Investigate Biden! After taking control of the House, Republicans announce action

 Research, editing : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA

News on U.S., Thailand, CCP, disease control, Myanmar, ASEAN, aviation management, UK

News (1)

Investigate Biden! After taking control of the House, Republicans announce action

Editor : Liu Pai, China News Network / https://www.chinanews.com.cn/gj/2022/11-18/9897002.shtml

According to comprehensive reports, on 17 November 2022, after regaining control of the U.S. House of Representatives, the Republicans plan to take many actions, including investigating President Biden.

Image : Web Screenshot

According to the Associated Press, Republican congressmen held a press conference on 17 November, saying that President Biden and his son Hunter are actively involved in overseas business transactions. Republican Reps. James Comer and Jim Jordan chaired the news conference, after which they discussed plans to investigate the politicization of federal law enforcement and Biden's business affairs.

"We want to be very clear that right now this is an investigation of President Biden ... that investigation is going to be our priority," Comer said.

Comer emphasized that the investigation will involve answering questions such as: whether the family of the president of the United States committed fraud; violated laws on corruption and foreign agents; participated in a money laundering conspiracy.

Comer said, "We want to know what the Biden administration is hiding from the American people." In addition, he added, "The evidence casts doubt on whether Biden poses a risk to national security."

In fact, Republican lawmakers and their staff have been analyzing financial transactions and tax information found on Hunter Biden's laptop over the past year. House Republicans said they had uncovered evidence of "the Biden family's conspiracy to defraud the United States, wire fraud, violations of the Foreign Agents Registration Act, money laundering, tax evasion and other crimes."

The White House stated that the investigation was politically motivated and a waste of time.

In addition, Minority Leader McCarthy, who is expected to become the next speaker of the House of Representatives, also raised a series of possible investigations in an interview with Fox News, including Biden's withdrawal from Afghanistan and border immigration plans.

The report pointed out that since the beginning of Biden's tenure, Republican members of the House of Representatives have threatened to investigate him, but only from January 2023 will they really be able to set the agenda for the House of Representatives and its committees.

News (2)

McCarthy runs for Speaker of the House after the Republicans have reached the threshold of more than half of 218 seats in the House of Representatives

Reporters : Lin Yutang and Zhang Ruizhen / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2022/11/17/a103577152.html / Image : Video Screenshot

The results of the U.S. Mid-term Elections have been released one after another. The Republican Party won 218 seats in the House of Representatives, winning more than half of the seats. Republican leader McCarthy is poised to win next year's House speaker election.

After more than a week of counting votes in the U.S. Mid-term Elections, new members of Congress have been announced one after another. In California's 27th district, Republican Congressman Mike Garcia announced his re-election victory on the 16th, which means that the Republican Party has reached the threshold of more than half of the 218 seats in the House of Representatives and gained control. "The era of Democratic one-party rule is over," House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy tweeted.

McCarthy, the Republican leader of the US House of Representatives: "On the first day of the House of Representatives, we will abolish 87,000 new IRS personnel."

The new U.S. Congress will hit the road on 3 January 2023. Republicans plan to launch a series of actions, including exploring the origin of SARS-CoV-2 (CCP virus, covi) the virus that causes covid, monitoring the border crisis, and increasing domestic energy production in the United States.

McCarthy will have the chance to replace Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, as the next speaker in January next year. U.S. President Biden also congratulated McCarthy on Twitter and expressed his readiness to cooperate with Republicans.

U.S. President Joe Biden: "I'm ready to work with my Republican colleagues. The American people have made it very clear, I think, that they expect the Republicans to be ready to work with me too."

At present, according to various foreign media data, there are still 7 members of the House of Representatives whose results are undecided, and the Senate is determined to be won by the Democrats but there is still a Georgia state member whose result is still undecided.

News (3)

Republicans take control of House, announce probe of Hunter Biden

Editor: Chen Beichen / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2022/11/17/a103577242.html / Image : U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, accompanied by House Republicans, speaks during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol on 17 November 2022. House Republicans said they would investigate "the Biden family's business dealings." (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

 After the Republican Party wins control of the House of Representatives in the 2022 midterm elections, it plans to take many actions, including investigating Hunter Biden. Republican House of Representatives held a press conference on Thursday (17 November), saying that President Biden and his son Hunter are actively involved in overseas business transactions.

Republican Representatives James Comer and Jim Jordan moderated the news conference. Citing the whistleblower, Comer said the Biden family "prospered and became millionaires simply by providing opportunities to the family."

“Was Joe Biden directly involved in Hunter Biden’s business dealings? Was he compromising? That’s what we’re going to investigate,” Comer said.

Comer of Kentucky is the new chairman of the House Oversight Committee, and Jordan of Ohio is expected to chair the House Judiciary Committee soon.

The lawmakers accused Hunter Biden and President Joe Biden of engaging in "waste, fraud and abuse of office" in international business transactions.

Republicans released a report Thursday outlining their findings.

Republican lawmakers said they had uncovered evidence of the Biden family conspiring to defraud the United States, wire fraud, violations of the Foreign Agents Registration Act, money laundering, tax evasion and other crimes.

At the news conference, Comer said he believed the oversight committee had lost much of its credibility in recent years, which he blamed on Rep. Adam Schiff of California. Schiff currently serves as chairman of the House Intelligence Committee.

The Oversight Board pledged on Thursday to continue to keep the media and the public informed of its findings.

