The incident that occurred on March 26 was the third major attack in little over a week on China-invested infrastructural projects….reports Asian Lite News
In the wake of the suicide bomb attack that claimed the lives of five Chinese nationals, Chinese investigators arrived in Pakistan to probe the incident, The News International reported, citing Pakistan’s interior ministry.
According to the report, the incident that occurred on March 26 was the third major attack in little over a week on China-invested infrastructural projects, where Beijing has invested more than USD 65 billion as part of its wider Belt and Road initiative.
Pakistan Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met the Chinese team of investigators at Beijing’s embassy and briefed them on the investigation so far, the statement said.
At present, no one has claimed responsibility for the recent attack, in which a suicide bomber rammed a vehicle into a convoy of Chinese engineers working on a hydropower project at Dasu in Pakistan’s northwest, killing six people.
During his interaction with the Beijing’s probe team at Chinese Embassy in Islamabad, the security czar informed them about the progress made so far in the investigations into the tragic incident, The News International reported.
Measures pertaining to protection of Chinese nationals and overall security were also discussed in the meeting
The federal minister also met the Chinese ambassador and updated him on the probe into Besham incident.
In the meantime, civil work at the sites of the Dasu and Diamer-Bhasha Dams has been temporarily suspended by the Chinese companies overseeing operations due to security concerns.
The News International reported that approximately 991 Chinese engineers were working on both projects, while the local staff has been told to stay at home till further instructions, an official working on the project confirmed to the publication.
Similarly, GM Diamer-Bhasha Dam (DBD) Nazakat Hussain also confirmed that the Chinese company had suspended work on the dam. He said around 500 Chinese nationals were engaged in DBD but the FWO staff continues to work. Around 6,000 locals are busy in dam construction.
He hoped that the situation would normalise in a few days, leading to the return of Chinese employees. The Diamer-Bhasha Dam would produce 4,800 MW of electricity through hydropower generation, The News International reported.
However, the GM of Mohmand Dam Asim Rauf said that 250 Chinese continue to work on the Mohmand Dam and they have not stopped work. “Chinese have shown satisfaction over the security situation in the project area and they are working on the site,” the official said.
Chinese military offers help
After five Chinese nationals were killed in a suicide blast in Besham in Pakistan’s Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, Beijing has offered help to Islamabad to contain terrorism.
After the deadly attack, the Chinese government has called on the Pakistan government to ensure more security for its nationals.
“The Chinese military is willing to work with the Pakistani side to enhance the capability of the two countries to tackle various security risks and challenges, including terrorist attacks and jointly safeguard regional peace and stability,” said Colonel Wu Qian, spokesperson of the China Ministry of National Defense.
Moreover, the Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson also urged Pakistan to enhance security measures to safeguard Chinese nationals, projects and institutions.
A Chinese investigation team is also in Islamabad to work with the Pakistani side to probe further into the terrorist attack.
Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Interior Mohsin Naqvi visited the Chinese Consulate in Islamabad on Friday and had a brief meeting with the Chinese investigating team.
As per official sources, Naqvi briefed the Chinese team about the ongoing investigation and assured complete and full cooperation by Pakistan in getting those involved in the heinous attack, to accountability and justice.
“Besham attack has opened up new domains for military level cooperation between Pakistan and China that will be discussed and explored in the coming days. The strategic partnership between the two countries has a strong history,” said political analyst Adnan Shauqat.
Millitaries of both the countries have maintained frequent, close and high-level exchanges, resulting in successful outcomes including joint-military exercises and training professional exchanges, personnel training and equipment and technological cooperation. (with inputs from agencies)
Hamas launched a massive terror attack on Israel on October 7 last year, killing more than 1200 people and holding over 250 hostages…reports Asian Lite News
Affirming strong support for Palestine amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, China has termed the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza as a “tragedy for humanity” and a “disgrace for civilization,” Xinhua reported.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Thursday also voiced Beijing’s support for Palestine to be made a full member of the United Nations.
Wang Yi was speaking at a press conference on the sidelines of the country’s annual meeting of its parliament on Thursday.
“We support Palestine’s full membership in the UN, and urge certain UN Security Council members to stop laying obstacles to that end,” Wang said, adding that China calls for a more broad-based, more authoritative, and more effective international peace conference to work out a timetable and road map for the two-state solution.
Noting that failure to end the humanitarian disaster caused by the Palestinian-Israeli conflict today in the 21st century is a tragedy for humanity and a disgrace for civilization, Wang called on the international community to act to give priority to an immediate ceasefire, as reported by Xinhua.
