Research, editing : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA
News on disease control, Mongolia, CCP, U.S., Taiwan, Japan, airport management
Around
one century ago, Otto Warburg, well-known German physiologist, discovered that
cancer cells are addicted to sugar.
Normal cells depend on oxygen for their growth. Cancer cells, however, grow by devouring large amounts of glucose, even in an oxygen-rich environment. This phenomenon occurs in as many as 80 percent of cancers.
The metabolic way cancer cells use sugar as an energy source is called glycolytic metabolism. This phenomenon is known as the Warburg effect.
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Cancer
cells consume 100 times more sugar than normal tissue cells
The metabolism and growth rate of cancer cells are much faster than normal cells, and their consumption of sugar is also faster than we can imagine. It can be said that cancer cells are constantly thirsty for sugar.
In a 2014 paper published in BMC Biology, American scientists showed that many cancer cells specifically choose glucose as their food and consume glucose 50 to 100 times faster than normal tissues.
Cancer cells desperately absorb sugar and
consume it rapidly in order to grow, multiply, and spread rapidly.
Sugar can produce carbohydrates, proteins,
and fats, which to cells are like bricks, cement, and insulating materials with
which to build homes. In addition, sugar also makes DNA and RNA for cells as
their genetic blueprints.
Inspired by the Warburg effect, scientists
have further developed a new way to diagnose cancer— positron emission
tomography (PET).
It works by injecting the patient with a
contrast agent (usually fluorinated deoxyglucose) and waiting an hour or so for
the fluorinated deoxyglucose to enter the body’s metabolic system, at which
point imaging scans are taken. When the glucose is concentrated in a certain area
of the body, the image of that area will become brighter.
For example, when a patient is examined for
pancreatic cancer, a normal pancreas does not light up on PET scans. However,
when parts of the pancreas become brighter, it means that cancer is present.
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A diet high in sugar increases the risk of many
cancers
Cancer is not just one type of disease. It is a series of genetic or metabolic
diseases caused by mitochondrial dysfunction of cells. Moreover, the organs or
sites where cancer occurs are often places where the metabolism of the
organisms is relatively vigorous.
Since cancer cells prefer glycolytic
metabolism as their energy source, high consumption of sugar can lead to faster
growth and spread of cancer. This explains why there is much epidemiological evidence that people
with diabetes are more likely to develop cancer, especially breast, colon,
prostate, liver, and pancreatic cancers.
A growing number of studies have found a
direct correlation between sugar intake and increased cancer risk.
Researchers in the United States followed
3,184 Americans aged 26 to 84 from 1991 to 2013 and found that higher juice
intake increased the risk of prostate cancer by 58 percent and higher sugary
drink intake increased the risk of obesity-related cancers by 59 percent in
subjects with over-central obesity.
A Swedish epidemiological cohort study of more than 60,000 women discovered
that those consuming diets with high dietary glycemic index, high glycemic load
and high carbohydrate intake were more likely to develop breast cancer. In
addition, women in the group with the
highest sugar intake (over 35 g of sucrose per day, plus consumption of sweet
bread and cookies more than three times per week) were at significantly
increased risk of endometrial cancer.
Several researchers in the United States
jointly conducted a systematic evaluation of 37 prospective studies on
sugar and cancer risk published in authoritative journals from 1990 to 2017.
According to the results, high sugar intake may increase cancer risk by
promoting insulin-glucose dysregulation, oxidative stress, inflammation, and
obesity. Among them, two studies on added sugars showed that high sugar intake
increased the risk of cancer by 60 percent to 95 percent. Out of 15 studies on
sugary foods and beverages, eight found that the higher the intake of sugary
beverages, the higher the risk of cancer, with an increase of 23 percent to 200
percent.
Furthermore, consuming too much sugar also
increases cancer mortality.
In a study published in the journal Clinical
Nutrition, researchers followed 7,447 tested individuals over many years to
examine the association between sugar intake and cancer incidence, cancer
mortality and total mortality. They found that for every 5-gram increase per
day in liquid sugar intake, the incidence of cancer increased by 8 percent.
Furthermore, simple sugar intake from beverages and fruit
juices was associated with increased risk of overall cancer mortality and
all-cause mortality.
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Beyond reducing sugar intake
You may wonder, since cancer cells love
sugar, if we cut out carbohydrates and sugar completely, can we starve them to
death?
Unfortunately, this is not the right way.
This is because our body’s functions are
extremely sophisticated and complex. If we simply cut out sugar and
carbohydrates, the body will quickly turn to other substances to maintain
metabolism and survival. This is especially true of the cunning cancer cells.
Those who have undergone specific cancer treatments need
to consume adequate amounts of nutrients, including carbohydrates, to help
their bodies recover further.
However, it is possible to block the cancer
cells from eating sugar and consuming energy through specific treatments.
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Affect the metabolism of cancer cells to treat cancer
Dr. Sophia Lunt, associate professor of
biochemistry and molecular biology at Michigan State University, gave a Tedx
Talk to introduce the public to a promising new direction in cancer therapy,
which is to treat cancer by affecting the metabolism of cancer cells.
By blocking multiple genes involved in
cancer cell metabolism, Dr. Lunt has attempted to cut off multiple pathways
that support cancer cell growth and metabolism at the same time, to stop the
growth of cancer cells. Happily, normal cells could continue to grow during
this process.
However, the process is very complicated.
During her talk, Dr. Lunt presented the audience with a labyrinth-like picture
of the metabolic mechanism of cancer cells. She added that the diagram had
already been simplified.
According to Dr. Lunt, it is necessary to identify the main metabolic
pathways of cancer cells, then figure out the specific role of each metabolic
pathway, and finally develop a personalized treatment based on the specific
patient’s genes, diet, and living environment.
It can be said that controlling the
metabolism of cancer cells is a promising emerging direction for cancer
treatment in the future.
Dr. Lunt mentioned in her speech that there
are many types of cancer but they all have one thing in common: the need to
eat. She would like cancer cells to be starved to death.
