Comrade Charisma addresses the natives

Typical, isn’t it? Someone who is literally an iconoclast gets put in charge, and they turn out to be humungously clunky and uncool. Luo Huining, Beijing’s church-dismantling new Liaison Office plenipotentiary in Hong Kong, tries to Reach Out to the locals. The health-care workers’ strike, he says (in a letter to pro-Beijing figures), was akin to a ‘political coronavirus’.

I guess to an apparatchik speech-writer in Sai Ying Pun, this is quite a sophisticated, pointed and witty turn of phrase. At least, such rhetoric might have dazzled yak-herders when the ‘political veteran with no relevant experience’ was running Qinghai. Not going to cut it here. How’s this for persuasiveness…

“As long as the ports of entry are open, various goods will continue to be transported to Hong Kong, including rice, oil, flour, fresh meat, fruits, vegetables, disinfectant and tissue,” Luo said.

I declare the weekend open with a modest selection of on-line diversions…

Easy to forget amid the scramble for toilet paper that there’s an independent inquiry into the HK Police still due sometime. Amnesty International explains how it probably won’t could happen.

Bloomberg reports that Hong Kong’s population fell in 2H 2019 – the first time in two decades. (It was by 7,900, or 0.1% of the population. Presumably net of Mainland immigration, which could have been 20,000? Watch the numbers for 1H and 2H 2020.)

The Catholic Daily Compass on how the Vatican is handing Hong Kong to the CCP.

Jeffrey Wasserstrom on Hong Kong/Bay Area) as a latter-day Berlin, and on the global impact of Hong Kong’s protests. Already mentioned his new book on the subject; now Antony Dapiran has published one – City on Fire: the Fight for Hong Kong. Also just out: The Myth of Chinese Capitalism by Dexter Roberts.

My Little Airport are still around – enjoy a whole concert (and click on the pics for ‘Donald Tsang, Please Die’ as a bonus).

Radii on why epidemics and disease are such touchy subjects in China’s history; the Globe and Mail on outbreak orientalism; and the BBC on virus-and-Sinophobia.

A nice rant on how the CCP will spin the outbreak it caused to its advantage.

CNBC on why the White House (let alone most right-thinking people) doesn’t trust Beijing’s disease statistics.

CNN on how the virus has infected the WHO.

A great short documentary on a single woman in China under pressure to get married (she has since, wisely, emigrated).

Reuters reports China’s threat to throw a tantrum if a Czech politician visited Taiwan.

And for fashion fans: 19th century Japanese firemen’s coats (more interesting than you might expect).

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6 Responses to Comrade Charisma addresses the natives

  1. Reactor #4 says:

    What’s wrong with Luo Huining saying “As long as the ports of entry are open, various goods will continue to be transported to Hong Kong, including rice, oil, flour, fresh meat, fruits, vegetables, disinfectant and tissue”?

    If instead he’d followed my suggestion and declared: “Right you 4king high maintenance, soft southern bastards listen up; first, I’m in charge; second, once I have got myself settled in, you lot are all going to be on the receiving end of some serious whip cracking”, I think that most people would be having a hissy fit and very likely would have difficulty sleeping over the coming few nights.

    As is, I the first session with the new headmaster was very positive. Clearly we have a new Chief Executive who is a fluff-free politico.

  2. Yet another Carrie on says:

    That first para of the SCuMP article on the new fella: “ Bringing a political veteran with no relevant experience out of semi-retirement and making him the top envoy to Hong Kong shows Beijing’s determination to reset its policy on the city, according to insiders and observers.”

    Given that that’s the exact same set of criteria they used to select Carrie Lam as their figurehead, I really can’t tell if they’re selling that straight or ironic. I’m guessing straight, because communism tends towards the boring.

  3. Anna G Ram says:

    Mr Luo Huining

    is an anagram of

    Run, Mini Ghoul!

    It’s all in the letters.

  4. Mary Melville says:

    Whew, we dodged a bullet when the lily-livered Morons and other evangelicals skipped town when the going got tough. Otherwise we could have ended up like the folk at Daegu.
    Jehovahs have spotted a gap in the market and are out in force, particularly near MTR in Wanchai and TST. Chinese friends were delighted to hear that the phrase ‘I am a Catholic’ is the most effective brush off.
    I note that the gate to St. Andrews Church is closed, during the day, no welcome mat there for those seeking some spiritual support.

  5. Hamantha says:

    For anyone quarantined and seeking spiritual guidance, turn on the TV and let the televangelists guide you…

    https://youtu.be/2af4gcS-b9Y

  6. Chinese Netizen says:

    That photo of Luo HN: THE definition and perfect illustration of “waxwork”. How do they do it up in Zhongnanhai??

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