China denies suspending passports, invalidating foreign residency cards
"China's immigration authority is still providing services for necessary trips outside the country, it said on Friday, denying rumours that passport issuances were halted and that residency cards for living in foreign countries were being invalidated."
--- Not much of a denial. That's pretty much what the various media reports said: only 'necessary' travel would be allowed. &, obviously, what is necessary is decided by the CCP.
& there is more than enough evidence that passports are invalidated or impounded, eg. here.
Leaving locked down Shanghai for a 'whole new world' outside China
"expats who want to escape Shanghai typically need consular assistance, approval from community leaders to get extra non-government Covid tests, a registered driver to take them to the airport, and a ticket on a rare flight out
[...] But most of all, people leaving must promise their community leaders that once they step through the gates, they won't come back."
--- 'Welcome to (leave) China!'
I suspect, emperor Xi is only too happy to see these foreign troublemakers go. Chinese spouses of foreigners, on the other hand, have just as much trouble leaving as any other Chinese.
China sets up local law enforcement militias to boost 'stability maintenance'
"Judicial authorities across China are setting up "people's legal struggle militias" to aid law enforcement, recruiting lawyers 18-45 "in good physical condition,"
[...] A notice issued by bureaus of justice in Shanghai, Guangdong, Hubei and other locations said the militias would be formed in support of "our online forces.""
--- The flashbacks come more frequently & ever stronger. I would not be too surprised if these militias sooner or later have to vow personal loyalty to emperor Xi.
"the militias suggest that China is indeed heading towards a Cultural Revolution enforcement style where the government no longer has a monopoly on political violence
[...] Gansu scholar Zhang Ping said the militias will be under the command of local government militias, in a manner similar to the grassroots militias of the Cultural Revolution"
--- Maybe opposition to emperor Xi's ever more nonsensical rule is greater or stronger than I think? Is he preparing for a civil war or for a campaign to root out even the slightest opposition? How much does he want to fuck up China?
Rumours of a lockdown in China’s capital Beijing spark panic buying, police investigation
"Although no formal lockdown was announced, officials did “recommend” people stay home and “reduce movement” during the three-day testing period.
In many areas Beijing taxi services have stopped and subway stations closed, while parks have been shut and millions told to work from home.
AFP saw at least one community with extra gates erected and a loudspeaker message being broadcast telling people to “refrain from entering this community”."
--- No formal lockdown. But actually in most of the world this would be called a lockdown. Only, it's not as strict as in Shanghai (yet).
"On Friday, Beijing authorities reported 50 local Covid cases including eight asymptomatic ones"
--- It seems they are keeping up this nonsense. How can they have such strangely low numbers of asymptomatic cases?
Chinese censors go after 'last generation' references on social media platforms
"PPE-clad police officials turn up outside someone's apartment and tries to force them to go to an isolation camp even though he had recently tested negative for coronovirus. [sic!]
"We're negative. You have no right to take us away," the man says, before a police officer steps forward wagging a finger and says: "You know that we will punish you, right? And when that happens, it will have a bad effect on your family for three generations."
"Sorry. We're the last generation," the man replies in the video"
--- Similar response to when some do-gooder tells me what I have to do to save the planet for the children. I don't have kids & that's the best you can do for the planet.
Taking Tedros at His Word
"On the one hand, the foreign voice is the truly authoritative voice, giving credibility to the claims of those in power. If Tedros speaks the Party’s convictions, then they must be legitimate. If a Western survey says Chinese people are happy their government, this must be demonstrably true. Behind this odd complex is the unfortunate fact that China has few truly credible voices – for the simple reason that its journalists and intellectuals cannot speak their minds. Propaganda reports brim with cherry-picked quotes from opposition politicians in Europe, “foreign scholars” and self-proclaimed experts of such dubious origin that their ideas can only be found in China Daily or on CGTN, or unwitting diplomats or other figures, like Tedros, whose odd remark can be plucked out of context like a bright piece of pro-China confetti."
--- Foreign voices are extremely important & valued - as long as they are supportive of the CCP. But if they are even slightly critical, they are irrelevant, irresponsible or outright evil.
China database reveals the thousands detained in Xinjiang
"Hundreds were detained from each township and village, the database shows, often many from the same household.
"This is not clearly-targeted anti-terrorism," said David Tobin, lecturer in East Asian Studies at the University of Sheffield in Britain.