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Restrict sugar intake
Although we cannot completely cut out sugar
and carbohydrates from our diet, we can prevent cancer by consuming sugar
correctly.
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Control the proportion of carbohydrates in the diet
Carbohydrates are a general term for monosaccharides, disaccharides, and
polysaccharides (such as starch). After being consumed, starch is broken down
into glucose.
Our body needs carbohydrates but a diet high
in sugar and carbohydrates is dangerous for both healthy people and cancer
patients.
To reduce the incidence of cancer, we can
use the “plate method” to control the proportion of carbohydrates in each meal.
With the plate method, a typical meal is represented by
the amount of food on a plate. We should fill one quarter of the plate with
carbohydrate foods, another quarter with protein, and the second half with
vegetables (as low on the glycemic index as possible). In the middle of the
plate, there can be foods rich in healthy fats, such as avocado.
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Choose complex carbohydrates
Complex carbohydrates are dietary fibre and starch.
Starch, not easily digested by the body quickly, includes beans, whole grains,
and sweet potatoes. They are not quickly converted into sugar in the body and
are extremely rich in diverse nutrients.
Due to deep processing, the ratios of fiber,
vitamins, minerals and protein in refined carbohydrates decrease. Once in the
body, they are quickly broken down into large amounts of glucose. Typical
refined carbohydrates include pasta and bread with fine flour, and baked goods,
such as cakes and cookies.
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Eat fewer refined carbohydrates
We may want to replace half of our white rice with brown
rice or mixed rice, replace white breads with whole wheat breads, or
occasionally use steamed corn, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, or taros as staple
foods.
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Limit intake of sugar, especially refined sugar
It is better to eat low glycemic index fruits
instead of drinking fruit juices. We should also avoid eating foods with high
added sugar. If we want to add sugar to our food, we can replace white
granulated sugar with natural sugar substitutes, such as stevia and monk fruit
sweeteners. However, we should not use synthetic sweeteners as sugar
substitutes because they can damage the probiotics in our intestines and harm
our health.
When cooking, we should use herbs and spices
that have a hypoglycemic effect, such as fenugreek, onions, garlic, shallots,
chives, cinnamon, bay leaves, and cloves.
Ref: https://www.theepochtimes.com/cancer-cells-can-be-starved-to-death-heres-how_4477408.html
News (11)
Monkeypox "Games" could lay groundwork for WHO pandemic response takeover
Reporter : Joshua Philip, The Epoch Times PREMIUM
The World Health Organization (WHO) is responding to a string of monkeypox outbreaks, and will be convening an emergency meeting on the virus and its global spread.
In terms of government power, the timing of this outbreak couldn’t be better for the WHO—which may soon be granted powers to manage laws on global health outbreaks, and which is oddly well-positioned for a monkeypox outbreak following a recent “germ-games” call, and recent incidents tied to figures who include Microsoft billionaire Bill Gates.
The New York Post declared, “The World Health Organization is reportedly convening an emergency meeting into the alarming spread of monkeypox around the world—including a possible case in the Big Apple.” The Telegraph reports that the United Nations health authority will be bringing together “a group of leading experts” in the meeting, which is believed to be focused on how the virus is suddenly spreading so widely. It also allegedly will look into the virus’s prevalence among homosexual men and on the “vaccination situation.”
The numbers of infections are by no means high. By May 23, the University of Oxford and Harvard Medical School recorded 245 either confirmed or suspected cases in the entire world. Sajid Javid, the UK health secretary, wrote on Twitter: “Most cases are mild …”
The timing of all of this is important. It gives the WHO a chance to show its worth, since it’s in the process of trying to get new and expansive powers—under the banner of governing global health emergencies.
The United Nations is considering various amendments to the WHO at its 75th World Health Assembly in Geneva, that could give its director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the unilateral authority to declare a public health emergency with far-reaching powers over the laws of sovereign nations.
Not only would this give Tedros the ability to declare a public health emergency in any nation he wants—using whatever evidence he wants—but it would also allow him to dictate policies that the target country should adopt to respond to the U.N.’s declared emergency. If a country refuses, a proposed amendment could give the WHO the ability to sanction that country.
If you’re wondering whether giving such powers to a U.N. agency that couldn’t demonstrate its independence from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) could fly in the face of U.S. law, it seems that President Joe Biden has the answer. Not only is the Biden administration allowing this shift in power to the WHO, but it’s also helping advance it.
The United States proposed amendments to the WHO in January, which will be considered at the U.N. meeting in Geneva, The Epoch Times reports. These included an amendment that would allow the WHO to make public declarations on a health crisis without needing to consult with the target country, and without needing to get verification from local officials. The Biden administration’s proposals would also give $2.47 billion in funding to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for things including “enhancements to domestic sentinel surveillance programs,” “investments in global genomic surveillance approaches,” and other systems.
As The Epoch Times reports, “Respiratory surveillance platforms include video cameras and recorders that alert authorities when members of the public are seen coughing or otherwise acting in a manner that could indicate the presence of an infectious disease or help spread one already present in a population. Such equipment is widely used in China.”
Whether or not monkeypox poses a large threat to public health, it presents a serious threat to public freedom. The virus could act as a Trojan horse, carrying inside it all the justifications to grant the WHO a dictator’s dream of global power, and give the CDC a system of surveillance beyond anything Orwell could have conceived.
Under normal circumstances, monkeypox wouldn’t be a large viral risk. The CDC states that it can be transmitted human-to-human mainly by respiratory droplets that typically don’t travel more than a few feet, and so it notes that “prolonged face-to-face contact is required.”
Even Biden is walking back his statements that people should be concerned about monkeypox, and is clarifying that it’s not as serious of a threat as COVID-19.
Regardless of its inability to spread widely under normal circumstances, a global discussion on monkeypox vaccines started in 2021 after Gates warned of a smallpox bioterrorist attack as a potential next pandemic. He called on world leaders to hold “germ games” and give the WHO new powers—similar to the ones they may soon receive—under a new WHO “Pandemic Task Force.”
