A gloriously wrathful, vexed, ranting, mouth-frothing letter to the WSJ from Secretary of Constitutional/Mainland Affairs Erick Tsang.
More charges against Jimmy Lai and other Next Media people (and Stand News/HKJA chair Ronson Chan detained at dawn), namely conspiring to:
“print, publish, sell, offer for sale, distribute, display and/or reproduce seditious publications.”
…otherwise known as producing newspapers. (Update: Denise Ho and Margaret Ng among others arrested. Seems Christine Fang – establishment-friendly former CE of the HK Council for Social Service – is one. Weird.)
A not-very-optimistic view of what could happen if/when a fifth wave of Covid eventually breaks out in semi-vaccinated Hong Kong.
From the SCMP, an interview with a Mainland think-tank expert on how it’s all the fault of evil foreigners being too stupid to understand China…
China needs to do more to explain its system and values to the world, to avoid misunderstanding and mistrust in the West, according to the founder of a Beijing-based non-governmental think tank.
In an interview on Talking Post with chief news editor Yonden Lhatoo, Wang Huiyao from the Centre for China and Globalisation (CCG) said he faced an uphill battle when speaking to Western media about China.
“We know from the very beginning it’s a tremendous challenge to communicate with the outside world. I think first, China doesn’t really have many people who speak [or have] command of good English,” Wang said.
“But particularly, I think China has a different system, different values, maybe a different history and culture.”
By ‘China’, perhaps he means ‘the CCP’.
Some Xmas leftovers – anti-Christmas regulations from Chinese officials…
If anyone finds individuals and organizations doing any event of ‘Christmas’ or ‘Holy Night,’ please contact immediately the County Public Security bureau and comrade Li. Number: 17772028488.
From Politico, China-watchers’ predictions for 2022.
And following the hardly-tragic loss of Nicaragua, some lateral thinking on Taiwan…
As counterintuitive as it may seem, Taiwan should further consider unilaterally shedding all remaining partners to strengthen its hand long-term against China.
My modest proposal is that Taiwan unilaterally go further in order to comply with the ‘only one China’ rule:
# return the entire contents of the National Palace Museum to Beijing as plundered treasure that is the rightful property of the PRC;
# evacuate Kinmen and other burdensome little islands just off the Chinese coast, ceding them to the PRC as its legitimate sovereign territory;
# step up the dismantling/renaming of Chiang Kai Shek and similar memorials, and design a new flag, as a decolonization process; and
# announce official recognition of the PRC as an independent nation, renouncing the Republic of China’s traditional claim to the Mainland as outdated and revanchist.
In short, turn the tables on Beijing. Rather than declare Taiwan independent, grant the Mainland independence and de-facto dissolve the RoC as archaic.
Taiwan’s continued development of unofficial ties with major and mid-tier countries that do not involve sovereign recognition does not necessitate the abandonment of its remaining official diplomatic ties.
Mr. Grossman’s arguments that Taiwan do so are tantamount to putting lipstick on a surrender pig, and such a course will only increase the possibility that Taiwan will be forced into complete diplomatic isolation in the not-too-distant future.
“…and we will prosper under the ‘one country, two systems’ “. I guess Erick Tsang is still duty bound to cling onto that “two systems” bullshit?
As for a Beijing based “non governmental” think tank: There is NO SUCH THING.
EVERY organization in CCPChina MUST have, through registration and vetting, SOME kind of governmental oversight or even a member placed inside by “party organs”. And it has nothing to do with how crappy or amazing spoken English is (which, by the way, Chinese are some of the MUCH better English speakers in Asia…especially compared to the Japanese!)
Gitdafuckouttahere with your “non governmental” bullshite.
A particularly amusing point in Erick’s rant is when he says that the only democratic LegCo was the one set up by Patten (which the CCP’s white paper doesn’t acknowledge). Foreign Office papers declassified in the past few years show that Britain tried to get democracy going in Hong Kong several times, but were warned off by that great promoter of democracy, the, er CCP.
As to the old communications trope… The problem is not communications. Many people understand the message perfectly well. They do not like the message.
Beijing absolutely considers a dissolution of the RoC (even just dropping the name) as “declaring independence”. There’s really no clever dodge as long as the PRC insists on maintaining its delusion that Taiwan isn’t already a completely independent country.
@Ranter – “Britain tried to get democracy going in Hong Kong several times, but were warned off by that great promoter of democracy, the, er CCP.”
More here:
https://timhamlett.com/2021/12/27/rewriting-history-after-the-legco-elections/
From news.gov.hk: One shudders
Police National Security Department continues arrest operation
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Following the arrest operation this morning (December 29), Police National Security Department arrested a 51-year-old woman in Castle Peak for conspiracy to publish seditious publication, contravening section 9 and 10 of the Crimes Ordinance. A total of three men and four women, aged 34 to 73, were arrested in the operation so far.
All arrestees are being detained for further enquiries. Investigation is underway and further arrests may be made.
I think it will be a good idea if we compile a list of China-loving quislings that can be disseminated far and wide in the world, for future references. Anyone has an idea how to organize this in a proper manner?