Research, editing : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA
News on the U.S., Japan, CCP
News (1)
Kennedy Jr. will address the nation on Friday on "the way forward"
Reporter : Li Haoyue / Editor : Ren Zijun / https://www.epochtimes.com/b5/24/8/21/n14315376.htm / Image : Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announces Nicole during a campaign event at the Henry J. Kaiser Event Center on March 26, 2024 in Oakland, California. Nicole Shanahan is his running mate and vice presidential candidate. Shanahan is a lawyer and technology entrepreneur in the San Francisco Bay Area. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
On Wednesday (21 August 2024), the 2024 independent presidential candidate of the United States Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced HE will address the nation on Friday (23 August 2024) in Phoenix, Arizona.
Stefanie Spear, a spokesperson for JFK Jr.'s campaign, posted on social media platform the announcement.
Ahead of the announcement, Kennedy Jr.'s running mate Nicole Shanahan said on Tuesday (August 20) in a podcast by Los Angeles media company Impact Theory that she was "totally supporting” JFK Jr.’s role in the future Trump administration. Shanahan also hinted that they might end the campaign and join forces with former President Trump.
Shanahan elaborated on the news to Fox News on Wednesday, saying the idea was to "fight together for the freedom of this country, to fight for the health of our children. We have the worst chronic health problems in the world right now. More than 50% of children are diagnosed with some kind of chronic disease."
"This is unconscionable and we are willing to work with anyone who has a sincere intention to resolve this issue," Shanahan said.
Shanahan emphasized that they felt it was "a very difficult decision" as they considered whether to end the campaign and support Trump. "Even thinking about it, it was difficult. It was indeed a very difficult decision, and we did not come to this critical moment lightly.”
Coincidentally, Trump will hold a campaign rally in Arizona on Friday in Glendale, about 20 minutes' drive from Phoenix.
According to Fox News, shortly before it was announced that Kennedy Jr. was about to deliver a national address, Amaryllis Fox Kennedy, Jr.’s daughter-in-law and campaign manager, sent an email to campaign staff.
She wrote, "In these months, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has never leaked information through informal channels to make his voice heard. He would never do so, especially at a time so important to all of us. moment. So please be patient until you hear his voice directly."
News (2)
The fake agent attended JFK's speech but was spotted by the real bodyguard in a second
Reporter : Lin Yan / https://www.epochtimes.com/b5/23/9/16/n14075230.htm / Image : File photo of 2024 Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (Enrico Trigoso/The Epoch Times)
The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) stated that on the afternoon of Friday (15 September 2023), an armed man was involved in the Democratic presidential campaign. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was spotted by security guards during his activities and was subsequently arrested by the police.
According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Prisoner Information Center, the suspect, 44-year-old Adrian Paul Aispuro, was booked on a felony firearm charge and his bail was set at $35,000.
Kennedy Jr. was scheduled to speak at the Wilshire Ebell Theater in Los Angeles from 4 to 8 p.m. ET on Friday to celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month.
The Los Angeles Police Department told the English Epoch Times that it received a call at about 4:30 p.m. and found a man appearing in front of the event venue. "He had a police badge on his collar, a gun, and a holster on his shoulder. He claimed to be U.S. Federal Police". Aspro was arrested by officers from the Los Angeles Police Department's Wilshire Station at 4:40 p.m.
A spokesman for Kennedy Jr. confirmed the incident to the English Epoch Times. When the incident occurred, Kennedy Jr. had not yet arrived at the venue.
A written statement provided by a Los Angeles Police Department officer to event representatives at the scene, obtained by The Epoch Times, said a man impersonated a federal agent and was carrying a handgun and ammunition... claiming to be hired to attend the event, but was not identified by security personnel. .
According to photos of the scene provided by the police, the suspect Aspro was wearing an EMS jacket, a pair of green pants, and a pair of yellow work boots.
Kennedy Jr. expressed his gratitude Friday night to the event's security team and police for their swift action to ensure his safety.
He wrote on social media, "The man was wearing two shoulder holsters containing loaded handguns. He had a U.S. Marshal badge on the spare magazine lanyard and a federal ID card on his belt clip. He claimed to be my security detail."
"Ready GDBA team members acted quickly to isolate and contain the man until the LAPD arrived and arrested the man. I also thank the LAPD for their quick response," he added.
