Our (not Better) HK Foundation backs away from suggestions it is backing Margaret Chan as next CE. In today’s climate, overtly supporting a possible future CE before Beijing gives the nod could be not just presumptuous but borderline disloyal. Also, Beijing will have to give that nod not only to its pre-selected choice as CE quasi-election winner in late March, but to any designated loser that participates in the farce to create a supposed appearance of competition.
Owen Chow – one of the pan-democrats jailed for 2020 primary election/’subversion’ to be bailed – gets un-bailed, apparently for making comments on social media.
As well as those pan-dems, many other protesters and activists are being detained for long periods without trial. Samuel Bickett says it’s not a bug but a feature, and introduces us to some of them.
More recommended viewing and reading for the weekend…
Simon Cheng was the British consulate trade official detained by Mainland security at West Kowloon high-speed rail station in August 2019 and sent back to Shenzhen. YouTube channel LADbible has just interviewed him about his interrogation and torture. (Also worth seeing in this series: a North Korean escapee and an Al-Qaeda infiltrator.)
From Philip Cowley, the Covid hypocrisy of Hong Kong.
China Media Project looks at Chinese state media ‘journalists’ who disguise their roles on social media in order to pass themselves off as genuine independent reporters.
Also from CMP, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), the country’s central agency for internet control and regulation, announces its top ten keywords for 2021…
For starters, here are the top three:
1. “Celebrating the 100th anniversary of the CCP” (庆祝中国共产党成立100周年)
2. “Party history study and education” (党史学习教育)
3. “6th Plenum of the 19th CCP Central Committee” (党的十九届六中全会)
The South China Morning Onion recently carried a hopelessly bad op-ed maintaining that Beijing and Taipei share maritime claims. No need to read it (though link provided), but a great thread in response is here. (The US has just commented on the issue.)
A second installment of the Forbes story about Beijing’s under-reporting of Covid numbers.
The UK security service warns against a Hong Kong-born lawyer allegedly working for Beijing in influencing politicians. More on her United Front and other ties here.
A good occasion to remind us of the Dr. Margaret Chan fiasco-story.
Remember 2003 when the First China Virus aka SARS was allowed to escape from a wet market in Guangdong a certain Dr. Margaret Chan at that time HK Health Secretary, was completely overwhelmed and mainly, as later was officially attested, due to complete lack of leadership skills botched the initial response, and let SARS spread in HK und from there into the world.
Nevertheless, when in 2006 the WHO needed a new Director General the mainland communists pushed Margaret as a candidate, seeing a chance to have ‘a Chinese’ leading a UN Organization for the first time . And as the still valid script book demands, mobilized their friends from Africa to Central Asia.
The ‘dreaded West’ warmed up to the idea because the common thinking was that only a Chinese could open doors in BJ and get the ears of the leaders there to put systems in place that a repeat of SARS would not be possible. So it went. And oh boy were they soo proud in the mainland. About a Hongkie, nota bene!
Fast forward to 2013. On the occasion of the ten-year anniversary of SARS Margaret then proudly announced that such systems would now be in place.
Unfortunately, when the Second China Virus aka Covid19 was allowed to escape, the fabulous systems were nowhere, and Margaret’s successor since 2015, Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus must have been given the same script that in order to achieve anything in communist China you must first go there and kiss the emperor’s feet.
The rest is history we all live in.
The lesson to learn: The world should not allow any mainland communist party nominated and supported candidate to take any senior position in any UN body.
As for Margaret becoming the CENO, why not. Reportedly she knows how to dance and sing karaoke. Imagine Witman Hung singing in duet with her. Even Regina Ip could not afford to stay away from such party!
https://www.politico.eu/article/world-looks-for-a-better-doctor/
All you need to know about Margaret Chan.
Third installment of the Forbes story about Beijing’s under-reporting of Covid numbers here:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/georgecalhoun/2022/01/11/part-3-anomalies-in-the-chinese-covid-data–evidence-of-manipulation/
@Kwun Tong Bypass: Thanks for the detailed reminder. I recall my astonishment in 2006 when Margaret moved up to the WHO, having proved herself incompetent in handling SARS1 and winning wide scorn in HK. Failing upward, indeed. Her tenure at WHO was also undistinguished.
Failing upward, indeed
A well-established military principle – if someone is doing a good job you don’t want to lose them. Promote the incompetent to get rid of them.
Our (Better Not) Hong Kong Foundation?