Omicron spreads in China, Florida expels Communist theory

 Research, editing : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA

News on disease control, CCP, U.S., Myanmar, Taiwan

News (1) to (5) / Reporter : Luo Tingting / Editor: Wen Hui / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2021/12/16/a103295232.html

News (1)

A confirmed case of Omicron found in Henan, Shanghai suspected of hiding transmission risk

Image : In the early morning of 4 December 2021, Guangzhou citizens lined up for nucleic acid testing. (Video Screenshot)

The more infectious Omicron variant virus (Covi29) is spreading in China. Following Tianjin and Guangzhou, Henan has discovered a confirmed case of Omicron a few days ago. Both the patient and the Guangzhou patient were quarantined in Shanghai. The outside world doubts that Shanghai is a hidden Covi29 transmission risk.

News (2)

Henan man diagnosed after returning from Shanghai

On 15 December 15, the city Epidemic Prevention and Control Headquarters of Weihui, Henan Province, notified that Duan, a man who had just returned from Shanghai, was infected with Covi29. This is the third city in China to have Omicron virus after Tianjin and Guangzhou.

The report stated that Weihui received a letter from the Shanghai Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention on the 14th, stating that Duan was a close contact of a patient infected with Omicron in Guangdong, and Duan was diagnosed after testing.

Duan entered Shanghai on a flight from Canada on 27 November. The Guangzhou patient also took the same flight. Both were quarantined in Shanghai for 14 days, during which 4 nucleic acid tests were normal.

The quarantine was lifted on 11 December, and Duan took the bullet train from Shanghai to Zhengzhou, then transferred to the high-speed train to Xinxiang, and then drove back home in a private car, staying at home in quarantine.

After Duan was diagnosed, the local government has sealed relevant areas and conducted nucleic acid tests on relevant personnel.

News (3)

Guangzhou officials avoid mentioning Shanghai, sparking public speculation

Before Duan was diagnosed, a 67-year-old man from Guangzhou returned to Guangzhou from Shanghai on a domestic flight on 11 December. He tested positive when he was isolated at home on the 12th and was later diagnosed with Covi29.

Guangzhou officials reported on the 14th that the man was an imported case from abroad but the public questioned that the man was only found out after returning to the country for nearly 20 days. It should have been a local infection.

In addition, the Guangdong officials rarely mentioned the patient's experience in isolation in Shanghai in the notification, which caused netizens to speculate.

According to the CCP's zero-covid clearing policy, patients will generally be traced to the source, and large-scale censorship and investigation will be implemented. In the face of the highly contagious Omicron invasion, the Guangzhou authorities avoided mentioning Shanghai, which is very strange. The outside world doubts that Shanghai is hiding the risk of Omicron virus transmission but Shanghai officials have not yet commented on this.

So far, according to official reports, two confirmed cases of Omicron have been found in Shanghai's centralized isolation point. Since the CCP has been covering up the epidemic, it is not ruled out that more Omicron infections will appear in the future.

News (4)

Guangzhou virus prevention and control upgrade

Since the 14th, Guangzhou’s prevention and control has been upgraded, with areas and roads closed, and subway station entrances and exits blocked. Taojin Station on Guangzhou Metro Line 5 has been closed.

The residents of the Tiansheng Village, Huale Street, Yuexiu District, where the patient lives, were all taken away for centralized isolation. Many surrounding communities have also been sealed off, people are prohibited from entering and exiting, and full-staff nucleic acid testing has been implemented. Citizens in the enclosed area cannot leave Guangzhou.

Ms. Liu, a citizen of Dalang Town, Dongguan City, Guangdong, said to NTDTV: "So far, only two cases have been found. Yesterday, I did the first round of nucleic acid, and then today I did the second round of nucleic acid. Now I can’t leave Dalang without special circumstances. , I can’t go to other places, just stay here."

According to reports from the BBC and the New York Times, in recent days, 4 people near the Guangzhou patient’s home have tested positive. It is not clear whether they have also been infected with Covi29.

However, Xinhua News Agency reported that all personnel in Guangzhou tested negative and only 4 environmental samples were positive. The official media reports caused public opinion to question.

On the 16th, the Guangzhou Huadu District Epidemic Prevention and Control Headquarters issued a notice, according to the needs of epidemic prevention and control, temporary control is now implemented in the areas east of Tiangui Road, south of Commercial Avenue, west of Shuguang Avenue, and north of Xinhua Road. Personnel in the above-mentioned areas carry out nucleic acid screening. This shows that the scope of Guangzhou's containment control has been further expanded.

News (5)

Shanghai epidemic prevention expert Zhang Wenhong: Omicron is very difficult to deal with

Shanghai epidemic prevention expert Zhang Wenhong said at the Greater Bay Area Science Forum on the 12th, “Omicron virus is very difficult to deal with. There are many mutations in the virus, which may bring more serious mutation consequences.”

Zhang Wenhong warned that Omicron may have multiple transmission channels in the future. "The most severe situation may be that the virus has a strong spread, strong virulence, and vaccine booster shots are also ineffective."

The first death from Omicron covid has been detected in the UK recently. A new study in Hong Kong on the 14th showed that the antibodies produced by Sinovac Vaccine CoronaVac and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine Comirnaty are not enough to resist Covi29.

News (6) to (11) / https://www.8world.com/world/covid-19-omicron-said-to-cause-symptoms-different-from-delta-1675746

News (6)

Unlike Delta covid, Omicron covid may have these symptoms

South African medical experts pointed out that the clinical symptoms of Omicron covid are different from Delta covid. Instead of symptoms similar to colds, there will be hoarse throat, dry cough, extreme fatigue, muscle aches, night sweats and severe headaches.

The president of the South African Medical Association, Angelique Coetzee, was one of the first doctors to sound the Omicron alarm. So far, he has treated hundreds of covid patients infected with Covi29.

News (7)

Symptoms of Omicron covid according to South African expert: Slightly hoarse throat, mild fever, dry cough, extreme fatigue and muscle ache

According to comprehensive media reports, typical symptoms of patients with covid include high fever, persistent cough, and loss of smell or taste but Dr. Coucher noticed that the symptoms of Omicron covid patients are different.

She pointed out that these patients did not lose their sense of smell or taste but had a slightly hoarse throat instead of a sore throat, mild fever, dry cough, extreme fatigue and muscle aches.

News (8)

Unvaccinated patients have more serious headache and body ache

She also pointed out that the headaches and body aches of those that have not been vaccinated may be more serious but they can all be controlled by common drugs.

Dr. Couche reminded colleagues that if any patients mentioned that they have symptoms such as body pain, headache, fatigue, etc., it is best to be vigilant and test them for covid.

News (9)

Many Omicron covid patients sweat at night

Local general practitioner Unben Pillay pointed out that many Omicron covid patients also have symptoms of sweating at night.

