Back from overseas trip, finding Hong Kong too sweaty to do much. A few links from my catching-up…
Johannes Chan on the third anniversary of the NatSec Law…
Those arrested include legislators, journalists, students, academics, and political activists … Nearly four in five of those charged with national security offenses have been denied bail, and some have spent more than two years in detention awaiting trial. The conviction rate so far is 100%.
From HKFP, a summary of Audrey Yue’s closing statements in the Stand News sedition trial. Everyone eagerly awaits the judge’s comments on her arguments.
Nikkei Asia feature on Albert Ho, facing possible life imprisonment for ‘inciting others to subvert state power’…
In 2004, an opinion piece published by Xinhua state news agency accused Ho of not being patriotic and of destabilizing the city. In response, Ho said, “It is not that the democrats in Hong Kong are not patriotic, but that the central government’s definition of patriotism is problematic.”
Good explanation of contrast between older- and younger-generation activists. Also quotes Anson Chan from 1998 – ‘real transition is about identity and not sovereignty’.
From RFA – Hong Kong’s Wagner Group links.
Over to the ‘Guess Whose Fault It Is’ of the Day competition…
“It’s not that China wants to be closer to Russia. It’s that the U.S. is forcing that,” Wang Huiyao, a Chinese foreign policy advisor and president of the Center for China and Globalization, a Beijing-based think tank.
Business Insider on the post-Covid China boom that didn’t happen…
The fizzled [post-Covid] reopening isn’t just a short-term disappointment, it’s a sign that the old China is gone.
…”The root causes of the disappointing recovery look increasingly structural — a deleveraging mindset and a more permanent loss of animal spirits,” Societe Generale’s Yao warned in her recent note.
HKFP on the repercussions for commentators on China’s economic problems…
Regulators have previously urged investors to avoid reading foreign news reports about China, while analysts and economists have been suspended from social media for airing pessimistic views.
Not everyone gets censored – China Media Project looks at the impressive authorial output of Xi Jinping…
During his first decade in power, Xi published an average of 12 unique titles per year, all given rather prominent treatment in the People’s Daily. By comparison, Hu Jintao published just 1.5 titles per year. Jiang Zemin? Just 1.4.
The most excitable take on a coming China-Taiwan war that we’ve seen for a few months…
Chinese fishing base investments in the Solomon Islands will quickly become full joint missile-air-naval bases to outflank US power projection, contain Australia and New Zealand, dominate trade routes to Latin America, and better secure control over Antarctica — to assure passage for new People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Fractional Orbital Bombardment System (FOBS) nuclear weapons aimed at the United States.
An illustrated post on Xi’s apparently decent architectural taste, as reflected in Xiongan new city’s buildings, with no glass curtain walls. OK – not reflected.
Architecture and signage from my trip…
Correction: The goats in these field are already pregnant. Thank you.
“The Goats in this field are pregnant. Thank you.”
Gnarly to brag about your insemination capacity. That farmer must have Welsh heritage.
“China’s working-age population is getting old, and there are fewer young people to replace them than at any time in the country’s modern history.” ~From the Business Insider article above.
NY Times today: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/28/business/china-jobs-age-discrimination-35.html
And any “young person” over 35 is over-the-hill and in constant fear of being laid off.
Welcome back.