam for inspection during the epidemic?

The domestic media did not report in detail. According to an earlier report by the Viet News Agency, one of the experts who was diagnosed was a member of the five-member Chinese expert group of the Central North Asia Minerals Corporation.

In addition to the identities of these experts, some netizens questioned, "The key question is not said, is there a vaccine?"

Radio Free Asia on the 19th quoted Liu Hui, a former medical worker in Guangxi who has studied infectious diseases, as saying that before entering Vietnam, the five experts were vaccinated in China, but they still lost to B.1.617.

Netizens also think, "At this stage, you must get a vaccine when you go abroad for business.", "If you don't get a vaccine, it will be emphasized. Not to mention it is to play down this matter." "The problem is not that someone gets a vaccine and then gets infected. It is that five people have been vaccinated and five people have been infected."

In addition, the Chinese Communist Party officials have also been questioned for delaying the notification to the domestic people. When the official confirmed the news on 17 May, it had been 20 days since the first expert was diagnosed (28 April).

News (2)

Footprints of the five Chinese experts in Vietnam

Instead, the Vietnamese side got the news earlier. The Viet News Agency said that the Yen Bai Provincial Department of Health received a notice from the Chinese border station on 30 April, stating that a Chinese expert was diagnosed as positive for the CCP virus when he entered the country, and then started the follow-up investigation.

Netizens on the "Zhihu" website sorted out the itineraries of five Chinese experts based on information from the Vietnamese media. It means that they entered Vietnam on 9 April. After the 14-day period ended, they went to a karaoke room in Vinh Phuc province on 23 April and went to a massage room in Vinh Phuc province on 26 April. Close contacts were diagnosed there.

In addition, Phoenix.com also reported earlier that the CCP Embassy in Vietnam warned as early as May 4 that four Chinese experts had been diagnosed when they returned to China and entered the country but the related report has been deleted.

Yang Jingduan, MD, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, USA said, "He can't keep things from outside. Internally, he can control as much as he can. This is a political control of public opinion, control of information, and fear of panic. Then because these experts also influence the 'image of the party and the country'."

News (3)

Source of infection still unknown in Liaoning and Anhui

A new wave of local epidemics also broke out in China recently. After the May Day holiday, confirmed cases occurred in Liaoning, Anhui and other places in China, but the source of infection is still unknown.

On 17 May, Xiongyue Town, Bayuquan District, Yingkou began to close the community and unit building doors, locking up the community and unit building doors, and even welding some of the building doors.

People in Gai County said anonymously, “Sunrise has been closed, and the Yingkou Bayuquan. Gai County is not closed, schools, kindergartens, and all clinics are closed. All go to the center to do nucleic acid testing, all have to be done.” “In addition, there are four cases in Shenyang or a few cases. There are still a few cases. If there are other cases, they have to be tested, and none of them have come out yet."

As of 6 o'clock on 20 May, all the employees in Yingkou except Bayuquan District have tested negative for nucleic acid, and the rest of the results need to be waited.

Wu Zunyou, the chief expert on epidemiology in China, mentioned that the local epidemics in Liaoning and Anhui may have something to do with public travel during the earlier May Day holiday. The authorities have also strengthened their surveillance of the people.

Liaoning citizens said anonymously, "Their children went to Dalian to travel on 1 May. After that, they seemed to call them from which department and asked them if they arrived. They were monitored. They all knew it was satellite positioning or something."

News (4)

Asymptomatic infections in CCPC on the rise

Before the outbreak of the epidemic in Liaoning and Anhui, in May, Yiwu, Zhejiang Province, Yinchuan, Ningxia, Pingtan, Fujian, and other places successively had cases where travellers returning from abroad were diagnosed positive after being released from isolation. They were all asymptomatic.

News (5) to (7) / Report by : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA

News (5)

Residents smashed unit door and escaped in Lu'an, Anhui Province

The number of cases of the CCP virus in Lu'an, Anhui Province is still increasing. The local area has adopted the most stringent closure measures for many communities and residential buildings. However, the residents feared such absolute isolation measures and tried to escape.

Online videos showed that a closed community was empty, a resident smashed the door of the closed unit to escape, and another resident jumped out of the window and escaped.

In another community, many residents managed to jump over the community fence and sneak away with their bags.

Someone said on the Internet that the authorities had closed people at home and allowed them to fend for themselves. The people had seen it through and tried to find a way to survive.

News (6)

U.S. destroyer enters Xisha waters, CCP protests U.S. counterattack

The guided-missile destroyer "Weibo" of the US Navy entered the Xisha area of ​​the South China Sea on May 20 after crossing the Taiwan Strait. The CCP once again expressed its firm opposition, claiming that the "illegal intrusion" of the US military seriously violated its sovereignty and security, and undermined regional peace and stability.

The US Seventh Fleet issued a statement on the same day to counterattack, accusing the CCP of violating international law by drawing lines in private and making sovereign claims. He also stated that the "Weibo" sailed in the Xisha waters to safeguard the right and freedom of navigation.

The international community has always believed that the South China Sea does not entirely belong to China's territorial waters, nor does it recognize the military facilities built by the CCP on the island.

News (7)

Secretly help the Burmese army? PetroChina delivers aviation fuel to the military government

The CCP has always been questioned about supporting Myanmar's military coup and suppressing demonstrators. On May 20, a report by "Reuters" provided new evidence for this.

According to Myanmar’s official import data seen by Reuters, PetroChina’s Singapore branch sold a batch of aviation fuel to Myanmar in April. This is the first time that the Myanmar military has accepted such materials since the coup in February.

Import data, which has never been released to the public, shows that this batch of supplies, including 13,300 tons of aviation fuel and 4,000 tons of gasoline, was delivered by an oil tanker named MT Yu Dong for unloading at Thilawa Port Terminal.

