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Danger signal from Russia on Xi Jinping

BEIJING, Oct. 1, 2019 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, delivers a speech at a grand rally to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China at the Tian'anmen Square in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 1, 2019. (Xinhua/Ju Peng/IANS)

Russian analysts have begun changing the nomenclature of Ladakh and Arunachal into the Mandarin substitutes now promoted in maps by the PRC. Such cartographic shifts have in the past preceded acts of aggression by the PRC, writes Prof. Madhav Das Nalapat

Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto’s Two Nation Theory-centred views on Kashmir seem to be an Indiaphobic outlook accepted almost wholly by the Foreign Ministers of Germany and its biggest trading partner, China. The ideology of the Green Party is not usually associated with measures that promote conflict, but Minister Annalena Baerbock seems not to be concerned about the past. She is as set on flooding Ukraine with weapons and prolonging the war between that country and the Russian Federation as the most hawkish in NATO are.

GHQ Rawalpindi is eager to present the facade of being a partner of NATO even while (since the Musharraf era) serving the interests of the PLA. Which is why Imran Khan, who in the past had (and still has) several admirers in the UK and India in particular, was anointed the Prime Minister of Pakistan by the army. Imran proved ineffective as a cover-up artist, which is why the Pakistan Chief of Army Staff replaced him as PM with Shehbaz Sharif, who in his endearing way seeks to seem all things to all men. As a backstop where charming the Atlantic Alliance is concerned, in an inspired choice, Bilawal Bhutto was made Foreign Minister, just as his executed grandfather had been.

Since 1945, Germans have embraced the concept of being not just Germans but Europeans First to Last. Bilawal, in common with some other South Asian politicians, is European in every way except (at least publicly) in citizenship. Hence Annalena Baerbock ought not to be blamed too harshly for so visibly falling for the lie—sorry, line—that he spun to her on the prompting of the very military that for years assisted the Taliban to kill German soldiers. Nor is Baerbock an outlier in her public disdain for the sovereignty of India, admittedly a country that is not European.

In recent weeks, there has been a spurt in actions directed against India by some of the most consequential members of NATO, especially the UK and the US. UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman was candid about her contempt for Indians, however poisoned such an attitude may have made UK-India relations in the Liz Truss era. It is difficult to believe that actions such as the getting of a Canadian, US or indeed many European visas has become close to impossible for citizens of India are unrelated to the refusal by the Government of India to join NATO in once again shifting focus to Russia in the way that counterparts in Canberra, Seoul or Tokyo have.

Indeed, NATO as an alliance is clearly suffering from a genetic birth defect, which is that it is inflexibly focused on Russia as the primary threat to humanity. Although mouthing and even committing to the record ritualistic statements about the China threat, its heart is not in anything other than continuing to fixate on Russia. NATO does indeed seek to intrude into the Indo-Pacific, but by its actions on ground, sea and air, it is clear that the predominant motive for this is to try and strangle those trade routes within Asia that are frequented by Russia. Of course, such attention to Russia coexists with China being given a pass on whatever it does, barring verbal protestations and symbolic posturing indicating unease and opposition.

Atlanticist powers claim that among the primary reasons for the sanctions imposed by them on Russia since 2014 and exponentially increased this year was to warn China of what it would face were it to attempt an invasion of Taiwan. Cynics argue that when viewed against the backdrop of zero sanctions being placed on PRC entities and personnel even after serial infringements on sea and air of Taiwanese (and Vietnamese, Filipino or Indian) sovereignty, such words fail to convince. They point to the stark difference in the quantity, quality and financial terms of the armaments showered on Kiev as compared to those sold—repeat, sold—to Taipei. Unlike what has being seen in connection to Ukraine, thus far, the US, France and the UK have yet to convene a UNSC meeting to discuss PRC encroachments on sea and land across its lawful borders.

Sanctions against Russia are on course to generate civil unrest across much of Europe within months, although in the US the Democratic Party is hoping to be rescued in the midterm elections from Biden’s unpopularity by the Republican-controlled US Supreme Court and the candidature of Forever Trumpers. Control of the legislative process at the federal level would ensure implementation of the social legislation favoured by Biden’s party until the present Supreme Court overturns them. Beijing’s policymakers believe that there would be scant public support within the Atlanticist alliance for a fresh raft of sanctions, this time against China, when the boomerang effect of the sanctions on Russia has become impossible to explain away as just the “fault of Putin”.