News (10)

Children infected with Covi29 have sore throat and high pulse

Dr. Coucher also pointed out that the symptoms of local children infected with Omicron are slightly different from those of adults. Children will have symptoms of sore throat and high pulse, about 100 to 115 beats per minute, with mild symptoms. fever. In addition, the children recovered very quickly. One sick child recovered within 48 hours.

News (11)

Not enough time and cases to prove the different symptoms of Omicron covid

However, Reuters reported that Covi29 on the Internet does not cause symptoms such as cough and fever, but only causes symptoms such as headache, joint pain, neck pain, pneumonia and loss of appetite but there is insufficient evidence to confirm these symptoms.

David O'Connor, a virologist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said that there is not enough time and cases to prove that Covi29 causes completely different symptoms. It is just an analysis made by some experts based on a small number of cases. 

News (12) to (13) / Reporter : Li Jinfeng / Editor : Li Quan / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2021/12/16/a103295229.html

News (12)

Anhui epidemic spread to a village in Yongqiao District, Suzhou

Image : In the early morning of 14 May 2021, people in Feixi County, Anhui Province were queuing for nucleic acid testing. (Video screenshot)

An associated case occurred in Suzhou, Zhejiang, and the Yongqiao district of Suzhou was upgraded to a medium-risk area. Local people were required to stay away from Yong if necessary.

On 16 December, the Anhui Provincial Health Commission of the Communist Party of China notified that Zhu (male) was newly diagnosed on the 15th. Mr. Zhu lived in Shangyu Development Zone, Shaoxing City, Zhejiang Province. He took the high-speed train from Shaoxing to his parents-in-law’s home in Suzhou on 11 December. During this period, Zhu had been to Suzhou East Railway Station, Qixian Town, and then to Daying New Village, Daying Town, and had dinner with relatives and friends on the morning of the 12th.

The Yongqiao District Center for Disease Control and Prevention in Suzhou City issued a message on the 16th to urgently search for Zhu's close contacts.

The Yongqiao District Epidemic Prevention and Control Emergency Headquarters announced on the 16th that after assessment, from 10 pm on December 15, 2021, Daying New Village, Daying Town, Yongqiao District has been adjusted to a medium-risk area.

The current epidemic situation in Shangyu District, Shaoxing, where Zhu was resident, continues to heat up. The latest news shows that from 0 to 24:00 on the 15th, there were 48 new confirmed cases in Shaoxing. Since 7 December, Shaoxing has a total of 232 confirmed cases and 1 asymptomatic infection, including 229 confirmed cases and 1 asymptomatic infection in Shangyu District, and 3 confirmed cases in Yuecheng District.

Since the CCP has always concealed the truth, the outside world generally believes that the actual situation is more serious than the reported situation.

News (13)

Yongqiao District: Do not leave Yong if not necessary

In addition, the aforementioned Yongqiao District Notice requires people to stay away from Yonge if they do not have to. Those who do need to leave Yongle must have a negative nucleic acid test certificate within 48 hours; roads, railways, docks and other transportation sites should avoid crowds of people; all kinds of public transportation, rental In car and online car-hailing places, people have to wear masks, take temperature measurements, and check codes. Taxis and online car-hailing are not allowed to carry passengers.

The personnel in the enclosed control area shall not leave the house, the personnel in the controlled area shall not leave the community, and the personnel shall not gather.

Suspend or cancel all events, entertainment, gatherings and other public gathering activities. Suspend offline meetings, training, recruitment and other crowd gathering activities. Postponement of happy events, brief funerals, and report to the community (village).

Schools, nursing homes, welfare homes and other places are closed for management. Suspend the operation of public places such as tourist attractions, movie theaters, mahjong halls, chess and card rooms, bars, and Internet cafes; suspend offline training of off-campus education and training institutions (including trusteeship classes and interest classes).

Strictly control community (village) entry and exit management, and require entry and exit personnel and vehicle registration. Retail pharmacies throughout the region suspended the sale of antiviral, antibiotic, fever, and cough medicines.

News (14)

Epidemic in Dongguan, Zhejiang, impacts supply chains of multiple industries

Reporter : Zhang Ruizhen / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2021/12/15/a103295013.html / Image : Video Screenshot

Following the occurrence of Covi29 cases in Tianjin and Guangzhou, the third case was found in Henan Province, which was a close contact of a man infected with the disease in Guangzhou. The local epidemic in China is most severe in Zhejiang and Dongguan, Guangdong, causing businesses to close and factories to stop operating.

On 14 December, there was a spectacular horde in Dongguan, Guangdong Province, all of them were residents waiting for nucleic acid testing. The Beijing News reported that Dalang Town, Dongguan ordered a nucleic acid test for all employees. At the peak, there were estimated to be 20,000 people at the scene. The queue is more than 1 km. Many Chinese netizens worry that this is a man-made cluster, which may increase the risk of infection.

Residents of Dalang Town, Dongguan, said, "All the staff in Dalang, Dongguan do nucleic acid. Today, no one is going to work."

A resident of Dalang Town said, "Because yesterday was an emergency, today it was not so severe (so many people), and maybe there will be no people at two or three in the afternoon. (15th) Now it’s the second round. There are so many people now."

China added 50 newly diagnosed covid cases on the 14th. Zhejiang accounted for 45 cases (39 in Shaoxing and 6 in Ningbo), 2 in Dongguan and 3 in Inner Mongolia. However, the CCP has repeatedly under-reported the number in the past.  Reuters reported that Zhejiang Province, a major manufacturing town in China, was affected by the epidemic.At least 20 listed companies were ordered to suspend production by the local government, including Zhejiang Mustang Battery, Guobang Pharmaceutical, and Zhejiang Runtu, a textile dye manufacturer. After analysis, the division pointed out that multiple industrial supply chains will be affected.

Ravin Gandhi, CEO of American paint company GMM Nonstick Coatings, said, "Actually, the situation in China is still very bad. I am not looking at the (COVID-19) case from the perspective of (COVID-19) cases. I mean, from the perspective of shutdown and supervision, These regulations are constantly changing."

Fraser Townley, CEO of semiconductor technology provider T2M, said, "The cost savings of manufacturing products in China is being swallowed by China's transportation costs."

At a time when global logistics is tight, the epidemic situation in Ningbo, an important port of Zhejiang, is heating up, and logistics companies say that no containers at the terminal can be shipped normally.

News (15) to (16) / Editor : Yun Tao / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2021/12/15/a103294908.html

News (15)

A large number of construction aid migrant workers in Manzhouli building square cabin hospital are isolated on the spot

Image : Room conditions in Boya Community. (Provided by interviewee / Epoch Times)

 "The conditions here are too bad, and the sanitation is also poor", "Every day the meal is cold, and after eating, I get diarrhea, and sometimes I start grunting before I finish eating. Grumbling, diarrhea made me feel tired all day, and I lost several catties in a few days.” said a migrant worker in isolation at the Square Cabin Hospital in Manzhouli, Hulunbuir, Inner Mongolia.