According to industry insiders, suppliers are generally very wary of selling aviation fuel to Myanmar because these fuels can be used to bomb demonstrators in addition to civil aircraft.

Ref: https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2021/05/20/a103124000.html

News (8)

North Korean senior official dies after injecting Chinese medicine, Kim Jong-un is furious: Chinese medicine is banned

Reporter : Li Yun / Editor: Deming / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2021/05/21/a103124308.html / Direct translation

According to news, a 60-year-old senior North Korean official died suddenly after injecting Chinese-made . This caused North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to anger and immediately demanded that all key hospitals in North Korea ban Chinese-made drugs. Even the Chinese-made vaccines have suffered.

Recently, Korean media "Daily NK" (Daily NK) quoted high-level news from North Korea that the tragic death of a senior North Korean economic official in his 60s was admitted to the Pyongyang University Hospital because of high blood pressure and heart disease but he was in poor condition. 

The doctor saw that the senior official did not get better after receiving various treatments, so he decided to "take strong medicine" and inject him with the Chinese pharmaceutical vitamin B1 derivative drug "cocarboxylase".

According to reports, the drug can usually help patients reduce fatigue and is regarded as a "panacea" in North Korea. He did not expect that soon after the injection, the official had a worsening of his heart disease symptoms and died soon after.

According to the report, the attending doctor wanted to administer North Korean medicines at first, but most people in North Korea believed that North Korean medicines were of poor quality. Therefore, the doctor was persuaded by other doctors to switch to Chinese medicines. It  is said that North Korean drugs were administered to patients.

After the incident, Kim Jong-un's investigation team discovered that the senior official had been vaccinated with Chinese-made drugs.

According to the report, this official has been working in the national economic department since the time of Kim Jong-il. He currently holds an important position in the economic department of North Korea. He has a high status in the local political circle. He has been an old minister for two generations and is deeply trusted by Kim Jong-un.

When Kim Jong-un found out that the senior official had been injected with Chinese-made drug and died, he was furious and questioned the quality of Chinese drugs. Therefore, he ordered North Korea’s key hospitals, especially the star-rated hospitals in Pyongyang, to ban Chinese-made drugs. North Korea’s own development of the CCP virus vaccines should stop using vaccines made in China as a reference.

In addition, Kim Jong Un also requested that the Chinese-made Covid-19 vaccine samples be removed from domestic research and analysis data, and that they should no longer be invested in research activities. Instead, they will be fully developed to develop North Korea's domestic covi vaccine.

However, the real cause of death of the senior official is still unclear. The North Korean authorities are investigating which trading company was responsible for importing the batch of "cocarboxylase enzymes". During the process, it was discovered that many hospitals in Pyongyang did not properly store related medicines and vaccines.

"Daily NK" also revealed in late April that after the outbreak of the CCP virus, Kim Jong-un asked officials to build new hospitals immediately to prepare for emergencies, and required the hospitals to be equipped with medical equipment from Germany. Because Germany was affected by the local epidemic and reduced the export of medical equipment, the responsible officials purchase the same medical equipment from China without authorization.

After Kim Jong-un learned of the incident, he was furious and immediately ordered the execution of the senior official in charge of import and export affairs. Another official of the Ministry of Health involved in the case was also dismissed.

"Daily NK" is a South Korean online media with North Korean news as the main report content. It is funded by the National Endowment for Democracy. It is reported that Huang Changye, the former North Korean Workers Party member who defected from North Korea in 1997, served as a columnist for the media.

News (9)

Chairman of the US Think Tank: US media is serving the CCP

Reporter : Li Zhaoxi / Editor : Li Jia / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2021/05/20/a103123850.html / Direct translation

Frank Gaffney, the founder and chairman of the Center for Security Policy, a US think tank, criticized on Wednesday (19 May) that some US media have acted in favour of the CCP. The interests of the geopolitical opponent, the CCP, are actually subverting the national interests of the United States. He specifically criticized Bloomberg by name.

In an interview with SiriusXM’s "Breitbart News Daily" program host Alex Marlow on Wednesday, Gaffney mentioned Marlow’s book "Breaking the News: Exposing the Establishment Media's Hidden Deals and Secret Corruption" details the relationship between Bloomberg and the CCP.

Gaffney pointed out that Bloomberg is actually serving the CCP, the mortal enemy of the United States, allowing other countries in the world to use its platform to spread CCP propaganda, "Let us face it, it is shameful."

Gaffney further analyzed that the cooperation between Bloomberg and the Chinese Communist Party is just one example of a large group of American news media allied with the Chinese Communist Party. He also cited several other examples, including The Washington Post and The New York Times, who used so-called news inserts or advertising supplements in newspapers to be naked. Propaganda for the CCP earns millions of dollars in income each year, and their employees are also receiving various CCP training or banquets.

Marlowe pointed out that many other media also took the CCP's cash to print advertisements for it.

"This is propaganda. This is really CCP-style propaganda, not even (only in) the United States." Marlowe said that certain British media have done the same thing, which shows how bad the CCP's influence is. 

News (10)

U.S. human rights expert: CCP on the issue of the conflict between Palestine and Israel

Reporter : Li Zhaoxi / Editor : Li Jia / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2021/05/20/a103123853.html / Direct translation

The Palestinian-Israeli conflict has intensified. CCP officials are playing an anti-Israeli role and vigorously supporting Palestine. According to the analysis by Omer Kanat, executive director of the Uyghur Human Rights Project, a US human rights organization, the CCP’s move at this time was an attempt to divert people’s attention from the atrocities committed on Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang by the CCP.

Kanat told The Washington Examiner that this provided an opportunity for the Chinese Communist government, “They can play 'whatabouts' (whataboutism, a political propaganda technique used by the Soviet Union against the Western world during the Cold War, also translated 'then you still' theory) to divert attention from their continued genocide of Uyghurs.