Gates also called for pandemic surveillance systems, which seem eerily similar to what the Biden administration submitted in its proposed amendments for the WHO’s new powers.
“It’ll take probably about $1 billion a year for a pandemic Task Force at the WHO level, which is doing the surveillance and actually doing what I call ‘germ games’ where you practice.” Gates said in 2021, Sky News reported. “You say, OK, what if a bioterrorist brought smallpox to 10 airports? You know, how would the world respond to that?”
Even though the mention of smallpox by Gates was minor, it purportedly was used to justify new discussions on a smallpox vaccine that could also treat monkeypox. Just several days later, on Nov. 8, 2021, Precision Vaccinations reported, “Gates Germ-Game Warning Motivates Smallpox Vaccine Discussions.”
The “discussions” in question were about a Jynneos Smallpox and Monkeypox Vaccine—approved in 2019. Precision Vaccinations noted that it’s “the only FDA-approved non-replicating smallpox vaccine and the only FDA-approved monkeypox vaccine for non-military use.”
Movement within the CDC began a few days earlier, on Nov. 3, 2021. It says that “the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices reviewed the two presentations focused on the smallpox vaccine Jynneos.”
And then, just several days later, an even stranger occurrence took place—carrying out the idea of a “germ game” similar to what Gates proposed.
The Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) partnered with the Munich Security Conference to imagine a pandemic scenario with monkeypox. Following the hypothetical warning from Gates, the germ game imagined a strain of monkeypox, released through a bioterrorist attack, that had been altered to be resistant to vaccines.
On Nov. 23, 2021, the NTI published its results from the tabletop game, which showed the spread of the virus over the course of 18 months.
“By the end of the exercise, the fictional pandemic resulted in more than 3 billion cases and 270 million fatalities worldwide,” it states.
In an incredible act of foresight, the exercise from last year imagined that monkeypox would appear almost exactly when it did: in mid-May this year.
The NTI also published a detailed report on its results. According to a timeline on page 12 of the report, it imagined that in May 2022, the initial outbreak of monkeypox would infect 1,421 people and kill four people. By January 2023, it would spread to 83 countries, infect 70 million, and kill 1.3 million. At that point, it would be discovered that monkeypox had been engineered to be vaccine-resistant, and supply chain challenges would make a response more difficult.
After one year, on May 10, 2023, it was predicted to infect 480 million people and kill 27 million, and it would be revealed that a bioterror attack on a civilian biolab had been the origin. Then, by Dec. 1, 2023, the virus would be estimated to infect 3.2 billion people and kill 271 million.
Of course, the important caveat with their estimates is that the monkeypox strain they imagined was one that had been engineered to be vaccine-resistant. Accurate or not, the exercise gives authorities a predictive scenario to justify “pandemic response” policies. And we’ve seen this happen before.
A very similar “germ game” was held just before the outbreak of COVID-19, with many of the same figures involved now making noise about monkeypox and a new “pandemic.”
New York Magazine reported in February 2020 that “two months before the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 emerged in central China, a group of public-health experts gathered in New York City for a simulation.” It also noted, “The characteristics of the virus currently causing global havoc are remarkably similar to the one proposed in the simulation, dubbed ‘Event 201.’”
Partners in the exercise included the World Economic Forum and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Similar to the monkeypox “germ game” before the monkeypox outbreak, the coronavirus “germ game” before the coronavirus outbreak made predictions of a mass fatality scenario. It estimated that 65 million people would die.
The Center for Health Security issued a statement on its coronavirus exercise on Jan. 24, 2020. It stated that they weren’t predicting that COVID-19 would kill 65 million people, as the simulated virus was different from the CCP virus.
Yet the important thing wasn’t the specifics of the “germ game,” but instead, how the game and its participants went on to inform government policy.
And now, with monkeypox, we’ve arrived at a similar impasse. A “germ game” imagined the potential effect of the virus, and produced inflated numbers of deaths and infections by an imaginary version of monkeypox as the model, which was resistant to vaccines. Most importantly, this also coincides with the international community weighing whether the WHO should be granted powers to govern global health emergencies.
Among the trends of COVID-19 is that governments may now be more inclined to use a seasonal virus, already declared as endemic, to justify an indefinite global emergency. Additionally, small outbreaks can also be used to justify deeply authoritarian policies that aren’t limited to health care.
News (12) to (13) / Source : Montsame
News (12)
Mongolian and Chinese airlines to rotate serving Guangzhou and Hohhot weekly from 1 June 2022
At its regular meeting today on 25 May 2022, the Mongolian Cabinet has made the decision to have weekly flights begin to be conducted to the cities of Guangzhou and Hohhot in China starting from 1 June 2022.
Minister of Road and Transport Development L.Khaltar said, “Due to the pandemic, flights between the two countries were halted on 27 January 2020. Based on the talks that were held between the two sides, the side of China informed that it is possible to conduct weekly flights to its cities with the exception of Shanghai and Beijing.
The Government discussed the matter on 25 May 2022, and made the decision to allow MIAT Mongolian Airlines and Aero Mongolia to conduct weekly flights to Guangzhou and Hohhot respectively. While these Mongolian aviation companies will be conducting the flights for one week, Chinese aviation companies will be in charge of the next.”
In its framework, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will hold discussions with the side of China to determine the regulations to be followed for preventing infections, and give detailed information regarding the matter before 1 June, he said.
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Mongolians to own state-issued email addresses
At the Cabinet’s regular meeting on 26 May 2022, Mongolian Acting Minister of Digital Development and Communications L.Enkh-Amgalan was tasked to implement appropriate measures to introduce state-issued email addresses within 2022, further expanding it, while Minister of Finance B.Javkhlan was tasked to resolve necessary funding.
According to the ‘Household and Personal Information, Communication and Information Technology Usage Survey’ conducted by the Ministry of Digital Development and Communications and the National Statistics Office of Mongolia in 2021, 43.8% of the survey’s participants had the sufficient digital literacy skills. In addition, 1.4 million citizens will be able to use the state-issued email address based on the number of users of the e-Mongolia system.