After the local epidemic broke out in Manzhouli, in order to prevent the spread of the epidemic, the city immediately closed the airport, railway station, and passenger terminal, and the city began to be completely locked down on 27 November 2021. On 1 December 2021, 6 communities in the city were classified as high-risk areas and 4 communities were classified as medium-risk areas. In addition, 47 communities were designated as closed communities, and the rest were controlled areas. The closed communities are required to "not leave the house", while the controlled areas "do not leave the community."

Jia Xin (a pseudonym), a migrant worker who built an isolation house in Manzhouli’s National Treasure District, said in an interview with Epoch Times reporters on December 13 that these workers involved in the construction of the Fangcang shelter hospital consisted of five to six hundred people in the local area. About six to seven hundred people, or even nearly a thousand people, came to support them. After the confirmed cases appeared, they were all isolated on the spot.

She said that she had only worked here on 1 and 2 December for two days. After the foreign aid personnel on the 3rd came in, seven or eight of them self-isolated at home and performed 13 nucleic acid tests every day, but on 9 December, he was suddenly notified by phone to go to the isolation room for centralized isolation. "Bharat came to pick him up. There were more than 30 people in it. But that night there was a bus from Taiwan to Taiwan, bringing all the people working here."

She said that she only heard that a person in charge of the warehouse and a person who installed the bulb at the construction site had been diagnosed, but they had never seen these people. Because the time for them to enter the site is different for each process. For example, after the carpenters have finished the work, they can only work with whitewashing. After they have finished the work, they can clean up. Therefore, there is no contact between people of different types of work. However, all their personnel are still regarded as close contacts and all have been quarantined.

"Stay here every day, it's like going to jail." She couldn't help sighing. She took the risk to work for the government, but she didn't expect "I dug a hole for myself to live in."

Image : The condition of the isolation room in the Guobin community (provided by the respondent / Epoch Times)

Image : The status of the isolation room in the Guobin community (provided by the respondent / Epoch Times)

"He didn't tell us anything, so he locked us up"

Liu He (pseudonym), who works in the Boya community, told the Epoch Times reporter, “We were working here, and then there were cases here. On 9 December (after bringing them here), we were asked to find our own rooms and then go upstairs to sleep.

"At that time, we didn't know what was going on, so just look for it. Anyway, we can't go home. We have to live here for a few days. I didn't hear that we were isolated until yesterday (12th). He didn't tell us what was the reason for the imprisonment, and he didn't tell us'are you close or second-closed', and didn't say anything."

And "it's nothing here, even the water for washing your face is yellow. For ten days or so, I'm going crazy about how we live here."

"The food I ate was all cold", and "diarrhea made me feel boring."

Liu He said that the conditions here are not only bad, but also the sanitation is not good. You can't drink water. In addition, all meals eaten every day are cold, and it is not out of season.

She said, "Breakfast is at 9 o'clock at the earliest and 12 o'clock at the latest. Lunch is usually at 2 pm. Dinner can only be eaten until about 10 pm." It was very bad. After eating, “diarrhea, sometimes I didn’t even wait for it to finish, and my stomach started gurgling. I was boring all over with diarrhea and diarrhea, and I lost several kilograms in the past few days.”

Not only that, "We have no clean place (in the room). There is a layer of dust on the ground, and the walkway feels ashes drill into the nose. When I sleep, my nose is all black and gray, and it looks like mud when I pick it out. Hair wash It's all black mud soup.

"Because my body is all gray and it doesn't work well, I have lumps on my legs, and I have scratched several places."

In addition, no one collects the garbage. After reporting to them, it was not cleaned up until this morning. All the food delivery people put the food on the garbage pile. However, the garbage was cleared away, and the garbage was dirty water underneath. This time the food delivery person threw the lunch box on the dirty water again."

Wang Gang, a renovation worker assisted by the construction from Genhe to Manzhouli, also told The Epoch Times, “The environment here is too bad. Recently it was discovered that these two cases (confirmed cases) were pulled out in Boya Community”, and “They don’t care if you have it or not. Contact, the daily nucleic acid test is negative, and you have to stay here all the time, not letting you go out." And, "not to mention how long the isolation is, just let you stay here blindly."

He said that, except for a few closely connected people, more than 500 people live in this community.

News (16)

Take a nucleic acid test every night before sleeping

Liu He said that since 9 December, they have performed nucleic acid tests at 12 o'clock in the evening or at 1 o'clock in the evening, and at 2 o'clock in the evening, it was the 16th time that they were interviewed.

She said, “We have to insist every day until they have done the nucleic acid for us before we can sleep, otherwise they will knock on the door for fear of not being heard.”

Liu He said that the buildings in front of them were all posted with seals, and they didn’t know if they posted them downstairs, but from 13 December, “the police station came to plug in the door of our isolation house (the outside is locked).” , I was able to go downstairs before, but now I can’t even get out of the room.”

She said, "We are not living human lives. I have collapsed. Sitting on the windowsill every day, looking out, is no different from being in jail.

"And we are not in jail, we are on the front line (work), why (the government) treats us like this, we are really speechless."

She also said that if you call the autonomous region, although the other party says it is for you to report, it is of no use. If there is a disturbance, then "we are not staying here, we will enter the detention center", so now they do not know what to do.

Liu He said that her son is 16 years old, and she and his son are the only two in the family. But since the beginning of the construction of the square cabin hospital, "My son came back from a vacation, and our wife has never seen each other." Although the family has rice, white noodles, oil and the like, her son is not good at cooking. When she was able to go home before, she bought some eggs, bread, snacks, and instant noodles for his son.

Because "there is no takeaway now, the entire city is closed, all shops are closed, we can't go out, the police are patrolling below", and "there is no one in charge of how the people live."

News (17) to (20) / Reporter : Chen Yufu / https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/politics/breakingnews/3770844

News (17)

Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council's 10 questions about democracy in Taiwan, Mainland Affairs Council spokesperson Qiu Chuizheng counterattacked today

   

Image:  Mainland Affairs Council spokesperson Qiu Chuizheng counterattacked today. The Taiwan Affairs Office of the Communist Party of China has criticized Taiwan's absurd and false criticism of Taiwan's participation in the Summit for Democracy. (Flip Live Broadcast)

The Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council of China on 15 December 2021 questioned the fact that Taiwan’s participation in the democracy summit organized by the United States was "fake democracy and seek independence," and raised ten questions to question Taiwan’s democracy. Mainland Affairs Council spokesperson Qiu Chuizheng counterattacked on 16 December 2021 the Taiwan Affairs Office of the Communist Party of China false criticism of Taiwan's participation in the  Summit for Democracy.