"For the Uyghurs, we reject any attempt to pit the Uyghurs against the Palestinians." Kanat emphasized.

When the Palestine-Israel conflict broke out, Beijing was facing unusual public pressure at the United Nations for its persecution of the Uyghurs. However, after the Palestinian-Israeli conflict broke out, the CCP turned to condemn Israel’s actions against Palestinian militants in Gaza and demanded that the United States put pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“So far, it doesn’t seem to resonate, and it seems a bit unclear who can accurately become the target audience.” A Western official who has been concerned about the CCP’s attitude towards these controversies told the Washington Observer, “This is not what they had previously proposed. It’s a consistent topic, but something that looks very new and very loud."

CCP officials did not conceal their view that the Palestinian issue provided them with a useful gap in the Uyghur-related debate.

The spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Communist Party of China, Zhao Lijian, declared on Tuesday (18th) that he questioned why the United States is so indifferent to the human rights of the Palestinian people, yet it has been talking about safeguarding the human rights of Muslims. Then he gave his so-called answer, that is, the United States only cares about nepotism and interests, and does not care about the merits of the matter itself.

Kanat refuted Zhao Lijian's comparison of these two situations. "The intention of the Chinese government is to eliminate the Uyghurs," Kanat said. The CCP's message is to create a gap between the United States and any Muslim-majority country that tends to condemn the abuse of Uyghurs.

"Many Muslim countries still remain silent on Uyghur issues. (CCP officials) want to use this opportunity to divert attention and say, 'Oh, the U.S. government says that China should respect the human rights of Uyghurs and respect the religious rights of Uyghurs. This is not sincere. '." Kanat explained further.

Like Pakistan, one of the CCP’s closest clients, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan admitted that his country is economically dependent on China, which made him pledge to remain silent on the oppression of Uyghurs. This is just like the Organization for Islamic Cooperation, which chose to ignore the plight of Uyghurs because of Beijing’s economic influence.

In response to Zhao Lijian’s remarks, Kanat emphasized that “absolutely, every government must respect human rights. If the US government is imperfect in terms of human rights, it cannot... justify China’s terrible oppression of Uyghurs.”

News (11)

Responding to the CCP's threat, Japan intends to cancel the defense spending ceiling

Reporter : Xiao Jing  / Editor : Mei Lan /  / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2021/05/20/a103124136.html / Direct translation

Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi told the media on Wednesday (19 May) that in view of the growing threat from the CCP, Japan no longer considers its relative to GDP when deciding its defense budget. The "Nikkei Asia" magazine analysis believes that Japan may cancel the annual defense expenditure of no more than 1% of GDP, in order to strengthen its defense capabilities.

In an exclusive interview with Nikkei on Wednesday, Nobuo Kishi emphasized that Japan "must improve our defense capabilities at a completely different speed from the past."

"The security environment around Japan is changing rapidly, and uncertainty is increasing." Kishi Nobusuke explained, "We will allocate the funds we need to protect our country" without considering defense expenditures and GDP." 

This decision is consistent with the commitment of Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga during his visit to the United States in April to "strengthen our defense capabilities to further strengthen the alliance and regional security."

Nobuo Kishi also mentioned that Japan will strengthen its defense capabilities in new areas, such as space, networks, and electromagnetics. He said, "Technological innovation is advancing at a tremendous speed, and the nature of conflicts is also changing."

Since the 1990s, the only year in which Japan’s defense spending exceeded 1% of GDP was the 2010 fiscal year, when its GDP fell sharply after the global financial crisis. As of the 2021 fiscal year, although Japan’s defense budget has increased for 9 consecutive years, all are below 1% of GDP.

However, according to preliminary data released on Tuesday, Japan’s defense spending in fiscal year 2020 accounted for 0.997% of that year’s GDP while the fiscal year’s budget for 2021 rose by 0.5% to 5.34 trillion yen ($50 billion in contract).

The report believes that Japan's plan to increase defense spending and exceed the 1% cap of GDP marks a turning point in its security policy.

In addition, Australia is also strengthening its own national defense construction to resist the expansion of the CCP's military influence. According to the Australian Financial Review (AFR), a new analysis shows that as of the end of last year, Australia’s defense spending accounted for 2.45% of the total economy, the highest point since the end of the US-Soviet Cold War.

The Australian government allocated A$34 billion (US$26.4 billion in contract) for defense spending in the 2020-21 fiscal year in its budget last year, which will rise to A$39 billion (US$30.3 billion in contract) by 2023-24.

When Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison visited Darwin at the end of April, he announced that he would allocate 747 million Australian dollars (US$580 million in contract) to upgrade military facilities in the Northern Territory. Australia also plans to purchase long-range missiles for the first time.

Australia's new Defense Minister Peter Dutton has stated that the risk of military conflicts in the Taiwan Strait should not be underestimated. The Secretary-General of the Australian Ministry of the Interior Mike Pezzullo also warned when he was speaking to his subordinates that the "sound of the drums of war" was approaching and Australia must be prepared to send troops to fight.

News (12)

Biden expressed appreciation for the ceasefire in Gaza, saying that he saw a "real opportunity" for peace in the Middle East

Reporter : Gu Fan / Editor : Li Jia / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2021/05/20/a103124279.html / Direct translation

US President Biden expressed his appreciation for the imminent ceasefire between Israel and Hamas on Thursday (20 May 2021). He believes that this is the realization of lasting peace in the Middle East. Real opportunity".

According to the Associated Press (AP), Biden praised the Egyptian government for playing a key role in bringing about a ceasefire and said that he and senior White House aides are closely participating in "hourly" efforts to stop the bloodshed.

Biden said, "I believe that Palestinians and Israelis should also enjoy a safe and secure life, and enjoy equal freedom, prosperity and democratic measures." He also stated that his government will continue to make diplomatic efforts to this end.

The ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas will take effect at 2 am on Friday, ending the 11-day battle. This conflict caused extensive damage in the Gaza Strip and brought life to a standstill in most parts of Israel. The fighting killed at least 227 people in Gaza and 12 people in Israel.

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that after a late-night meeting, Israel accepted Egypt’s proposal. Hamas quickly followed up and said it would honor this agreement.

Biden has had six conversations with Netanyahu in the past 11 days. He said that Netanyahu praised on Thursday the "Iron Dome" missile defense system, which is designed to intercept and destroy short-range rockets and artillery shells, can reduce casualties in Israel. Biden said he assured Netanyahu that his government will work hard to quickly replenish the missile defense system.

According to the White House, on the day before the ceasefire, Biden spoke to Netanyahu and said that he expected the fighting to be "substantially degraded." But Netanyahu publicly responded that he was "determined to continue" the Gaza operation "until the goal is achieved."

A few hours before the ceasefire agreement was reached, White House spokesperson Jen Psaki said that the Israelis had “achieved important military goals” in the strike, with the aim of reducing Hamas’ military capabilities and reiterated Biden. Hope that the Israelis will start a downgrade operation.

Psaki said, "We believe that the Israelis have achieved the important military goals they planned to achieve to protect their people and respond to thousands of rocket attacks from Hamas."

As the death toll in Gaza rose, thousands of Palestinians were displaced. Biden avoided widespread public comment on Israeli military strikes during the 11-day conflict, but he is facing increasing pressure from within the Democratic Party.

Throughout the crisis, Biden had a brief exchange with reporters in a carefully worded statement, emphasizing Israel's right to self-defense. However, as the death toll of innocent victims in Gaza expands, it becomes increasingly difficult for him to maintain this position.

However, Biden reiterated in his speech on Thursday that the United States continues to "fully support Israel's right to defend itself from attacks by Hamas and other Gaza militants."

Biden also expressed condolences to the Palestinians who lost their lives in the conflict and vowed to provide humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian Authority.

Biden said, "We will establish a comprehensive partnership with the Palestinian Authority, not with Hamas."

News (13)

When will Xi Jinping hand over power? US-Australia think tanks suggest 4 possibilities

Reporter : Luo Tingting / Editor: Deming / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2021/05/21/a103124359.html / Direct translation

Xi Jinping’s term of office will end next year, but no successor has been determined so far. The outside world is concerned about whether Xi Jinping will continue to hold the party and government power. According to the analysis of think tank scholars in the United States and Australia, there may be four possibilities when Xi Jinping will hand over power.

According to the past practice of the Chinese Communist Party, the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China next year should produce a new leader, but Xi Jinping has lifted the term limit. He will transfer power like his predecessor Hu Jintao, or break the convention and continue to hold the party and government power, which is greatly affected by the outside world. attention.

On 21 April,  the report by Jude Blanchette and Richard's McGregor "After Xi: Future Scenarios for Leadership Succession in Post-Xi Jinping Era" analyzes the four possibilities of Xi Jinping’s stay .

The first possibility: Xi Jinping handed over the power of the general secretary to a member of the Politburo Standing Committee at the 2022 Communist Party Congress. According to the past practice of the CCP, the general secretary resigned after two five-year term and retired at the age of 68.

The second possibility: Xi Jinping will go to the next term, or another term, that is, at the 21st National Congress of 2027 or the 22nd National Congress of 2032 to retire.

The report believes that all existing Politburo Standing Committee members will have passed the retirement age by 2027, so any possible successor must almost be appointed to the top leadership at the 20th National Congress of 2022, and must be under 63 years old.

Observers have noticed that since 2021, Xi Jinping's series of actions have been building momentum for the 20th Dalian Renmin. In early February, multiple departments of the CCP jointly issued the "ten prohibitions" within the party; the official website of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection announced that 5,836 "top leaders" at or above the county level were investigated. These measures are considered to further consolidate Xi Jinping's authority and eliminate the noise that opposes his re-election.

In addition, on the eve of the two sessions of the Chinese Communist Party, Xi Jinping announced "total poverty alleviation", which was regarded as a major achievement of his political achievements, which allowed the party to support him in his tenure in Dalian.

The third possibility: The top elites of the Chinese Communist Party challenge Xi Jinping, or even a coup. The report said, "The conspiracy to overthrow Xi Jinping and his government is not a product of fanatical imagination, but a matter of high-ranking officials in China, including Xi Jinping himself."

In early 2012, Xi Jinping believed that his opponent tried to prevent him from taking over the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party in the second half of that year.

In an internal speech issued by Xi Jinping in 2016, he talked about "political conspiracy activities" to "destroy and split the party."

During the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2017, Liu Shiyu, then chairman of the China Securities Regulatory Commission, accused dereliction of duty officials, including Sun Zhengcai and Zhou Yongkang, of "conspiring to usurp the party's leadership and seize state power."

However, the report believes that "Xi Jinping does have a large number of enemies in the party. But it is also true that the organization of anti-Xi is facing almost insurmountable obstacles." "Unless there is a general crisis in China, the current high-level anti-Xi coup is very small."

The Washington Times reported on 3 May that US Defense Intelligence Agency Director Scott D. Berrier recently stated at the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing that Xi Jinping was dubbed the “helmsman” last year, the highest title of the Mao Zedong era. It shows that "Xi Jinping has a firm grasp of control in all aspects of the party, the army, and Chinese society" and has achieved a new position.

The fourth possibility is Xi Jinping's accidental death or incapacity. The report believes that if this happens, it will create a power vacuum and will trigger internal fighting in the Politburo.