News (4)

Republicans win control of House, McConnell re-elected as Senate leader

Reporters : Wang Kaixuan and Yu Wei / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2022/11/17/a103576718.html

 After fierce competition, the stalemate in the US mid-term elections is clear. Republicans win control of the House of Representatives. In California's 27th constituency, Republican House of Representatives candidate Mike Garcia (Mike Garcia) declared victory on 16 November. So far, the Republicans have won 218 seats, which means that the Republicans will gain control of the House of Representatives.

On the same day, Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader of the U.S. Senate, was re-elected as the minority leader of the Senate.

In the voting, McConnell received 37 votes, and his rival Senator Rick Scott (Florida) received 10 votes.

News (5)

Scott fails challenge, McConnell re-elected as Senate Republican leader

Reporter : Chen Beichen / Editor : Lin Qing / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2022/11/16/a103576310.html

Image : On 16 November 2022, in Washington, DC, the Republican leader of the U.S. Senate Mitch. Mitch McConnell gives the thumbs up as he leaves the old Senate chamber of Congress. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

On Wednesday (16 November 2022), U.S. Senator Mitch. Mitch McConnell defeated National Republican Senate Committee Chairman Rick. Rick Scott continues to serve as Senate Republican leader.

Scott challenged McConnell on Tuesday (15 November) at the last minute before the election to run for the party leadership position. Scott and some Republicans critical of McConnell's leadership style believe the Kentucky senator has failed to articulate to voters what the GOP's governing agenda will be if it wins control of the Senate.

In a letter to colleagues, Scott promised he would "lead the Senate with an aggressive, aspirational agenda."

In this regard, McConnell rejected Scott's claim that his failure to propose an agenda before Election Day affected the chances of winning for the Republican candidate.

“We’re not doing well with independents and moderates because they have the impression that many of our party’s leaders are engaged in chaotic, negative, excessive attacks that make independents Democrats and moderate Republican voters are terrified."

McConnell said he saw the situation weeks before Election Day. "We saw that, and that's why you all remember I never predicted a red wave, there was no wave."

Republicans were "crushed" by independent voters in Arizona and New Hampshire, McConnell said.

After raising more than $200 million for the Republican Party in the Nov. 8 mid-term elections, McConnell won the contest on the 16th by a considerable margin after gaining the support of most of the party.

McConnell has led the Senate Republicans since 2007.

Two outside groups affiliated with McConnell, the Senate Leadership Fund and One Nation, are running for the Senate, a person familiar with the fundraising records said, The Hill reported. The $363 million spent in the campaign was substantially more than what Scott had raised at the National Republican Senate Committee (NRSC).

News (6)

Pelosi resigns as House speaker to hand over to new generation

Reporter : Chen Beichen / Editor : Lin Qing / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2022/11/17/a103577320.html / Image : On 17 November 2022, in Washington, DC, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy. Nancy Pelosi, speaking in the House of Representatives at the U.S. Capitol. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

On Thursday (17 November), Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy. Nancy Pelosi announced that she will step down as the leader after the Republicans regained control of the House of Representatives and hand over the leadership to a new generation.

Hakeem Jeffries, a liberal congressman from New York state, is seen as Pelosi's future successor, or the leader of the Democratic House of Representatives for the next two years.

Reuters analyzed that Pelosi's successor will have to unite the divided House Democrats and start a struggle between the centrist and the increasingly vocal left.

The 82-year-old Pelosi announced her resignation in a speech in the House of Representatives on the 17th, ending nearly 20 years of leadership, but she said that she will not retire from the House of Representatives and will continue to work on behalf of San Francisco. She has served as California's federal congressman for 35 years.

As the first female speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Pelosi said, "I will not be seeking re-election as Democratic leader in the next Congress, and to me it is now time for a new generation to lead a Democratic caucus that I deeply respect. The time has come. I am grateful that so many are ready and willing to take on this awesome responsibility."

After her speech, she received a standing ovation in the House of Representatives, and members of the House of Representatives came forward to express their blessings and hugs to her one by one.

During the Obama and Biden presidencies, Pelosi advanced several key pieces of legislation in Congress, including: the 2010 Obamacare Act, and Biden's expanded infrastructure, climate spending and gun bills.

She also presided over the House of Representatives' impeachment campaign against former President Trump in 2019 and 2021.

After the news broke, Biden said in a statement that Pelosi was "the most influential Speaker of the House in our history."

News (7)

Analysis: Xi and Biden draw red lines with each other, and more explosive points will emerge in the Taiwan Strait

Reporter : Luo Tingting / Editor : Wen Hu / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2022/11/17/a103576823.html

The heads of state of the United States and China have publicly confronted each other on the Taiwan issue, drawing red lines with each other. The analysis believes that the tension in the Taiwan Strait is difficult to resolve, and more explosive points will emerge in the future.

U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping recently met at the G20 summit, and Taiwan became one of the focuses of the talks.

Biden said that the United States' one-China policy has not changed. "The United States opposes any unilateral change of the status quo by any party. Maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is in the interests of the world."

He also emphasized that "the United States also firmly opposes China (the Communist Party)'s coercive and increasingly aggressive actions against Taiwan, which will undermine the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait and even the wider region, and will endanger global development."

Xi Jinping said, "The Taiwan issue is the core of China's (Communist) core interests, the foundation of the political foundation of Sino-US relations, and the first insurmountable red line in Sino-US relations."

Many observers believe that this "Xi visit" has not eased US-China relations and the situation in the Taiwan Strait. On the contrary, Xi Jinping's tough statement indicates that conflict between the US and China in the Taiwan Strait seems inevitable.

