Research, editing : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA
News on CCP, disease control, U.S., Iran, Indonesia, Myanmar, Thailand
News (1)
"Pneumonia plus respiratory failure" is considered a death from the epidemic, Netizens refute the official statement
Reporter : Zhu Ying / Editor : Lin Qing / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2022/12/20/a103602827.html / Image : On 19 December 2022, two medical staff in protective suits sent a critically ill patient to the fever clinic at Shanghai Huadong Hospital. (Hector Retamal/AFP via Getty Images)
“肺炎加呼吸衰竭”才算染疫死 卫健委说法挨轰
Recently, netizens have exposed the scene that a large number of dead bodies in hospitals and funeral parlors in many places in China could not be processed in time. . The National Health Commission of the Communist Party of China publicly declared on the 20th that death due to pneumonia and respiratory failure after infection with the virus is considered a death from the new crown.
On 20 December 2022, the Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism of the State Council of the Communist Party of China held a press conference on the covid epidemic. Wang Guiqiang, director of the Infectious Diseases Department of Peking University First Hospital, came forward to explain to the media the current official criteria of the Chinese Communist Party for judging the covid death.
Wang Guiqiang claimed that the National Health Commission recently organized experts to conduct demonstrations, clarified the national standards for classifying related death cases, and issued a notice. The specific criteria are: pneumonia and respiratory failure caused by covi are the primary death diagnoses, which are classified as covid deaths caused by the covi infection; deaths caused by other diseases, basic diseases, such as cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, myocardial infarction, etc. are not classified as a covid death.
Wang Guiqiang then claimed that from the clinical situation, the main cause of death after infection with the Omicron strain is the underlying disease. "There are very few cases of respiratory failure directly caused by the covi infection."
Chinese netizens did not buy the above-mentioned statement made by the CCP officials. Most of the Chinese netizens who commented on the relevant Hong Kong media reports were cynic or directly refuted the official judgment standard.
A Fujian netizen left a message: "I remember that judging whether there is a causal relationship in the criminal law is to remove the cause and then see if the same effect will occur. I just want to ask, if they are not infected with covid, will these same people with underlying diseases die at the same time, in the same place, and from the same cause?"
A netizen from Guangxi added to the thread: "He survived the first stabbing, and someone else made another stabbing to his death, what should be the sentence?"
A Shandong netizen also left a message to question: "Originally, with good basic disease care, you can die, but the death was caused by covi as the last straw. Experts said that it has nothing to do with covi? Huh? Is this logical?"
Another netizen from Xinjiang commented: "I don't do nucleic acid (testing) anymore, and I don't know why I died. Is there any point in discussing it?"
A Jiangsu netizen said bluntly: "That data is unbearable. Look at how many cases are only announced now. According to your method, the statistics are multiplied by 100 times. Although it is true, many people don't want to see it."
A Zhejiang netizen also said frankly: "Anyway, all deaths due to covi infection are attributed to underlying diseases."
A Jiangxi netizen pointed out in a post: "Just pretending to be stupid. How busy are the hospital crematoriums when there is no covid?"
In the past month, many provinces and cities in mainland China have experienced a full-scale outbreak of the covi infection. A large number of remains have not been cremated yet and have been accumulated in hospitals and funeral parlors. However, the official daily number of covid deaths announced by the public is very small. Criticism of the CCP’s concealment of the death data from the epidemic has been criticized by the outside world. It has been escalated from the initial deception to the level of almost “streaking”.
Reuters reported on the 20th that Airfinity, a British medical information analysis company, pointed out at the end of November 2022 that it would compare China's epidemic data with the Hong Kong BA. It is low and lacks mixed antibodies. It can be speculated that after the control measures are completely relaxed, 1.3 million to 2.1 million people may die.
After the Center for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington updated the epidemic estimation model on 16 December, Christopher Murray, director of the center, said that according to the new model, by 2023, China will have more than 1 million people have died due to the epidemic, and it will reach its peak in April next year. By then, about 1/3 of the Chinese population will have been infected with the covid virus.
News (2) to (8) / Editor : Li Qiong / https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/22/12/20/n13888482.htm
News (2)
CCP experts talk about the death standard analysis of the epidemic: Extremely unreasonable
Image : On 7 December 2022, there was a long queue outside the fever clinic of a hospital in Beijing. (Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)
中共专家谈染疫死亡标准 分析：极不合理
The epidemic has recently broken out in various parts of China. It has been reported that a large number of people have contracted high fevers, and funeral parlors are also full. However, the official announced that there were only 7 deaths in this wave of epidemics, and gave a judgment standard. According to the analysis, this standard is extremely unreasonable. It is different from most overseas countries. The purpose is obvious. The purpose of concealing the truth is to maintain the regime but it ignores people's livelihood.
News (3)
The standard of death from the epidemic discussed by the CCP experts is different from that of most countries
Wang Guiqiang, an expert from Peking University, said at the press conference of the Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism of the State Council of the Communist Party of China on 20 December that the National Health Commission has recently clarified the classification of death cases.
Wang Guiqiang said, "Currently, the main causes of death after infection with the Omicron strain are underlying diseases, the elderly, and other diseases. Few people actually die directly from respiratory failure caused by the covi infection. "
Regarding the death situation after the epidemic, Wang Guiqiang said, "There are mainly two aspects. The death caused by pneumonia and respiratory failure caused by the new coronavirus is classified as the death caused by the new coronavirus infection. Other diseases, basic diseases, such as heart and brain Deaths from vascular disease, myocardial infarction, etc. do not classify it as a death from COVID-19."
In this regard, current affairs commentator Hui Huyu analyzed to The Epoch Times on the 20th that the CCP’s classification method, when viewed separately, has no problem with the two criteria, but the CCP did not say that the covi caused the aggravation of the underlying disease and caused death. Is it covid? Or underlying disease? If this point is not specifically stated, it means that the CCP will definitely count such deaths as deaths from underlying diseases.