The Voice of America reported that, in addition to the above analysis, the new book "China Coup: The Great Leap to Freedom" by Roger Garside, the former British diplomat in China, and the new book "China Coup: The Great Leap to Freedom" article "Regime Change in China is not only possible, it is imperative" published in the Canadian "Globe and Mail" also talked about the possibility of a coup within the CCP.

In his book "China Coup," based on his observations of the current situation of the CCP, Gasd fictionalized the story of Vice President Wang Qishan, Premier Li Keqiang, and Vice Premier Wang Yang, who "planned a coup to overthrow Xi Jinping and then initiated a democratic transformation" story.

And his long article published in Canada Circular Post also mentioned that most dictators were not overthrown by mass rebellion, but overthrown by actions taken by high-level elites.

He believes that because the United States has joined forces with the CCP to deal with the CCP, the CCP is in a crisis, and China's reformists have seen and seized this opportunity.

Guestre said that the CCP is a totalitarian regime. Its goal is to achieve a world leader in artificial intelligence and other advanced technologies. Combining with totalitarian politics will bring us a nightmare in the future.

"So not only must we defend ourselves, but we must also cooperate with the Chinese people who do not approve of Xi Jinping's leadership of China on this path, and take action before it is too late."

However, Li Anyou, a professor of political science at Columbia University, believes that the situation proposed by Gusted is impossible. There are two reasons for this. First, Xi Jinping's people are all over the CCP and the army.

Second, Xi Jinping's people are watching everyone. "You want to have a secret meeting, and you want to say something that Xi Jinping doesn't want you to say. That's impossible."

News (14)

Samoa suspends the CCP port project, the Belt and Road Initiative can no longer be carried out

Report by : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA

The CCP’s “One Belt, One Road” initiative has been frustrated again. The new prime minister of the South Pacific island nation of Samoa, Mattafa, promised to shelve the huge port development case under the CCP’s “One Belt, One Road” initiative after taking office.

The $100 million U.S. Gulf terminal development project became the focus of debate in the Samoan elections in April this year. In the end, Mali Lego, who has led the country for 20 years, lost a majority in Congress and enabled Mattafa to become the country's first female prime minister.

Mattafa said that the country's seaports and airports have met the demand, and there are more urgent projects that need to be dealt with first. She also pointed out that Samoa owes China a huge debt, which puts the people under tremendous pressure.

At present, China is Samoa’s largest creditor country. Samoa has a population of only 200,000, and its debt to China is approximately US$160 million, accounting for 40% of the country’s foreign debt.

Ref: https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2021/05/20/a103124213.html

News (15)

US State of Missouri v. CCP for virus transmission, complaint has been filed with defendant

The CCP virus has hit the world hard, triggering many countries to hold the CCP accountable. The US Attorney General of Missouri, Eric Schmidt, announced on 18 May that he had successfully filed the complaint to the three major defendants of the Chinese Communist Party.

The US state of Missouri is the first state to file a lawsuit against the Chinese Communist Party. The state filed a lawsuit in April 2020, demanding that the CCP take responsibility for the global spread of the epidemic and seek compensation to compensate for the "huge loss of life, human suffering, and economic turmoil" caused by the virus.

The defendants include the CCP government, the CCP, the National Health Commission, the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

In a statement by the Prosecutor General Schmidt, his office has sent the complaint and other documents to the three defendants of the Communist Party of China, Wuhan Institute of Viology, and Chinese Academy of Sciences via e-mail. Currently, through diplomatic channels, they are dealing with the CCP on court documents. However, Schmidt has not disclosed the timetable for the lawsuit. 

News (16)

U.S. lawmakers call for accelerating assistance to countries to counter China-Russia vaccine diplomacy

Reporter : Chen Ting / Editor : Ye Ziwei / https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/21/5/21/n12964766.htm / Direct translation

Image: Joel Saget /AFP via Getty Images

U.S. Republican Senator Mitt Romney called on U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to step up on Thursday (May 20), to distribute the CCP virus vaccine to countries in urgent need to counter the vaccine diplomacy of China and Russia.

Romney said he was “disheartened to learn” that China and Russia are marketing their vaccines, while the United States has not specified when the vaccines will be available to countries in need.

According to Reuters, Romney told Blinken in the letter, "As the United States continues to 'plan' and 'prioritize' vaccine distribution, China is using its influence and its much less effective vaccines to force the need for vaccines. The vaccine country follows China’s political goals."

He said that China (the CCP) is using vaccines for diplomatic purposes and building closer relations with Latin American countries. He mentioned that the Honduras Minister of Foreign Affairs recently stated that although the country hopes to avoid breaking its long-term relationship with Taiwan, it is more urgent to obtain a vaccine than anything else.

Romney said, "I respectfully call for immediate discussions with countries around the world to implement the strategy of distributing vaccines to these countries. At the same time, please announce and make public the timetable for obtaining vaccines for each country."

In fact, despite the CCP’s unwillingness to admit it, the CCP has been using vaccines as a diplomatic resource for months, trying to increase its geopolitical influence and gradually reduce Taiwan’s diplomatic allies.

According to the analysis of the Financial Times in London, the top ten countries in Latin America have received more than 144 million doses of vaccines, more than half of which came from China but Honduras, Guatemala, Paraguay and other countries that have established diplomatic relations with Taiwan have no chance to get it.

Earlier, Senator Marco Rubio also criticized Beijing for using the epidemic to coerce other countries and called on the Biden administration not to sit idly by.

News (17)

Expert: Covi vaccine may not be effective for some people

Reporter : Wang Lan / Editor : Yan Feng / https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/21/5/20/n12964190.htm / Direct translation

Vaccines can help our body become immune to the pathogenic virus without being infected with the virus, but experts say that there may be little or no immune response towards the covi vaccine among people who take certain drugs or have underlying diseases, and calls for more research to protect this population.