Hong Kong's "South China Morning Post" reported that Zhu Songling, director of the Institute of Cross-Strait Relations at the Taiwan Institute of Beijing Union University, said that Xi Jinping has clarified the importance of Taiwan and shown to Biden that "there is no room for compromise." Bring about "disruptive" changes.

He said that the tension in the Taiwan Strait is not easy to resolve, and after the mid-term elections in the United States, more flashpoints will emerge.

Zack Cooper, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, believes that the Taiwan issue will pose serious challenges to US-China relations, especially in 2023.

In an interview with Voice of America, Cooper said that this Xi-Xi meeting is more about setting a lower line for US-China relations, rather than paving the way for a dramatic improvement in relations. He said that the new speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives is Kevin McCarthy. He once said that he will visit Taiwan after becoming the speaker, and there may be another disturbance in the Taiwan Strait by then.

Currently, Republicans already control the House of Representatives, and the Senate may be dominated by Democrats. McCarthy is expected to replace Pelosi as the new Speaker of the House.

In early August 2022, Pelosi proceeded with a high-profile visit to Taiwan despite the threat of the CCP. The CCP military then launched a retaliatory military exercise around Taiwan, which escalated the tension in the Taiwan Strait. The U.S. military has also begun to strengthen its military deployment around the Taiwan Strait.

Tang Hao, the host of " Crossroads of the World", said that the United States and China are actually in a state of war to some extent, but both sides are currently using non-military means. Although both the United States and China have said to "avoid conflict" and "no confrontation," there will be a very sharp point of contradiction and disagreement during this visit to Xi, which is Taiwan.

Tang Hao believes that the most important strategic goal of Xi Jinping's third term is to invade Taiwan, and winning Taiwan is the most important bargaining chip for him to be re-elected for a fourth term. In other words, Xi Jinping will prepare for war in the next few years and invade Taiwan.

He said that before meeting Xi, Biden first participated in the ASEAN Summit, and then held talks with the heads of state of Japan, South Korea, and Australia, emphasizing the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.

Tang Hao said that the current diplomatic activities of the United States and CCP China in the Asia-Pacific region are all planning and competing for the "Battle for Taiwan". The public confrontation of this "Xi-biden meeting" is also a prelude to the two sides' open swords and preparations for a duel on the Taiwan Strait issue.

News (8)

Fumio Kishida met with Xi Jinping, seriously concerned about the Taiwan Strait issue

Reporter : Lin Yi / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2022/11/18/a103577381.html

On the sidelines of the APEC summit, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and the leader of the Communist Party of China, Xi Jinping, held their first face-to-face meeting, and reiterated Japan’s position on issues such as the Taiwan Strait issue, the Russia-Ukraine war, and the Diaoyu Islands.

On Thursday (November 17), Fumio Kishida held a 30-minute meeting with Xi Jinping.

At the subsequent press conference, Fumio Kishida said that the two had in-depth discussions on the direction of the relationship between the two countries and the challenges they faced.

Fumio Kishida also clearly expressed concern over sensitive issues such as the CCP’s launch of missiles during the U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida: "I expressed my serious concern about the situation in the East China Sea including the Diaoyu Islands, as well as military provocations such as China's (communist) missile launch, and reiterated the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait."

On issues such as the Russia-Ukraine war and Russia's threat to use nuclear weapons, Kishida said that Xi Jinping expressed a consistent position with Japan in the conversation.

Fumio Kishida: "Regarding the situation in Ukraine, President Xi and I agree that Russia's threat to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine is extremely worrying. Russia must never use nuclear weapons, nor can it launch a nuclear war."

Just hours before the talks between the two men, North Korea fired another missile. Kishida Fumio said that on the North Korean issue, he hoped that China could play an active role.

Immediately after the meeting, the CCP issued a draft on the meeting between the two, but it did not mention any important issues of concern to Fumio Kishida or the two sides' stance against Russia.

News (9)

Telling Xi Jinping "the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait" The Ministry of Foreign Affairs thanks Japanese Prime Minister Kishida

   

Reporter : Yang Chengyu /  https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/politics/breakingnews/4127491 / Image : The Republic of China Ministry of Foreign Affairs. (Photo by reporter Yang Chengyu)

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated today (18th) that Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks in Bangkok, Thailand on the evening of the 17th. This is the first physical meeting between the two sides since Prime Minister Kishida took office. During the 40-minute talk, Prime Minister Kishida once again emphasized the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, as well as Japan's concern for China's human rights issues, for which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs highly affirmed and thanked.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs always welcomes the international community to pay attention to the situation in the Taiwan Strait and take positive measures to help maintain regional peace. Since the establishment of the Kishida Cabinet, the Japanese government has repeatedly stated that Taiwan and Japan share basic values ​​such as freedom, democracy, human rights, and the rule of law, and that Taiwan is an important partner and precious friend of Japan. At this month's ASEAN Summit, the Japan-US Summit, and the Japan-US-Korea Summit and other important international venues, Japan has demonstrated its firm position as a democratic country.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized that when authoritarianism is expanding outwards and challenging the international order, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will actively work with like-minded countries around the world to jointly defend universal basic values, promote peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and freedom, openness and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.