The spokesperson of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council Ma Xiaoguang raised 10 questions on the 15th, questioning the DPP authorities, out of one-party selfishness, suppressing dissidents in Taiwan, manipulating ethnic antagonism, and dividing Taiwanese society. What kind of democracy is this? What kind of democracy is that if you talk bluntly and write bad checks during the election, and forget about your promises to the people on the island after the election?

News (18)

CCP deviates from democracy, persecutes Chinese, restrains freedom

In this regard, Qiu Chuizheng emphasized that Taiwan’s progress in democracy, human rights, and the rule of law has won praise from the international community. The CCP’s authoritarian regime that deviates from democracy and human rights should self-examine, carry out real democratic system reforms as soon as possible, stop the persecution of human rights, restrain freedom and other internal governance malpractices, and only then can it respond to the expectations of the international community and its internal public opinion. Without the value of civilization, it is impossible for a great revival.

News (19)

CCP must abandon tyranny, hegemony, stop military and economic coercion against Taiwan

Qiu Chuizheng said, "As we all know, the current cross-strait tensions are rising. The crux of the problem is that the CCP has never given up on handling cross-strait disputes by force. Recently, military nuisance and economic coercion against Taiwan have become more serious, impacting cross-strait and regional security and stability, and prompting the international community to increase concern on the situation in the Taiwan Strait. Our strong determination to defend national sovereignty and Taiwan’s democracy will not change, and we urge the Beijing authorities to abandon their tyrannical, hegemonic, and divide and infiltrate enemy’s intentions and actions to maintain Taiwan as soon as possible."

In addition, the four referendums appeared this Saturday. The spokesperson of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, Ma Xiaoguang, yesterday criticized the DPP for manipulating the referendum, deliberately "touching porcelain" China, creating anti-Chinese populism, and asking Taiwan compatriots to keep their eyes open.

News (20)

The Republic of China sovereignty of the "constitution" rests with the Taiwanese

Qiu Chuizheng refutes that the Republic of China is based on the principle that the sovereignty of the "constitution" rests with the people. A referendum is a manifestation of the political rights that citizens should have and direct public opinion, and it is the norm for the expression of opinions in a democratic society. The other side should learn and understand that this is a democratic process of democratic Taiwan’s internal affairs and people’s choice. The authoritarian and totalitarian Chinese Communist regime has absolutely no room for interference.

News (21)

The New York Times: The CCP is using foreign Internet celebrities to implement big foreign propaganda

In recent years, many foreign celebrities have appeared in mainland China. The New York Times recently exposed how these celebrities are used by the CCP as a tool for publicity.

The New York Times published a special report on 13 December, revealing how many foreign Internet celebrities active on YouTube have become the inside story of the CCP’s propaganda tool. These Internet celebrities from different countries “depict a happy life in China as foreigners, and also fought back against criticism of Beijing’s autocratic rule, ethnic minority policies, and response to the covid epidemic.”

The report pointed out that according to government documents and the statements of these influencers, the CCP’s news organizations and local governments organized and funded the travels of these pro-Beijing influencers, not only paid for them, but also shared their videos with millions of fans on social media. Push up the flow. These Internet celebrities can even go to areas where ordinary foreign journalists are not allowed to travel.

The New York Times believes that even if these internet celebrities do not consider themselves to be the CCP’s propaganda tools, Beijing is using them in this way, while also using social platforms such as Twitter or YouTube to promote their content as a cannonball for foreign propaganda.

Ref: https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2021/12/15/a103295028.html

News (22)

Florida's New Act: Expelling the Ultra-Left Theory from Enterprises and Classrooms

Reporter : Jinshi / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2021/12/15/a103295129.html / Image : Video Screenshot

Florida introduced a new bill this week that prohibits Marxist-based critical racial theories from entering businesses and classrooms. This bill has typical significance in the United States.

The Governor of Florida DeSantis announced a new proposal on Monday, called "Stop the Wrongs to Our Kids and Employees" Act (referred to as Stop WOKE ACT), which aims to give corporate employees and School students have a legal weapon to counter the penetration of Critical Race Theory (CRT).

DeSantis said, "This so-called ideology of racial awakening is actually trying to cancel our history and cancel our institutions. I see it as a kind of cultural Marxism."

Florida announced in May of this year that public schools in the state are banning the use of textbooks that criticize racial theories. This new proposal will incorporate this ban into law.

DeSantis added, "Taxpayer money will not be used to teach children to hate our country or each other."

In addition, the new bill also prohibits companies from forcing employees to receive training on CRT. If a company does so forcibly, it will be considered a violation of the Florida Civil Rights Law. The same protection applies to school staff.

The introduction of this new law in Florida coincided with the increasing penetration of CRT in the United States.

In Philadelphia, an elementary school forced fifth-grade students to celebrate the "Black communism", and 87% of the elementary school students did not reach basic literacy skills when they graduated.

In California, the San Diego public school system condemned White teachers as colonists and racists, and recommended that they undergo so-called "antiracist therapy."

Florida Governor DeSantis said, "Similar things are happening all over the country. We have a responsibility to ensure that we will not do this in Florida."

Xi Van Fleet, a Chinese American citizen and anti-CRT advocate: "CRT is communism. It motivates the masses to fight against the masses. Just like the Cultural Revolution, they start fighting with each other. After the fight, its main purpose is to abolish traditional culture. "

Current affairs commentator Tian Yuan said, "What the Communist Party wants you to is the awakening of class consciousness, and the CRT is to promote the awakening of so-called racial consciousness. In other words, you originally have very good friends and very good classmates, they are people of different colors. CRT just wants you to realize that you are different from them, your skin color is different from them, they oppress you, and you have to rise up to resist."

CRT has been strongly opposed by American people who hold traditional ideas, especially parents of students. Florida's new law is considered to be the first in the country, and for the first time the restrictions on CRT have been extended to the commercial field. Previously, at least 23 states in the United States have banned or proposed banning the teaching of CRT in schools.

Tian Yuan said, "The wishes of civil society are also something that American politicians cannot ignore. It was just recently that during the Virginia election process, the Democratic candidate was a firm supporter of the CRT, but in the end it was due to education issues. The defeat in China shows that the efforts to promote CRT are absolutely unpopular."

News (23) to (26) / Source : The Irrawaddy

News (23)

International envoys label Myanmar Junta Terrorist Organization

An independent group of former United Nations human rights observers, the Special Advisory Council for Myanmar (SACM), says the military junta should be designated and treated as a terrorist organization because of its extreme acts of criminal violence against civilians.

The SACM, an international human rights group, asked foreign governments and the UN to designate the junta as a terrorist organization.

On Tuesday (14 December 2021), the group said the regime has been committing acts of extreme criminal violence, intended to provoke a state of terror so people will submit to its agenda.