The foreign minister said the Palestinian people “have the right to live” in the world, calling for the release of all those held captive.
Wang further said that restoring justice to the Palestinian people and “fully implementing the two-state solution” is the only way to break the vicious circle of Palestinian-Israeli conflicts.
Hamas launched a massive terror attack on Israel on October 7 last year, killing more than 1200 people and holding over 250 hostages.
Israel declared war against Hamas and launched a strong counter-offensive in the Gaza Strip. According to the Gaza health ministry, over 30,000 Palestinians have been killed in the attacks.
Speaking further, Wang said that amid the complex and volatile international environment, China will firmly be a “force for peace, stability and progress in the world.
The Chinese FM also said that the United States should take an “objective and rational view” of China’s development, and match its words with actions to honour the commitments on China-US relations.
“Our position is the three principles proposed by President Xi Jinping — mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation,” Xinhua quoted Wang as saying. (ANI)
China hit back almost immediately after Taiwan elections by announcing on January 15 that Nauru was switching recognition from Taiwan to Beijing….reports Asian Lite News
Following the Taiwanese people’s refusal to buckle to Chinese coercion in the January 13 elections, voting back into power the incumbent Democratic People’s Party (DPP) with its new leader Lai Ching-te, opinion varies as to what Beijing’s next course of action will be.
Will China make a precipitative military move against Taiwan, or will it continue its policy of incessant coercion? China’s reaction has been rather subdued so far, though this does not preclude more vigorous actions before Lai assumes office in May.
Notably, though, China hit back almost immediately by announcing on January 15 that Nauru was switching recognition from Taiwan to Beijing.
Taiwan now has diplomatic ties with just twelve nations as China picks off its allies one by one. Nauru asked for “massive economic assistance,” according to Taiwan, but Taipei cannot compete with China in this regard.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning denied that money exchanged hands: “Those who see ‘dollar diplomacy’ as a go-to tool need to understand that there are things that money cannot buy.”
One wonders what China can offer Nauru other than money. In some respects, then, it is better for Taiwan to shrug off the burden of countries who value money more than morals.
Nonetheless, this marked a setback for the USA, for President Joe Biden has been working hard to rally nations in support of a “rules-based international order”. Nauru is a tiny nation of just 12,500 inhabitants, but China has gained a sharp win there against the wider run of play.
Wendell Minnick, a veteran American defence analyst based in Taiwan, is pessimistic about cross-strait ties. Indeed, he thinks China will act militarily this spring (i.e. March-May), catalysed by the DPP’s election win.
“This could be the beginning of ballistic-missile strikes and cruise missile strikes on command-and-control nodes, radar, air defence batteries and the utter destruction of airbases. Xi is growing old quickly and wants a legacy that brings Taiwan back into the bosom of Mother China. He wants to be the Father of Modern China–to take down Mao’s picture at Tiananmen Square and replace it with his own. He is a man. He is not a win-win negotiator. He wants to be beloved by the nation for the next 100 years.”
Minnick added that the lunar-solar calendar is perfect for military operations around April-May, which leaves “summer for fighter and bomber aircraft to clean up the scraps, then the amphibious invasion in the autumn with the lunar-solar calendar holiday of Ghost Month.”
The latter period is when conditions in the Taiwan Strait calm again and become more conducive to amphibious operations.
However, it will be a massive challenge for the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to cross this “moat” that separates Taiwan from the mainland.
China is encountering severe challenges that might cause Chairman Xi Jinping to take irrational actions. As tsar Vladimir Putin demonstrated with his fateful invasion of Ukraine, the twisted calculus of leaders in autocratic countries often does not correspond with logic.
Xi might calculate that his window of opportunity is narrowing, or that he needs a national crisis to bind China around him.
One disconcerting issue is China’s economy, which is deeply unwell.
Last year, China’s gross domestic product (GDP) fell in dollar value to about USD 17.5 trillion. This was the first drop in almost 30 years, and China’s share of world GDP slipped to slightly less than 7 per cent.
In yuan terms, China’s GDP rose by more than 4.5 per cent, but this ignores a sharp drop in the yuan’s value.
In 2023, America’s GDP rose 6 per cent to about USD 27 trillion. The gap between the respective GDPs of the USA and China grew by USD 2 trillion last year, which is set to widen unless China’s economy turns a corner.