The Epoch Times has reached out to the U.S. Marshals Service for comment.
In July, Kennedy Jr. said the White House had denied his request for Secret Service security.
"Since my father's assassination in 1968, the Secret Service has provided protection to presidential candidates," Kennedy Jr. wrote on the X. "But not to me."
According to the U.S. Secret Service, protection for presidential candidates begins 120 days before an election, meaning JFK Jr. would not be eligible for protection until July 2024.
The Kennedy family can be called the "American Royal Family", spanning several generations, possessing huge wealth and extraordinary political influence but in addition to money and power, there have been many accidents and frequent unnatural deaths among members of the Kennedy family over the past half century.
(English Epoch Times reporters Mimi Nguyen Ly and Rudy Blalock contributed to this article.)
News (3)
Trump will visit battleground states to focus on three major topics of concern to voters
Reporter : Chen Ting / Editor : Ye Ziwei / https://www.epochtimes.com/b5/24/8/19/n14313451.htm / Image : On 17 August 2024, Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Trump interacted with voters at a campaign rally in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
Former U.S. President Trump will visit the U.S.-Mexico border and hold campaign events and deliver speeches in various battleground states to increase campaigning momentum and influence challenging the Democrats' national convention in Chicago. Vice President Kamala Harris has been formally nominated as a presidential candidate at the convention.
This week, Trump is visiting five battleground states and focusing on three key issues of concern to voters including immigration, the economy and crime rates. In the past few weeks, Trump had only held one or two rallies a week.
On Monday, Trump speaks on economic issues in York, Pennsylvania. On Tuesday, he speaks on crime in Michigan and on Wednesday, he is travelling to North Carolina to speak on national security.
On Thursday, Trump is delivering a speech on immigration in Arizona and visiting the border at Montezuma Pass. Officials said he is speaking in front of the unfinished border wall.
On Friday, Trump will hold rallies in Arizona and Nevada to end this week's schedule. The speech in Las Vegas, Nevada, is expected to focus on eliminating the tip tax.
Next, Trump and his allies will hold daily press conferences. The Trump campaign said it hoped the events would provide a stark contrast to Democrats.
Trump's campaign adviser pointed out that Kamala Harris has not held a formal press conference since locking up the Democratic presidential nomination. If Kamala is forced to have on-the-spot policy discussions, she will be detrimental to the Democratic Party's election.
Trump campaign advisers Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles told the media: "When Kamala Harris evades questions from the media and attempts to walk back her extreme policies... President Trump and Senator Vance will bring the message of "America First" to voters in battleground states across the United States."
The Trump team believes that Americans' real economic situation is worse than four years ago, which makes ordinary families realize that the policies promoted by the Democratic Party are "a disaster."
They believe: "President Trump and Senator Vance will remind voters that under their leadership, we can end inflation, protect our communities from violent criminals, secure our borders, and make America great again."
This week, Trump’s running mate, Senator J.D. Vance, will also travel to swing states, holding separate rallies in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Georgia, and facing voters with Trump in North Carolina. .
At the Democratic Convention in Chicago, former President Obama, former President Clinton, former first lady Michelle Obama, Kamala and her running mate Tim Walz deliver speeches.
Meanwhile, Trump's Republican allies are meeting reporters at the Trump Hotel in Chicago to deliver their messages to the media.
The Trump campaign said its rallies this week will be much smaller than in the past as they try to focus more on several issues of concern to voters.
According to an ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll (link) released on Sunday, Harris currently leads Trump by 49 to 45 among registered voters nationwide by percentage points.
However, the same poll found that among all issues, voters are most concerned about the overall economy and inflation, and Americans trust Trump more on this issue (a 9-point lead). In addition, voters are also very concerned about border security and immigration issues, and people trust Trump more on this issue (leading by 10 points).
This shows that this election battle is still very fierce and the outcome is still unclear. A series of appearances this week are expected to boost Trump's momentum. Previously, Trump had basically only held one or two events a week in battleground states. At these events, Trump talked about a wider range of topics and did not focus on economic issues.
In this year’s U.S. election, Nevada, Arizona, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin are all key swing states. In addition, the red state of North Carolina, because the polls are very close, many people believe that it should also be moved and ranks as the seventh swing state.
