From the Ministry of Truth…
Pandemic prevention policy is scientific, proactive, and under control, and is being carried out in a planned and measured manner. This runs counter to false charges, leveled by the United States and the West, that China was “forced to relax its grip” or is “unprepared.”
Well, that’s me convinced!
In an interview with Anne Stevenson-Yang – China’s Covid-strategy-as-centralization-push, the ‘investability’ of China, and more…
…I have to say I think there has been some kind of quiet internal revolt against Xi Jinping’s personal rule.
…It’s important to be aware that China is really two countries: You have a fairly prosperous nation along the coast, and then you have a billion people in the interior who are there essentially just to supply cheap labor to the coastal cities. Since the coastal cities have not paid the full cost of that labor in terms of education, healthcare and pensions, their economies have looked very buoyant. In contrast to that, the health and education of the people in the interior is at a level similar to Algeria’s. Social well-being is definitely worse than, say, Malaysia. So if you were to raise those people out of poverty and sort of blend them with the 350 million on the coast, you would drag down growth for everybody. And if you were to leave them out entirely, you basically split the country.
In the Standard – comment and update on Hong Kong’s hamster situation.
From TransitJam, how you get a toppled-over bus out of the bushes around Lohas Park.
HKFP op-ed on the Lantau-reclamation twin elephants.
Really out of area, but long overdue: why manned missions to Mars are a stupid idea.
from the hamster article on their ban: “What else could this be if not red tape?”
Superstitious non-scientific group think driven by a fear of reprisal or loss of employment?
One wonders whether erstwhile Standard columnist Nearly Visace has a hamster given the earnestness of that op-ed. It’s also shuddering to think what he’d do if he did have one.
Anne Stevenson-Yang never fails to provide a sober read on China, with today’s article being no exception.
Just act in accordance with the scientific guidance from the ministry, and you will convince yourself in the process.
Louis’ question of the day: What do Hartlepool and Slough have in common?
Answer: they are both listed in the “Ten Most Miserable Cities in Britain”.
Motto of Slough: “There is always room for one more take-away”.
Guidelines and Requirements for Reporting on Pandemic Prevention and Control Measures:
“All media should vigorously publicize China’s continuing optimization of pandemic prevention and control measures in light of the changing pandemic situation.”
Presumably, by “continuing optimization” we of course mean “sudden total reversal of the last three years”; and by “in light of the changing pandemic situation” we mean “in order to quell the widespread rioting without resorting to the bad optics of the unpleasantness with tanks option”. 🤡
The embargo on hamsters has a positive angle, fewer animals bred to spend their lives in captivity in small metal cages in almost as small concrete homes. Why would anyone want to perpetuate this trade?
Now if they would only extend the ban to cover all those other trapped animals, birds, reptiles and other creatures that far too many folk for some inexplicable reason believe they should be masters of and encourage unscrupulous dealers to exploit their fetish.
So, the CCP are admitting that they planned to infect several hundred million of their citizens and overload their hospitals? Have I got that right?
Mary Melville.
I couldn’t agree more. You refer to it as a fetish; l’d call it a mental illness.