During the meeting, corresponding officials were also tasked to introduce state-issued email addresses, and ensure the readiness of the system in aims of increasing the participation of citizens in governance.
News (14) to (18) / Source : The Mongol Messenger / Images : Web Screenshots (Montsame)
News (14)
Mongolia to be self-reliant on gasoline by 2025
With aims to establish an oil refinery based on available supply of commodities, meet domestic demands for gasoline, and launching domestic production, a comprehensive construction project is being implemented in Altanshiree soum, Dornogobi aimag, the project of Mongol Refinery State Owned LLC.
Planned to be put into operation in 2025, the construction works were recently launched. Its detailed feasibility study was approved by the Mineral Resources Professional Council at the Ministry of Mining and Heavy Industry on 15 November 2018.
A bill on supporting the oil refinery was developed by a working group consisting of officials and representatives from the Ministry of Justice and Internal Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Mining and Heavy Industry, Mineral Resources and Petroleum Authority of Mongolia, and Mongol Refinery State Owned LLC, which was discussed at a Cabinet meeting on 30 December 2020. Following this, the Standing Committee on Industrial Policy formed a working group, and corresponding bills were approved at the parliament’s plenary session on 29 January 2021. The Government also approved the regulations on state support for the oil refinery on 11 August 2021. It was through all these stages that the legal environment was created for an oil refinery to be established in Mongolia.
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Oil refinery construction agreement signed with Indian company
The first stage of the refinery’s construction consists of non-technological facilities. The first engineering-procurement – construction (EPC-1) contract was signed with the company, ‘JMC Projects India’, in October 2020, and its works launched in January 2021.
In preparation for the construction to be carried out for non-technological structures, facilities, pipelines, and the site, domestic resources were utilized in connecting the area to railroad, autoroad, and power lines.
On top of this, the first apartment complex for housing 550 households is currently being built in Sainshand for the refinery’s workers. Once the apartments are commissioned, it is planned to be expanded into a microdistrict of comfortable apartments with modern solutions. During the entire duration of the oil refinery’s construction, around 8 thousand workers will be working at the site.
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Crude oil pipeline will be constructed with CCP company assistance
On 1 March 2021, Mongol Refinery State Owned LLC had a request for expression of interest for the tender to select the contractor for engineering, procurement and construction plus financing (EPC plus F) of the project to construct a crude oil pipeline published on the website, Pipeline & Gas Journal, announcing the tender internationally. About 20 foreign and domestic companies expressed their interest in participating in the tender, and the process to select the contractor was completed on 20 October 2021.
As the Chinese state-owned NORINCO International Cooperation was selected through the tender, a cooperation agreement was signed by State Secretary of the Ministry of Mining and Heavy Industry G.Nandinjargal, CEO of Mongol Refinery State Owned LLC D.Altantsetseg, CEO of Erdenes Tavantolgoi JSC B.Gankhuyag (as the project financing body), and General Manager at NORINCO International Cooperation Zhou Dian Bin in April 2022.
With financing of USD 388 million from Erdenes Tavantolgoi JSC, the crude oil pipeline will pass through nine soums of three aimags, stretching for 530 km.
Per the Cabinet’s resolution on issuing oil exploration area in the Tamsag basin to the Mongol Refinery company, an oil pipeline will be constructed from Matad soum, Dornod aimag to the oil refinery site in Altanshiree soum, Dornogobi aimag. It is planned to be constructed in three years, before the oil refinery is put into operation.
As the pipeline will be constructed deep underground, it will not only be the first of its kind in Mongolia for fulfilling the roles of storage, transport method, and infrastructure, but also save power costs.
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A new industry for the country
Works for the construction of industrial facilities (EPC-2,3) and deep-processing facility (EPC-4) will be carried out in phases. The EPC-3 contract includes constructing the refinery’s own power plant based on locally produced fuel, while EPC-4 will include acquiring the corresponding rights and permissions from large-scale companies in the petrochemical industry.
However, it should be noted that the oil refinery would not be considered large according to international standards. Thus, there have been certain cases where companies refused to participate in a “small” project. Despite this, the team working at Mongol Refinery State Owned LLC has been resolving the issue. For instance, the company has begun to sign license agreements as the selection process has been completed. Last month, Mongol Refinery signed a license agreement with Axens Solutions for its sulfur recovery unit. A license and engineering agreement for four of the deep processing units at the oil refinery has also been signed with Honeywell UOP.
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Socio-economic benefits of the oil refinery to Mongolia
Firstly, once it becomes possible for Mongolia to produce its own gasoline and oil products at the oil refinery in Altanshiree soum, the country will no longer be dependent on imports. In other words, the country will increase its economic independence in the region.
Furthermore, the foundations for the petrochemical industry will be laid out with the introduction of the technology. Alongside making contributions to the state and local budgets, the refinery will not only create some 600 job opportunities, but also significantly increase the number of jobs available in the industry indirectly.
As the outflow of foreign currency decreases, foreign exchange rates will stabilize. And as a result, Mongolia’s GDP is estimated to grow by over 10 percent. In this sense, the project for the construction of an oil refinery in Altanshiree soum could be considered as one of the main projects to boost the country’s development.
Processing capacity: 1.5 million tons of crude oil per year
Location: Altanshiree soum, Dornogobi aimag
Sources for crude oil: Toson Uul XIX, and Tamsag XXI sites
Product quality: MNS & EURO V
Annual operating hours: 8,000 hours
Deep processing technology: Hydrocracking, Visbreaking
Power source: TPP 35 MW/h
The oil refinery will produce:
• 339 thousand tons of gasoline,
• 824 thousand tons of diesel,
• 80 thousand tons of aviation fuel,
• 43 thousand tons of liquefied gas,
• 47 thousand tons of stove fuel.