It cited this month’s burning to death of 11 male villagers in Sagaing Region and the ramming of a pickup truck into peaceful protesters in Yangon.

“People in Myanmar have been calling the military terrorists ever since the post-coup violence began in February,” said South Korean diplomat Yanghee Lee of the SACM, a former UN special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar. “They are right. Only terrorists could commit such beastly acts.”

The group also published a briefing paper on Tuesday demonstrating how the junta is a terrorist organization under national and international law.

It said the three requirements to define a terrorist act are that it is intentional and targeted civilians, that it is intended to provoke a state of terror in the population or to compel action by a government and that it is a serious criminal offense.

“The military’s behaviour clearly falls within the definition of terrorism contained in international counter-terrorism treaties and it should be treated as a terrorist organisation by the international community,” said council member Chris Sidoti, a former member of the UN fact-finding mission on Myanmar.

“That means cutting off its access to weapons and cash. All remaining funds, financial assets and economic or other resources available to it, whether directly or indirectly, must be immediately cut off.”

The NUG declared the military as a terrorist organization in June and vowed to use all justifiable means to uproot the “terrorist military council”.

“The NUG rightly discharged its authority to prescribe the Myanmar military as a terrorist organization. The United Nations and other governments should do the same,” said Marzuki Darusman, a SACM member who chaired the UN fact-finding mission.

Ref: https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/international-envoys-label-myanmar-junta-terrorist-organization.html

News (24)

Hun Sen to his critics about meeting Myanmar Junta: "Don't bother me"

Image : AFP

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen slammed critics of his planned meeting with the Myanmar military junta’s leader with the retort “Don’t bother me,” insisting that his visit to the military-ruled country was aimed helping to repair the image of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Hun Sun is scheduled to visit Myanmar and meet regime leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing in early January 2022. The trip has come under fire as he will be the first head of a foreign government to see the coup leader, whose forces have killed more than 1,300 people since seizing power from the country’s elected government in February.

Cambodia is now the chair of ASEAN. Myanmar, a member of the regional bloc, has been in political and social turmoil since the coup as a majority of its people reject the takeover, even 11 months on. Relations between Myanmar and ASEAN turned sour recently after the bloc sidelined the regime’s leader from its summit for failing to take agreed-upon steps to resolve the crisis.

“Give me a chance to solve [the issue],” Hun Sen said on Wednesday, according to media outlet Cambodianess.

“ASEAN can’t be called ASEAN if there’re only nine members. ASEAN must save itself from the ASEAN 9 situation,” he said, referring to Myanmar’s exclusion from a summit recently held by the bloc, which is made up of 10 Southeast Asian nations.

He received Myanmar’s junta-appointed foreign minister last week in Phnom Penh.

Hun Sen’s visit raises questions over whether ASEAN’s unified stand on Myanmar will last. Prior to his confirmation of the visit last week, he hinted that he was ready to travel to Myanmar, whose leader he said had a right to attend ASEAN meetings.

Badly in need of recognition abroad and respect at home, the junta would likely take seriously a leader visit from Cambodia holding the ASEAN chair, as it was stung by the bloc’s decision to exclude Min Aung Hlaing from the summit. At the same time, Hun Sen has faced criticism that his visit will provide some legitimacy to the bloodstained regime.“Please do not bother me, give me time [to meet the leader of Myanmar]. I am not your teacher and you are not my teacher,” he said in response to critics of his visit, according to the Cambodian media.

U.S. State Department Counselor Derek Chollet urged Cambodia last week not to make any concessions to Myanmar’s military junta when Phnom Penh chairs ASEAN.

News (25)

ASEAN leaders to hold digital summit with Biden in 2022

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is now in Southeast Asia. During his meeting with the Malaysian foreign minister on Wednesday, the secretary said the U.S. was looking at what additional steps to take against Myanmar’s regime and said ASEAN leaders had been invited to hold talks at a summit with US President Joe Biden in Washington in the coming months.

Ref: https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/dont-bother-me-hun-sen-tells-critics-of-plan-to-meet-myanmar-junta-leader.html

News (26)

Dozens of Junta troops killed in mine attacks, ambushes

Image : TDPDF-Mingin

Around 60 junta soldiers were reportedly killed within three days in ambushes by civilian resistance groups in Sagaing Region and Mon State.

Three civilian resistance fighters were also killed during the operations against regime forces in Sagaing Region, according to the People’s Defense Force (PDF).

On Wednesday morning, members of the Mingin People’s Defense Force used landmines to ambush a military detachment of 70 junta troops, including militia trained and armed by the military, in Mingin Township, according to a spokesperson for the resistance group.

The Mingin-PDF claimed 10 regime personnel were killed in the ambush.

After the ambush, regime forces entered Peikkayar Village and burned down the house of ousted NLD lawmaker U Aung Tun Lwin.

The regime forces also faced a second landmine attack by the Mingin-PDF after leaving the village. In the attack, 10 regime forces were killed and many others wounded, the Mingin-PDF said.

On the previous day, regime forces reportedly burned houses including the home of a former elected village administrator during raids on Htongyi, Thitkhaungtee and Winwa villages in Mingin Township.

Two civilians were reportedly injured by landmines planted by regime forces while returning home to put out the fire. A married couple were killed and burned together with a house during the raids, according to the local PDF.

Thousands of residents of about five villages in Mingin Township have fled their homes due to the junta’s raids, according to the Mingin-PDF.

On Wednesday morning, the Sheinmagar-PDF claimed to have killed four regime troops including the head of a police station, while PDFs ambushed regime forces with six landmines on the Sheinmagar highway in Wetlet Township, Sagaing Region.

A junta vehicle overturned in the mine attack, the group said.

The Wetlet-PDF also said that a civilian resistance fighter died during a mission against regime forces in Wetlet Township, Sagaing Region on Tuesday.

At noon on Wednesday, three junta soldiers were killed and two others were seriously wounded when Taze-PDF members ambushed 15 soldiers patrolling on foot in Taze Township, Sagaing Region.

Those injured and the bodies of those killed were evacuated from the area in a civilian vehicle, the Taze-PDF said.

It said it also ambushed a vehicle carrying members of a military-trained and armed Pyu Saw Htee group using landmines in Taze Township on Tuesday evening.

There were many militia casualties in the ambush, according to the Taze-PDF.

Taze People Comrades, a civilian resistance group, also claimed to have killed two regime troops and injured six others during a mine attack in the township on Monday.

On Wednesday, the military regime made a rare confession via a junta-controlled state newspaper, confirming the deaths of two junta police and some other injuries in attacks by the PDF in Taze.

The regime said its troops were attacked with landmines while returning after inspecting the murders of five villagers in Ywarthayar Village in Taze on Monday evening.