News (10)

Xi Jinping attends APEC in Thailand, Protester held Winnie the Pooh to protest against CCP

Reporter : Luo Tingting / Editor  Wen Hui / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2022/11/18/a103577401.html / Image : On 17 November 17, 2022, Xi Jinping arrived in Bangkok, Thailand. Thai people protested against the CCP authorities on the street. A woman protested against Xi Jinping with a Winnie the Pooh. (Louise Delmotte/Getty Images)

组图：习近平参加泰国APEC 民众抱维尼熊抗议

 Xi Jinping, the leader of the Communist Party of China, arrived in Bangkok, Thailand on 17 November  to attend the APEC Economic Leaders Meeting. Young people in Thailand held Winnie the Pooh to protest against the CCP and called for the release of Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong.

The APEC meeting was held in Bangkok, and Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha has signed the official document. From 14 to 19 November, the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center where the APEC venue is located, and around the hotels where the leaders of 19 countries stayed Gatherings are prohibited. But in the past few days, there are still many Thai civil groups protesting in different places in Bangkok.

According to Thailand's "Prachatai" news network, at 9 pm on 15 Novembe, a group of people dressed up as Chinese ghosts such as white snake spirits on Yaowarat Road and the subway in Bangkok's Chinatown to express their protest against Xi Jinping.

The protesters wrote slogans in Chinese, English, and Thai, "Welcome the dictator to Thailand" and "Recover Hong Kong's Revolution".

On the 17th, the day Xi Jinping arrived in Bangkok, many Thai people took to the streets to protest Xi Jinping's visit. Thai authorities dispatched a large number of military police to enforce control at the Asok Intersection of the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center.

Videos and photos circulating online showed some protesters getting into physical altercations with Thai police.

Some protesters at the scene held up slogans such as "Only care about investment, no human rights." A young woman was holding a Winnie the Pooh doll with Xi Jinping's face on it, and holding a slogan "Release Joshua Wong" in her right hand to protest the CCP authorities.

On 17 November 2022, Xi Jinping arrived in Bangkok, Thailand, and Thai people protested against the CCP authorities on the streets. (Louise Delmotte/Getty Images)

On 17 November 2022, Xi Jinping arrived in Bangkok, Thailand, and Thai people protested against the CCP authorities on the streets. (Louise Delmotte/Getty Images)

On 17 November 2022, Xi Jinping arrived in Bangkok, Thailand. Thai people protested against the CCP authorities on the streets, and Thailand dispatched a large number of police to implement control. (Louise Delmotte/Getty Images)

On 17 November 2022, Xi Jinping arrived in Bangkok, Thailand. Thai people protested against the CCP authorities on the streets, and some people clashed with the police. (Louise Delmotte/Getty Images)

On 17 November 2022, Xi Jinping arrived in Bangkok, Thailand, and Thai people protested against the CCP authorities on the streets. (Louise Delmotte/Getty Images)

On 17 November 2022, Xi Jinping arrived in Bangkok, Thailand. Thai people protested against the CCP authorities on the street. A woman protested against Xi Jinping with a Winnie the Pooh. (Louise Delmotte/Getty Images)

On 17 November  2022, Xi Jinping arrived in Bangkok, Thailand. Thai people protested against the CCP authorities on the streets, and some people clashed with the police. (Louise Delmotte/Getty Images)

According to the Central News Agency, the protesting woman, Anna, is 17 years old and a high school student. She protested against the CCP's one-China policy and called for the release of imprisoned Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong.

Anna said that when she came to protest at the scene today, she was a little worried about her personal safety, but she still wanted to stand up and fight.

Thai Chinese Li Wei (pseudonym) told Radio Free Asia that this is the first time he has seen street protests against Xi Jinping in Thailand. He said that Jiang Yefei, the former chairman of the Thai branch of the "Democratic China Front", drew Xi Jinping's head on the Internet, was arrested by the Thai police, and was extradited to China.

In 2018, political cartoonist Jiang Yefei was sentenced to six and a half years in prison by the CCP government for the crime of “subverting state power and illegally crossing the border.”

The APEC meeting officially debuted on the 18th. This is the second important international meeting attended by Xi Jinping after the G20 summit held in Indonesia. U.S. President Joe Biden did not attend the meeting, which was represented by U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris.

News (11)

Thai Prime Minister wanted to shake hands with Xi Jinping, Xi Ignored, embarrassing him

Editor : Tang Zheng / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2022/11/18/a103577448.html

On 17 November, CCP President Xi Jinping arrived in Bangkok, Thailand, and will attend the APEC Economic Leaders Meeting. A video showed that at the welcome reception, Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha tried to shake hands with Xi Jinping but Xi ignored him, embarrassing him.

The APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting (AELM), hosted by Thailand,is held in Bangkok from 18 to 19 November. This is the first physical meeting of APEC leaders since the outbreak of COVID-19. As leaders or representatives of various countries arrived in Bangkok one after another, the level of security was upgraded.

The Chinese Communist Party’s official media CCTV reported that in the afternoon of 17 November local time, when the special plane that Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan took arrived at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport, Thai Prime Minister Prayut and his wife were there to greet them.

In the evening of November 17th, Mathias Peer, a reporter from the German "Handelsblatt", tweeted that the awkward moment at the welcome reception of "APEC2022THAILAND": Thai Prime Minister Prayuth wanted to shake hands with Xi Jinping - but the Chinese President ignored him .

The video attached to the tweet showed that after Xi Jinping and his wife stood on a stage with the Prayuth couple for a photo, Prayuth turned to Xi Jinping, bowed and nodded, and stretched out his hand to shake hands with Xi. Stretching out, looking forward, with an embarrassed expression on his face, he touched his nose before leaving with his wife.