News (19) to (21) / Host : Li Muyang / Publisher : News Insight / https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/22/5/25/n13745195.htm
News (19)
Tiananmen Square under access suspension, Beijing fears a repeat of June 4th
Beijing officials announced on 25 May 2022 that a total of 47 new positive covid cases have been reported in Beijing in the past day. From 22 April 22 to 3 pm of 25 May, Beijing has reported a total of 1,591 cases in this round of the epidemic, involving 15 districts including Chaoyang, Haidian, Xicheng, and Fengtai.
Judging from the reported figures, the epidemic situation in Beijing is not serious. In a metropolis of 21 million people, even 2,000 cases is a very, very small fraction but we have seen that Beijing's epidemic control is very strict, no worse than Shanghai, which is currently under lockdown.
In addition to the closure and control of various administrative districts in Beijing, starting from 25 May, Tiananmen Square has also made a big move, suspending the appointment visit service. The time is as long as 21 days, which lasts until 24:00 on 15 June 2022. The Beijing authorities explained that this is to implement the requirements of Beijing's epidemic prevention and control measures.
According to the official website of the Tiananmen Regional Administrative Committee, during this period, tourists must make an appointment at least 1 day in advance. Moreover, it is necessary to "hold the Beijing Health Treasure Green Code and the nucleic acid negative certificate within 48 hours", and at the same time, "actively cooperate with temperature measurement" and other work. You can visit only after "passing security check".
Various media have reported on this incident one after another, and all said that this is the first time that Tiananmen Square has been temporarily closed due to the epidemic but is the epidemic in Beijing really serious enough to suspend the reservation service of Tiananmen Square? Is this because of the epidemic, or is there another reason?
We know that various local authorities announced the closure and control in a step-by-step manner, first for a few days, and then continuously extended. For example, the closure and control in Shanghai initially only said that the mandarin duck pot was closed and controlled, and both sides of the Huangpu River were closed and controlled for 5 days but the closure and control continued to be extended for the first 5 days.
However everyone looks at the control time of Tiananmen Square, and it announced the time for 3 weeks, which will last until 12 pm on the night of 15 June, that is, 0:00 on the 16th.
Another point to remind everyone is that in these three weeks, June 4, a highly sensitive day of the CCP, is included. So we can't help but think a little more, is the control of Tiananmen Square just because of the epidemic? Will the epidemic be used as an excuse to impose political control over Tiananmen Square?
In the CCP's political propaganda, the 1989 student movement was slandered as a political riot but the truth was a student movement. Their request is very simple, that is, the government should punish corruption and let the people enjoy democracy and freedom.
In fact, at this time of year, the CCP's nerves are tense, for fear that something will go wrong. At this stage of the year, Tiananmen Square is densely covered with police, and many plainclothes security personnel are moving around to monitor the movements of tourists.
In Beijing this year, the factors that the authorities regard as unstable are all coming together. Some time ago, there were wild rumours that a "coup d'etat" took place in Beijing, rumours that Xi Jinping was put on hold, and so on.
But Dr. Wang Youqun, a writer for Wei Jianxing, the former secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, believes that this is a political release by the anti-Xi forces. It is very likely that Jiang Zemin and Zeng Qinghong's faction will use the epidemic to create pressure on Xi Jinping and prevent him from being re-elected in the 20th National Congress.
Especially in the recent stage, there have been student protests and demonstrations in several colleges and universities in Beijing. This made the authorities even more worried that it might develop into the nationwide university student movement 33 years ago, threatening the CCP regime.
News (20)
Beijing Normal University makes concessions and four demands are responded to
Yesterday (24 May) evening, hundreds of students of Beijing Normal University gathered on the campus to express their dissatisfaction with the authorities' tough lockdown measures and protest against the school closure.
Initially, there was a post on the mainland's Weibo account of the "Beijing Normal University Parade", but it was deleted shortly after but on Twitter, videos of Beijing Normal University students protesting were widely circulated.
In the video, you can see the "Beijing Normal University Let Me Go Home" poster made by students of Beijing Normal University, calling on every student to "unite" and gather at the north side of Qiu Jieduan at 8 p.m. Play the school song on your phone, turn on the flashlight, or go to the crowd.
The above also put forward "four demands": clarify the method and time of the final exam; clarify the holiday time and whether to return to the hometown; respond positively to the students' demands;
Judging from the students' demands, in addition to asking the school to officially respond to the time and method of the exam, as well as the time to go home from vacation, the students are very worried that they will be interviewed and held accountable afterwards. These students also know that the CCP's specialty is to settle accounts after the autumn, and this is their biggest worry.
Say something off topic. When I first saw the promotional posters of Beijing Normal University students, I first thought of the anti-extradition campaign in Hong Kong in 2019. At that time, we followed it for quite a long time and witnessed the peaceful and rational nature of Hong Kong citizens, especially the young people of Hong Kong.
At that time, young people in Hong Kong put forward reasonable and legal "five demands, all of which are indispensable" in anticipation of the Hong Kong authorities. But looking at it now, as of the day before yesterday (23rd), the number of political prisoners in Hong Kong has exceeded 1,000.
According to the data of the "Hong Kong Democracy Committee" in the United States, the vast majority of political prisoners are ordinary citizens of Hong Kong, involving all aspects of society. More than half of the political prisoners were under the age of 25, and 15 percent were minors.
Let's get back to the point. According to reports from various parties, about 300 students initially gathered at a Qiu Jiduan stadium. Afterwards, the students began to march and confronted the school and the police. Some female students cried to the school staff at the scene.
After a conversation with the school's management, the school gave a verbal concession, allowed students to apply to leave the school, and promised not to settle accounts for the students who marched in autumn, and then the students dispersed at midnight.
However, I would also like to remind that we must hold a skeptical attitude towards any official statement. Although they verbally said that the accounts will not be settled in the autumn, who knows whether it is true or false? And this is not the school's final decision. If it is pressed down, it must be asked to settle accounts after the autumn. Does the school dare not to implement it? There are many examples of the CCP’s sweetheart and bitterness. I hope the students of Beijing Normal University will not take it lightly.