He said, "This is different from foreign standards. In the United States, cases where covi causes the recurrence of the underlying disease or the death of the underlying disease are considered deaths caused by the covid virus."
Current affairs commentator Li Lin also told The Epoch Times on Tuesday, "In some overseas countries, as long as people's deaths are tested covi-positive, they will be judged to have died of covid. This standard of the Chinese Communist Party will cause international doubts. How many people died in China? Why do the authorities adopt double standards that are not in line with international standards?"
News (4)
Analysis: This standard is extremely unreasonable
As for how to standardize the death statistics caused by the covid virus, Wang Guiqiang also said, "Consultation and death discussions should be adopted to make a final determination whether the patient died of covid or other underlying diseases."
Li Linyi analyzed to The Epoch Times on the 20th that the death standards announced by CCP experts are extremely strict. Not only do you have to die from "pneumonia and respiratory failure caused by the covid virus", but you must also go through an official "consultation and discussion of death cases". "This standard is extremely unreasonable."
Hui Huyu used a metaphor to say that the CCP’s classification is like if a person takes some drugs, the drug itself will not cause death, but it will cause the person to lose his mind and be accidentally killed by a car on the street. If he was hit and killed, according to the logic of the CCP, he was hit by a car, not a death caused by drug use.
"But this death was caused by drug use, but drug use is not the direct cause, but drug use is the beginning of the causal chain of death. The logic of the CCP's classification of new crown deaths is to ignore the source and only focus on the direct cause closest to the result." He said .
News (5)
The CCP wants to avoid social repercussions and condemnation caused by too many covid deaths
Hui Huyu believes that the purpose of the CCP in doing this is "to reduce the number of deaths from covid statistically, and to avoid the social repercussions and condemnation caused by too many deaths."
The CCP usually uses experts to endorse it. Zhang Ming, a professor at Renmin University of China, wrote that many university scholars with high status in academia, many official titles and part-time jobs in society spend their entire lives explaining official policies. Today the official said to go east, and he said it was right; tomorrow the official said to go west, and he continued to say that going west is good. Zhang Min believes that today's academia is already very degrading in the eyes of ordinary people.
News (6)
Epidemics broke out in large areas in various places, and the CCP deliberately lowered the death toll
At the beginning of December, the CCP canceled the three-year “clear” policy of epidemic prevention, suddenly relaxed restrictions on public places, and canceled the requirements for nucleic acid testing and health code access. Subsequently, epidemics broke out in various places, there was an extreme shortage of fever medicines, hospital resources were run out, and funeral parlors were full. The National Health Commission has so far reported only seven deaths from the virus.
Ms. Wang, a well-known woman in Beijing, told The Epoch Times today, "I had a high fever of 38.8 to 40 degrees, and I couldn't get up for two days. It is conceivable that the situation of older infected people will be worse." , the authorities did not strictly follow the scientific method, and it was a mess; medicines were in short supply; some hospitals in Beijing were closed, and all doctors were infected.
Li Linyi said, "In fact, the number of covid deaths in China is much higher than what has been exposed now. Some people died of the epidemic at home, but after the death, the doctors and nurses in the hospital have no time to deal with the dead. and determine the cause of this person’s death.”
"After some people died, when they were cremated, the authorities did not allow their family members to fill in the cause of death as covid; some (some) were buried, etc. So, the CCP deliberately and significantly lowered the number of deaths." He said.
The WeChat account “野的不秋@xz1999999” disclosed that what is most extreme in Beijing this time is that people who died from the infection of the covid asked their family members to choose whether the cause of death was the covid or pneumonia. If you choose the covid, the morgue and crematorium may not accept it...It is to force the family to choose pneumonia, so that the number of deaths from the epidemic cannot be counted...
He said, "In order to win, morality and law can be disregarded, and now humanity can also be disregarded."
News (7)
The epidemic has already broken out, and the CCP has been concealing it in order to maintain stability
Concerned that this wave of deaths came so quickly, a high-level official in Beijing’s political and legal system anonymously told Radio Free Asia that before the CCP loosened the epidemic prevention measures, there were already large-scale infections in the medical system, many medical staff and elderly people were infected, and the death toll Overwhelmed, funeral homes overwhelmed, the medical system collapsing, yet the authorities have been hiding the truth.
He said that his relatives were infected during their recuperation in the hospital, and then moved to many of the best hospitals in Beijing. In the end, they still died of the new crown, but the death conclusion written by the doctor was a urinary tract infection. His immediate family was cremated five days after his death in hospital.
Li Linyi analyzed that the purpose of the CCP's concealment is to show the so-called "institutional advantages", which is actually to maintain its own regime. This is also a lie that the authorities have been upholding.
News (8)
If CCP system is worse than the West, there is no need for CCP to rule China
He said that for the legitimacy of the CCP in power, the authorities have always wanted to demonstrate the so-called "superiority" of the CCP system through certain events. Because once this system is proven to be worse than that of the West, then there is no need for the CCP to be in power.
However, Ms. Wang told The Epoch Times, “You really can’t see an effective government serving the people. However, it is impossible to want such a government in China. In addition to oppressing and exploiting the people, the CCP government does also There are no other functions."
How serious is this wave of epidemic? Analysis by modeling groups predicts as many as 2.1 million deaths could result, Reuters reported. According to Christopher Murray, director of the Center for Health Metrics and Evaluation Research, about one-third of the Chinese population will be diagnosed by then.
The Center for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington predicted in an updated model on the 16th that more than 1 million people will die in China by 2023, and the peak will be reached in April next year, and the number of deaths will accumulate from 322,000.
News (9)
Many Chinese celebrities have died suddenly recently, and the Internet questioned: Can't you say that you died from the epidemic?