George Magnus, an economist at the China Centre, Oxford University, and at the School of Oriental and African Studies, London, commented: “Given (what) we know about population shrinkage, debt capacity constraints, weak governance and the political awkwardness of market reforms, China’s tech prowess islands are not the saviour. Only a real policy shift can do that, and the government is in stasis.”
He added that this year will therefore be important policy-wise. The bite of reality is a far cry
from Xi’s New Year message that the economy had “sustained the momentum of recovery”.
Taiwan-China flag
Another looming issue is demographics. China’s population is shrinking; the birth rate contracted 5.7 per cent last year to reach the lowest in modern China’s history – and the death rate in 2023 was the highest it has been since 1974, during the throes of Mao Zedong’s Cultural Revolution.
With 280 million citizens aged over 60 (a figure that will increase 30+ per cent over the next decade), China is facing a ticking demographic time bomb.
However, many would disagree with the dire warnings from the likes of Minnick in Taiwan.
For example, Professor Rex Li, Research Affiliate of the Lau China Institute, King’s College London, assessed: “Although China has not recognised the legitimacy of the Lai government, it is unlikely that it will opt for a military solution to the Taiwan issue for the time being.
Most analysts believe that China does not yet possess the full military capability to take over Taiwan by force, especially if it has the backing of the United States. In addition, China is currently facing considerable economic difficulties due mainly to the recent COVID lockdowns. Beijing is also keen to stabilise its relations with Washington following the Xi-Biden summit in San Francisco in November 2023.”
Li concluded, “It can be expected that Beijing will continue to exert economic and military pressure on Taiwan and constrain its international activities where possible. But China would try to avoid a major armed conflict with Taiwan, which might trigger an unpredictable reaction and intervention from the US.”
Leading figures in the US armed forces concur with this viewpoint.
For instance, Admiral John Aquilino, head of the US Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM), said at a Pacific Forum conference in Hawaii in mid-January that he expected the PLA to put on a show of “force against Taiwan in the near term”.
“The pressure campaign against Taiwan continues, and we’re watching it in the wake of the elections…Their actions over the past number of years have been pretty consistent. When something occurs that they don’t like, they tend to take action.”
An obvious example is the PLA’s reaction to then-Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s 2022 visit to Taiwan.
Admiral Aquilino predicted that China would also manipulate events so as to put the blame on American shoulders. He suggested Beijing would “attempt to spin it in the information space as the United States as the aggressor. I don’t know how you connect those dots, but they’re pretty effective in the information space. Doesn’t have to be true. They’ve just got to say it enough times.”
The INDOPACOM commander also commented on China’s increasingly aggressive actions farther south. Its “expansive claims in the South China Sea are not just thoughts anymore. What we are seeing as it applies to Second Thomas Shoal and our Philippine partners is that the rhetoric and the actions, whether they be lawfare, information warfare or physical actions, are now enforcing or attempting to enforce that illegal claim.”
Separately, General Charles Flynn, commander of the US Army Pacific, described recently at the Irregular Warfare Forum in Virginia how China is seeking to disrupt American regional influence.
“The Chinese are trying to disassemble, fragment and fracture a network of allies and partners that the United States enjoys globally, but definitely in the Indo-Pacific. And they’re working every day.”
The American commander said China is on a “very, very dangerous path. The PRC’s immediate goal: prepare the operational environment for the seizure of Taiwan, full stop.”
If conflict erupts, it is essential that Taiwan already have in place the military equipment that it needs, for the PLA could effectively blockade the island and prevent American resupplies from reaching Taiwan.
Taiwan needs to strengthen its mobile air defences and drone fleets with much larger quantities; such asymmetric capabilities strengthen its “porcupine strategy” designed to deter China by imposing an unacceptable level of loss and risk on the PLA.
Taiwan is taking actions to deter China militarily, but these are often done under sufferance. This month, Taiwan’s military conscription period extends from four months to twelve for 18-year-old males, after the USA pressured Taipei to raise the duration.
Conscription is deeply unpopular in Taiwan but, faced by recruitment issues, conscription is the only way to fill out the armed forces.
Bloomberg Economics, in an effort to quantify the cost of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan – came up with a figure of USD 10 trillion, equating to about 10 per cent of global GDP.
Taiwan is the leading maker of advanced-logic semiconductors, and global supply would be hard hit.
Of course, it is impossible to accurately predict the cost of a conflagration involving Taiwan.
Regardless, Bloomberg predicted a 40 per cent drop in GDP for Taiwan in the first year, -16.7 per cent for China, -6.7 per cent for the USA, and -10.2 per cent for the world.