In fact, before Beijing Normal University, there were also student protests at China University of Political Science and Law and Peking University. The student protest at the University of Political Science and Law was the day before yesterday (23rd), and the demands were similar to those of Beijing Normal University students, which also forced the school to make concessions.
Earlier, on 15 May, there was also a student protest at the more influential Peking University. Because the school built a wall overnight to control the freedom of the students, the students protested in the school and overturned the wall in front of Chen Baojian, the vice president of Peking University.
Several large-scale student protests have occurred in several universities in Beijing, especially at an extremely sensitive stage on the eve of June 4th. How could the Beijing authorities not be nervous? College students do not have much contact with the society, and they are relatively simple, so they have the most rebellious spirit.
Although the student protests at these universities were not political, the students' demands were simple but the authorities in Beijing may not think so, and they are likely to worry that a domino effect will develop, or even a bigger incident.
From this perspective, Beijing is very likely to use the epidemic as an excuse to implement political control over Tiananmen Square. Regardless of whether there are people protesting in Tiananmen Square, they must control the place first and let people come back after this stage.
News (21)
The secretary of Minhang was stabbed again, a sudden change in Jiading
Let's talk about the situation in Shanghai. The number of cases reported in Shanghai today (25th) fell to its lowest level since March 19, with only 387 cases, a 19.4% drop from the previous day. From March 1 to the present, Shanghai has accumulated more than 625,800 infections and 586 deaths in this round of the epidemic.
The number of new infections reported in Shanghai is declining, and a "social zero-covid" has been announced but a community infection was detected today in a "low-risk area" in the northern Jiading district, which has not reported infections in the past 14 days.
A Shanghai netizen sent me a screenshot of the group chat conversation and two videos, all of which reflected the sudden closure of the RT-Mart supermarket in Jiading District. The text in the chat showed that someone had just entered RT for a few minutes when the supermarket was suddenly closed because someone was "the captain of the antigen squadron on site".
Many people may not understand this statement, especially Taiwanese friends may not understand what it means. The "squadron leader" here refers to the squadron leader of the CCP's Young Pioneers, and the squadron leader will have a "two bars" sign. The man said "Antigen Squadron Leader," which meant antigen positive.
According to the chat, the supermarket issued a protective suit to each of the people who were locked inside. The people from the police station arrived first, but the people from the CDC have not yet arrived.
After the people from the CDC arrived, they informed all those who were locked up in the supermarket to "wait in place, as a close transfer". But this person said that the positive case was found at the entrance of the supermarket store on the second floor, and he was on the escalator on the first floor, not in close contact, and asked if he could let it out. The police told him to "be calm and don't cause trouble".
It can be seen from the video that many of the people who were locked up in the RT-Mart supermarket gathered in front of the glass door of the entrance and exit, looking out anxiously. At the location of the settlement desk, there are also many people watching, and some people are calling home. .
I don't know if there will be actions such as lockdowns and large-scale nucleic acid testing in Jiading District. According to the requirements of the authorities, as long as a case is found, the area where it is located will be sealed and controlled, and a large-scale nucleic acid test of all staff will be carried out at the same time. Therefore, it is estimated that there may be a wave of action in Jiading District next.
But Shanghai has been under lockdown for more than 70 days, and people's tolerance has already exceeded the limit. It is hard to imagine what will happen if the lockdown continues.
Another Shanghai netizen broke the news that in Zhuhang Town, Minhang District, another disaster caused by the closure of the city occurred today. A resident wanted to go to the hospital to see a doctor, so he went to the neighborhood committee to issue a door card.
During the process, there was a dispute with the secretary of the neighborhood committee, so the resident stabbed the secretary and ran back to his home on the eighteenth floor, but then jumped from the eighteenth floor.
The videographer said while filming that the man jumped from the top floor and committed suicide. It can be seen from the video that the police have cordoned off the scene. Many people in white isolation suits gathered around, 120 ambulances were parked not far from the scene, and many residents were watching.
A similar incident happened on the 20th, also in Minhang District. It was also because of the issue of issuing a door card. After a dispute with the secretary of the neighborhood committee, the residents "scratched" the neck of the secretary of the neighborhood committee with a knife, and then jumped downstairs.
I've said it many times, the endless closures will lead to more and more secondary disasters. This extreme city closure has already exceeded the limit of people's tolerance, and many people have even been desperate. So as long as there is a little chance, they will use 100% of their efforts to escape. Escape the city, escape the country.
Cheng Xinyu, a 19-year-old writer in Chengdu, told The New York Times, “I can’t accept that the future is to die in this place.” She cited concerns such as anti-epidemic workers breaking into the residence to spray disinfectant, kill pets and ask residents to leave Leave the keys at home, etc.
She said, "I like children, but I don't dare to have them here because I can't give them the protection I can." So she joined a new trend known as "run school", seeking to escape China and find more safety , a brighter future.
The New York Times said it was impossible to estimate how many young Chinese were "disillusioned" by the CCP's iron fist in the recent lockdown. Hundreds of millions of people have been affected by these restrictions, and more and more people have turned from initial fantasy to disappointment, and from disappointment to despair again and again.
Ms. Wang, a young office worker in Shanghai, said, "Under the state apparatus, when you, as an individual, have no ability to resist, your only exit is to escape."
News (22)
Prevent the US military from intervening in the Taiwan Strait war? Expert: The Communist Army does not have this ability
Reporter : Wu Minzhou / Editor : Lu Meiqi / https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/22/5/25/n13745064.htm / Image : Pictured is the USS Ronald Reagan. (US Pacific Fleet Flickr)
The Russia-Ukrainewar has been going on for three months. The CCP's "Liaoning Ship" recently conducted a long-term training exercise in the waters of the Western Pacific. Take the opportunity to attack Taiwan? Military expert Ma Zhenkun said on the 25th that if the Communist Party of China wants to launch military operations against Taiwan, it must have three anti-access capabilities against the United States.