Image : Chu Lanlan, a famous Peking opera actress, died suddenly at the age of 40. The outside world suspected that she died after being diagnosed with covid. (The picture is taken from Weibo)
The epidemic situation in China has recently intensified but the National Health Commission of China has only announced a small number of deaths so far, which has caused people to doubt whether the government has covered-up and there is a "black number" of deaths. Recently, many celebrities in China have died suddenly, including Peking opera actress Chu Lanlan, and Tsinghua University professor Wu Guanying, who designed the Beijing Olympic mascot. Many netizens suspected that they died of covid.
According to comprehensive foreign media reports, Beijing Vocational Academy of Traditional Chinese Opera issued an obituary on the 19th, stating that Chu Lanlan passed away due to illness at 1 am on 18 December, at the age of 40. Chu Lanlan's sudden death caused speculation from all walks of life. One of Chu Lanlan's apprentices claimed that she "died away due to complications of a certain epidemic pneumonia", and this "certain epidemic pneumonia" may be due to the covi mutant strain Omicron.
The CCP's official media "Beijing Daily" reported that Wu Guanying, the mascot designer of the Beijing Olympics and a professor at the Academy of Fine Arts of Tsinghua University, died in the morning of 20 December 2022 at the age of 67 after contracting a "severe cold". The official claim that Wu Guanying died of a "severe cold" has aroused doubts on Weibo: "Is the covid severe?", "I dare not say covid", "What is a 'severe cold'?", "In this way, one death case does not need to be remembered. On the head of covid", "Is it impossible to say covid directly?", "Proper noun: severe cold", "What a severe cold, is it Omicron?"
In addition to Chu Lanlan and Wu Guanying, the 37-year-old former Chinese Super League football player Wang Ruoji also died of complications from covid. Others include Fang Xuehui, vice president of the Overseas Chinese Photographic Society of China, Chen Jingliang, former director and party secretary of the China Film Art Research Center, and a famous pharmacist. Wei Shuli and others have all passed away recently. The above-mentioned causes of death of many people are all "death due to illness", and the word "covid" is not mentioned.
News (10)
Mild infection symptoms in Guangzhou? It is reported on the Internet that the morgues of many hospitals are in emergency
Editor : Zheng Gusheng / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2022/12/20/a103602885.html
According to the official propaganda of the CCP, the virus strain circulating in Guangzhou is the "mildest" but with the outbreak of the epidemic in China, Guangzhou can no longer support it. Screenshots of the Guangzhou official coordination group circulated on the Internet show that many hospitals have a backlog of covi-positive corpses.
On 20 October, a screenshot of the Guangzhou “TPJ Management Liaison Group for Medical Institutions” leaked online. Judging from the content of the screenshot, "TPJ" in the group name may be the pinyin abbreviation of "mortuary".
The screenshot shows that the management staff of many hospitals in Guangzhou called the group member "@陈兵" to request coordination and transfer of the backlog of remains in the hospital. According to public information, Chen Bing is the deputy director of the Funeral Management Office of the Guangzhou Civil Affairs Bureau.
The content of the screenshot includes: The Second People’s Hospital of Guangdong Province claimed to have 16 remains, 12 of which were positive (referring to infection with the CCP virus), and many of them died for more than 48 hours, the longest being 72 hours;
There are currently 7 cases in the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University (Zhongshan Third Hospital), and 2 cases are covi-positive;
There are currently 7 cases in the Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine of Southern Medical University, 6 cases are covi-positive, and the longest storage time is more than 70 hours;
One covi-positive body from Changgang Branch of Guangzhou Red Cross Hospital (City Red Cross Hospital);
The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University currently has 24 cases, and the longest death time is 96 hours.
Among them, the mortuary of the Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine of Southern Medical University can store at most 2 corpses, but there are 7 of them; the Changgang Branch of the City Honghui Hospital has no mortuary at all, and there is also a covi-positive corpse stranded.
The Changgang Branch of the Municipal Red Society Hospital stated that the deceased died at 9.11 am on 19 December, indicating that the body had also been stored for a long time.
This screenshot shows that many hospitals in Guangzhou have been accumulating remains for many days, which makes people wonder whether the local funeral home has been overloaded.
At present, there are reports of the collapse of the funeral system in Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Henan, and Liaoning provinces. There are a large number of videos on the Internet showing corpses piled up in hospital morgues and funeral parlors, and hearses lined up outside funeral parlors. It is reported that some funeral parlors in Beijing schedule the appointment for cremation of the remains one month later, and the "black market" asking price for "expedited cremation" ranges from 10,000 yuan to tens of thousands of RMB.
In previous official propaganda, the virus strain prevalent in Guangzhou was "very weak". Recently, a large number of videos have also been circulated on the Internet showing that fever clinics in many hospitals in Guangzhou are also overcrowded. There are doctors in the Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine who are still seeing patients in the queue while wearing hanging bottles. In another clinic in Guangzhou, all the patients fainted to the ground, and the other patients were paralyzed, and no one helped them.
According to online information, many infected people in various parts of China have recently developed high fever and other symptoms, and CT scans of many infected people showed severe pneumonia symptoms, and a large number of deaths occurred. Many netizens believe that this is no longer a symptom of Omicron, so they wonder whether the virus has produced a new covi variant in China. Some people even speculate whether the CCP deliberately released new strains.
News (11) to (15) / Editor: Chen Beichen / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2022/12/20/a103602666.html
News (11)
The U.S. and Europe extend a helping hand to help China fight the epidemic but are rejected. Analysis: The CCP is afraid of being slapped in the face
Image : People line up at a pharmacy to buy medicines in response to the covid pandemic in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu province, 20 December 2022. (STR/AFP via Getty Images)
The CCP’s epidemic prevention policy has suddenly changed, and due to insufficient preparation, the number of cases has surged. Officials and health experts in Europe and the United States are paying attention to the epidemic in mainland China, worried that the lack of medical equipment and vaccines under the CCP’s rule may cause the tragedy of millions of deaths.
Reuters reported that European and U.S. officials are holding cautious behind-the-scenes talks with China, hoping to help China fight the epidemic. However, expert analysis believes that the CCP is unwilling to accept international aid even at the cost of people's lives, because this is a slap in the face of the CCP's self-proclaimed "superior system."