However, military adventurism is fraught with risk for China, especially an operation as complex as an amphibious invasion. Xi still does not have confidence in the PLA, with serious question marks about the loyalty and capability of the Rocket Force in particular at present.
Of course, the loss of Taiwan to Chinese military conquest would be horrendous. Apart from the tragedy of a democracy being swallowed by an authoritarian regime, a Chinese presence on Taiwan shatters the so-called First Island Chain of containment upon which the USA’s whole defensive strategy depends.
PLA forces garrisoned in Taiwan would have instant access to the Western Pacific, threatening maritime and aerial routes from the USA to Japan, South Korea and all American military bases there.
It was Sir Walter Raleigh who said, “Whoever commands the sea, commands the trade; whosoever commands the trade of the world, commands the riches of the world, and consequently the world itself.”
China would be able to control all seaborne trade heading to and from economic powerhouses like Japan and South Korea.
Taiwan already has de facto independence, but this means the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is fed up with the status quo. “Reunification” is a stated national goal, and it has become a point of pride for Xi.
China was visibly angered that nations like Japan and the USA should congratulate Taiwan’s Lai on his recent election win, though interestingly, Biden’s first comment was, “We do not support independence.”
Separate from military pressure, China has plenty of other tools at its disposal. For instance, it can economically pressure Taiwan with measures such as fining Taiwanese companies in China, cancelling tariff reductions, banning certain imports from Taiwan, or restricting individual tourism.
Xi advocated stronger United Front efforts to win Taiwanese hearts and said in an article published by the CCP’s Qiushi magazine: “The patriotic, unifying forces in Taiwan should be developed and empowered. Separatist acts for Taiwan independence should be rejected. The full reunification of the motherland should move forward.”
Beijing will continue to exert undue influence, and the fact that the DPP won only 40.5 per cent of the votes (compared to 57.13 per cent in 2020) might encourage the CCP in thinking that the more amenable Kuomintang party might win the next election.
During an official visit to Egypt, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said, “Taiwan independence seriously threatens the wellbeing of Taiwan compatriots, seriously damages the fundamental interests of the Chinese nation, and will also seriously undermine peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. It is a dead end and a path to ruin. China will eventually achieve complete reunification and Taiwan province will surely return to the embrace of the motherland.”
Such sweeping talk illustrates the absurdity of Taiwan’s international status – it is unrecognised by the United Nations and ostracised at every opportunity by China.
China has no power or sovereignty over Taiwan’s physical territory, yet it continues to force the rest of the world into maintaining a fiction about Taiwan’s actual status. The CCP is imposing its will and a falsehood on the international community, with far too many being afraid to upset China. (ANI)
Chinese Embassy in India spokesperson Wang Xiaojian shared Mao Ning’s remarks on X, formerly known as Twitter…reports Asian Lite News
Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Mao Ning called it “important” that the G20 strengthens partnership and rises up to the big challenges faced by the global economy and development as the world economy faces more downward pressure and challenges rise for global sustainable development.
While addressing a press conference on Monday, Mao Ning said China hopes that the G20 Summit scheduled to be held in New Delhi from September 9-10 will form consensus and send out a message of confidence and promote shared prosperity and development.
In response to a question on China’s expectations for the G20 Summit, Mao Ning said, “As the world economy experiences more downward pressure and challenges grow for global sustainable development, it is important that the G20, being the premier forum for international economic cooperation, strengthen partnership and rise up to the big challenges facing global economy and development so as to contribute to world economic recovery and growth and global sustainable development.
“We hope the New Delhi summit will form consensus on that, send out a message of confidence, and promote shared prosperity and development,” she added.
Chinese Embassy in India spokesperson Wang Xiaojian shared Mao Ning’s remarks on X, formerly known as Twitter.
At the same press conference, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Maon Ning announced that Premier Li Qiang will lead a delegation to the G20 Summit in India. She said that Li Qiang during the Summit will share China’s views and propositions on G20 cooperation and promote greater solidarity and cooperation among G20 nations.
Mao Ning said, “As has been announced just now, Premier Li Qiang will lead a delegation to the New Delhi G20 Summit in India. The G20 is an important forum for international economic cooperation. China has all along attached great importance to and taken an active part in G20 events.”
She further said, “During this year’s G20 Summit, Premier Li Qiang will share China’s views and propositions on G20 cooperation, and promote greater solidarity and cooperation among G20 countries and joint response to global economic and development challenges. We are ready to work with all parties to make the G20 Summit a success and contribute to the steady recovery of the global economy and sustainable development.”