Awkward moment during a welcome reception at #APEC2022THAILAND:

Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha wants to shake Xi Jinping’s hand – but China’s President ignores him. pic.twitter.com/DQpVy78vld

— Mathias Peer (@mpeer) November 17, 2022

On the day Xi Jinping arrived in Bangkok, the streets of Bangkok were strictly controlled by the military and police. Many Thais still took to the streets to protest the CCP and called for the release of Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong.

Prayuth, the former commander-in-chief of the Thai army, has ruled Thailand for eight years since he came to power in a coup in 2014. In August this year, Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, who was temporarily suspended due to a dispute over his tenure, was ruled by the Constitutional Court on September 30 that the new constitution in 2017 should take effect, representing Prayuth’s term of office until 2025.

Since July 2020, people in Thailand have been taking to the streets to protest, demanding the reform of the royal family and the amendment of the constitution. Several troops currently controlled by the royal family were handed over to the King of Thailand by Prayuth in 2019. The public believes that this move undermines the democratic system.

On 28 February 2021, people in Bangkok, Thailand, took to the streets, demanding that the royal family give up military power and Prime Minister Prayuth to step down. The riot police dispatched water cannon trucks and tear gas to drive away the people.

News (12)

2 women in Guangzhou argued with Dabai, bound and kneeled for Public Display (Video)

Editor : Jing Zhongming / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2022/11/17/a103577293.html / Image : On 17 November  2022, it was reported on the Internet that two women in Haizhu District, Guangzhou had a dispute with epidemic prevention personnel, were pushed to the ground, and tied up for public display. (Internet video screenshot)

广州2女孩与大白争执 被捆绑跪地示众（视频）

The Haizhu District of Guangzhou has an outbreak, and extreme lockdowns are being adopted. It was reported on the Internet that two young women had a dispute with the epidemic prevention personnel because of wearing masks, and were then pushed down and tied up for public display.

On 17 November, a large number of videos were uploaded on the Internet showing that at the gate of a community in Luntou Village, Haizhu District, Guangzhou, two young women had a dispute with the epidemic prevention personnel in the duty room of the epidemic prevention post. It was reported online that one of the women was not wearing a mask.

In the video, the woman without a mask was emotional and loudly accused the epidemic prevention personnel. Then a number of anti-epidemic personnel rushed forward, pushed the two women down one after another, and tied their arms behind their backs for public display. The woman in black wearing a mask has been lying on the ground with a slipper beside her. The woman who did not wear a mask knelt on the ground at one point because her upper body was already naked because of the binding.

Follow up video. pic.twitter.com/YuKwDnFIsA

— 世界观心 (@yunyunfengfeng) November 17, 2022

Some netizens pointed out that the accent of the woman that did not wear a mask seemed to be a Hubei woman who went to Guangzhou to work.

The follow-up video showed that the woman in black wearing a mask had already sat up, and the woman without a mask was kneeling on one leg. She had been put on a mask and given a piece of clothing to surround her upper body. She is still angrily accusing the epidemic prevention personnel of "there will be retribution." In the later video, the two were suspected to have been released.

During the CCP’s “dynamic zeroing” campaign, the anti-epidemic personnel imprisoned people as they wished in the name of “quarantine”, and used various lynchings to beat and insult those who “do not obey the anti-epidemic order”. , Criticism, etc., are accused of being like a "reappearance of the Cultural Revolution."

Recently, a large number of videos (link 1, link 2, and link 3) have been circulated on the Internet, showing that epidemic prevention personnel from all over the country tied people who "go out without authorization" to telephone poles for public display. Netizens accused that during the great famine more than 60 years ago, villagers fleeing for refuge were tied to telephone poles and tree trunks on both sides of the road for public display, and some were tied until they died.

News (13)

Jinan man rushed into nucleic acid site and killed a woman with a knife (Video)

Editor : Jing Zhongming / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2022/11/17/a103577210.html

 Another incident of random wounding was reported at the nucleic acid testing site in mainland China. It was reported on the Internet that a man in Jinan, Shandong Province brandished a knife and wounded someone at a nucleic acid sampling site, and was later controlled by the public. A woman who was queuing up for nucleic acid testing fell to the ground.

On 17 November the official microblog of the Lixia District Branch of the Jinan Public Security Bureau reported that it received an alarm at 13:44 on 17 November a man wounded someone with a knife at No. 118 Lishan Road. The police and security guards of the Lixia Public Security Bureau, together with the people at the scene, brought the suspect under control.

The report stated that the suspect Yan (male, 44 years old) injured the back of the left ear of a group of people with a folding fruit knife that he carried with him.

Several videos posted on the Internet showed that outside the gate of a "Youpinhui" shopping mall, several men pinned a man to the ground, and a man next to him was holding a knife that was suspected to be a murder weapon. Later, the police arrived and took away the man under control.

Among the onlookers, a female voice pointed out that the controlled man "killed someone". Others said that he killed "a woman", and then a man stepped forward to kick and beat the man under control, and cursed angrily.

There is also video showing that the ambulance rushed to the scene and the victim was carried into the car covered with a blue cloth.

The victim was covered with a blue cloth and carried into an ambulance. pic.twitter.com/3zMUltJNBP

— 世界观心 (@yunyunfengfeng) November 17, 2022

An insider broke the news that the incident happened at a nucleic acid testing site outside Youpinhui Mall on Lishan Road, Jinan City, Shandong Province. A woman was queuing up when a man suddenly cut her carotid artery with a dagger. The two did not know each other. Fortunately, the three men in line behind quickly pushed the murderer down.