Voices within Russia are these days claiming that Strongman Putin is acting like a wimp in not defeating Ukraine this far. This may result in the Kremlin adopting the Shock and Awe tactics that were employed by George W. Bush against Saddam Hussein in 2003. As for President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, he seems less than eager to get “off the ramp” and press for peace, perhaps because he has a comfortable future awaiting him in the Atlanticist world, even if in the process his country gets still more devastated. Given the Kissinger and Obama precedent, Zelenskyy may even get the Nobel Peace Prize.

The 2022 sanctions blitzkrieg against Russia led by President Biden, and encouraged by cheerleaders such as Jens Stoltenberg or Ursula von der Leyen, plus the consequences on the PRC economy of Xi Jinping Thought, are causing waves of pain in the rest of the world. While sanctions that are more than symbolic would be inevitable were Xi to intensify his kinetic moves against Taiwan, it is considered by the CCP leadership to be extremely unlikely that the US, the UK and other NATO member states would impose substantive sanctions on China in the event of another PLA foray into Indian territory. The Russians have flashed a warning sign to the Indian side of the danger posed by such a view in Beijing.

This they have indicated by its analysts beginning to change the nomenclature of Ladakh and Arunachal into the Mandarin substitutes given in the latest maps that are now being shown by the CCP. Such cartographic shifts have in the past preceded acts of aggression by the PLA. Maps showing Ladakh and Arunachal as Chinese territory and Kashmir as Pakistani were distributed by some in the Chinese delegation to the September meeting of the SCO at Samarkand. Those in the Lutyens Zone who believe that there is no way that the PLA would initiate a kinetic showdown across the Himalayas at least until the close of the decade may be proved wrong. The tossing of a sweetener to the Atlanticist powers through Indian support of their resolution on Xinjiang against China at the UNHRC may have been a better option than abstaining from voting, rather than in joining countries who backed an investigation into the situation in Xinjiang.

ALSO READ: How China is ramping up surveillance in Xinjiang

ALSO READ: China tries to censor any discussion of Beijing protests in internet

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China tries to censor any discussion of Beijing protests in internet

Chinese censors have restricted searches about the episode on Weibo, China’s equivalent of Twitter, blocking certain hashtags, including “Beijing,” “Sitong Bridge” and “Haidian.”…reports Asian Lite News

The Chinese government is trying every possible way to censor any discussion of a rare public protest which condemned President Xi Jinping as a “despotic traitor” and denounced the COVID policy.

As China’s ruling Communist Party’s twice-a-decade National Congress has already started, Xi doesn’t want to deviate from his goal, The New York Times reported.

On Thursday, a column appeared over the Sitong Bridge overpass in the Haidian district of Beijing, openly bashing China’s President and criticizing their Zero-Covid policy, including one calling for “freedom and not lockdowns.”

People on social media quickly shared the videos and photos of the protest. But as soon as the Chinese government saw the post, quickly removed them but in this digital cat-and-mouse game, some tech-smart users indirectly coded the messages before the censors could catch on.

Chinese censors have restricted searches about the episode on Weibo, China’s equivalent of Twitter, blocking certain hashtags, including “Beijing,” “Sitong Bridge” and “Haidian.” Other seemingly related terms that appeared to be blocked from searches on the social media platform were “courage,” “Beijing banner” and “warrior,” reported The New York Times.

China is already on high alert as the party congress, which occurs every five years had already started on Sunday. At the meeting, Xi is expected to coast to a third term as leader.

Eight marked police cars were parked under and around the bridge on Friday, and crowds of plainclothes officers in black sweatpants stood to watch on the street corners.

When reporters began taking photos of the bridge, four plainclothes officers immediately ran over and ordered them to delete the photos. They said taking photos there was prohibited because of “special circumstances.”

The censoring also extended beyond search terms on social media with a connection to the incident, according to The New York Times.

Some WeChat users said their accounts were frozen after they shared images of the bridge or sent text messages about the episode. This prompted some people to flood the customer service community page of Tencent, WeChat’s parent company, on Weibo, begging that their accounts be returned. One desperate user wrote about feeling “deeply ashamed” and expressed regret about comments written about the incident in a message group with four people.

The Tencent customer service community page on Weibo has been removed.

In addition, a song called “Sitong Bridge,” a soft-rock tune by the band Graceless was removed from Chinese music apps. It also appeared to be removed from Apple Music for Chinese users, reported The New York Times.