News (12)
Europe and the United States extend a helping hand to discuss the fight against the epidemic with Beijing
Currently, some U.S. and European officials are trying to figure out how they can help China contain the epidemic while mitigating further damage to the global economy and further deterioration of corporate supply chains.
Last Wednesday, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the United States was ready to provide China with assistance in fighting the outbreak, as long as Beijing asked for it. And Kirby mentioned that Beijing has not yet expressed the relevant requirements. "We have indicated that we are ready to provide any form of assistance they deem acceptable."
US national security adviser Jake Sullivan (Jake Sullivan) said last week that when Washington officials visited Beijing earlier this month in preparation for Secretary of State Blinken's visit early next year, US officials discussed with Beijing officials how to deal with China's covid epidemic problem but Sullivan did not disclose more detailed information.
"We hope China (the CCP) handles the covid outbreak correctly," Blinken said earlier this month. "It's in the interests of the Chinese people first and foremost, and it's in the interests of the people of the world."
News (13)
Accepting Western aid is equivalent to "exploding the CCP's propaganda"
International health experts said that the medical system prepared in advance, sharing epidemic data, and maintaining transparent communication will help effectively fight the covid virus but China under the CCP lacks relevant information.
The CCP government has always insisted that its one-party system is the most suitable for fighting the epidemic, and claims that domestic vaccines are superior, but the international community holds the opposite attitude.
Reuters reported that the West hopes to help contain a health and economic crisis in China, and possibly even globally, in a way that the Chinese government may be willing to accept.
"China's (CCP's) vaccine nationalism is closely related to Xi Jinping's pride. Accepting Western aid will not only embarrass Xi Jinping, but also expose his propaganda—that is, the superiority of the CCP's governance model." Defend Democracy Foundation (Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said Craig Singleton, deputy director of China programs.
News (14)
Commentator: Vaccine dispute may shake the legitimacy of the Chinese Communist Party
New York commentator Li Linyi told The Epoch Times, “The CCP will not easily accept any high-tech assistance from the West in the new crown epidemic. The most typical one is Western vaccines. The CCP knows that Western vaccines are more effective than domestic vaccines, but they still don’t It is approved to allow Chinese people to receive foreign vaccines. But sometimes the CCP cannot keep up with masks, medicines, etc., and the CCP is still willing to accept these aids.
"Among them, there is a dispute over the system. The authorities have been advocating that the CCP's system is superior to the Western system, so once they accept the Western vaccine and the Western idea of anti-epidemic, it will appear that the CCP's system is inferior to others. This is an impact on the legitimacy of the CCP regime. Therefore, the authorities would rather let the people use inferior vaccines, even if more people die, than let the Chinese people question the legitimacy of the CCP’s governance.
"So looking back at German Chancellor Schulz's visit to China, the result of Schulz's negotiations with the CCP is that Germans in China can get overseas vaccines. Although Schulz expressed that Chinese people can choose to vaccinate overseas due to their desire for a vaccine, so far there has been no progress. These are actually based on the CCP’s logic of maintaining stability.”
What assistance can the West provide?
According to Reuters, areas where the West may provide assistance include Pfizer's latest mRNA vaccines, treatments and medicines. Many experts believe that Western mRNA vaccines are more effective than Chinese domestic vaccines.
German Chancellor Scholz also mentioned the vaccine issue when he visited Beijing last month, and Ugur Sahin, CEO of German BioNTech, accompanied him on the visit. For more than two years, BioNTech has been working hard to obtain a license to sell a covid vaccine in China.
White House covid response coordinator Ashish Jha told the media, "We stand ready to help any country in the world in terms of vaccines, treatments and other help we can provide."
U.S. drugmaker Pfizer reached a deal last week to export anti-covid drug Paxlovid to China through a local company, and said it was working with relevant parties to ensure sufficient supplies.
News (15)
Expert: CCP’s inadequate preparations make tragedy unavoidable
Due to the raging epidemic, the business of many overseas companies in China has been deeply affected. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell expressed his concern last week. "China faces great challenges in reopening," Powell said. China's manufacturing industry Exports and supply chains remain precarious and "in a dangerous situation".
Some international health experts also expressed despair, thinking that it may be too late for China to avoid a tragedy of the epidemic.
"What would you do if a category 5 hurricane hits in an hour and a half? If you haven't (prepared) by now, it will be too late." Michael Oss, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota Michael Osterholm said.
"In the next few weeks, this epidemic will hit (China)," he said. "Unfortunately, they (the CCP) did not consider this six or 10 months ago. They could have fought for themselves time to put yourself in a better position."
More than 160 million people in China are believed to have diabetes and 8 million Chinese over the age of 80 are unvaccinated, risk factors for a worsening outbreak, said Yanzhong Huang, senior fellow for global health at the Council on Foreign Relations.
South Korea has one of the lowest covid death rates among major countries, said Jerome Kim, director of the International Vaccine Institute in Seoul.
South Korean officials have set up health centers and apps to tell patients how to avoid infecting others, he said. "Has China set up (the same facility)? We don't know."
News (16)
European and American lawmakers meet with Tsai Ing-wen on the same day to deepen bilateral cooperation
Reporter : Yan Shu / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2022/12/21/a103603073.html
President Tsai Ing-wen of the Republic of China was in Taipei on the 20th and met with visiting delegations from the European Parliament and the U.S. Congress to seek to deepen bilateral cooperation.
Tsai Ing-wen received a delegation led by Asima Coppolo, vice-president of the European Parliament's International Trade Committee (INTA) on Tuesday. Then the two sides held talks.
Tsai Ing-wen said that in the face of the continuous expansion of global authoritarianism, Taiwan has the ability and willingness to strengthen cooperation with global democratic partners.
Tsai Ing-wen, President of the Republic of China: "I look forward to further deepening the partnership between Taiwan and the EU, and working together to build a resilient democratic alliance."