The continuous blockade and endless nucleic acid testing have driven many people crazy. Nucleic acid testing sites in mainland China frequently reported injuries.

In July this year, a nucleic acid testing team in Wuyang County, Henan Province was deliberately rammed by a white SUV, injuring at least 31 people. It is reported that someone deliberately hit people and fled after the accident.

In October 2022, a car crashed into a nucleic acid testing site in Yantai, Shandong, and many people who were queuing fell to the ground. Many ambulances at the scene had the words "Shandong Yantai" printed on them.

Also in October, a driver in Xinxiang, Henan deliberately rammed into an epidemic prevention checkpoint, knocked down four officers on duty one after another, and stabbed an epidemic prevention officer with a knife.

News (14)

ASEAN agrees to talk to Myanmar opposition

Source : AFP

Southeast Asian leaders agreed Friday (11 November 2022) to engage Myanmar opposition groups as they seek ways to quell the country’s escalating bloodshed which has seen thousands killed in clashes since last year’s coup.

The Myanmar crisis dominated the first day of a gathering of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) regional bloc in Phnom Penh that US President Joe Biden joined on Saturday.

Myanmar has spiralled into bloody conflict since the military ousted Aung San Suu Kyi’s civilian government in February last year.

ASEAN agreed upon a “five-point consensus” peace plan with Myanmar in April last year but the junta has so far ignored it and the bloc has struggled for months to come up with ways to enforce it.

Frustrated by the generals’ foot-dragging, leaders on Friday tasked their foreign ministers with drawing up “an implementation plan that outlines concrete, practical and measurable indicators with specific timeline”.

In a 15-point statement thrashed out over two days of difficult talks among foreign ministers, the bloc agreed to “engage all stakeholders soon”.

“Engagement would be done in a flexible and informal manner, primarily undertaken by the Special Envoy of the ASEAN Chair on Myanmar,” the leaders’ statement said.

This will likely involve meeting representatives of Myanmar’s National Unity Government (NUG), a self-declared parallel body dominated by former lawmakers from Suu Kyi’s party.

The NUG considers itself to be the country’s legitimate government but the junta regards its members as “terrorists”, and engaging with the group would be a significant step for ASEAN.

The leaders also warned the generals that if they do not step up, the bloc could expand a ban on junta figures attending ASEAN meetings.

“This is a warning, this is a strong message from the leaders,” Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi told reporters.

Within the bloc, Indonesia has been one of the main voices calling for tougher action on the junta, along with Malaysia and Singapore.

Philippine Assistant Secretary for ASEAN Affairs Dan Espiritu said that after more than a year of junta inaction it was time to “implement some other alternative plan in view of the limited progress”.

He characterised the situation in Myanmar as “critical and fragile with growing violence”.

The five-point plan calls for an end to violence, dialogue between all sides in Myanmar mediated by the ASEAN envoy, and humanitarian aid.

Last year’s coup slammed the door on Myanmar’s brief dalliance with democracy after decades under army rule.

Earlier this month Singapore’s Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan warned that the Myanmar military had “a very high tolerance for pain, very high tolerance for isolation” and the crisis could take decades to resolve.

Addressing ASEAN leaders on Friday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned “escalating levels of violence” in Myanmar.

“I repeat my call on the Myanmar authorities to launch an inclusive process immediately to return to the democratic transition,” Guterres said.

News (15)

Myanmar's Civilian Government demands ASEAN's invitation

Source : The Irrawaddy

Myanmar’s acting civilian president Duwa Lashi La has called Southeast Asian leaders at the annual ASEAN summit to reject the junta’s sham election planned for next year and engage with his National Unity Government (NUG) to end regime atrocities.

The meeting began in Cambodia on Thursday with Myanmar’s crisis set to dominate talks amid widespread criticism over ASEAN’s stalled peace plan, called the five-point consensus.

“Excellencies, I greatly appreciate that this leaders’ summit will consider recommendations, to take further practical action and to help end the suffering of the people of Myanmar. Instead of continuing to allow the junta to waste time and destroy lives, we urge you to take meaningful action with those of us who truly wish to end the crisis,” Duwa Lashi La wrote on 8 November 8.

Since agreeing to the five-point consensus in April last year, which called for an end to violence, the junta has intensified its extrajudicial killings of civilians and airstrikes.

Regime forces killed around 80 people in an airstrike on a concert in Kachin State on October 23. The regime has killed more than 2,400 people since the February 2021 coup.

For failing to implement its peace plan, ASEAN has barred junta leader Min Aung Hlaing from the summit but it will accept “non-political” representatives, which was rejected by the junta. Regime representatives are allowed to attend ASEAN’s ministerial meetings, which the bloc says maintains the status quo.

Duwa Lashi La’s letter said people are suffering beyond comprehension, including in indiscriminate aerial bombing.

“For us, each day of the junta’s atrocities is a tragedy. Therefore, we seek a time-bound approach to avoid a lengthy, worsening disaster for the people of Myanmar and the region,” he said.

Duwa Lashi La said no junta representative should be invited to any ASEAN meetings but the NUG, National Unity Consultative Council and other stakeholders should be represented.

“I note that the military junta’s proposed elections are not only a sham and illegal, but they will certainly cause greater instability in Myanmar and the region. We earnestly hope that ASEAN rejects the junta’s sham elections,” he said.