(This article partially refers to relevant reports from The Hill and Bloomberg)
News (4)
Kamala Harris releases economic plan, focusing on five aspects, understandable in one article
Reporter : Zhang Ting / Editor : Lin Yan / https://www.epochtimes.com/b5/24/8/16/n14312638.htm / Image : On 16 August 2024, US Vice President Kamala Harris spoke at a rally in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Allison Joyce/AFP)
On Friday (16 August 2024), U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris delivered her first economic speech in North Carolina since becoming the Democratic presidential candidate. She laid out the economic agenda she hopes to implement if she wins the presidential election in November.
The proposals include tax cuts, boosting housing construction and banning price gouging on groceries. Harris's campaign team said that if elected, these plans will become Harris' priorities within her first 100 days in office.
Overall, the vice president’s vision for a new economy is largely similar to President Biden’s, albeit on a larger scale.
Expand child tax credit
Harris proposed reinstating an expanded child tax credit of up to $3,600 per child that was implemented in 2021 when the COVID-19 pandemic hit and expired at the end of that year. Harris' plan also includes a new option to further expand the tax credit, which would provide "middle-income and low-income families" with newborns a $6,000 tax break in the first year of the child's life.
Both tax credit proposals require congressional approval.
Kamala's economic plan also calls for expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit to include people who work low-income jobs but do not have dependent children.
She also stuck to Biden's promise not to raise taxes on those making $400,000 a year or less. Her campaign aims to contrast on taxes with Trump, who during his first term slashed the corporate tax rate from 35% to 21% and enacted other tax cuts that would expire next year. Trump has promised to make the tax cuts permanent if re-elected.
Promote housing construction
In her speech on Friday, Kamala acknowledged that the United States is facing a "serious housing shortage" and vowed to build 3 million units of affordable middle-class housing and rental housing by the end of her first term if elected. to address the housing shortage.
"As president, I will work with industry to build the housing we need, whether to rent or buy. We will remove barriers and reduce red tape, including at the state and local levels." Kamala said.
Her new housing proposal builds on a series of plans outlined by the Biden administration in recent years. Biden has previously called for 2 million new homes to be built.
Help first time home buyers
Harris also promised that if elected president, she would provide $25,000 in down payment support for first-time homebuyers and a $10,000 tax credit for first-time homebuyers.
She also promised new tax incentives for builders who build homes for first-time buyers. Her aides did not provide details of the plan, which also requires congressional approval.
Former President Trump's economic advisers Kevin Hassett and Stephen Moore said on a call with reporters Friday that Kamala's proposal would increase inflation and provide as much as $100,000 to first-time homebuyers. The $25,000 suggestion will only drive up the price.
No price gouging
Harris brought up the high prices Americans pay for groceries in her campaign speech on Friday. Republican presidential candidate and former President Trump also mentioned this in his speech on Thursday.
According to Consumer Price Index data, Americans spent 21% more on groceries last month than when Harris took office in 2021. Grocery prices have increased by more than 25% compared to February 2020.
Polls show inflation remains a top concern for voters in the months leading up to the November presidential election.
Kamala Harris' economic plan includes passing a federal ban on food price increase.
The plan also includes giving the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and state attorneys general "new powers" to "investigate and impose tough new penalties on companies that violate the rules."
Kamala highlighted the sharp rise in prices faced by households since the outbreak.
"We all know that supply chains shut down and malfunctioned during the epidemic, causing prices to rise; the supply chain has improved, but prices are still too high," she said.
Medical insurance
Harris' health care agenda includes extending insulin cost caps to all patients, not just older Americans. Harris is also pushing to reduce medical insurance costs and cancel medical debt.
(This article refers to reports from CNN, The Wall Street Journal, The Hill and Reuters)
News (5)
Vance accepts invitation to debate Walz on 1 October 2024
Reporter : Li Xin / Editor : Lin Yan / https://www.epochtimes.com/b5/24/8/15/n14311908.htm / Image : Vance has accepted an invitation to participate in the vice presidential debate. The picture shows that on 20 July 2024, Republican vice presidential candidate and Senator J.D. Vance gave a speech at a campaign rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan. (Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times)
U.S. Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance said on Thursday (15 August 2024) that he had accepted the invitation will hold a vice presidential debate with his Democratic opponent Tim Walz on 1 October 2024.