India is all set to host the G20 Summit in New Delhi from September 9-10. World leaders will arrive in New Delhi to attend the G20 Summit. Notably, India assumed the G20 presidency on December 1 last year and about 200 meetings related to G20 were organized in 60 cities across the country.
The 18th G20 Heads of State and Government Summit in New Delhi will be a culmination of all the G20 processes and meetings held throughout the year among ministers, senior officials, and civil societies. A G20 Leaders’ Declaration will be adopted at the conclusion of the New Delhi Summit, stating Leaders’ commitment towards the priorities discussed and agreed upon during the respective ministerial and working group meetings. (ANI)
The Philippines says it will continue to assert its sovereignty and territorial rights in the South China Sea…reports Asian Lite News
A day after Chinese coastguards halted and fired water cannons at Philippine ships in the disputed South China Sea, Manila summoned Beijing’s envoy, according to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Al Jazeera said.
“Our secretary of foreign affairs summoned Ambassador Huang today and gave him a note verbale, including pictures, video about what happened and we are awaiting their reply,” Marcos told reporters on Monday.
According to Al Jazeera, the Philippines accused China’s coastguard on Saturday of deploying water cannons to stop its ships from delivering food, water, fuel, and other supplies to its military soldiers stationed at Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly Islands.
Manila condemned the actions as illegal, “excessive” and “dangerous”.
A top Philippines official declared on Monday that Manila would “never abandon” the Second Thomas Shoal, which is more than 1,000 kilometres (miles) away from China’s nearest major landmass, Hainan Island, and about 200 kilometres (124 miles) from the Philippine island of Palawan.
“For the record, we will never abandon Ayungin Shoal. We are committed to Ayungin Shoal,” National Security Council spokesman Jonathan Malaya told reporters, using the Philippine name for Second Thomas Shoal, Al Jazeera reported.
Beijing has disregarded a 2016 decision from an international court finding that its claim to practically all of the South China Sea, through which trillions of dollars in trade flow every year, has legal standing.
China said it had taken “necessary controls” against Philippines boats that had “illegally” entered its waters.
The Philippines says it will continue to assert its sovereignty and territorial rights in the South China Sea, Al Jazeera reported.
“The position of China, of course, is they say ‘this is ours so we are defending it’ and we, for our part, are saying ‘no, we own it so we are defending it’. So that becomes a grey area that we are discussing,” the Philippines president said.
Two of the vessels were chartered by the Philippine Navy to supply provisions to the BRP Sierra Madre, which is a resting ship anchored at the Second Thomas Shoal. Two coastguard vessels were escorting the chartered vessels. About 90 nautical miles [167km] off Palawan six Chinese coastguard vessels and two Chinese fishing militia vessels started shadowing the vessels, Al Jazeera reported.
The US State Department on Sunday condemned the Chinese actions, saying they were carried out by the coastguard and “maritime militia”, threatening regional peace and stability.
The United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and the European Union also criticised Beijing’s actions.
Manila and Beijing have a long history of maritime disputes over the South China Sea.
Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who was in power from 2016 to 2022, was reluctant to criticise his more powerful neighbour as he sought closer ties with Beijing in the hope of attracting investment, Al Jazeera reported.
Marcos has insisted since succeeding Duterte in June last year that he will not let China trample on his country’s maritime rights.
He has gravitated towards the US, seeking to strengthen defence ties with the Philippines’ former colonial ruler and longtime ally. (ANI)
About 45,000 people in 13 districts in Beijing were severely affected and 127,000 were evacuated…reports Asian Lite News
Eleven people were killed and 27 others were missing as of Tuesday morning due to flooding in Beijing caused due to typhoon Doksuri that resulted in heavy rains, China-based Global Times reported. Among these, two died in the line of duty.
About 45,000 people in 13 districts in Beijing were severely affected and 127,000 were evacuated. According to municipal authorities, economic losses are being calculated. The rainstorm lashed western, southern and southwestern Beijing the hardest since July 29. As of Tuesday morning, the average precipitation was recorded at 257.9mm. Suburban Mentougou and Fangshang districts witnessed precipitation of 470.2mm and 414.6mm, Global Times reported.
The rainfall intensity has so far reached above the level of July 21, 2012, when 79 people were killed in Beijing. The peak rainfall reached above 700mm at two weather stations. Meanwhile, the peak rainfall in 2012 was recorded at 541mm.
Some trains passing through Beijing West Station and Fengtai Station have been suspended. The power and telecommunication have not restarted in the Mentougou district, according to Global Times report.