"It's going to every door and taking a number of people away. It really shows they're arbitrarily targeting a community and dispersing it across a region."
People were jailed for broad charges including "gathering a group to disrupt social order", "promoting extremism" and "picking quarrels and provoking trouble""
--- Because the local CCP cadres have to meet their quotas.
""Xinjiang society is harmonious and stable ... and all ethnic minorities fully enjoy various rights.""
--- Mostly the right to sing & dance in front of foreign cameras. Some very important "int'l experts" are impressed:
Joke of the day.
China practising missile strikes on targets in Taiwan and Guam
"they show a training camp in Xinjiang's remote Taklamakan desert with the layout of a mock-up ship anchored in a naval base that mimics one in northeast Taiwan and other targets in Guam.
New satellite photographs, according to the US Naval Institute (USNI) news site, show China developing more large-scale target ranges along the rim of the desert, including model destroyers and docks."
--- Surely, that is totally harmless training for peaceful UN missions. After all, Guam is a major disaster zone.
China slams planned US economic framework as Biden hosts SE Asian leaders
"the IPEF does seeks to foster ties with economic partners in the Indo-Pacific by setting trade rules and building a supply chain, without China"
--- The evil USA again: Fostering ties without asking China for permission. How dare they!?
"On Thursday, Beijing warned Washington that the Asia-Pacific is “not a chessboard for geopolitical contest” and any regional cooperation framework should “follow the principle of respecting others’ sovereignty and non-interference in others’ internal affairs.”"
--- Translation: 'East & South East Asia are China's property & the USA has to stay out.'
"The Chinese Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson Zhao Lijian said China rejects “Cold War mentality” when it comes to regional groupings."
--- Unless of course, China is doing the grouping.
"Seeking to offer concrete benefits at the summit, Biden offered US$150 million for ASEAN infrastructure, security, pandemic preparedness and other efforts"
--- Which is virtually nothing. But even the slightest competition with China's BRI is evil.
Czech venue pushes back against pressure from China to cancel Badiucao's cartoons
"On the afternoon of May 11, DOX Contemporary Art Center project director Michaela Šilpochová suddenly received a call from Hao Hong, a cultural affairs department official at the Chinese embassy, to her private cell phone.
Hao Hong said they were calling on the order of the Chinese embassy, and accused Badiucao's work of "smearing the image of China's leaders" and "hurting the feelings of the Chinese people" and warned that the exhibition would "destroy the relationship between the two countries.""
--- Non-interference with Chinese characteristics.
Passing of Shanghai Culture Writer Raises Questions
The Changing Pattern of China’s Aircraft Incursions Into Taiwan’s ADIZ
China’s tech workers face layoff bloodbath amid crackdown, losses
--- China Uncensored features the weekend news variety again:
--- France 24: "China doubles down: Can Xi Jinping stick to zero-Covid policy?"
--- WION: Gravitas: China blows up replica of Taiwan's naval base
--- 7News: A Chinese warship spotted off Exmouth, West Australia
--- France 24: Leaked China database identifies thousands of Uighur Muslims detained in Xinjiang
--- China Observer: In the name of epidemic prevention | Shanghai Back to 1980s
Zero Zweifel
"Unter den größten Städten in China, die sich momentan in einem teilweisen oder kompletten Lockdown befinden, ist Shanghai nicht einmal am heftigsten betroffen. Andere Städte leiden stiller, aus ihnen gibt es in westlichen Medien nicht fortwährend Berichte wie aus Shanghai, obwohl in manchen das öffentliche Leben seit einem Jahr faktisch heruntergefahren ist."
--- Das gilt v.a. für Grenzstädte, weil es halt das böse Ausland ist, von dem die Virengefahr ausgeht.
"Ein Rechtsexperte wie Tong Zhiwei, hochangesehener Professor für Verfassungsrecht an der Eastern China University of Political Science and Law, hat einen langen Artikel veröffentlicht, in dem er darauf hinwies, dass einige der Maßnahmen verfassungswidrig seien und dass die Offiziellen die Rechte der Menschen anerkennen sollten. Und auf sozialen Medien kursierte ein Video, in dem ein eloquenter älterer Herr einer Gruppe von Polizisten eine Art Vorlesung darüber hielt, welche Rechtsverletzungen sie begingen. Natürlich werden all diese Artikel und Videos von der Zensur rasch gelöscht."