Dr. Deepali Kumar, head of the Transplant Infectious Disease Clinic at the University of Toronto Health Network, told CTV News that researchers do not yet know how effective the covi vaccine is for patients with weakened immune systems.

"We know that in people with suppressed immune function, the response to the antibody produced by the covi vaccine is usually lower than that of the general population, but we don't know how the antibody response is transformed into drug efficacy, so we don't know to what extent these can be protected and when people are free from covid.” Kumar said in a telephone interview on Thursday (20 May).

People with a weakened immune system contract diseases that weaken their immune system, including cancer and organ transplants or took drugs that reduce their ability to fight infections, such as anti-rejection drugs and steroids.

Experts say that, therefore, although there are not enough conclusive data, the efficacy of the covi vaccine in immunocompromised individuals may be reduced.

A study published Thursday in the medical journal JAMA Network Open found that nearly 3% of adults under 65 in the United States take drugs that weaken their immune system and may limit their response to the covi vaccine.

Beth Wallace, a rheumatologist at the Michigan Department of Medicine and the lead author of the study, said in a press release, “We are beginning to realize that people taking immunosuppressive drugs may respond to the covi vaccine. It is slower, weaker, and may not respond at all in some cases."

She added, "We don't yet have a comprehensive understanding of how these drugs affect the effectiveness of vaccines, so it is difficult to develop guidelines for these patients' vaccination."

Covi vaccine manufacturers exclude people with weakened immune systems from their clinical trials, so there is limited information about the population’s response to injections.

Results of ongoing research

A study published earlier this month in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) found that 46% of 658 organ transplant patients who received two doses of Pfizer or Moderna vaccine did not develop an antibody response.

The study showed, "After two doses of mRNA vaccine, the antibody response of organ transplant recipients has improved, but these data show that after two doses of mRNA vaccine, a considerable number of organ transplant recipients may still be at risk of contracting the coronavirus. "

Researchers have found that this lack of immune response may be the result of organ transplant recipients taking immunosuppressive drugs.

Kumar said, "We have learned from other vaccines that steroids, anti-rejection therapy and cancer chemotherapy do affect and reduce the effectiveness of vaccines."

A study conducted by researchers at Washington University stated that most of the autoimmune disease patients who participated in the study developed an immune response to COVID-19, but about 15% of the patients did not have an immune response.

Participants in this study suffer from a variety of diseases that suppress the immune system, including inflammatory bowel disease, systemic lupus erythematosus, and rheumatoid arthritis.

Researchers pointed out that people who take cancer drugs, multiple sclerosis drugs, and rheumatoid arthritis drugs are most affected.

The results of this Washington study have not yet been peer reviewed.

Although the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recognizes that immunosuppressed people may not be as protected as other fully vaccinated people, there is no clear recommendation on what precautions they should take.

Kumar advises these people to “as far as possible” to vaccinate covi when immunosuppression is low, and “to vaccinate when the degree of immunosuppression is as low as possible. For example, for patients undergoing organ transplantation, we recommend that they be vaccinated before receiving a transplant. Get vaccinated and take anti-rejection drugs."

If they miss this opportunity, Kumar recommends waiting one to three months before getting the vaccine, but he said that eventually, they should discuss with the patient and their doctor before making a decision.

News (18)

Santa Clara County's new epidemic prevention regulations make employers worry about invasion of privacy

Reporter : Chen Baizhou / https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/21/5/21/n12964950.htm / Translation, editing : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA

Santa Clara County released new epidemic prevention regulations on Wednesday (19 May), which has caused a series of controversies among many employers. They indicate that the time is too late, and does this infringe on privacy? Employers must start on Wednesday, figure out its regulations, and track whether all employees have been vaccinated against the CCP virus within two weeks before California's unblocking on 15 June and complete data collation.

Many employers in Santa Clara County are not aware of this new regulation. After all, this is the first time that the Bay Area has similar regulations. Employees who have been vaccinated may not need to wear masks and maintain social distancing in the workplace. This new rule requires employers to collect personal medical information of employees and implement stricter measures on employees who have not been vaccinated. For some people, this infringes on their privacy and freedom.

Sandy, an attorney at the Hanson Bridgett law firm in San Francisco. Rappaport (Sandy Rappaport) said that in general, employers must keep employees’ vaccinations confidential, but the county’s new regulations set different rules for employees who have not been vaccinated. “This move seems to require employers to disclose whether employees are vaccinated because employees who have not been vaccinated must wear masks."

Rappaport said that many employers are already collecting data on whether employees have been vaccinated and are considering restarting operations. "But this new regulation seems to allow most employers to add more extra jobs."

She said, "Employers must review the employee's vaccination card or the "self-certification of vaccination status" filled out. If the employee refuses to disclose whether they have been vaccinated, the employer must continue to track it every two weeks." In addition, the California Consumer Privacy Act 》(CCPA) covered by large employers, may have to issue the latest notice about the collection of such data.

She said, "This is a bit cumbersome, and these processes must be completed within two weeks, and the time seems insufficient."

Dan McCranie, the owner of a barbecue restaurant in Morgan Hill, said that he has collected the vaccination status of his employees for several weeks. At present, 51 of the 55 employees have been fully vaccinated.

McClanney, like other employers, has the same questions about this new rule. Some employees who have not been vaccinated are required to wear masks, while employees who have been vaccinated do not need to wear masks. This is equivalent to letting everyone know which employees have been vaccinated, which may cause some controversy regarding personal privacy. 

Note: The novel coronavirus is also called the Wuhan virus. The Epoch Times believes that it is more accurate to call it "the Chinese Communist virus" or CCP virus because the virus came from China under the rule of the CCP, and because the CCP covered up the epidemic, the virus spread to the world and caused a global pandemic. Covi is short form for the novel coronavirus.