The Kani-PDF also claimed to have killed around 10 junta soldiers during an attack on a military flotilla of vessels stranded on a sandbank in the Chindwin River in Kani Township, Sagaing Region on Monday at midnight.

While being attacked by the PDF with heavy explosives, the military flotilla was also hit by mines on a raft sent towards it by the members of the defense force, the Kani-PDF said.

The Kani-PDF also said that one of its members was accidently killed in an explosion while planting landmines to attack regime forces in the township on Tuesday evening.

On Tuesday morning, at least 20 junta soldiers were reportedly killed when the People’s Army to Fight Dictatorship ambushed three military vehicles using eight mines in Sagaing Township, Sagaing Region.

The Pale-PDF claimed that it attacked a military detachment of 40 junta soldiers by using remote-controlled mines in Pale Township, Sagaing Region on Tuesday morning. Military casualties are unknown.

One civilian resistance fighter was killed during a shootout with the regime forces near a village in Pale Township on Monday morning, according to the People’s Revolutionary Army, which joined the fighting.

On Monday night, a combined force of the Thaton People’s Guerillas and Karen National Liberation Army, the armed wing of the Karen National Union, raided regime forces stationed in a village in Thaton Township, Mon State.

The combined force used several 40mm rounds in attacking the regime forces, according to the Thaton People’s Guerrillas.

The group claimed to have killed three regime troops and injured seven others in the attack.

Military forces are now facing increasingly frequent and intense attacks from PDFs and many ethnic armed groups across the country.

Myanmar’s regime has continued to arbitrarily kill civilians, burn civilians alive, use civilian detainees as human shields, bombard residential areas and loot and burn houses, especially in Sagaing and Magwe regions and Chin, Shan and Kayah states, where the PDFs are most active.

By Tuesday, 1,339 people had been slain and another 10,946 people including elected government leaders detained by the junta since the February 1 coup, the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners said.

Ref: https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/myanmar-civilian-forces-claim-dozens-of-junta-troops-killed-in-mine-attacks-ambushes.html

News (27)

Authorities adjust rehabilitation procedures for confirmed travelers staying in Singapore hotels

Image : Researcher's Picture

The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has adjusted the rehabilitation procedures for travelers diagnosed with covid staying in hotels.

From 20 December 2021, travelers staying in the hotels will have a positive result of Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test and rapid antigen test ART, or they will be listed as close contacts of the confirmed patient and receive a health risk. It is warned that their rehabilitation and isolation in hotel rooms will become the established rehabilitation model.

Singapore Tourism Board (STB) issued a statement saying that at present, most of the visitors entering Singapore have been vaccinated and the risk of severe illness is low. Even if they are diagnosed after arrival, they will recover on their own. Therefore, the authorities have adjusted the rehabilitation procedures. The new procedures are also more consistent with the rehabilitation procedures of local community cases.

However, the authorities will adopt more stringent epidemic prevention measures for confirmed infections and suspected cases of Omicron covid. Such confirmed or suspected patients will be sent to designated care and isolation facilities and will not be recuperated in hotel rooms. Their close contacts will also receive a quarantine order and must be quarantined in designated facilities.

STB stated that before obtaining more information about Omicron/Covi29, the authorities will adopt such a differentiated management approach to deal with the confirmed infections and suspected cases of Omicron covid.

News (28)

Brunei reports 9 new covid cases as it enters endemic phase of the pandemic

Brunei Darussalam adds 9 new covid cases on 15 December 2021 (Wednesday), as the country enters the Endemic Phase of its National COVID-19 Recovery Framework.

The total number of cases now rises to 15,372, according to the Minister of Health Dato Seri Setia Dr Hj Md Isham bin Hj Jaafar at a press conference.

The number of new cases is the result of a total of 3,781 laboratory tests conducted in the past 24 hours. Therefore, the rate of positive case today is 0.2%.

Among the cases being treated at the National Isolation Centre, there is no case is in Category 4 (requiring oxygen assistance and under close monitoring) and one case is in Category 5 (requiring assistance of artificial ventilation and
treated at the Intensive Care Unit).

Meanwhile, no deaths associated with covid have been recorded in the past 24 hours.

19 cases have recovered on 15 December 2021, bringing the total number of recovered cases in Brunei Darussalam to 15,046 cases and the total active cases are 226 cases.

Meanwhile, the bed occupancy rate in isolation centres nationwide is 5.2%.

As of 14 December 2021, the overall rate of the population who have received at least one dose of the covi vaccine is 94.2%; The rate of those who have received two doses of the covi vaccine is 90.5%; while  the rate of those who have received three doses of the covi vaccine is 3.9%.

News (29) to (40) / Host : Li Muyang / Publisher : News Insights / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2021/12/16/a103295164.html

News (29)

Blinken cancelled trip to Thailand

US Secretary of State Blinken, who is visiting Southeast Asia, has cancelled his last trip to Thailand. Blinken specifically called the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand to express regret that he could not visit. A US official said on the 15th that one of Blinken’s accompanying reporters tested positive and is currently in isolation.

News (30)

Belgian PM boycotts Beijing Winter Olympics

Belgian Prime Minister De Creus said on the 14th that he would not send officials to attend the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics and join the diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics. So far, at least eight countries have either explicitly or implicitly boycotted the Beijing Winter Olympics.

News (31)

U.S. sanctions on Chinese military companies from 16 December 2021

"Financial Times" quoted two insiders on the 15th. The U.S. Treasury Department will put eight Chinese companies on the "blacklist" of military industry companies on 16 December 2021, including DJI, the world's leading manufacturer of commercial drones.

News (32)

Lithuanian diplomats left Beijing due to intimidation by the CCP

Lithuania confirmed on 15 December 2021 that it has recalled all diplomats in China. The British "Daily Telegraph" quoted diplomatic sources as saying that Lithuanian diplomatic officials in China left because they were "intimidated" by the CCP.

News (33)

Mysterious disease in South Sudan killed 89

Recently, a mysterious disease broke out in the southern Jonglei state of South Sudan, an African country that is being hit by floods, and 89 lives have been claimed so far. The WHO has urgently dispatched a professional team to take local samples.

News (34)

International covid data on 15 December 2021

As of 2 pm Eastern time on 15 December 2021, the number of newly diagnosed covid cases globally was 688,369, and the total number of confirmed cases reached 271,728,668; 9,010 people died in a single day. The cumulative total number of deaths is 5.336,815.

News (35)

Xi's video call with Putin affirms relations between CCP and Russia

In the video call with Putin, Xi Jinping mentioned the situation of the Sixth Plenary Session of the Communist Party of China, and expressed his gratitude to Putin for opposing the “playing wedges” between China and Russia. On the 30th anniversary of the disintegration of the Soviet Union, Xi Jinping revealed a deep concern.