In the comments section in some Chinese music apps of another song, “Warrior of the Darkness” by Eason Chan, a Hong Kong singer, some people posted remarks paying tribute to the protester. Those comments were removed. (ANI)

ALSO READ: How China is ramping up surveillance in Xinjiang

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Will CPC’s 20th congress return a woman to Standing Committee?

Women in China are still trying to discover an equal status in a highly patriarchal society….reports Asian Lite News

Women in China anxiously wait before every national congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC). So they are doing now as well in the hope that the 20th Congress scheduled to be held on October 16 would pay some attention to gender discrimination and pave the way for their proportional representation in the political and economic power structures.

Although, since the Cultural Revolution, began in 1966, women’s labour force participation in China increased, they still face discrimination and low status in Chinese culture.

Gender inequality, like most Asian countries, is a truth in China which has lingered on since the “great leap forward” of the 1950s, through the “cultural revolution” of the 1960s and 70s and during the years of the “Chinese miracle” through the 1980s, and 90s and two decades of the new millennium.

Women in China are still trying to discover an equal status in a highly patriarchal society. Even in the 21st century, men in China have more access to social resources and high socioeconomic status, besides political power.

It does not mean that women of China are not aware of their exclusion from the Communist Party leadership for long, but they now want their deserved place in the political power structure as they see in Germany, South Korea, Taiwan, India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan.

In an era of the information revolution, the demonstration effect is at work in China. As the participation of women in the workforce and higher education has increased, they aspire for a place in the political power structure.

Last time at the end of the CCP’s 19th Congress, the new Politburo Standing Committee had seven men but not a single woman to be seen. In fact, there has never been a female member in the Standing Committee of CCP Politburo.

And this happened in the 19th Congress despite the fact that out of 2,280 delegates in the congress, fewer than a quarter were women. The reality of China has not changed. Women are less represented higher up the political tree.

This time around, the total number of female delegates is 619, which is 68 more than those participating in the 19th Congress of the CPC, constituting about 27 per cent of the total 2296 delegates participating in the 20th Congress. Will a woman get placed on the Standing Committee?

Mao Zedong in 1968 said, “women hold up half the sky”, signalling that China would give equal rights, participation and representation in various areas of life.

Since then, China made many legislations for the welfare of women regarding marriage by choice, divorce and abolishing polygamy and paying money to wife, but the CCP remained more focused on overall societal stability and emphasized more domestic values for women to support a peaceful home life.

Much time has elapsed since then, but women continued to remain the “second sex” in the schema of the CCP. The so-called “great leap forward” years in the late 1950s and early 1960s unleashed women’s workforce by encouraging them to utilize their domestic duties and work in service centres such as cafeterias, kinder gardens and nurseries. This continued through the cultural revolution years.

However, despite increased women’s participation in higher education since the mid-1960s, women were provided lower-status jobs even if they had similar educational accomplishments as men and also faced wage discrimination for the same work.

The work condition of the girls migrating from rural areas to urban areas remained poor and pathetic reflected in their social designation as “factory girls” reflecting their miserable condition.

During the cultural revolution and thereafter, for a pretty long time period, the brunt of China’s one-child policy was bored by girl children and their mothers due to an unprecedented increase in female infanticide.

A prejudiced preference for sons has long existed in China and the mindset has changed little as women are still deemed as the weaker sex. They are not considered capable of political decision-making. Women continued to suffer a lower status in Chinese culture.

During the cultural revolution, the All-China Women’s Federation was pressurized to suspend their activities mainly directed towards making a demand for equal opportunity, justice and dignity. The far-left Cultural Revolution Movement often ignored women’s issues and considered them no different from men without considering their lower status.

Pic credits @CGMeifangZhang

Since the late 1970s as China’s economic progress and prosperity increased, the general living standard in the country also improved. But this remarkable growth of China bred massive inter-personal and inter-regional inequalities, the main brunt of that falling on women.

Even today Chinese society and economy are marked by unequal employment opportunities for women and skewed income distribution in favour of men. In 1995, CCP General Secretary Jiang Zemin made gender equality an official state policy, but even after that women are kept out of positions of power in politics.

It is not difficult to find why is it important for women to get a place in the Standing Committee of the CPC Politburo. About 30 per cent of women suffer from domestic violence in China; they have a lesser likelihood of enrollment than males in educational institutions of all age groups and they are often exposed to harassment, stalking and abuse both at home and at the workplace.