He also called for humanitarian assistance.

Duwa Lashi La said the NUG and other stakeholders have prepared a serious roadmap for Myanmar, based on the rule of law, democracy, peace and a commitment to an inclusive new Myanmar that protects everyone, including the Rohingya.

“Our people will never forget those who stand with us,” he wrote.

The NUG’s foreign minister, Daw Zin Mar Aung, also called on her ASEAN counterparts to replace or expand the peace plan with formal mechanisms for engagement with the NUG as Myanmar’s legitimate representative.

This should include NUG attendance at ASEAN summits, she said.

“While you convene, the illegal military junta continues to escalate its indiscriminate attacks on civilians,” the minister’s letter said, mentioning the junta’s bombing of schools, torching of villages, beheadings and burning to death of children, extrajudicial executions of pro-democracy activists despite the ASEAN appeals to stop and detention of foreign nationals as bargaining chips.

However, a leaders’ statement issued on Friday included references to the five-point consensus and tasked ASEAN officials to draw up an implementation plan without giving any details.

News (16)

More than 6,000 political prisoners released under Junta amnesty, Sokhonn announces third visit to Myanmar as special envoy

Source : The Phnom Penh Post / https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national-politics/sokhonn-announces-plans-third-visit-myanmar-special-envoy

Cambodia Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Prak Sokhonn, in his capacity as the ASEAN chair’s special envoy to Myanmar, plans to visit there for a third time in the coming weeks in further pursuit of the efforts to assist its return to normalcy and a democratic path.

In a press statement released on 18 November 2022, Sokhonn welcomed the release of the prisoners by the State Administrative Council of Myanmar (SAC). The statement said that he regarded the release of more than 6,000 prisoners by Myanmar as a sign of good will that opens up the possibility of finding a peaceful solution to the current crisis in-line with the ASEAN Five-Point Consensus.

“The special envoy considers this mass prisoner release as an important gesture in the right direction to create a conducive environment for the commencement of a dialogue process among all concerned parties in Myanmar.

“It is a sign of good will in pursuing a peaceful solution to the current crisis, and a positive development in line with the spirit and aspiration of the Five-Point Consensus reached at the ASEAN Leaders’ Meeting on 24 April 2021,” the statement said.

The statement listed some of the notable figures among those released, such as Kyaw Tint Swe, former minister for the Office of the State Counsellor; Lei Lei Maw, former chief minister of Tanintharyi Region and Mya Aye, an activist from the 8888 Generation pro-democracy organisation.

Also released were Myo Nyunt, member of the central executive committee and spokesperson of the National League for Democracy (NLD); U Thein Oo, NLD central executive committee member; U Kyaw Ho, NLD legal advisor; Professor U MaungTha Cho; Shwe Nya War Sayadaw; Vicky Bowman, the UK’s former ambassador to Myanmar, and her spouse; Professor Sean Turnell, former economic policy advisor to Aung San Suu Kyi; Toru Kubota, Japanese journalist and film producer; and US citizen Kyaw Htay Oo.

“It is hoped that more progress can be achieved on the three priorities of the Five-Point Consensus, namely ending violence, facilitation of humanitarian assistance delivery and building trust and confidence for an inclusive peace dialogue,” Sokhonn said.

News (17) to (18) / Source : The Irrawaddy / https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/war-against-the-junta/over-30-myanmar-junta-troops-killed-in-three-days-of-resistance-attacks.html

News (17)

Over 30 Myanmar Junta soldiers killed in 3 days of resistance attacks

Around 33 Myanmar junta forces and two resistance fighters were killed in the last three days as People’s Defense Force groups (PDFs) escalated their attacks on regime targets across the country.

Meanwhile, the regime used a fighter jet to bomb a school in Upper Myanmar.

Incidents were reported in Magwe, Sagaing and Tanintharyi regions.

The Irrawaddy has rounded up the following reports of significant attacks by PDFs.

Some military casualty figures could not be independently verified.

News (18)

School bombed by junta fighter jet in Sagaing

Without any provocation, a junta fighter jet bombed a school in Mongton Village in Sagaing Region’s Banmauk Township at 10 pm on Wednesday night, said Banmauk Revolution, which shares information on the township.

Two bombs struck the school but no one was injured, the news site said, citing residents.

News (19)

Nanning to increase flights to ASEAN during the winter season of 2022

According to China News Network, Spring Airlines Marketing Director Wang Zhigang introduced in Nanning on 17 November 2022 that he took a fancy to the advantages of Nanning's proximity to ASEAN. Overseas routes of the airline covering Malaysia, Cambodia, Thailand and other major destination countries in Southeast Asia were launched in November 2022.

Guangxi is the frontier and window for China to open up and cooperate with ASEAN. It is the only province in China that is adjacent to ASEAN countries by land and sea. As the capital city closest to ASEAN in China, Nanning has basically built the skeleton of a regional international comprehensive three-dimensional transportation network facing ASEAN.

According to Guangxi Nanning Wuxu International Airport (hereinafter referred to as "Nanning Airport"), in the winter season of 2022, Nanning Airport plans to gradually resume international passenger routes to Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta and other ASEAN countries, and further increase flight frequencies to Phnom Penh and Bangkok, subject to the flight density of current international passenger routes.

In the winter flight season of 2022, Nanning Airport plans to conduct an average of 435 domestic and international passenger and cargo flights per day, an increase of 35 flights or 8.8% from the previous month in the summer flight season of 2022. A total of 36 domestic and foreign airlines plan to operate 145 passenger and cargo routes involving Nanning, including 15 international and regional routes.