Asima Coppolo said that the trade and investment partnership between the EU and Taiwan is a strategic relationship with geopolitical significance, and the continuous deepening of bilateral relations can be mutually beneficial. A bilateral investment agreement was reached between them.
She also said that the EU opposes unilateral changes in the status quo across the Taiwan Strait.
Asima Coppolo, vice-chairman of the European Parliament's International Trade Committee: "The EU opposes China's use or threat of use of force against Taiwan, as well as economic coercion."
On the same day, Tsai Ing-wen also met with a delegation from the US Congress led by Representative Kuang Xiheng.
Kuang Xiheng said that the United States supports Taiwan's prosperity across parties.
U.S. Rep. Kuang Xiheng: "Taiwan's prosperity has the support of both parties (in the U.S.), both houses of Congress. It matters to all of us"
Tsai Ing-wen thanked both houses of the U.S. Congress for recently passing the National Defense Authorization Act, which supports arms sales to Taiwan, for assisting Taiwan in safeguarding democracy.
Breaking News
News (17)
Elon Musk to resign as Twitter CEO
Reporter : Claudia Aoraha / https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11560497/Elon-Musk-resign-CEO-defeat-Twitter-poll.html
Elon Musk will resign as Twitter CEO after being defeated in his own disastrous poll, he confirmed tonight.
The Tesla boss said on Sunday he would 'abide by' the result of the poll he organized and promised to honor - where he asked users whether he should step down.
Tonight, he confirmed that he'd be stepping down from the roll - after he finds a replacement "foolish enough" to take over.
The billionaire tweeted: "I will resign as CEO as soon as I find someone foolish enough to take the job! After that, I will just run the software & servers teams."
News (18)
Xi's visit to Saudi Arabia upholds the sovereignty of the three islands, causing Iran's dissatisfaction
Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Saudi Arabia a few days ago, and in the joint statement of the "China-Gulf Arab States Cooperation Council Summit" (GCC, GCC) mentioned three islands with disputed sovereignty Abu Musa, Greater and Lesser Tunbs, caused dissatisfaction in Iran.
The statement stated that the two sides will support all peaceful efforts, including the initiative and efforts of the United Arab Emirates to conduct bilateral negotiations in accordance with the norms of international law to peacefully resolve the three islands issue, so as to resolve the issue in accordance with international legal principles.
Although Iran was not named in the article, the statement still aroused dissatisfaction in Tehran, and it rarely summoned the Chinese ambassador. The Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that when officials and Chinese ambassador to Iran Chang Hua held a meeting on the 10th, the Iranian side expressed strong dissatisfaction with China's "incorporation of the issue of Iran's territorial integrity into the statement", emphasizing that the above-mentioned three islands "have never and will never become object of negotiation by other countries".
The three islands of Abu Musa, Greater and Lesser Tunbs are located on the center line of the main channel of the Strait of Hormuz connecting the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean. This strait is the only waterway entering the Persian Gulf. When the British army withdrew from the Middle East in 1971, it once They brokered an agreement between Iran and the United Arab Emirates to divide and govern Abu Musha Island, the largest island, and the other two islands to be negotiated by the two disputed parties. However, after the withdrawal of the British forces, Iran took full control and refused to negotiate.
In recent years, Iran has been hit by international sanctions due to the nuclear agreement issue. This time, the conflict with China may cause suspicion between the two countries, which have had close ties in the past.
News (19)
China's crude oil is highly dependent on Iran, and Russian oil has changed
In 2015, Iran and six countries including the United States signed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) agreement, commonly known as the Iran Nuclear Agreement, mainly in exchange for the relaxation of Western economic sanctions in exchange for Iran’s concession on the nuclear issue. In 2018, the then U.S. President Trump (Donald Trump) unilaterally announced his withdrawal from the Iran nuclear agreement and re-intensified economic sanctions on Iran.
Under U.S. sanctions, the export of Iranian crude oil and petroleum products is restricted, but China continues to purchase and has always been a loyal buyer of Iranian oil. Iran's crude oil reserves account for nearly 10% of the world's total, and its economy is highly dependent on the oil industry. Therefore, CCP China's act of maintaining imports is equivalent to a life-saving straw for Tehran.
The data pointed out that in January 2022, the total amount of Iranian oil imported by China exceeded 700,000 barrels per day, breaking the record of 623,000 barrels per day set by China Customs in 2017. However, after the Ukraine war broke out in February, Russian oil exports were restricted. In order to maintain supply, China has become an important destination for Russian oil. As a result, Iran, which is also facing US sanctions, has been greatly restricted in crude oil transportation, and the competition for crude oil sales has intensified. To be able to maintain its competitiveness in the Chinese market, Iran can only further reduce prices.
After a slight decline in April, imports exceeded 700,000 bpd in May and June, Kpler data showed. Consulting firm FGE revealed that Russian Urals crude oil (Urals) has replaced some Iranian oil.
Vandana Hari, founder of Singapore-based energy research firm Vanda Insights, said in an interview earlier that the only competition between Russian and Iranian oil could end up in China, a situation that would benefit Beijing while potentially making Iran uneasy because the only precious market they have left is being occupied by heavily discounted crude oil.
Image : Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (left) and Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif (right) signed the "China-Iran 25-year Strategic Cooperation Agreement" in March 2021. (Associated Press file photo)
News (20)
The "25-year strategic cooperation agreement between China and Iran" is facing a test
CCP China and Iran, which are also regarded as rivals by the United States, have been getting closer in recent years under the constant pressure from Washington. China is not only Iran's largest trading partner, but also an ally for many years. The two sides reached an agreement in 2016. During the year, the trade volume between the two sides will be increased by more than 10 times to US$600 billion.
After five years of negotiations, the foreign ministers of China and Iran formally signed the "China-Iran 25-year Strategic Cooperation Agreement" in March 2021, covering issues such as politics, justice, economy, and energy. Details of the agreement were not announced.