Women could get a fair deal if they are represented sufficiently in power structures. That would also make China more democratic. Going by China’s past records, a place for women in the Standing Committee of CPC Politburo would be a tall order. (ANI)

ALSO READ: How China is ramping up surveillance in Xinjiang

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How China is ramping up surveillance in Xinjiang

The report by the outgoing UN rights chief contains victim accounts that substantiate mass arbitrary detention, torture, and other serious human rights violations and recommends world to take action to end the abuses….reports Asian Lite News

China recently launched thousands of 5G base stations throughout its Xinjiang region, raising concerns the technology will be for greater digital surveillance of Uyghurs rather than the state use of economic development, according to US government-funded news service.

China’s Information Technology Ministry last month announced the number of 5G base stations in use across China has exceeded 1.96 million.

“The high-quality industrial internet network covers over 300 cities in China, accelerating the transformation and upgrading of traditional Chinese enterprises,” ministry official Wang Peng was quoted saying by state media outlet Xinhua.

With the aim to fully digitize its economy and society, Beijing’s build-out in Xinjiang is part of the expansion of the 5G tech for broadband cellular networks that started in 2019.

Xinjiang has the largest land area of all the provinces and autonomous regions in China with an area of 642,800 square kilometres, Radio Free Asia (RFA) reported.

“The 5G network rollout across the entire region will augment an existing pervasive digitized system that monitors the movement of residents through surveillance drones, facial recognition cameras, mobile phone scans as part of China’s efforts to control the predominantly Muslim population,” RFA quoted experts as saying.

Josh Chin, a journalist with The Wall Street Journal, said, “It’s definitely an interesting development. I have to imagine it will only make surveillance that much more pervasive and efficient.” The rollout of 5G base stations across the vast, sparsely populated region is “overkill,” according to Geoffrey Cain, a U.S. journalist and China analyst.

“It’s very extreme, and it also strikes me as very suspicious,” he told RFA.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet in her long-awaited report in August said the Chinese government has committed abuses that may amount to crimes against humanity targeting Uyghurs and other Turkic communities in Xinjiang.

The report by the outgoing UN rights chief contains victim accounts that substantiate mass arbitrary detention, torture, and other serious human rights violations and recommends world to take action to end the abuses.

It outlined China’s crimes against humanity due to its “arbitrary and discriminatory detention” of Uyghurs and other Muslims.

Adrian Zenz, in an interview with ANI, termed this bombshell report as ‘overall positive, very conservative and cautious in its approach’. Zenz is a Senior Fellow and Director in China Studies at the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation, Washington, DC.

“My assessment of the report is overall positive, it’s useful but of course, it’s not perfect at all and there are some shortcomings in it. The report is very conservative and cautious in its approach,” Zenz said. (ANI)

ALSO READ: Xi Jinping vows to modernise military

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Chinese firms in Zimbabwe under fire over human right violations

It is not only ill-treatment but the Chinese investors usually accuse local workers of stealing and verbally and physically abusing them and blatantly violating laws….reports Asian Lite News

Chinese-run companies in Zimbabwe have been dogged by controversy with gross human rights violations and safety norms for mining workers.

The recent incident of ill-treating by the Chinese mine owner has once again exposed the exploitation of locals and unethical practices adopted by Chinese employers in the African nation, reported Africa Daily.

It is not only ill-treatment but the Chinese investors usually accuse local workers of stealing and verbally and physically abusing them and blatantly violating laws.

The Centre for Research and Development (CRD), a Manicaland-based natural resources governance organisation stated that Chinese mining operations in Odzi were blatantly violating laws that regulate health and safety issues.

Recently a Chinese-run gold mining company operating in the Odzi peri-urban area of Mutare district, Zimbabwe has been accused of ill-treating workers and flouting the country’s labour laws and regulations, reported Africa Daily.

Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa (L) and Chinese ambassador to Zimbabwe Guo Shaochun (R) tour the construction site of Zimbabwe’s new parliament building in Mt. Hampden, on the outskirts of Harare, Zimbabwe

Notably, the Chinese company registered as Odzi Resources Zimbabwe Private Limited runs a number of gold mines across the country, including in Mashava, Mbalabala, Bulawayo, Kwekwe and Mazowe. In another incident, the Zimbabwe Diamond and Allied Minerals Workers Union (ZDAMWU) appealed (September 19) to the Chinese embassy in Zimbabwe to intervene and ensure Chinese investors comply with the laws of the country. China has funded and provided loans for many infrastructure projects across Africa in recent years, including the new parliament in Zimbabwe.