Ohio U.S. Senator Vance announced on social media X on Thursday that he had accepted an invitation to participate in the vice presidential debate. On Wednesday night, Minnesota Governor Walz also accepted the invitation. Vance also said he would be willing to hold another debate in September, but no such arrangements have been made yet.
"The American people deserve as many debates as possible, which is why President Trump has challenged Kamala Harris to three debates," Vance wrote in a post responding to Walz. . I’m not only accepting the CBS debate on October 1st, I’m also accepting the CNN debate on September 18th. I look forward to seeing you at both debates!”
CBS News posted on X on Wednesday that the network had invited Vance and Walz to debate in New York City and offered four alternative dates: 17 September, 24 September, 1 October and 8 October.
Walz retweeted the message later that day, writing: "See you on October 1st, J.D."
Image : On 6 August 2024, Walz, the U.S. Democratic vice presidential candidate and Minnesota Governor, delivered a speech at a campaign rally at Temple University in Philadelphia. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images)
The Harris-Walz campaign later released a message, saying Walz "looks forward to debating J.D. Vance if he appears," but did not comment on Vance's proposal to participate in the debate hosted by CNN.
A CNN spokesperson said the network has "invited Senator Vance and Governor Walz to participate in this fall's vice presidential debate, and Senator Vance has accepted the invitation," adding that CNN has been working with both campaigns The team communicates that it hopes to host a vice presidential debate in the fall.
Historically, though, there has been only one vice presidential debate per election cycle.
According to CNN, the October 1 debate will be hosted by CBS’s “Evening News” anchor Norah O’Donnell and “Face the Nation” Hosted by Margaret Brennan.
Previously, there had been questions about whether Walz and Vance would debate before the November 5 election because after President Biden withdrew from the race, Vice President Kamala Harris replaced him in the campaign, which changed the scheduled arrangement for Vance.
The debate on 1 October 2024 will be held after the first presidential debate between Kamala and former President Trump. The first Trump-Kamala debate is scheduled to be held on 10 September 2024 and will be hosted by ABC News.
News (6)
Trump holds first outdoor rally since assassination attempt
Reporter : Li Xin / Editor : Ye Ziwei / https://www.epochtimes.com/b5/24/8/21/n14315374.htm / Image : On 21 August 2024, Trump, the former US President and Republican 2024 presidential candidate, delivered a speech at a campaign rally in Asheboro, North Carolina. It was his first outdoor rally since he narrowly escaped assassination at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. (Peter Zay/AFP via Getty Images)
Former US President Trump held a campaign rally in North Carolina on Wednesday (21 August 2024). This is The Republican 2024 presidential candidate held his first outdoor rally since an assassination attempt in Pennsylvania in the middle of last month.
On Wednesday, Trump held an outdoor rally in Asheboro, North Carolina. During his speech, he was protected by a bulletproof glass wall in front of and behind the podium. This is one of the measures taken by the U.S. Secret Service to strengthen his security protection. Previously, the former president narrowly escaped assassination at a Butler rally on 13 July 2024.
Wednesday's rally was held outdoors at the North Carolina Aviation Museum and Hall of Fame. This is Trump's first outdoor rally since he was attacked in Butler and injured his upper right ear. He focused on national security issues, criticized the Biden-Harris administration over the hasty withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan in 2021, and reiterated his claim that if re-elected as president, he could quickly end the war in Ukraine and the conflict in Gaza.
Before Trump took the stage, his running mate, Ohio Republican U.S. Senator J.D. Vance, also gave a speech.
In addition to bulletproof glass walls, the Secret Service used other measures to increase security at Wednesday's rally. Storage boxes were stacked and trucks parked near the stage to block distant views.
At one point during the event, Trump escaped the protection of the glass wall and walked off the stage to check on an attendee in the crowd who appeared to have a medical emergency. A group of Secret Service agents charged with protecting him were watching his every move.
Trump's plane flew over the rally ahead of his arrival. The crowd erupted in cheers. 2,500 people are expected to attend the rally.
As Trump attended the rally, the Democratic Party was holding its national convention in Chicago to formally identify Vice President Kamala Harris as the party's 2024 presidential candidate.
The rally comes on the same day that a bipartisan congressional task force investigating the July 13 shooting will meet with the FBI to discuss the FBI's investigation into the fatal shooting.