According to the draft published by The New York Times, China promised in the agreement to invest 400 billion U.S. Dollars in Iran's banking, telecommunications, ports, railways, health care, and information technology in the next 25 years in exchange for a stable and discounted oil supply. The draft also calls for the two sides to deepen military cooperation, including joint exercises, joint research, weapons research and development, and intelligence sharing. The New York Times pointed out that the agreement is expected to deepen China's influence in the Middle East and weaken the effectiveness of the United States in isolating Iran.
The Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the 25-year strategic cooperation agreement between China and Iran is a roadmap for trade, economic and transportation cooperation, focusing on the private sectors of both parties. Iran believes that the agreement can help deepen the relationship between Iran and China.
However, the news of Sino-Iranian cooperation has received quite polarized responses from the people of Iran. Supporters believe that Iran’s move can ease economic sanctions and pressure from the United States and Western countries; on the other hand, there are actually many anti-China plots in Iran, and opponents are worried. The agreement will transfer too many Iranian interests in exchange for China's support, and some netizens launched the "#No2ChinaIRAccord" action on Twitter, asking China to get out of Iran.
Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Saudi Arabia a few days ago. After the meeting, the joint statement mentioned the sovereignty of the three disputed islands, which caused Iran's dissatisfaction.
News (21)
Iranian netizens criticize China, support "Taiwan Independence"
During Xi Jinping's visit to Saudi Arabia this time, the joint statement issued by China and the GCC mentioned the disputed sovereignty over the three islands, which once again aroused official dissatisfaction and public grievances in Iran. After the incident, Iranian media also shouted "Taiwan independence".
The Iranian newspaper "Arman Daily" published "Taiwan Independence. Legal Rights" as its front page headline on 10 December 2022, bluntly stating that "China has been suppressing the rights of Taiwanese people in a tough way." A number of other local media also wrote on the front pages "China confronts Iran", "China's attitude towards Iran has changed?", "China sends unfriendly signals towards Iran", etc. Most of them gave negative or pessimistic responses. .
Iranian public opinion overwhelmingly criticized China for "playing stupid" in order to win over Saudi Arabia. This move is tantamount to denying Tehran's position of not accepting negotiations with Saudi Arabia over the sovereignty of these islands.
The incident also triggered discussions on the Internet. Many Iranian netizens ridiculed China for "Taiwan independence", and even some netizens even criticized Xi Jinping, "If you have doubts about the sovereignty of Iran's Abu Musa, Greater and Lesser Tunbs three islands, we also have doubts about your idea of owning Taiwan and unifying China.”
Ref: https://ec.ltn.com.tw/article/breakingnews/4156880
News (22) to (29) / Report by : Kavi Chongkittavorn / https://www.irrawaddy.com/opinion/guest-column/two-new-potential-game-changers-in-myanmars-crisis.html
News (22)
Two new potential game-changers in Myanmar's crisis
Image : Web Screenshot
News (23)
2022 Burma Act aims to increase "non-lethal" support of NUG, EAOs, PDF and CRPH
The new catalyst would be increased support of the National Unity Government (NUG), ethnic armed organizations (EAOs), the People’s Defense Force (PDF), as well as the Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (CRPH), which was set up by ousted legislators.
To date, no Western countries have enacted such a law for such a purpose. It is well known that the US Congress often involves itself in the internal development of other countries by coming up with legislation and sanctions to punish groups or governments that, in their view, are not democratic and oppress their own people.
News (24)
Americans want to help Burmese restore democracy
In the case of Myanmar, it is very clear that the US wanted to help the Myanmar people to obtain democracy so they authorized the provision of so-called “non-lethal” assistance to the groups fighting the military regime in Naypyitaw, namely the NUG, EAOs and PDFs.
From a historical perspective, especially the wars in Southeast Asia, such “non-lethal” aid can sometimes become very lethal. The line is somewhat blurred. It could involve training and providing assistance to improve the recipients’ capacity to mitigate the defensive capacity of hostile forces.
Importance of peace progress in Myanmar or there will be a "mini-proxy war"
If there is no substantive progress in the coming months, the situation in Myanmar could spin out of control and gradually transform into a mini-proxy war.
News (25)
Min Aung Hlaing rejects dialogue with NUG and pro-civilian groups, lack of consensus from all stakeholders on August election
The State Administration Council (SAC), the official name of the military junta, plans to hold an election in August. If the SAC proceeds with the poll as planned, the next eight months could be bloody because there is still no political dialogue and no consensus from all stakeholders on what kind of election they would agree to have. Without any prior consultation among conflicting partners, the election and its outcome would be a sham.
News (26)
The Myanmar crisis may not be high on Jakarta's agenda
In addition, the incoming chair, Indonesia, has a different idea of the ways and means to deal with Myanmar. Fresh from the success of chairing the G20, Indonesian President Joko Widodo, who has been hailed as a global leader, may want to keep the focus on Indonesia’s priorities, which comprise multiple crises including food, energy, health, as well as digital transition. Therefore, the Myanmar crisis may not be as high on Jakarta’s agenda as it has been for the past two ASEAN chairmanships.
What kind of role is Indonesia going to take up? After the coup, Brunei Darussalam and the chair’s special envoy, Erywan Yusof, adopted a low and benign profile, pursuing the ASEAN 5-Point Consensus (5PC), albeit with minimal progress.
When the next chair, Cambodia, took over, both Prime Minister Hun Sen and his team were in overdrive mode. Believing his personal experience and good intentions would help usher Myanmar back into the ASEAN embrace and help end the quagmire, Hun Sen personally led the process. In the end, the military junta did not buy into the Cambodian chair’s appeals and proposals.
News (27)
Indonesia is expected to present the ASEAN agenda on Myanmar in January 2023
The incoming ASEAN chair, Indonesia, will be more circumspect but resolute in pressing for the implementation of the 5PC.
As the world’s third-largest democracy, Indonesia wants to contribute to democratization in Myanmar as the new chair can refocus the 5PC from the current trajectory to inclusive political dialogue. At the moment, it seems all the stakeholders are still not in the mood for negotiation as they are thinking they can win this war. The latest US Congress decision might embolden the opposition to intensify fighting to gain more assistance. Indonesia will present the ASEAN agenda under its tutelage at the foreign ministerial retreat later next month.