The authorities in Beijing are intensifying their efforts in disaster relief by using People’s Liberation Army (PLA) helicopters to airdrop essential supplies and shift stranded citizens.
Beijing is also working in cooperation with neighbouring Tianjin Municipality and Hebei Province in flood control by discharging floodwaters into available reservoirs, Global Times reported.
On Tuesday morning, four PLA ground force helicopters airdropped 1,900 relief supply packages to the stranded residents. On Monday night, a brigade under the PLA 81st Group Army completed material loading and flight preparation overnight and converted transport helicopters to install medical equipment to facilitate the shifting of injured people.
Around 5 am (local time) on Tuesday, the four helicopters carrying 26 PLA soldiers flew to Yanhecheng Railway Station in Mentougou and other areas to distribute relief supplies and shift patients. As many as 1,900 food packages, 900 raincoats, 700 blankets and other emergency supplies were dispatched in batches for stranded citizens.
According to the city’s meteorological authorities, from 8 pm (local time) on Saturday to 1 pm (local time) Sunday, the city’s average accumulated rainfall was 176.9 mm, with Mentougou’s accumulated rainfall averaging 322.1 mm.
On Monday, the Municipal Flood Control Office reminded people that rainfall is forecast to continue for Monday and Tuesday, Global Times reported. It further said that the city is in the level-I response for flooding risk. The authorities asked the people of Beijing to stay indoors and avoid activities in mountainous areas, rivers, and areas of potential geologic hazards. (ANI)
A volunteer works at a nucleic acid testing site in Sanya, south China's Hainan Province, Aug. 7, 2022. (Xinhua/Zhao Yingquan/IANS)
China says it has only suffered 5,237 Covid-related deaths during the pandemic, including Monday’s deaths…writes Sanjeev Sharma
Beijing is currently facing an extraordinary wave of deaths as Covid-19 rips through the population, amid a widespread lack of data as mass, compulsory testing is abruptly halted across the country, RFA reported.
As China moves away from the gruelling lockdowns, mass tracking of citizens and daily testing that characterised Communist Party leader Xi Jinping’s zero-Covid policy, a high-ranking official in the party’s law enforcement arm said that a family member of his had died recently, and the family had had to wait five days before they could find a cremation slot.
The person, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of reprisals, said he had only been able to get a cremation that fast due to his rank and connections within the Chinese political system, RFA reported.
According to the person, who works in the Communist Party’s political and legal affairs system, which directs and governs law enforcement across the country, the current wave of Covid-19 infections in Beijing was driven by transmissions in hospitals, known as nosocomial infections.
“A relative of mine had been recuperating in hospital (from something else), but the hospitals back then basically weren’t discharging anyone, because the 20th Party Congress was on at the time, and they said it was because they feared having them test positive once they got out,” the person said.
He described “appalling” scenes inside a number of Beijing hospitals, as the city’s healthcare system groaned under the weight of the outbreak, with most of the victims elderly people, RFA reported.
“What we saw was really appalling,” he said. “All of the hospital morgues were full, and they were stacking dead bodies on the ground, on top of each other.”
“If you call any funeral home in Beijing right now … they will tell you that they have nowhere to store any more bodies and that you’ll have to wait a week or longer (for a cremation),” he said, RFA reported.
An employee who answered the phone at the Mentougou Funeral Home in a northwestern suburb of Beijing said they were currently dealing with five times the usual number of cremations.
“There is no space here … our cold storage is full and there is nowhere to put (any more bodies),” the employee said. “We only have three or four furnaces and we’re cremating 180 people a day.”
They said they are now taking bookings for cremations from December 31 at the earliest.
An employee who answered the phone at a funeral parlour in Beijing’s Fangshan district said they’re no longer taking bookings at all.
China says it has only suffered 5,237 Covid-related deaths during the pandemic, including Monday’s deaths — a number seen as extremely low, considering its population of 1.4 billion people and compared to global standards, RFA reported.
Unprecedented wave
Chinas abrupt and under-prepared exit from zero-Covid policy could lead to nearly one million deaths, according to a new study, as the country braces for an unprecedented wave of infections spreading out from its biggest cities to its vast rural areas, as per a media report.
For nearly three years, the Chinese government has used strict lockdowns, centralised quarantines, mass testing and rigorous contact tracing to curb the spread of the virus, CNN reported.
That costly strategy was abandoned earlier this month, following an explosion of protests across the country against stringent restrictions that upended businesses and daily life.