News (19)

Novel coronavirus appears? The source of infection may be dog-to-human

Duke University in the United States targets a hospital for treating children with pneumonia in Malaysia, did research and found that of the 301 patients tested, 8 of them were infected with a new type of coronavirus in the upper respiratory tract! They inferred that the source of infection is likely to be dogs. Analysis pointed out that the coronavirus pattern in dogs is similar to the current pattern of covi but there is no evidence that this dog-like coronavirus can be transmitted between humans.

Ref: news.tvbs.com.tw/life/1513770?from=Copy_content

News (20)

312 newly diagnosed covid cases in Taiwan on 21 May 2021

Editor : Cai Xinyi / Direct translation

Taiwan's covid epidemic is severe. On 21 May, 312 local confirmed cases have been added, and since the 15th, it has broken 100 cases for seven consecutive days. The confirmed cases in Taiwan have now spread to several counties and cities. Among them, the case in Wanhua District of Taipei City remains high. The command center commander Chen Shizhong recently announced that the national defense level will be raised to "three-level alert." 

In addition to the continuous implementation of remote teaching in schools at all levels in Taiwan, many chain catering companies have announced that they will prohibit internal use and change to take out. At the same time, the public should be reminded to maintain social distancing and take personal measures to prevent the epidemic. 

In response to confirmed incidents in hospitals, five hospitals have been confirmed as nosocomial infections, including Yadong Hospital, Songshan District of the General Hospital of the Tri-Services, Heping District of North City United Hospital, Kaohsiung Renhui Hospital, and North City Hemodialysis Center. The hospitals are still undergoing continuous screening.

The command centre urges the public to implement personal protective measures such as hand hygiene, cough etiquette, and wearing masks, to reduce unnecessary movement, activities or gatherings, avoid entering and exiting crowded places or areas with a high risk of infection transmission, and actively cooperate with various anti-epidemic measures, together to strictly guard the community's defense line. 

Ref: news.tvbs.com.tw/life/1513793?from=Copy_content; 

See also: https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3134249/taipeis-covid-19-spike-traced-back-hostess-teahouses?utm_content=article&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR39wd99EvcdFRSMZywKhMPB8IlqpTW47UGufN6CuGB8KkO9Cmup_u5Wlnw#Echobox=1621566069

News (21)

Changi Airport's update on measures to safeguard public health

Press Release : Changi Airport Group

Boosting Our Defences

Given the emergence of a more transmissible COVID-19 strain, we are boosting our defences against the virus at Changi Airport. Our airport workers form the first line of defence against COVID-19. Protecting them is therefore essential to prevent further transmission to their families and the larger community.

2. Since March 2020, workers handling flights from the highest-risk countries were trained in and donning the full suite of personal protective equipment (PPE) - N95 masks, face shields, medical gowns and gloves. To boost our defences at the airport given the emergence of a more transmissible strain of Covid-19, from May 2021, we are implementing stricter cohorting arrangements for airport workers. These include separate dining and rest areas for different groups of airport workers and ringfencing higher risk work teams from mingling with other work teams.

3. Besides segregating arriving passengers to minimise interactions, which has been in place since March 2020, we are also augmenting our testing regime for arriving passengers and airport workers:

• From 20 May 2021, all arriving passengers from very high-risk countries/regions must undergo on-arrival Antigen Rapid Tests (ART), on top of Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests. While an ART is less sensitive than a PCR test, it provides an additional layer of screening. The quicker turnaround time of an ART compared to a PCR test will allow for public health actions to be taken more quickly for persons who test positive by ART.
• From 23 May 2021, airport workers in higher risk roles will be required to take an additional ART between their 7-day rostered routine tests.

4. More than 90% of frontline aviation workers have been vaccinated to date since the start of the Sea-Air Vaccination Exercise (SAVE) in January 2021. We are working with the aviation community to vaccinate more workers within the next few weeks.

Special Testing Operation of Airport Workers

5. From 9 May to 20 May 2021, close to 19,000 frontline workers and office workers in the Changi Airport Passenger Terminal Buildings (PTBs) and Jewel Changi Airport (Jewel) were tested for COVID-19 as part of a special testing operation to quickly detect, isolate and treat any potential COVID-19 cases in the airport community.

6. All workers at Changi Airport Terminal 1 and Jewel have tested negative for COVID-19; ten workers from Terminal 3 (T3) were tested positive. Out of an abundance of caution, all airport workers who were working around T3 Basement 2 who had tested negative for COVID-19 in their first test, have been rostered to take an additional COVID-19 test since 20 May 2021 – these results are pending.

COVID-positive Airport Workers

7. As of 20 May 2021, 43 airport workers, including the 10 tested positive for COVID-19 from the special testing operation, have been tested positive for COVID-19. The 33 other airport workers who have been tested positive for COVID-19 were detected while serving Quarantine Orders, through earlier Rostered Routine Testing, through the Ministry of Health’s (MOH’s) voluntary testing operation for visitors to T3, or upon seeking medical treatment from a General Practitioner (see Annex). Most of these cases were detected early – cases peaked around 13 May, with very few cases among airport workers subsequently. None of the cases are in serious condition, require oxygen or are in the Intensive Care Unit.

8. Phylogenetic testing results for an initial batch of COVID-19 positive airport workers were found to be similar and of the B1617 variant, indicating that they originated from a common source. Preliminary investigations indicate that the initial transmission could have occurred through an airport worker who was assisting a family from South Asia, who arrived in Singapore on 29 April 2021 and were subsequently found to be positive for COVID-19 through their On-Arrival Tests. Further investigations by MOH and the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) are ongoing.

Changi Airport Passenger PTBs and Jewel to Remain Closed to Members of Public

9. Additional cleaning and disinfection of Changi Airport PTBs and Jewel have been completed. As an added precaution, Changi Airport PTBs and Jewel will remain closed to members of public till the end of the Phase 2 (Heightened Alert) period, 13 June 2021. During this closure period, airport workers will be briefed and trained on the new measures and requirements, to allow the new measures and safety protocols to be implemented smoothly. The airport remains open for air travel.