The Liaoning aircraft carrier battle group of the Chinese Communist Party will head to the waters of the Western Pacific Ocean from May 1, and will conduct multi-day carrier-based aircraft take-off and landing exercises off the eastern coast of Taiwan. During this period, there were several co-aircraft passing through the Bashi Strait, and even armed helicopters passing through the central line of the Taiwan Strait, which attracted attention.
In the symposium of the "ASEAN, US-Japan-Korea and Quad Summit" held by the National Policy Research Institute on the 25th, a number of experts were invited to analyze the recent international situation.
Ma Zhenkun, director of the Institute of Military Affairs of the Chinese Communist Party at the National Defense University, said that two recent events have attracted international attention in the Taiwan Strait. The first is the unexpected development of the Russian-Ukrainian war, which reminds people of possible changes in the security of the Taiwan Strait; the second is that the CCP large-scale formation of the ship "Liaoning" assembled in the eastern waters of Taiwan, arousing everyone's attention to the security of the Taiwan Strait.
News (23)
Intention and ability to attack Taiwan are two things
There has been public attention. Has the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian war affected the CCP's idea of using force against Taiwan in advance? And will the CCP use large-scale training to invade Taiwan?
Ma Zhenkun said that this issue consists of two levels. Whether the CCP uses force against Taiwan in advance is an "intent", which belongs to the political issue of the CCP Central Committee; The two belong to different levels. If the formation of the Liaoning is regarded as affected by the Russian-Ukrainian war, it is necessary to invade Taiwan by force in advance. This is to confuse the two, which will affect the national army's army building plan at light, and may lead to misjudgment at worst. Fired the gun.
Regarding the CCP’s intention to invade Taiwan, Ma Zhenkun said that the Russian-Ukrainian war has cost Russia a heavy price. No matter what the final result is, Russia’s losses far outweigh its gains, and its comprehensive national strength will accelerate its decline. And Chinese President Xi Jinping also sees it in his eyes, and understands that military means to solve political problems will not be tolerated by the international community, and that it will cost all-round comprehensive national strength damage.
He said that the CCP claimed that the use of force against Taiwan was a military action to solve internal problems, but from the experience of the Russian-Ukrainian war, the international community would only consider it to be an aggression because Taiwan is not under the effective rule of the CCP.
News (24)
The Russia-Ukraine war will not make the CCP increase its intention to invade Taiwan
In addition, the CCP has no actual combat experience for 30 years. Ma Zhenkun said that the CCP’s analysis of the situation in the Taiwan Strait and its declared combat strength have not been verified. With the lessons learned from the Russian-Ukrainian war, Xi Jinping will even more question the situation proposed by the army. Analysis and combat assessment. Therefore, he speculates that the Russian-Ukrainian war will not increase the CCP's intention to invade Taiwan, and the status quo in the Taiwan Strait will not change significantly.
Ma Zhenkun also emphasized that the CCP's policy toward Taiwan has been changed from "harmonious reunification" to "military reunification", which is a major strategic change, because the all-round mobilization of the party, government and military systems must be discussed through the Politburo of the CCP, not Xi Jinping himself. There is absolutely no possibility that the CCP will suddenly launch an attack-style military operation against Taiwan.
As for the ability of the Communist army to attack Taiwan, Ma Zhenkun said that the Liaoning fleet is the largest and most powerful in history and the closest to eastern Taiwan. It is a real threat to Taiwan, but if the Communist army wants to launch military operations against Taiwan, it must First, it has the capability of anti-access operations against the United States, which includes three capabilities: deterrence in peacetime, conflict containment, and combat strikes.
He said that the CCP is actively building the capability of conflict containment at this stage, but in the Western Pacific region, the CCP’s combat capability is not as good as that of the U.S. military, which is also an important premise and key to assessing whether the CCP has the capability to attack Taiwan; There are also military support from Japan, South Korea, Australia, etc. in the region, which the Communist army does not have.
Ma Zhenkun analyzed that the training of the Liaoning ship this time is a part of the preparations for the Chinese military's military struggle against Taiwan. It does not have the ability and intention to attack Taiwan now.
He said that at this stage, the National Army is closely following the movements of various naval and air aircraft and ships in the Chinese military exercises, because this may reveal the combat mode adopted by the Chinese military.
News (25)
Xi Jinping's goal remains smooth re-election
Ma Zhenkun speculated that the security situation in the Taiwan Strait will continue to be tense and heating up, because the CCP’s military capabilities have indeed continued to grow, but the Russian-Ukrainian war has made the CCP face a more complicated international situation. , and will avoid becoming another Russia and putting itself in danger of internal and external coercion.
Guo Yuren, executive director of the Academy of National Policy Studies, added that the Liaoning had been training for a long time in the eastern waters of Taiwan. After US President Biden had just left Asia, the Liaoning entered the East China Sea again, but was outflanked by US ships from north to south. It seems that the Liaoning is only a training ship and does not have actual combat capabilities. If it encounters the "Reagan" or "Lincoln" ship strike group, it will be like a dwarf encountering a giant, and it will be very funny.
News (26)
The city centre of Tianjin was suddenly sealed, and the director of the Beijing Health Commission stepped down
Reporter : Qiao An / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2022/05/26/a103438405.html
Many officials in Beijing have been dealt with due to the epidemic situation; the epidemic situation in neighbouring Tianjin has also begun to heat up, and the central area has been blocked.
According to the official notification, from 12 am of 24 May to 3 pm on 25 May, 78 new local confirmed cases were reported in Beijing, including 72 cases of control personnel and 6 cases of social screening. Although the number of cases has not decreased significantly, the number of high-risk areas in Beijing has dropped to 9, and the number of medium-risk areas has dropped to 21.
Since 22 April the cumulative number of officially confirmed cases in Beijing in this round of the epidemic has reached 1,642. During this period, due to the outbreak of multiple clusters, more than a dozen local officials have been held accountable, including members of the Fangshan District People's Congress Standing Committee. Mu Jianshan, Deputy Director of the Association, Li Pengcheng, Secretary of the Party Committee of Yancun Town, Fangshan District, Xue Huipai, Deputy Director of Beitaipingzhuang Sub-district Office, Haidian District, etc.