Trump stated on 26 July 2024 on the social media "Truth Social" he created that after escaping an assassination attempt nearly two weeks ago, he planned to return to Butler for a campaign rally, but did not elaborate when and where the rally will be held.
News (7)
National Fentanyl Alert Event Former White House Official: We Must End the CCP
Reporters : Yu Liang and Chen Shengxu / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2024/08/22/a103907238.html
At noon on Wednesday (21 August 2024), a "National Fentanyl Alert" event was held in Times Square, New York. A former White House official was interviewed and talked about the danger of fentanyl drugs coming from the CCP, which must be eliminated from the source.
Ofie Moreno, a relative of a fentanyl victim: "On February 3, 2022, we lost (our son) to dangerous fentanyl. We came here to help fight (fentanyl) and educate people with everyone."
Mendola, a relative of a fentanyl victim: "My daughter died of fentanyl poisoning."
Facing Fentanyl held the third National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day at noon on Wednesday in Times Square, New York, to commemorate those who died of fentanyl poisoning.
In 2023, U.S. law enforcement seized more than 115 million illegal fentanyl pills, while in 2017, authorities seized about 50,000 pills, a 2,300-fold increase.
Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent of the New York Drug Enforcement Administration: "First and foremost, we know that precursor chemicals and precursor chemical raw materials come from China (Communist) and India, but mainly from the Chinese Communist Party."
The U.S. House of Representatives released a 64-page report in April, showing that the Chinese Communist Party directly subsidizes the production and export of fentanyl raw materials and even owns several Chinese companies related to illegal drug trafficking.
Kamal Bherwani, CEO of GCOM Software: "(The Chinese Communist Party) encourages Chinese companies to produce fentanyl raw materials. These (fentanyl) precursors have killed many people after being shipped to the United States. The problem is that the U.S. government must take action and the world must be alert. Now it is a problem for the United States, and it will threaten the whole world in the near future."
A former White House official was present and said in an interview that the danger of fentanyl drugs comes from the Chinese Communist Party and the problem must be solved fundamentally.
James Caroll, former director of the White House Office of Drug Control Policy: "Contact with the CCP makes people feel its indifference and indifference to Americans, and the Chinese are actually more pitiful. (The CCP) is indeed a very dangerous party, not only to China, but also to the whole world. (The CCP) must be ended."
Jaime Puerta, co-chairman of the "Face Fentanyl Organization": "All this has nothing to do with the people in China, but unfortunately, the CCP has created hellish chaos, death and destruction in our society."
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 100,000 Americans died from drug overdoses in the past 12 months, and a large number of pills contained illegal fentanyl.
News (8)
Equipped with unmanned ships, Japan deploys a "ghost fleet" to fight against the CCP
Reporter : Ren Hao / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2024/08/22/a103907244.html
It is reported that Japan is developing unmanned surface ships and plans to deploy a "ghost fleet" to deal with the CCP's provocation.
The Indo-Pacific Defense Forum magazine sponsored by the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command reported that the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force is developing "unmanned surface ships" (USV: Unmanned Surface Vehicle) to enhance its maritime reconnaissance capabilities.
According to the report, Japan's unmanned surface ships can hide their tracks from radar, avoid enemy attacks and mines, and can operate completely autonomously or be remotely controlled by a mother ship or land command.
This unmanned surface ship can perform intelligence collection, monitoring and combat support operations in designated waters regardless of weather conditions, fundamentally changing the current way of fighting.
The report quoted Najib, a professor of international relations at Japan's International Christian University, as saying that Japan strongly feels the need to develop mine countermeasures and anti-submarine warfare capabilities to deal with possible blockades by the PLA Navy.
In recent years, the Chinese Communist Navy has entered the disputed waters of the East China Sea, the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea more and more frequently, causing regional instability.
Defense contractor Japan Marine United Co., Ltd. (JMU) began testing unmanned surface ships in 2021. The unmanned ships delivered in 2023 are being tested with the Japan Self-Defense Force's latest Mogami-class frigate as the mother ship.
The US military calls the unmanned surface fleet a "ghost fleet." The report said that the Japan Self-Defense Forces are cooperating with the U.S. Navy to conduct joint exercises with unmanned surface ships.