--- Kaiser Xi meint dazu: 'Das Recht bin ich.'
"Die geleakte Aufnahme einer Furcht einflößenden Einweisung lokaler Polizisten in Jiangyin belegt, wie die ministerielle Anordnung umgesetzt wird: "Auf Anweisung von Sekretär Du … müssen die Polizeistationen in diesen sieben Bezirken alle Maßnahmen ergreifen, um die Befehle auszuführen … Jeden Tag muss die Polizei fünf typische Fälle von Verletzung der Pandemiekontrollregeln finden und entsprechende Verhaftungen durchführen. Die Hühner töten, um den Affen eine Lektion zu erteilen. Es müssen unbedingt kriminelle Fälle dabei sein, darunter Leute mit gelbem Gesundheitscode, die die Quarantäneregularien verletzen. Solche Fälle müssen weit verbreitet werden, um die (Proteste in der) Gesellschaft komplett zum Schweigen zu bringen … An die Rechtsabteilung: Bitte herausfinden, auf welcher Basis solche Bestrafungen der Pandemiekontrollregelverletzungen möglich sind, vor allem im Strafrecht.""
--- Furchteinflößend? So funktioniert die chinesische Polizei schon seit langem. Es werden Quoten erfüllt, z.B. bei der Verhaftung von Prostituierten, Dieben oder Betrügern. In Xinjiang wird anscheinend nach Quoten entschieden, wer als Terrorist in den Knast kommt.
"Die lokalen Behörden haben, seit wann genau, ist nicht ganz klar, sogenannte Milizeinheiten der Rechtsprinzip-Schlacht auf die Beine gestellt, die aus Anwältinnen und Rechtsexperten bestehen. Diese erhalten ein politisches, aber tatsächlich auch ein körperliches Training, um Propagandaaktionen und "juristische Schlachten" in Uniform durchzuführen."
--- Das neueste Instrument für den kaiserlichen Machterhalt. Riecht stark nach Kulturrevolution. Klingt so, als würde es bald wieder Kampf- & Kritiksitzungen (struggle sessions) geben.
Shanghai verkündet Lockerung des Corona-Lockdowns - Datum unklar
"Ein genaues Datum für die Lockerungen, das über die Monatsmitte hinausgeht, wurde nicht genannt. Wu sagte auch nicht, wie die Wiedereröffnung erfolgen soll"
--- & gleichzeitig wird in vielen Vierteln der sogenannte Ruhemodus nochmal um 5 Tage verlängert. Wie das mit den Lockerungen so ist...
Währenddessen in Peking: Unruhe wegen Corona wächst in vielen Städten Chinas
Man darf China nur aus triftigem Grund verlassen
"Ihr Land zu verlassen, könnte für Chinesinnen und Chinesen schwieriger werden."
--- Könnte? Es ist schon schwieriger geworden, extrem schwierig sogar.
"Grundsätzlich würde ich nicht sagen. Sie dürfen ausreisen, wenn sie einen triftigen Grund haben, zum Beispiel wenn sie im Ausland studieren wollen und bereits einen Studienplatz haben, oder wenn sie einen Arbeitsplatz haben. Das müssen sie belegen können."
--- Tja, auch nicht ganz richtig. Gibt schon diverse Fälle, in denen auch Studenten die Ausreise verweigert wurde & ihnen vor Antritt des Fluges der Pass ungültig gemacht wurde.
"Es gibt auch unbestätigte Berichte, wonach sogar Pässe eingezogen bzw. zerschnitten wurden"
--- Unbestätigt? Die Behörden in Hunan z.B. haben ganz offen zugegeben, daß Reisepässe eingezogen werden.
Biden verspricht Südostasien 150 Millionen Dollar
"Die US-Regierung hat neue Initiativen und Projekte der USA mit dem Verband südostasiatischer Staaten Asean in Höhe von rund 150 Millionen US-Dollar (rund 144 Millionen Euro) angekündigt"
--- Kinkerlitzchen. Aber für China offensichtlich schon zuviel, weswegen man gleich mal wieder protestierte. Man hasst Konkurrenz für die Gürtelneurose ... äh ... die Gürtel- & Straßeninitiative.
EU und Japan vertiefen Kooperation
Gefährlich abhängig von China
Bundesregierung besorgt wegen Entwicklungen in China