10. The safety of our airport workers and safeguarding public health remain our top priorities. Together with the aviation community, CAAS and Changi Airport Group (CAG) will continue to actively review and strengthen our measures to protect airport workers, their families and public health. We call on all Singaporeans to continue giving their full support to our airport workers in this difficult period.

News (22)

Taiwan's epidemic prevention: Masks are required in a car if there are more than 2

Reporters : Wang Guanlin and Zhan Yongru / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2021/05/21/a103124541.html / Translation, editing : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA

The local epidemic in Taiwan continues, and the country has been upgraded to a third-level epidemic prevention alert. Gatherings of 5 people indoors and 10 people outdoors are stopped, and masks are worn all the way out; Whether masks are required for driving, the command centre announced today that more than two people in the car need to wear masks. In addition, is it possible to dine outdoors in the park? The command centre said that the only case opened was for construction site workers.

The national level three alert requires masks to stay in place. However, whether or not to wear masks in the car depends on the standards of different counties and cities, and the command centre will give the answer.

Chen Zongyan, deputy commander of the command centre, said, "For the self-driving part, if two or more people are in the same car, we should wear masks. If we are driving alone, it will not affect it because he is in a confined space and they did not open it. When you do not open the car door to communicate with other people, you don’t need to wear a mask."

Chen Zongyan said that even with family members, it is difficult to clarify the relationship, so as long as there are two or more people in the car, they need to wear masks. However, for public transportation, like buses, even one person needs to wear masks. As for, can people take off their masks and eat lunch in the park?

Chen Zongyan, deputy commander of the command centre, said, "For the part of the park, we still have to wear masks when going out. For the part of the meal, I suggest that those who eat in the park should take it back to their home or your office."

The only place where the command centre opened an order was the construction site. Because of the inconvenience to find a suitable drinking and eating place, the engineering staff could take off their masks and have a meal while keeping a certain distance. In addition, Chen Zongyan also reached a consensus with 22 counties and cities across the country, emphasizing that the central and local governments should keep in step with each other.

News (23) to (25) / Reporter: Ye Yanxian / https://www.8world.com/news/singapore/article/covid-19-safeentry-gateway-1484501 / Direct translation

News (23)

Logging in with SafeEntry Gateway cannot view visit records

GovTech pointed out that the public uses SafeEntry Gateway (hereinafter referred to as SEGW) for visitor registration, and the joint tracking application will not leave visit records.

The authorities recommend that those who want to keep SafeEntry login records, choose to scan the code to log in with the app.

What should I pay attention to when using the SafeEntry Gateway sensor?

From 17 May 2021, the public must use TraceTogether tracking application or portable device to register for SafeEntry when going to high-traffic places. One way is to tap the SEGW sensor with a mobile phone or portable device.

When using SEGW, the public only needs to touch the sensor of the mobile phone or portable device that opens the Heli tracking application. Once the registration is successful, the system will display a green light and emit a "beep" sound, and the public can enter the venue.

Remember, the public who log in with a mobile phone must open the application homepage. The user of the portable device must ensure that the portable device has a battery, otherwise the system will not respond.

As SEGW's login method is faster and more convenient, the authorities will install the new system in more places from the 15th of next month. These places include dining establishments, hotels and sports facilities. At present, only places with high traffic such as shopping malls and hospitals need to install this system.

Some people use apps to scan codes because they work together to track that their portable devices are out of power.

News (24)

If you may come into contact with the patient, you will still be notified

However, many members of the public found that after registering through the SEGW, the application does not display the visit records, and it is impossible to find out where they have been.

In response to this, GovTech pointed out in response to netizens’ questions via Facebook that SEGW will not reflect any information to the application after successfully completing the registration through the TraceTogether tracking application, so the user’s visit history will not be displayed in the application. 

The Wisdom Country and Digital Government Agency suggest that if the public wants to keep a complete record of their visits, they can use the TraceTogether tracking application to scan the QR code to register for admission.

However, if you visit the same place at the same time as the confirmed patient, your joint tracking application will still show that you have "possible exposure" to the confirmed patient.

According to the website of TraceTogether, if the user's SafeEntry registration record overlaps with the patient, he will be notified.

Since SEGW also uses SafeEntry to log in for users, this means that the public who uses SEGW to log in to places can also receive "possible contact" notifications.

The contact records of TraceTogether are screened according to Bluetooth signal strength and contact time to find out who may have had close contact with the confirmed patient.

As for how to judge whether a user is "probably exposed" to the virus, if a person has visited the same place as the confirmed person, the visit period overlaps at least five minutes, and the user logged in no more than 12 hours before; or if the confirmed person during the visit, there is more than one time overlap of less than five minutes, it is considered that they may have had contact with the confirmed person.

News (25)

How does the authority use SafeEntry records to determine whether they have been in contact with patients?

How does the authority use SafeEntry records to determine whether they have been in contact with patients?

Image : TraceTogether website

Once contact is possible, the TraceTogether tracking application and the wereyouthere.safeentry.gov.sg website will be displayed to alert the public.

If the place of contact is a place where it is difficult to observe a safe distance, such as a restaurant or a gym, the public will also receive a mobile phone text reminder.

Logout is not mandatory, the authorities will estimate the time of public visits

The Smart Nation and Digital Government Agency pointed out that at present, the authorities encourage citizens to log out after leaving the premises after logging in to SafeEntry, but this is not mandatory.

If the Ministry of Health needs to carry out contact tracing work, the authorities will estimate how long the contact has stayed at the last visited place based on the SafeEntry login time after the contact. In addition, the authorities will also ask contacts for verification of this information during contact tracing interviews.