Chinese investments have increased over time in African countries mainly to exploit their natural resources to cater to the raw material requirements of their industries. But it pays little attention to social and environmental impacts in the host countries, reported Africa Daily. Tatenda Chikwanha, a former worker claimed ill-treatment of workers at the Odzi mine by the Chinese employer, who was recently fired after speaking out against the rampant abuse.

He added that workers were not provided with protective wear, decent meals and accommodation while on duty. Fearing victimisation many workers also could not spell the problems of poor working conditions to the authorities, reported Africa Daily.

According to the Zimbabwe Environmental Lawyers Association (ZELA), wages are often very low and in many cases are not paid on time. If someone tries to exercise their right as a worker and demand what is due to them getting assaulted or shot.

Nearly 40 workers employed at a Chinese-controlled mine near Doneni, Muzvezve area in Kadoma who have gone for months without salaries, said that they are being treated like slaves by the owners. They also alleged that they are forced to work in the mine shaft without any protective clothing, exposing them to injuries and other health hazards, reported Africa Daily. As per a 2016 report by the Brookings Institution, there are at least 10,000 Chinese nationals in Zimbabwe, many of whom work in the mining, telecommunications, and construction sectors. Chinese-owned companies, however, have become notorious for their mistreatment of workers.

In April 2019, workers at a mining company went on strike over lower wages than legally stipulated and demand for the provision of PPE which went unanswered. Workers complained that this has exposed them to hazardous fumes and increased the risk of losing limbs or being burnt, reported Africa Daily. (ANI)

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Xi signals no let-up in aggressive stand against Taiwan

Pic credits @CGMeifangZhang

Xi also raised the possibility of confrontation when discussing democratic Taiwan — which the Communist Party claims as its territory…reports Asian Lite News

During his opening speech Sunday morning at the start of the Party Congress, Chinese leader Xi Jinping vowed to speed up efforts to build the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) into a “world-class military”, local media reported.

To achieve that, the Chinese military should uphold the party’s “absolute leadership”, modernise its theory, organisation, personnel and weapons, Xi was quoted as saying by the CNN.

He pledged to improve the PLA’s ability to safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests, and to “effectively fulfill the mission of the people’s army in the new era.”

To do this, the military must build a strong system of strategic deterrence, increase the proportion of combat forces in new areas and deepen military training for real combat, he said.

Xi also raised the possibility of confrontation when discussing democratic Taiwan — which the Communist Party claims as its territory, despite never having controlled the self-governing island, CNN reported.

“We will continue to strive for peaceful reunification with the greatest of sincerity and the upmost effort, but we will never promise to renounce the use of force and we reserve the option of taking all measures necessary,” Xi said.

Xi gave a stern warning on Taiwan during his speech on Sunday, saying China would achieve reunification with the self-governing island by force if necessary.

He added that his words were “directed solely at interference by outside forces and a few separatists seeking Taiwan independence”.

China’s ruling Communist Party claims Taiwan as its territory, despite never having controlled it.

Xi’s remarks on Taiwan drew the greatest level of applause through his speech, which ran just short of two hours, CNN reported.

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Xi Jinping vows to modernise military

Picture courtesy: Twitter@merics_eu | Picture alliance: Xinhua News Agency_ Li Xueren

Xi said the communist party will strengthen Party organizations in the people’s armed forces, carry out regular activities and put in place institutions to improve the military’s political work…reports Asian Lite News

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday vowed to further modernize the country’s military in line with goals for the centenary of the People’s Liberation Army in 2027, state media outlet Xinhua reported.

Delivering a report to the 20th National Congress in Beijing, Xi Jinping expressed the desire to quickly elevate the people’s armed forces to world-class standards for building a modern socialist country.

“We will strengthen Party building across the board in the people’s armed forces to ensure that they always obey the Party’s command,” Xi was quoted as saying by Xinhua.

The Party will improve the institutions and mechanisms for implementing the system of ultimate responsibility resting with the chairman of the Central Military Commission, he said.

Xi said the communist party will strengthen Party organizations in the people’s armed forces, carry out regular activities and put in place institutions to improve the military’s political work.