News (36)

Putin will attend the Winter Olympics, Xi hopes China and Russia "back to back"

At a time when relations with Western countries are becoming increasingly tense, the leaders of China and Russia conducted an online video call lasting 1 hour and 15 minutes this evening (15th) to exchange views on the recent friction between the two countries and the West. Among them, Putin confirmed that he will attend the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Beijing on 4 February 2022, and Xi Jinping has stated many times that the disintegration of the Soviet Union is a "profound lesson" for the CCP.

Kremlin spokesman Peskov said that Putin and Xi Jinping respectively praised the relations between China and Russia. Putin described Russia-China relations as "a new mode of cooperation" that does not interfere with each other's internal affairs and respect each other's interests.

Xi Jinping praised Putin for “resolutely supporting China (the CCP) in protecting key national interests and resolutely opposing the creation of obstacles between our countries (China and Russia)”. Xi Jinping said, "Thank you very much for this."

According to the Russian Satellite News Agency, Putin and Xi Jinping mentioned that China and Russia "always support each other" on issues of international sports cooperation, including not accepting attempts to "politicize" sports.

According to the Russian "Kommersant", China and Russia are more willing to establish a reliable rear for each other without establishing a military alliance. The article pointed out, “According to the definition of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China (the Chinese Communist Party), it means acting “back-to-back”. Both sides regard each other as a pillar to respond to external challenges.”

The article quoted Alexander Lomanov, deputy director of the Institute of World Economics and International Relations of the Russian Academy of Sciences, saying that China and Russia "are aware that they are resisting their opponents. Russia is in the West and China is in the Indo-Pacific region. Russia and China are back to back. It is extremely important to cover the opponent's rear."

Everyone knows that in recent years, China and Russia have gradually adjusted their foreign policies. In terms of international economic and political order, they have continued to challenge the United States, but they have also been sanctioned by the United States.

Russia is facing international sanctions for annexing Ukraine’s Crimea Peninsula and poisoning and imprisoning opposition leader Navilani; while the CCP has severely violated human rights, especially the mass detention of Uyghurs in Xinjiang, and suppression of democracy in Hong Kong. The movement and others are facing sanctions.

Two countries that have been sanctioned by the United States talk together. Naturally, they have common topics. When Putin and Xi Jinping talk about the United States and NATO and other related content, they should have a common language. But from another perspective, it is also China and Russia's enthusiasm for warmth in the international community's growing isolation.

In addition, the two have a common topic, which is the disintegration of the former Soviet Union. Regarding this content, Xi Jinping has repeatedly expressed emotion.

News (37)

Is the disintegration of the Soviet Union a lesson? Xi is afraid of CCP disintegration

During the call, Xi Jinping specifically mentioned the "victorious convening" of the Sixth Plenary Session of the Communist Party of China, claiming to sum up the achievements and experience of the Chinese Communist Party over the past century, and passed a historical resolution. RFA said that Xi Jinping seems to be confessing to Putin that the CCP’s ruling goal is to allow the Chinese people to live a good life but this is not the case.

The RFA report specifically mentioned that Xi Jinping has repeatedly stated his stance on the disintegration of the Soviet Union, which is a "deep lesson" for the CCP.

Xi Jinping mentioned to Putin about the Sixth Plenary Session of the CCP, in order to show that the CCP "focuses on summarizing" and cannot follow in the footsteps of the Soviet Union. In other words, the disintegration of the Soviet Union has formed a profound lesson for Xi Jinping.

As early as December 2012, not long after Xi Jinping came to the top position, he had made such a statement. The New York Times reported at the time that Xi Jinping told party members during an inspection in Guangdong that despite decades of rapid economic growth, China must still "profoundly" learn the lessons of the former Soviet Union.

In a speech that was not released publicly, Xi Jinping asked and answered, “Why did the Soviet Union disintegrate? Why did the Communist Party of the Soviet Union collapse? One important reason is that ideals and beliefs have been shaken.” He said that political corruption, ideological heresies and military infidelity orders The fall of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union eventually led to the disintegration of the Soviet Union.

At that time, Xi Jinping also said such a sentence, "Gorbachev said softly, announcing the dissolution of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, and the largest party is gone." "In the end, no one was a man, and no one came out to fight."

From what Xi Jinping said in this call and his repeated references to issues such as loyalty to the party, it can be seen that Xi Jinping has deep fears. He was afraid that the CCP would step into the footsteps of the former Soviet Union and eventually disintegrate and split.

Worrying that the Chinese Communist regime will follow the footsteps of the former Soviet Union, to put it bluntly, it just wants to protect the party. But this kind of thing, it won't happen because you are afraid, it doesn't depend on human will. And it needs to be pointed out here that only the CCP is disintegrating, not China.

News (38)

The real life of the Chinese will be 100% worse in 2022

Xi Jinping’s ruling goal may be to let the Chinese people live a good life, but this is not the case. After the CCP ruled China, the Chinese people at the bottom did not have a good life. The vast majority of those who lead a good life are CCP officials, especially the powerful and profitable groups.

The day before yesterday (13 December) China News Weekly mentioned a taxi driver who was infected with the CCP virus. The 52-year-old driver, Master Ren, is from Shaoxing, Zhejiang. He often drives a taxi from 6 in the morning and works until 2 in the morning the next day, working continuously for 20 hours.

Approaching the age of retirement, Master Ren is like an unstoppable spinning top. Is he unwilling to stop and rest? No, it is because he cannot stop. He needs to earn money to support his family. If he stops, the family's life cannot be sustained.

The mainland media did not give much introduction to Master Ren, but the situation of another online car-hailing driver in Hunan attracted sympathetic attention from many people.

The wife of this Hunan online ride-hailing driver works odd jobs in the factory. It is necessary to support the elderly and raise two children.

A year ago, the driver master borrowed 180,000 yuan to buy an electric car, hoping to support his family. The 180,000 yuan loan repayment period is 3 years, so he has to repay 4,900 yuan every month, plus nearly 800 yuan in insurance premiums and various scattered expenses, his daily guaranteed income must not be less than 350 yuan.

In order to save money, he wakes up at 5 o'clock every morning and goes out after breakfast at home. Go home for dinner at noon and bring supper by the way. Drinking water on the road is installed at home, and there is zero consumption outside all day.

Even so, the situation of making ends meet is getting worse. For half a year, there are more and more situations where he only earns one to two hundred a day. Because there are fewer and fewer people taking taxis, everyone is shrinking consumption. The total business volume of the society is shrinking, and the master is worried that he will go bankrupt before the three-year repayment date.

The driver's master rents in Guangzhou Chengzhong Village, and his monthly rent is more than 500 yuan. Although it is not a lot, it has not been handed in for several months. Fortunately, the landlord is very nice, not demanding rent as in the past. Because the landlord also knows that if he urges this away, he may not be able to renew a new tenant for more than half a year.