News (9)
It is reported that Chengdu Urban Management beat up vendors, triggering thousands of people to protest
Reporters : Li Yun, Qiu Yue and Wang Yanqiao / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2024/08/21/a103907229.html
Recently, an urban management officer in Chengdu, Sichuan, beat up a vendor, and the police subsequently arrived to arrest the person, triggering thousands of citizens to protest. Analysts believe that China's economy is deteriorating and public resentment is boiling. The CCP is worried about a larger-scale riot, and it has no money to maintain stability, so it can only take a conciliatory approach to solve the problem.
Chengdu onlookers: "The urban management officer beat someone, but he is still running. The car started, you see. The police station came, but they didn't let him go. They shouted to the police to find the urban management officer who beat him, and then they let him go."
On 19 August 2024, multiple videos showed that in Shuangliu District, Chengdu, Sichuan, an urban management officer beat up a vendor, and the police arrived to arrest the vendor. This caused people to surround the urban management vehicle, and the urban management and police tried to escape in the chaos.
The incident caused more people to take to the streets to support the vendors, reaching thousands of people at the peak.
Chinese human rights lawyer Wu Shaoping: "More than a thousand people quickly came to protest collectively. This shows that the people have a scale in their hearts. They all know whose side we should stand on in this matter, who is right and who is wrong. No matter what, your urban management beating the vendors is illegal, and it can even be said to be a crime."
Under the strong resistance of the people, the police finally released the vendors. After the vendors were released, they jumped on the top of the police car, waving their handcuffed arms, calling on everyone to unite, which triggered cheers from the people at the scene.
The protests lasted until about 10 pm, and the people did not disperse until the police sent the injured vendors to the hospital.
Wu Shaoping: "I believe that they are first facing this surging public opinion and protests. They want to calm the anger of the masses as soon as possible. They should also realize that this approach is wrong, so they will compromise."
China's economy is deteriorating, people's livelihood is difficult, and people's resentment is boiling. Large-scale protests have occurred one after another in various places.
Shanghai entrepreneur Hu Liren: "There are many cases like this where urban management officers beat vendors and many people blame them."
Lan Shu, a political commentator living in the United States: "People are like volcanoes. If they are touched, they will erupt. If they are touched, they will cause large-scale social unrest. The CCP dare not provoke them and has no money. It can only use appeasement to solve problems and resolve conflicts."
In February this year, a media reported that there are nearly 500 protests in China every day on average. Large-scale protests similar to the White Paper Movement may happen again at any time.
News (10)
Finance is exhausted. Police in many places in mainland China are robbing money across provinces. Enterprises complain and have no way to complain
Reporter : Li Li / Editor: Lin Qing / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2024/08/21/a103907167.html / Image : The economy of mainland China is declining. Local finances are becoming increasingly tight. Provinces with poor economies are robbing money across provinces from provinces with better economies. The picture shows police at the intersection of Shanghai Urumqi Road and Shanghai Anfu Road on 26 November 2023. (Rebecca Bailey/AFP via Getty Images)
The economy of mainland China is declining. Local finances are becoming increasingly tight. Various means are used to rob money. Provinces with poor economies are robbing money across provinces from provinces with better economies. In the name of handling cases, they abuse their power and frame people. People and enterprises complain, but have no way to complain. On 20 August 2024, mainland lawyer Zhou Xiaoyun published an article on Weibo titled "Terrible 'distant-sea fishing': Some regions use off-site law enforcement to make money", revealing how the police in various parts of the CCP use their power to "make money by enforcing the law in other places".
Lawyer Zhou Xiaoyun said that the so-called "distant-sea fishing", that is, some regions' law enforcement agencies go to other places to make money, is getting worse and worse.
Some places deliberately set up a scheme to lure companies into the scheme. As long as the company or personal account receives black money, all the account funds will be frozen immediately.
(Internet screenshot)
A picture forwarded with the post shows that an article titled "I don't know whether I should say this" signed by "Jin Jiancheng" introduced that a friend went from Hangzhou to Shenzhen Port to do business. Recently, I met a friend and heard him talk about his experience in the past year, which was very sad."
(Web screenshot)
The article said that his friend encountered "distant-sea fishing" and most of his hard work over a decade was destroyed.
The article revealed that the finances of some poor areas are unsustainable and the land cannot be sold, so they think of ways to go to other places (rich areas) to get money back for use.
The objects of getting money are divided into two categories, one is rich or seemingly rich enterprises, and the other is rich individuals.