The CCP will intensify troop training and enhance combat preparedness across the board, strengthen all-around military governance, and enhance integrated national strategies and strategic capabilities, Xi said.

At the twice-a-decade meeting of the communist party, Xi said that the country has achieved full control over Hong Kong and turned it from chaos to governance, Reuters news agency reported. Xi said China has also waged a major struggle against Taiwan separatism and is determined and able to oppose territorial integrity.

Along with the crackdown on Hong Kong, Xi Jinping also defended the military aggression against Taiwan, saying he “safeguarded” the country’s “dignity and core interests” for ensuring security. “In the face of turbulent developments in Hong Kong, the central government exercised its overall jurisdiction over the special administrative region as prescribed by China’s Constitution and the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region,” state media outlet Xinhua quoted Xi as saying.

On the self-governed island of Taiwan, he said, “In response to separatist activities aimed at Taiwan independence and gross provocations of external interference in Taiwan affairs, we have resolutely fought against separatism and countered interference.”

He said that China has demonstrated their resolve and ability to safeguard “China’s sovereignty and to oppose “Taiwan’s independence.”

During his speech, Xi also defended his flagship COVID policy by saying his government put the people and their lives above all else and tenaciously pursued a zero-COVID policy.

“In responding to the sudden attack of COVID-19, we put the people and their lives above all else and tenaciously pursued a dynamic zero-COVID policy,” Xinhua quoted Xi as saying.

Regional experts say that Chairman Xi Jinping will undoubtedly extend his term in power for another five years.

He will either be re-elected as general secretary of the CCP or will be newly elected as chairman of the CCP, a title that has lain dormant since 1982 and was once the highest position ever held by Mao Zedong. (ANI)

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Lockdown fear looms over Shanghai amid Covid curbs

At least 46 residential buildings or neighbourhoods had been designated medium risk and one high risk, across 14 of Shanghai’s 16 districts…reports Asian Lite News

A rollout of Covid restrictions across Shanghai has fuelled fears the city is heading towards another lockdown, as Chinese authorities seek to contain outbreaks while maintaining a sense of stability before a major political meeting on Sunday, the media reported.

Shanghai residents, who endured an arduous two-month lockdown earlier this year, have reported this week several schools moving into online classes and sudden snap lockdowns across the city, The Guardian reported.

At least 46 residential buildings or neighbourhoods had been designated medium risk and one high risk, across 14 of Shanghai’s 16 districts, local media reported. Several districts have also shut down entertainment and sporting venues, and all new arrivals must get tested within 24 hours, authorities said on Sunday, The Guardian reported.

The city government said there was no mass school shutdown or lockdown coming, but the word-of-mouth reports of small localised restrictions, the erection of fences, and snap lockdowns trapping people at home or in other buildings, have heightened unease.

On social media, some residents complained of fire escapes being locked, and pets left without care after owners were taken to quarantine. Others shared information about previously unreported lockdowns of shops and buildings, The Guardian reported.

Shanghai recorded just three locally transmitted cases and 44 asymptomatic cases on Wednesday. All tested positive while already in centralised quarantine facilities, and added to a total of 1,173 cases, 83 per cent of them asymptomatic, since July.

Since Monday, China’s health commission has reported about 1,120 confirmed cases and 4,202 asymptomatic cases. The majority were recorded in Xinjiang, which has been subjected to severe lockdown restrictions in recent months.

At least 36 Chinese cities across 31 provinces were under various degrees of lockdown or control this week, affecting about 197 million people, according to monitors, The Guardian reported.

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Xi faces rare protest days before Party Congress

Public protest against the top leadership is extremely rare in China, especially in the run-up to important political meetings, when authorities turn Beijing into a fortress to maintain security and stability…reports Asian Lite News

A rare protest against Chinese President Xi Jinping and his policies swiftly ended in Beijing Thursday, just days before he is set to secure a third term in power at a key meeting of the ruling Communist Party.

Photos circulating on Twitter showed two banners hung on an overpass of a major thoroughfare in the northwest of the Chinese capital, reports CNN.

“Say no to Covid test, yes to food. No to lockdown, yes to freedom. No to lies, yes to dignity. No to cultural revolution, yes to reform. No to great leader, yes to vote. Don’t be a slave, be a citizen,” reads one banner.

“Go on strike, remove dictator and national traitor Xi Jinping,” says another.

The photos also show plumes of smoke billowing from the bridge.