A netizen named "Han Shui Ning" said, "I was really surprised to see the landlord not urging rent and the big data network car-hailing driver. It was really cold this winter. I chatted with a former colleague and found that we are all holding'today There are also people who work with a'happy in class' mentality. It's really miserable to think about it. But no one can travel from the future and tell us what will happen. I can only hope that the days will get better soon."

Another netizen named "Zhang Hongjie" said that the driver had just arrived in Beijing when he was sitting on Didi in Beijing two days ago. Asked him how much the rent a month is, and replied 500. He asked in surprise: "Can you rent such a cheap house in Beijing?" The other party said, "Yes, there is a bungalow in Tongzhou, without heating. But because of the ban on coal, the stove is not allowed, so I can only stand firm."

Another netizen wrote in a message, “The trade war in 2018 felt that the retail industry was miserable. I didn’t expect it to get worse every year. We are all about to close our doors because next year is 100% worse. Exports slow down and inflation increases. No demand yet."

The condition of this online ride-hailing driver is actually a microcosm of ordinary Chinese people, and it also reflects the bleak conditions of the retail and catering industries. One can imagine how difficult the lives of the Chinese people are. But this situation is caused by the CCP's constant tossing internally and externally.

The CCP has continuously strengthened state-owned enterprises and suppressed private enterprises in the country, causing a large number of private enterprises to close down. As a result, there are tens of millions of unemployed workers. Recently, fines have been imposed on Internet technology companies frequently, leading to more and more serious layoffs of Internet companies.

Externally, the CCP first fought a trade war with the United States in 2018, causing many hidden problems in the Chinese economy to slowly surface, and the poor economic situation is getting worse. Coupled with the impact of the epidemic, many factories and enterprises that have not closed down have also been forced to suspend work and production.

Under the repeated toss of the CCP, the people have no income, and their lives are struggling and even more impoverished. What good can such an evil party do to the Chinese people? If you want to protect this evil party, is your thinking normal?

In fact, there is another aspect of the CCP’s toss, that is, the CCP’s internal fighting. Since the CCP established the party, its internal fighting has never stopped. In the past, the CCP considered a little face more or less, hiding its internal fighting under the stage. But now, factional fights in the CCP have become more open, and they often use the mouthpiece media to "strike left and right."

News (39)

Xi wants to criticize Jiang Zemin? "People's Daily" has changed again

The day before yesterday (13th), the direction of the People's Daily, the top mouthpiece of the Chinese Communist Party, changed. Jiang Jinquan, director of the Policy Research Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, published a signed article "Insist on the Party's Leadership" and praised Xi Jinping.

Most of this article is devoted to publicizing the actions of the Communist Party of China after the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, that is, the achievements of Xi Jinping since he took office. The full text is more than 4,000 words. Xi Jinping is mentioned 7 times and Mao Zedong is mentioned 2 times. But Deng Xiaoping, Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao are not mentioned in the article.

Friends who have been following "News Insights" for a long time may realize that in the program on the 13th, we talked about a signed article in the "People's Daily" on the 9th. Qu Qingshan, the dean of the Research Institute of Party History and Documentation of the CPC Central Committee, praised Deng Xiaoping, Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao's "achievements" during the reform in the "Theory Edition", but said nothing about Xi Jinping.

But now, the same "People's Daily" published an entirely opposite article, only touting Xi Jinping and not mentioning Deng Jianghu. The change in the wind direction of the CCP’s top mouthpiece media is obviously a reflection of the “struggle between left and right”.

In the first half of the article, when reviewing the history of the Chinese Communist Party, he mentioned "correcting Wang Ming's wrong line" and "reforming the text and reforming errors." Immediately afterwards, the article mentioned that “under the conditions of reform and opening up”, “there was a deviation”, and this influence “was not really eliminated until after the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China”.

What is the "deviation" mentioned in Jiang Jinquan's article? He did not explain in the text. But the point of view in this article basically continues the tone of the third "historical resolution" of the Sixth Plenary Session of the Communist Party of China.

The "historical resolution" introduced at the Sixth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee also mentioned "problems within the party" between reform and opening up to the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. Although the resolution did not specify at which stage the "problem" took place in power, it mentioned the fallen tigers Zhou Yongkang, Bo Xilai and other high-ranking Jiang faction officials.

There are rumors on the Internet that, according to the news from the CCP, Xi Jinping originally planned to criticize Jiang Zemin by name in the third "historical resolution" but Xi Jinping encountered opposition from within the party and had to give up in the end.

This online rumor is very similar to the previous Hong Kong "Ming Pao" news, but we are also unable to confirm it. If these news are true, it directly reflects the fighting within the CCP, or directly reflects the "Xi Jiang fight".

Then it is not difficult to understand the reasons for the unstable wind direction of the People's Daily. Obviously, this article by Jiang Jinquan is aimed at Qu Qingshan's article, and these two individuals represent different forces.

In other words, both the Xi camp and anti-Xi forces are using the official media to speak out. It is the “struggle between the left and the right” that the People’s Daily’s views are incoherent, or even completely opposite.

News (40)

Is the third shot of Sinovac vaccine effective? Yuen Guoyong: No

WHO Director-General Tedros has issued a warning on 14 December 2021, "Underestimating the possible risks of Omi Keron variants." Because most of the patients infected with Omicron in the United States have been completely vaccinated. The proportion of people receiving vaccines is as high as 80%.

What is interesting is that the Chinese Communist Party Sinovac, which has been controversial because of its insignificant protective effect, suddenly stated on 15 December 2021 that the third shot of Sinovac vaccine CoronaVac can effectively improve the "neutralization ability" of Omicron.

Sinovac said that from 20 subjects who received two doses of the vaccine, it was found that 7 of them had sufficient antibody levels to resist Omicron, accounting for 35%. Among the 48 subjects who received the third booster shot, 45 developed sufficient antibodies, accounting for up to 94%.

"China Business News" reported that the test results released by Sinovac show that the third dose of Sinovac vaccine CoronaVac "can effectively improve the serum's ability to neutralize the Omicronvirus strain."

However, neither "China Business News" nor Sinovac disclosed the details of the research, nor did it state whether the research results will be published in professional journals. If it is really like what Sinovac said, this is an excellent publicity point, why doesn't Sinovac do it?

It is worth noting that the team of Professor Yuen Guoyong of the Department of Microbiology of the University of Hong Kong found on 14 December that most people who received two doses of Pfizer-BioNTech or Sinovac vaccines produced serum antibody levels "not enough to resist Omicron".

Among the 25 subjects who received two doses of Sinovac vaccine, Yuen Guoyong's team found that none of the humans had detected antibodies that were resistant to the new variant.

On 15 December, they launch the pre-printed version of the research results on the Internet, and plan to publish them in the medical journal "Clinical Infectious Diseases" after passing expert review.