But experts have warned that the country is poorly prepared for such a drastic exit, having fallen short on bolstering the elderly vaccination rate, upping surge and intensive care capacity in hospitals, and stockpiling antiviral medications.
Under the current conditions, a nationwide reopening could result in up to 684 deaths per million people, according to the projections by three professors at the University of Hong Kong, CNN reported.
Given China’s population of 1.4 billion people, that would amount to 964,400 deaths.
The surge of infections would “likely overload many local health systems across the country”, said the research paper released last week on the Medrxiv preprint server, which is yet to undergo peer review.
Simultaneously lifting restrictions in all provinces would lead to hospitalisation demands 1.5 to 2.5 times of surge hospital capacity, according to the study, CNN reported.
But this worst case scenario could be avoided if China rapidly rolls out booster shots and antiviral drugs.
With fourth-dose vaccination coverage of 85 per cent and antiviral coverage of 60 per cent, the death toll can be reduced by 26 per cent to 35 per cent, according to the study, which is funded partly by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Hong Kong government, CNN reported.
The Chinese figure skater Zhu Yi, who fell during her performance, faced tremendous backlash and hate posts prompting social media giants in China including Weibo and Douyin to delete tens of thousands of posts…writes N.C. Bipindra
The recently concluded Winter Olympic Games in Beijing were in the news for many reasons. While a Russian biathlon participant took her grievance about meagre and unpalatable food to social media, another fellow Russian courted controversy after she tested positive for a banned substance. The journalists who first reported the story of Russian skater Kamila Valieva’s positive drugs test faced death threats and abuse.
The Chinese figure skater Zhu Yi, who fell during her performance, faced tremendous backlash and hate posts prompting social media giants in China including Weibo and Douyin to delete tens of thousands of posts. But perhaps the most significant development was the diplomatic boycott by some countries, led by the United States, of the Winter Olympic Games due to China’s ‘egregious’ human rights violations in the Xinjiang region against Uyghur Muslims.
In fact, in the report titled World Report 2022, Human Rights Watch has accused China of ruthless repression of civil liberties and human rights in Xinjiang and Hong Kong, even under the guise of COVID restrictions.
This systematic suppression and ‘re-education’ of China’s Muslim population is but a mere strand in President Xi Jinping’s grand design of renewed drive towards Sinicization – a term that euphemistically implies a process by which non-Chinese societies come under the influence of Chinese culture. In practice, however, the reality is much harsher and more unpalatable.
Take for instance the Chinese government’s efforts to erase the unique identity of Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims. In January last year, a CNN investigation examining satellite imagery concluded that over 100 traditional Uyghur cemeteries had been destroyed. In August, another satellite imagery revealed that Xinjiang authorities had built over 260 “massive” detention structures, lending credibility to accusations of arbitrary detention of Turkic Muslims. Imagery also points to large-scale ‘re-styling’ of mosques where the domes and minarets have been removed in several places.
The story repeats in Tibet where China’s incessant authoritarianism has led thousands of Tibetans, including their spiritual leader the 14th Dalai Lama, to seek asylum in progressive societies. The devastation of Tibet by Chinese military that started with an unprovoked invasion in 1950 has been described in graphic detail in Heinrich Harrer’s memoir Seven Years in Tibet which was later made into an award-winning eponymous feature film.
Seventy years later, things have not changed much and Tibetans continue to suffer China’s repressive regime as the Dalai Lama spoke about “too much control” by “narrow-minded Chinese communist leaders” in November 2021. Coincidentally, March 10 was the 63rd anniversary of the Tibet Uprising Day, in which thousands of Tibetans gathered in defiance of Chinese invasion in 1959. This peaceful protest was violently crushed by the Chinese government.
Hong Kong too has a similar narrative where the pro-democracy activists are systematically targeted under Draconian laws. In Inner Mongolia, where the four million ethnic Mongols are in minority, the Chinese Communist Party has adopted less indurate but nonetheless oppressive measures.
In October 2020, the Chinese government intervened to stop an exhibition on Mongol history and culture in France, following which the Director of that museum complained of “tendentious elements of rewriting aimed at completely eliminating Mongolian history and culture in favour of a new national narrative”. Earlier in April, Xi Jinping warned a delegation from Inner Mongolia, which had protested against switching of medium of instruction in schools from Mongolian to Chinese, of ‘consequences’.