Public protest against the top leadership is extremely rare in China, especially in the run-up to important political meetings, when authorities turn Beijing into a fortress to maintain security and stability, CNN said in its report.

The twice-a-decade Communist Party national congress is the most important event on China’s political calendar.

At the 20th Party Congress beginning on Sunday, Xi is widely expected to break with recent norms and extend his rule for another term, potentially paving the way for lifelong rule.

Xi, the most powerful and authoritarian Chinese leader in decades, has waged a sweeping crackdown to crush dissent, both within the party and in wider society.

His draconian zero-Covid policy has fueled growing public frustration, as rolling lockdowns upend lives and wreak havoc on the economy.

Economy gives very little for Xi

At the 20th Party Congress set for this Sunday, Chinese President Xi Jinping is not likely to flaunt his party’s development in terms of economy as the country struggles with a continuous financial slump, according to media reports.

The Chinese economy is facing severe downward pressure and a plethora of problems which do not appear to be surmountable in the near and short terms, Financial Post reported.

According to several observers, this situation came to exist “as a result of lockdowns due to the Coronavirus, the zealous fight of the authorities against corruption and crisis in the real estate market, the economy of the Middle Kingdom may collapse.”

Financial Post reported that the conclusion has been made by the western media on the basis of assessments given by the World Bank.

As per reports, it is widely anticipated that Xi Jinping, during his speech in the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) would claim that the Chinese economy has not only weathered the western sanctions but also the COVID-19 pandemic and successfully managed a reasonable growth.

However, unlike the previous congress, this time around he has little to flaunt on the front of the economy, Financial Post reported.

Notably, in the first half of the year, China recorded only 2.5 per cent growth over the past year, one of the lowest in three decades. Retail sales were 0.7 per cent less in the first half than the previous year after plunging 11 per cent in April.

China’s slowdown has been worse than anticipated amid Covid-19 outbreaks and lockdowns, and there have been further negative spillovers from the war in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, European corporate investment in China is slackening as the country’s real estate market is slumping, consumer spending drying up because of stringent “Covid zero” policies, as well as American investment is also faltering because of geopolitical tensions.

The signs are ominous for the Chinese economy as foreign investments are limited to a handful of multinationals, reported The Straits Times.

China’s published statistics for foreign direct investment show that it is gradually rising overall. But the bulk of what China counts as foreign investment is money arriving from Hong Kong, which tends to be composed of mainland money that has been briefly routed through Hong Kong as a tax-minimisation measure.

Wang Huiyao, President of the Center for China and Globalization and a Counselor with the State Council pertinently remarked: “The upcoming 20th Party Congress is set to attract global attention, as the world is eager to know how the world’s second-largest economy will navigate through risks and challenges amid the lingering pandemic and geo-political tensions.” (ANI)

ALSO READ: China beat Mexico; Canada hold France 1-1

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China beat Mexico; Canada hold France 1-1

Football.

China broke the deadlock in the opening minutes of the second half. Huang was knocked over in the box, giving China’s captain Qiao Ruiqi the chance to step up and convert the subsequent penalty…reports Asian Lite News

China started their campaign in the FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup, defeating Mexico 2-1 in a first-round clash in Group C here on Wednesday.

In another match in Group C: Spain defeated Colombia 1-0. In matches played in Goa, Canada held France 1-1 while Japan outplayed Tanzania 4-0 in Group D encounters at the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.

The Mexican team was awarded a penalty in the 35th minute when Chinese defender Huang Jiaxin committed a handball inside the box, but Maribel Flores’ shot was denied by the crossbar.

China broke the deadlock in the opening minutes of the second half. Huang was knocked over in the box, giving China’s captain Qiao Ruiqi the chance to step up and convert the subsequent penalty.

Substitute Yu Xingyue doubled the lead for the young “Steel Roses” in the 90th minute after skipping through the defense in a counterattack and tipping the ball home, reports Xinhua.

Two minutes into the stoppage time, Katherin Guijarro pulled one back for Mexico. The Mexican girls almost leveled the match in the last minute, but the lethal volley shot from Valerie Vargas was saved by Chinese goalie Liu Chen.

In the Group D clash, Canada went ahead in the 57th minute when Annabelle Chukwa scored in the 67th minute after the two teams played out an evenly-contested first half.

But the lead did not stay for long as France levelled the score when Lucie Calba scored in the 73rd minute.

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