Yu Luming, director of the Beijing Municipal Health and Health Commission, was also announced to be removed from his post on the 25th, but his sack was not directly related to the epidemic. As early as mid-April, Yu Luming was investigated by the authorities on suspicion of serious violations of laws and disciplines.
In the past ten days, the epidemic situation in Tianjin, which is adjacent to Beijing, has also gradually escalated. On 25 May, Heping District, located in the core area of Tianjin, announced the implementation of "global static management". The district implements traffic control.
Some Tianjin citizens broke the news that in fact, the districts in Tianjin have been blocked, and it is no longer possible to walk across districts. According to official data, Tianjin added 17 local cases throughout the day on 24 May, and conducted a new round of nucleic acid testing across the city on 25 May.
News (27)
Only 1 drop of blood can easily detect the protective power of vaccines Chengda research published in international journal
Reporter : Honng Ruiqin / https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/life/breakingnews/3939574 / Image : The Chengda team developed a "high-throughput covi variant protein chip". (Picture provided by Chengda University)
The team has also developed another protein chip that can be used to analyze the immune response of patients with mild and severe cases of Wuhan pneumonia. By detecting and analyzing the immune characteristics of patients with mild and severe cases, it can assist in injury classification or preventive drug administration. These two research results have been published in the internationally renowned journals Biosensors and Bioelectronics and Analytical Chemistry, winning glory for Taiwan.
Xu Guanda pointed out that since the current vaccine is designed for the original Wuhan strain, the effect against the mutant virus is still unclear, and people have different reactions after the vaccine, prompting the team to develop the detection of multiple mutant viruses. The high-throughput detection chip is the size of a fingertip, and can simultaneously analyze the "neutralization efficacy" and "antibody concentration" of the blood against the covi variant virus", and it takes more than an hour to interpret the results. Compared with the traditional method of detecting neutralizing antibodies, the experiment of infecting cells with virus is quite cumbersome and dangerous, and requires professional and technical personnel to operate.
Chengda's detection technology can simulate the combination of various viruses and receptors on the chip, which has the advantages of saving samples, saving time, saving money, and analyzing multiple variants at the same time. The simplified experimental process can also ensure the safety of operators. In addition to blood antibody testing, Xu Guanda's team has also developed testing methods for affinity drugs such as protein drugs, antibody drugs and small molecule drugs, which can comprehensively and rapidly evaluate the ability of affinity drugs to fight against the covi variant.
Viruses are constantly mutating, and the most difficult point in design and development is to plan for the possibility and development of the future. When the epidemic broke out in early 2020, Ke Wenqian, the vice president of Chengda Hospital, and He Zongxian, the chief physician of the Pediatric Department (currently seconded to Tainan Hospital), developed academic research into clinical experiments, coupled with the research of Chengda teachers and students, and the ability of medical treatment. These are key factors in today's results.
He Zongxian said that when he first heard about the plan, from a clinical point of view, a small amount of blood can be used for multiple tests at the same time.
Xu Guanda pointed out that the covi protein chip detection technology has been certified by Taiwan's patent, and the US patent is also under review. Currently, they are discussing cooperation with manufacturers on technology transfer, and the team is also developing a "portable scanner" for small clinics, telemedicine or home care thus bringing more convenience.
News (28)
Japan plans to resume admitting tourists to Japan in June
According to Kyodo News, the Japanese government is conducting final coordination on resuming the admission of foreign tourists to Japan within June. In line with the relaxation of epidemic prevention measures at border ports, such as the increase of the maximum number of entries in a single day from 10,000 to 20,000, entry for tourism is also allowed within this range. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is expected to announce as soon as 26 May.
In order to resume the admission of foreign tourists, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism will start a small-scale group tour demonstration project on the 24th of this month for people related to travel agencies in the United States, Australia, Thailand, and Singapore. Effective new crown epidemic prevention measures are currently being verified.
The government plans to develop guidelines based on experience and wisdom from empirical projects to facilitate a smooth resumption of admissions. At this stage, the accepted objects are group tourists. There are also concerns that the entry of foreign tourists will cause the epidemic to spread again, but the government believes that by restricting group tourists, unnecessary contact can be curbed.
Regarding the relaxation of epidemic prevention measures at border ports, the ban on new entry of foreigners that was once suspended is limited to business people in March, and the single-day entry limit has also been gradually raised. It will be raised to 20,000 from 1 June .
News (29)
Cathay Pacific crew members must record their whereabouts in the first 7 days of arrival in Hong Kong
According to Hong Kong’s Wen Wei Po, in the early stage of the fifth wave of the covid epidemic, the crew members who were infected violated the guidelines and wandered in the community, resulting in multiple transmission chains, which taught Hong Kong a heavy lesson.
In order to reduce the risk of spreading the virus among crew members, the SAR government announced at the end of last month that all crew members stationed in Hong Kong must record their personal whereabouts within the first 7 days of arrival in Hong Kong in their mobile phone application to record the trajectory of leaving home during the first 7 days of medical monitoring in Hong Kong.
News (30)
From 26 May 2022, entering Haikou Meilan Airport will no longer check the nucleic acid certificate once every 48 hours
According to the notification requirements of Haikou Epidemic Prevention and Control Headquarters, from now on, Haikou Meilan International Airport will cancel the policy requirement that all outbound passengers and pick-up personnel must present a negative nucleic acid certificate once every 48 hours before entering the terminal.
It should be noted that due to differences in local control requirements, some destination cities still need to provide materials such as negative nucleic acid test certificates. Passengers with travel plans are requested to simultaneously refer to the destination airport and the airline they are taking before boarding a flight from Haikou and the latest epidemic prevention and control policies.
A warm reminder from Meilan Airport: According to the requirements of epidemic prevention and control, passengers must wear masks when entering the terminal. At the same time, please actively cooperate with the on-site staff to measure temperature and check health codes.
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