China uses state machinery not only silence ethnic minorities but also mainstream dissenters. China’s #MeToo movement gained new traction after more women came forward to accuse well-known men of sexual harassment. In November 2021, tennis star Peng Shuai went missing and was silenced after alleging that she had been sexually assaulted by former vice premier Zhang Gaoli.
Jack Ma, Alibaba founder and former chairman, has not made any public appearance since January 2021 triggering speculations about his disappearance after he criticised China’s financial regulators and banks in a speech. It is also rumoured that he was forced to step down by the authorities.
In the aftermath of Covid-19, the CCP’s censorship around the Wuhan anniversary sought to purge voices that questioned the official narrative. Activists were detained and outspoken relatives of people who died from the virus were harassed. Foreign media persons have been routinely prevented from reporting facts, as evident most recently in reporting of the floods in Zhengzhou this July 2021.
In sum, the Sinicization playbook has three steps – One, the Sinicization of religion. This is evident in Chinese efforts at ‘re-styling’ Buddhism and Islam with ‘Chinese Characteristics’. Two, ideological ‘re-education’, which implies snuffing out ethnic identities and imposing communist ideology. This ‘re-education’ will obviously begin in schools by typecasting impressionable minds. Three, China will isolate dissenters. This is done by actions such as banning of social media platforms like Twitter, imposing restrictions on, including policing of, the internet, incarcerating popular leaders, denial in international forums, and weaving a miasma of misinformation.
Why the World Must be Wary?
It will be simplistic to assume that the process of cultural and ideological ‘assimilation’ that Xi Jinping has embarked upon will be limited only to China. To be sure, the primary focus of Sinicization is indeed the dissenting minorities within China. However, it is evident that China is applying the rules from its playbook to other countries as well, with modifications, of course. One major inclusion is the use of economic muscle to influence susceptible countries. This is evident in the inroads China has made consistently in South East Asia, Central Asia, South America and Africa. Backed by economic power, the CCP machinery is gradually re-shaping the world in its own image.
The Chinese, at an estimated 11 million overseas population, currently comprise the third largest ethnic diaspora globally. Unlike other ethnic migrants, the Chinese diaspora serves as a tool of influence, not only for the promotion of China’s culture and language, but also for the facilitation of lobbying for business purposes, economic growth and diplomatic purposes.
Traditionally, they form big communities to enhance relations within their members and feel at home in a new country. One main challenge is on the economic level; the power of the business of the Chinese migrants has increased and sometimes it has overcome the economy of the host country. In South-East Asia, for example, Chinese migrants dominate business despite forming only a small minority of the population, controlling around 60 percent of the region’s private corporate wealth.
China has succeeded to an extent in its Sinicization effort. It has silenced several countries with huge loans that have now turned into spiralling debt traps. Eventually many debtors would risk sacrificing their sovereign decision-making ability and be beholden to the CCP. Why else would an Islamic country like Pakistan acquiesce in face of the brutal repression suffered by Uyghurs. The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) will likely promote China’s strategy of Sinicization with the outward flow of Chinese labour and loans to vulnerable regions across the globe. The world must take note of the insidious designs of the CCP before it is too late.
(N.C. Bipindra is Chairman, Law and Society Alliance, a New Delhi-based think-tank. He can be reached at ncbipindra@gmail.com)
Although China has expressed concern about the war in Ukraine, Beijing has fallen short of condemning the Russian invasion….reports Asian Lite News
Amid escalating fight between Russia and Ukraine, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Saturday said that Moscow’s cooperation with Beijing will “get stronger” in the face of western sanctions.
During a media event, he said, “At a time when the west is blatantly undermining all the foundations on which the international system is based, we — as two great powers — need to think how to carry on in this world,” reported CNN.
The view was echoed at a separate event in Beijing on Saturday. Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng said Western sanctions against Russia were getting “more and more outrageous,” according to UK-based media.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov
Although China has expressed concern about the war in Ukraine, Beijing has fallen short of condemning the Russian invasion. Chinese President Xi Jinping told US President Joe Biden during a video call Friday, “the Ukraine crisis is something we don’t want to see.”
The Western countries have strongly condemned Russia’s attack on Ukraine calling it an invasion and imposed harsh sanctions on Russia.
Lavrov also said that Russia hopes its military operation in Ukraine will end with a “comprehensive agreement” on security issues and Ukraine agreeing to neutral status, reported CNN.
Lavrov said Moscow is “ready” to look for guarantees of security and “to coordinate them for Ukraine, for the Europeans and, of course, for ourselves beyond the expansion of the North-Atlantic Treaty.” (ANI)