News (28)
Thailand has the highest stakes on Myanmar, refugees may flee towards Thailand
With a common border of 2,401 km with Myanmar, Thailand has the highest stakes if anything goes wrong. With the continued fighting inside Myanmar, more and more people are moving away from the northern region towards the South near the Thai border. Indeed, the Thai-Myanmar border is swollen and could burst at any time.
For the past two years, Thailand has been using quiet diplomacy, not silent diplomacy as political pundits have described, to ensure the country’s engagement with all concerned parties both in Naypyitaw and along areas of the border under the control of ethnic armed organizations. Since the coup in 2021, Thailand has wanted to make sure that all the key players in the conflict would be able to hold dialogue. So far, that has not been possible, given the current hostile situation inside Myanmar.
News (29)
Thailand's consultative dialogue with other ASEAN members on the Myanmar crisis on 22 December 2022
To jump-start an informal long-term process to build trust and confidence among the countries that have a direct or indirect interest in Myanmar’s quagmire, Thailand has invited its colleagues from ASEAN to join a consultative dialogue. The open-ended meeting, scheduled for Thursday, is not an ASEAN meeting. Thailand hopes that in the future, countries which share borders with Myanmar will be invited to exchange views.
All in all, the Myanmar quagmire has entered a new phase, which will become more intense with greater outside support for resistance groups. Thailand is ratcheting up its diplomacy both openly and discreetly in search of an exit strategy because the region has more to lose if the crisis in Myanmar continues.
See also: https://www.irrawaddy.com/in-person/interview/uss-burma-act-is-an-ultimatum-to-myanmar-regime.html
News (30)
"Fourth injection" in many places: different types of vaccination points, should people in "Yangkang" consitake it
Reporter : Wu Simin / Editor: Liu Yanghe / https://www.chinanews.com.cn/life/2022/12-21/9918663.shtml
With the rapid spread of new coronavirus variants, high-risk groups such as the elderly continue to face the risk of infection, and it is urgent to further strengthen preventive measures. At present, the coverage of the first booster dose of the new crown vaccine in my country's elderly population has yet to be expanded, and the vaccination plan for the second booster dose, which focuses on immune vulnerable groups, has been officially launched in many places across the country.
On the 13th, the Comprehensive Group of the Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism of the State Council issued the "Implementation Plan for the Second Dose of Novel Coronavirus Vaccine Enhanced Immunization" (hereinafter referred to as the "Implementation Plan"), proposing that at this stage, on the basis of the first dose of enhanced immunization, the The second dose of booster immunization is carried out among people at high risk of infection, people over 60 years old, people with more serious underlying diseases and people with low immunity.
First Financial Group found that only one week after the release of the implementation plan, as of the 20th, Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Changsha, Shijiazhuang, Zhengzhou, Haikou, Chongqing, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Anhui and other provinces and cities have officially launched the dose vaccination. The doses provided by regions and vaccination units vary.
"Vaccination work has been carried out by the preventive health care department of the hospital. Since the 16th, our community hospital can carry out the second dose of booster injection. But there are several problems in the work: First, the vaccines available in our hospital One of Feilong Koma's recombinant new crown vaccines; the second is that some of the people who came to consult the fourth injection recently are young and middle-aged people or people who have just become "Yangkang", and a considerable proportion of elderly people in the community have not yet started the first dose of booster injection. "The medical staff of a community hospital in Chongqing told China Business News.
Recently, the number of people infected with the new crown has increased rapidly in many places. Against this background, will vaccination increase the risk of exposure for the immune vulnerable population? If I get infected at the time of vaccination, can the fourth injection work in time? After "Yangkang", is it necessary to inoculate the fourth shot in the short term?
What is the starting effect of the "fourth injection"
Once the "fourth injection" of the covid for special groups was opened, it was quickly rolled out in many places across the country.
On the evening of the 19th, the official WeChat account "Shushan Release" of Shushan District, Hefei announced that in order to further improve the response to the new crown pneumonia epidemic, ensure the safety and health of the people, and facilitate the second dose of booster immunization for the general public, The Anhui Provincial Health Commission and the Anhui Provincial Data Resources Administration, relying on the health theme map of the Yangtze River Delta Government Map, launched a new crown vaccination point query service. The general public can check the relevant information of the new crown vaccination site on the Yangtze River Delta Government Map, find the most convenient vaccination site around, and go to receive the second dose of the booster vaccine.
On the 20th, China Business News learned from the Hefei multi-district community health service center that the city's second dose of booster vaccination has officially started. The doses provided by different vaccination sites are different. Among them, some vaccination sites provide inhaled c ovi vaccines for eligible booster immunization recipients, and some vaccination sites only provide two types of inactivated vaccines, Kexing and Kangtai Biological.
In Fuyang, another city in Anhui, a local district issued the "Notice on Comprehensively Carrying out Booster Inoculation of New Coronavirus Vaccines" on the 16th, which subdivided the second dose of booster injection into three categories: First, completed Inoculation of 3 doses of inactivated vaccines can optionally be given as a booster second dose of the covi vaccine; second, the adenovirus vector vaccine has been vaccinated twice (no distinction between intramuscular injection and inhalation, inhalation is not available for first-time vaccinators) , only adenovirus vector vaccines can be used for boosting; third, inactivated two doses + sequential booster vaccinations for the first dose continue to use the vaccine used for boosting the first dose [differentiate vaccine types (such as recombinant vaccines, adenovirus vector vaccines), not differentiate manufacturers].
"Three doses of Anhui Zhifeilong Coma Protein Recombinant (CHO cell) vaccine and people under 18 years of age do not need a second booster injection for the time being," the notice said.