On 11 November 2022, the Comprehensive Group of the Joint Defense and Joint Control Mechanism of the State Council of China released twenty latest measures to further optimize the prevention and control of the covid epidemic, and clearly canceled the circuit breaker mechanism for inbound flights, which will bring great benefits to the recovery of international flight traffic and create opportunities for the accelerated recovery condition of international flights. 

Ref: http://news.carnoc.com/list/594/594997.html

News (20)

British intelligence chief: CCP is recruiting British citizens as spies

Reporter : Chen Ting / Editor : Ye Ziwei / https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/22/11/18/n13868252.htm / Image : Ken McCallum, head of the British military intelligence service (MI5), warned that CCP intelligence agents are recruiting British citizens as spies with the intention of manipulating British public opinion for a long time. The picture is a schematic diagram. (John MacDougall/AFP/Getty Images)

 The head of the British Security Service has warned that Chinese intelligence agents are recruiting British citizens as spies to manipulate British public opinion as part of a long-term influence operation.

The British Security Service (Security Service), also known as "Military Intelligence Five" (MI5), is the UK's domestic intelligence unit, which aims to deal with secret organization threats to national security, including terrorism and espionage activities.

On Wednesday (16 November), MI5 chief Ken McCallum released the department's annual threat report (link). The report notes that democracies and authoritarian regimes are renewing their contest. Among them, the CCP’s intelligence operations pose a major threat to the national security, economic security and political system of the United Kingdom.

McCallum said that because of the actions of authoritarian regimes such as China, Russia and Iran, "the West is in a contest that concerns our security, our values ​​and our democratic institutions", emphasizing that "the activities of the Chinese Communist Party pose a threat to the UK. The most game-changing strategic challenge".

"What we're seeing is that the Chinese (Chinese Communist Party) authorities are cultivating connections to manipulate public opinion in China's favor over the long term," McCallum said.

He emphasized that Beijing is "not only trying to win over and influence well-known lawmakers across the political spectrum, but also trying to win over newcomers to public office, gradually establishing a debt of obligation".

In January this year, MI5 named a British lawyer and CCP agent, Christine Ching Kui Lee, claiming that on behalf of the CCP’s United Front Work Department, she “secretly interfered in political activities” in the UK in an attempt to influence many senior politicians. 

The Chinese agent is said to have established links with British MPs, including making donations to politicians to influence their positions on key issues.

"We see the Chinese Communist Party getting tougher and using overt and covert pressure to bend other countries to its will," he said, adding that the CCP is trying to "re-design the international system."

McCallum pointed out that the CCP’s technology and information theft operations not only use intelligence agents and cyber hackers, but also use corporate executives and academic researchers who have access to government and commercial secrets.

He also warned that the CCP authorities are using all means at their disposal to monitor and intimidate overseas Chinese.

"It's happening all over the world, from coercion, to forcibly repatriating Chinese citizens, to harassment and attacks," the British intelligence chief said. "We're seeing more signs of this kind of repression."

Last month, an incident in Manchester, England, where the Chinese Consulate was suspected of beating a Hong Kong citizen living in the UK caused international condemnation.

At that time, during the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Hong Kong native in the UK held a protest against the CCP and its general secretary Xi Jinping outside the Consulate General of the CCP in Manchester. Video circulating on social media showed a protester being dragged through a gate into the Chinese consulate in Manchester, where he was attacked by five men. 

Recently, dozens of "police service stations" outside the CCP's borders have also aroused the vigilance of various countries. The agency appears to be a global network used by Beijing to crack down on dissent. The CCP police claim that their responsibilities include "gathering intelligence" and "solving disputes among overseas Chinese," as well as urging fugitives to return home, among others. 

McCallum said that the CCP’s United Front Work Department and other front-line organizations are using these overseas police stations to put pressure on those who challenge the CCP’s regime’s “core interests,” including supporters of democracy in Hong Kong and human rights in Xinjiang.

"We can expect it to increase further as (General Secretary Xi Jinping) consolidates power indefinitely," McCallum stressed. "Intimidation or harassment of British nationals or those who call Britain home will never be tolerated."

A more comprehensive system is needed to deal with these threats, he said. As a result, the UK government has recently announced the creation of an interdepartmental working group focused on protecting democracy and freedom.

As McCallum delivered his report, on the eve of the start of the 2022 World Cup, he used football as a metaphor to illustrate the threat China poses to Western values.

"They're trying to rewrite the rules, buy out the entire league and recruit our coaches to work for them," he said.

This week, FBI Director Christopher Wray also told Congress that the Chinese government’s practice of setting up unauthorized “police stations” in U.S. cities to conduct potential infiltration operations violates the law. American sovereignty is therefore deeply concerned. (understand more)

He also said that the Chinese Communist Party's intelligence activities constitute "the greatest long-term threat to our country's ideological, innovative and economic security" and hope to replace the United States and "influence the world with a value system shaped by non-democratic, authoritarian ideals."

"When it comes to economic espionage, (the CCP) uses everything at its disposal against us," Lei said. "On the cyber side, China's massive hacking program is the largest in the world. More personal and business data than all other countries combined."

He said the FBI is leading an interagency counterintelligence group called the National Counterintelligence Task Force, which aims to apply a "whole-of-government approach to counterintelligence" that links the powers and operational capabilities of all U.S. intelligence agencies with those outside the borders of the country's federal, state and local law enforcement.