For enterprises, if they have some connection with their region, they will directly operate. If they have no connection, they will set up a scheme to lure the enterprise into the game and operate after the connection.
For wealthy individuals, they transfer dirty money to your account and then freeze all the funds in your account. All the money will eventually go into their pockets.
The article said that the tax burden of Chinese enterprises is already heavy enough, 60%+, and now enterprises are in a difficult situation, and they are also subject to "distant sea fishing".
(Internet screenshot)
Lawyer Zhou Xiaoyun analyzed that this kind of criminal legal risk is almost impossible to prevent. Because when your account receives money, you cannot and have no way to verify whether the other party's source of funds is legal. So, you were clearly an unwitting victim, but you were identified as a suspect of "assisting information network criminal activities" (abbreviated as "assisting crime") by the law enforcement agencies in other places, and then you were detained and even sentenced.
Netizens questioned in the comment area: "Isn't that robbery in public?" Others left messages saying: "If public power wants to do evil, ordinary people can only lie down and be chopped off", "This is the rule of law they always talk about! Law enforcement agencies do not abide by the law, and there is no punishment for not abiding by the law."
(Internet screenshot)
In mainland China, the CCP's police in various places have long been robbing money in other places in the name of handling cases. However, in recent years, with the continuous economic decline and tight local finances, this phenomenon has become more and more serious.
On August 21, the mainland Jiemian News published a commentary "The vicious profit-seeking law enforcement can be stopped", summarizing this cross-provincial money-robbing behavior, saying that there are currently four types of such cases: "extortion", "point-to-surface", "catch all", and "distant-sea fishing".
"Extortion" refers to finding entrepreneurs with local business ties, arresting them across provinces, fabricating charges out of thin air, and demanding fines in a manner similar to extortion; "Point-to-surface" refers to finding a large enterprise in another province with a branch in the province, discovering its operating loopholes, and then filing a case for serious crimes such as commercial fraud, arresting senior executives at the group headquarters, and seizing the group's property and funds; "Catch-all" refers to specifically targeting platform-based enterprises, convicting them of pyramid schemes, sealing bank accounts, and confiscating corporate funds. "Offshore fishing" refers to squatting across provinces, looking for companies with good asset quality to start with, "taking the initiative to catch big fish."
According to previous reports by mainland media, the police in various parts of the Communist Party of China, under the pretext of preventing fraud, claimed that the commercial funds of merchants or enterprises were suspected of "money laundering" and froze accounts at will. In recent years, many WeChat "freeze groups" and "jelly groups" have appeared in mainland China, which were established by merchants with frozen accounts to carry out collective rights protection, but there is no way to complain.
In order to protect their own interests, some local police have clashed with police from other provinces who were arresting people across provinces.
Recently, the Jiubao Police Station in Hangzhou issued a warning that public security organs from other places are not allowed to illegally enter enterprises to handle cases! The "Warning" stated. "If you find that public security organs outside Hangzhou illegally enter enterprises to handle cases without the accompaniment of police officers from the Jiubao Police Station or the Shangcheng District Public Security Bureau, please immediately: call 110 + video evidence collection."
In 2020, when the police in Qitaihe City, Heilongjiang Province, went to Hangzhou Tongdun Company for investigation in the name of "fighting online fraud", they were blocked by the Hangzhou police and the two sides had a confrontation.
According to mainland media reports, in the first half of 2021, the public security in northern provinces, including Northeast China, Henan, Shandong, Gansu, Shaanxi and other places, all sent people to Yiwu to seal up the private accounts of small foreign trade merchants, and they could be unblocked as long as they paid money.
In 2021, a letter from Yiwu Public Security Bureau to public security organs across the country went viral on the Chinese mainland Internet. On the one hand, it asked the national public security "colleagues" to "show mercy" and not to deduct the funds of merchants; on the other hand, it warned that it would not support "excessive law enforcement and selective law enforcement."
At that time, some netizens analyzed, "When the central fiscal deficit can no longer be used to replenish the local governments, the local governments will inevitably go their own way. The beginning of danger, social unrest? Split autonomy? Republic?"
According to public information, lawyer Zhou Xiaoyun was a former reporter of Southern Weekend and chief editor of the Southern Metropolis Daily Commentary Department. Later, he transformed into a full-time lawyer, focusing on economic crime defense.
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