Not only in Anhui, China Business News called many vaccination units in Shenzhen, Shijiazhuang, Chongqing, Shanghai and other places as vaccinators on 20 December. The relevant staff all said that the current dose reserve for the second dose of booster immunization is sufficient but the dosage is relatively limited.
"Our fourth vaccination service is not limited to immune vulnerable groups. As long as you have not had covid recently, you can come to us for the fourth vaccination after making an appointment. However, if you have received the first three injections for inactivated vaccines, we are temporarily unable to provide sequential boosts." A staff member of a vaccination unit in Shenzhen told reporters.
At this stage, the covi vaccines that have been approved for emergency use or conditional marketing in CCP China include four types: inactivated vaccines, recombinant protein vaccines, adenovirus vector vaccines, and influenza virus vector vaccines.
According to the implementation plan, all vaccines approved for conditional marketing or emergency use can be used for the second dose of booster immunization, but "sequential booster immunization should be given priority" or "use a strain containing Omicron or against Omicron Vaccines with good cross-immunity against Omicron".
Sequential booster immunization refers to heterologous booster immunization with vaccines of different technical routes. A number of studies at home and abroad have shown that heterologous booster immunization with vaccines of different technical routes can obtain a higher level of neutralizing antibodies.
Considering that in the early vaccination process, most of the recipients in China used three doses of inactivated vaccines. In the second dose of booster immunization, recombinant protein vaccines, adenovirus vector vaccines or influenza virus vector vaccines can be selected. Either way, this is also the eight recommended inoculation combinations listed in the embodiment. In addition, the implementation plan also recommends another vaccination method: "2 doses of CanSino intramuscular injection adenovirus vector vaccine + 1 dose of CanSino recombinant covi vaccine for inhalation".
"This week, the number of people who came to consult was significantly more than those who had actually been vaccinated (the fourth shot)." The above-mentioned medical staff of a community hospital in Chongqing told reporters.
She said that since late November, Chongqing has experienced a wave of infection peaks, and many local people have just "recovered from covid." Among these people, some people have "unbearable looking back" because of the infection experience, and some people hope to "superimpose the immune effect". There are many people who come to consult the "fourth shot", but these people do not meet the time interval requirements for the second dose of booster immunization.
"The number of elderly people who have actually completed the fourth dose of vaccination is still relatively limited." The medical staff said, first of all, the number of elderly people who have completed booster immunization in the community is still very limited. Even if it is completed, few people will reach the 6-month interval Secondly, during the peak period of infection, there is a greater risk of cross-infection during vaccination. Some elderly families with comorbid underlying diseases will not choose to take the elderly into and out of the hospital at this time.
Should "Yangkang" and non-immune vulnerable groups be vaccinated?
Up to now, my country has adjusted the interval between the booster vaccination of the covi vaccine for the elderly and the basic full vaccination from the original 6 months to 3 months, but the interval between the second dose of booster mmunization and the first dose of booster immunization for any population all need to be more than 6 months old.
For the "Yangkang" (covi-positive and healthy) group, after recovering from the infection, the time interval for re-boosting immunization is also recommended to be more than 6 months.
Suo Luodan, director of the Immunization Institute of the Beijing Center for Disease Control and Prevention, mentioned in a science popularization on the second dose of booster immunization on the 19th that according to the current national technical guidelines for the use of covi vaccines, it is rare to be reinfected within 6 months after a positive infection with the covid virus. Those with previous covi infection (patients or asymptomatic infections) can receive one dose after 6 months on the basis of full notification.
"The cycle of vaccination generally has two factors to measure. One is the degree of decline in the protective effect of the vaccine, that is, the duration of antibody maintenance after the latest vaccination, and the other is safety." A covid virus research expert told China Business News.
He said that for non-immune vulnerable people, if they have received three doses of vaccines, especially after experiencing an infection, the "memory" in immune B cells will persist even 6 months after the most recent antibody production , which means that the existing antibodies are still effective in preventing severe illness and death. On the contrary, if the booster immunization is carried out again in a short period of time after the production of natural antibodies, it is equivalent to another shock to the human immune system, which is unnecessary and unsafe.
In the opinion of the expert, there are two reasons why the elderly and other immune vulnerable groups need to be vaccinated with the "fourth shot": first, as time goes by, the level of neutralizing antibodies in the elderly declines more significantly; Second, these people are at risk of severe illness after being infected with covid. Therefore, it is necessary to have a "relatively strongest immune protection" in the body.
As for the reasons behind the "vaccination hesitation" mentioned by the grassroots vaccinators mentioned above, that is, when the number of covi-positive infections increases sharply, vaccination may increase the risk of exposure. The expert believes that it really needs to be taken seriously but in theory, if you get infected when you get vaccinated or on the way home, the vaccine can still play a certain role in immune protection.
So, is the covi vaccine only valid for 6 months? What's next for covid vaccinations?
Wang Huaqing, chief expert of the immunization program of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said at a press conference held by the Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism of the State Council on the 20th that the protective effect of the covid virus vaccine after vaccination is that one will produce antibodies, the other will produce cellular immunity, and it will also produce immunity to create immune memory. After vaccination, antibody levels will decrease over time. In addition, as the virus mutates, immune escape is also enhanced, further weakening the effect of antibodies. However, the effect of cellular immunity, especially in preventing severe illness and death, is relatively long-lasting.
Studies have shown that booster injections can on the one hand arouse the body's immune memory cells, and on the other hand, increase the level of antibodies, further consolidating the preventive effect on severe illness and death. "Therefore, we still emphasize that those who have not completed the booster immunization, as long as they meet the vaccination requirements, should complete the booster immunization as soon as possible in accordance with the immunization procedures to achieve a better protective effect. Of course, we should systematically evaluate the effect of booster immunization in the future. Evaluate and continually refine immunization strategies."
In the future, whether it is vaccine development or improvement of existing vaccines, Wang Huaqing said that we must start from two aspects: first, we must consolidate and achieve long-lasting and extensive protective immunity; second, we must start from blocking infection, to make further efforts to prevent transmission.
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