HiveComb

As China looks on at a world opening up, can Xi Jinping survive zero-Covid?

"In Shanghai some residents are hanging out their windows banging pots and pans in nightly protest at a weeks-long lockdown beset by food shortages. A loudspeaker driven through the streets tells them their protest has been “incited by foreign forces”, while flying drones urge they “control your soul’s desire for freedom”"

--- Does Shanghai have free internet? Or how come that people there are under such massive foreign influence?

"“We try to run faster than the virus,” Li Bin, deputy director of the China’s National Health Commission, said on Friday. “No matter how the virus evolves we always put people and their lives first.”"

--- Joke of the day.

China digs in on zero-Covid strategy despite public’s frustrations

"China’s virus policy is a “magic weapon for preventing and controlling the pandemic,” Li Bin, deputy director of the National Health Commission (NHC), told reporters on Friday"

--- For itself, this looks just like normal pro-regime propaganda. But there seems to be a trend towards more supernatural (mostly religious) references when talking about CCP actions. Is a new religion emerging? Xiism? Xianity? Xislam?
Speaking of magic weapons: https://twitter.com/ChinaUncensored/status/1519997007955468289

Chinese leaders stick to Covid controls as the virus spreads and forces a Beijing luxury mall to close temporarily

"China showed few signs of loosening its zero-Covid control policies"

--- Few? Which signs are there? I see none.

Financial lobby group urges Shanghai to ease COVID rules for staff stuck in offices

"More than 20,000 bankers, traders and other workers had to bed down in office towers in Shanghai’s Lujiazui district as they sought to keep China’s giant financial hub running during the lockdown.
[...] They have not been able to step outside since March 28"

--- Life is great under emperor Xi's lockdown regime. (Well, at least, unlike those stuck at home, these finance workers probably did get enough supplies.)

EU demands answers over employee arrested in China

"The Chinese national was detained in September 2021 and EU representatives have not been given any information about the charges against him
[...] Despite multiple requests on our side to the Chinese authorities, we have so far not been informed either of the allegation(s) nor of the specific charge(s) he faces. We will continue inquiring until we get a proper answer."

--- The EU again showing strength. If you work for the EU you can be sure to have the full economic power in your support. It's not as if the EU is a paper tiger not taking serious by the CCP.

"the reason for his detention was “picking quarrels and provoking trouble” – a catch-all charge or “pocket crime” that has been used by Chinese authorities against human rights activists and dissidents for a wide range of activities"

--- He worked in IT. Could be that they just want him to give them access codes. But that's dubious, since every reasonable administrator would have changed the codes immediately. (Then again, with the EU you never know.) Maybe if he gets released we will learn what this is about.

China says Nato has ‘messed up Europe’ and warns over role in Asia-Pacific

"“Nato, a military organisation in the North Atlantic, has in recent years come to the Asia-Pacific region to throw its weight around and stir up conflicts,” Wang said.
“Nato has messed up Europe. Is it now trying to mess up the Asia-Pacific and even the world?”"

--- 'How dare you support democracies!? That makes it harder for us righteous, superior dictatorships to increase our power & territory. You are so mean!'
Evil NATO probably encourages even more evil Japan to stand up to peaceful China: Japan Pushes Back as China Gains Strength in Asian Seas

China’s military: new PLA rule seen to cement troop loyalty to President Xi Jinping (Beware: CCP propaganda inside!)

"Military and legal experts said the revival of grass roots democracy could be seen as an attempt to activate the old “red genes” of the Red Army, the predecessor to the PLA. This might help Xi, who also chairs the all-powerful CMC, to better control senior military officers, they believe.
“Xi appreciates the many legacies left by Mao Zedong,”"

--- Translation: 'Denunciation will help to transform the PLA into emperor Xi's personal army.'

China’s aggressive efforts to bring back fugitives grow more brazen

"The group warned Liu against supporting Ma’s legal fight against deportation and set a timeline of three months for him to return to China. If that deadline was missed, they told her, family in China would be arrested.
[...] In late January, as the three-month deadline set by Chinese authorities passed, Liu’s sister and brother-in-law, Liu Linghui and Zhang Shourong, were arrested in the northeastern Chinese city of Harbin on suspicion of illegal fundraising"

--- The Chinese mafia active in Europe. Guess, what happened to the thugs: Nothing. Still working at the Chinese embassy.

China may be getting ready to wind down its crackdown on big tech

"Hong Kong's Hang Seng index jumped 4%, while the Shanghai Composite was up 2.4%, after Chinese state media reported that the country's top leaders had vowed to boost growth.
They also promised to "promote the healthy development" of the internet economy and "introduce specific measures" to support the sector
[...] "In short, today's Politburo meeting wants to assure the market that the regulation campaign, which started from the end of 2020, is over,""

--- 'Totally over! Definitely! This time it's true! & it most certainly will not at best be a temporary measure because we need some better economic numbers for emperor Xi.'

Eileen Gu sparks praise and debate after thanking China in farewell post

"On Weibo, some accused Gu of acting "like a foreigner," alleging she thanked China with a notable sense of distance. Others questioned why she didn't say "thank you motherland" or "thank you (my) country" like other Chinese athletes.
"Ultimately she thinks of herself as an American. She only joined China temporarily," one top comment said."

--- Surprise!

"By Thursday evening, Weibo appeared to have restricted the latest discussions about Gu's farewell too. A search for the trending hashtag "Gu Ailing posts on Weibo to thank China" only shows posts from official accounts now -- and unsurprisingly, all are showering her with praise."

--- Who would have thought?

Proposed China investment curb by US sparks debate among chipmakers

DJI insisted drone-tracking AeroScope signals were encrypted — now it admits they aren’t

People trapped after building collapses in China

--- China Uncensored shows the weekend news variety:

--- WION:

--- WION:

Trailer for movie Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness showed a newspaper box of the Epoch Times

Deutsche China-Politik: Kommt jetzt die „Zeitenwende“ in den Beziehungen zu Peking?

"China erwähnte der Kanzler nicht, aber als Scholz sich in Japan laut fragte, „welche Abhängigkeiten wir uns künftig leisten können und wollen, etwa bei strategisch wichtigen Technologien oder Rohstoffen“, da war das nicht nur gegen Russland gerichtet. Konkreter als Scholz wurde Japans Premierminister."

--- Wenn sogar Japaner konkreter Kritik äußern als der deutsche Kanzler ...

"Dass man sich in Berlin längst keine Illusionen macht über Chinas Rolle in dem Krieg, zeigt auch ein Antrag der Ampel-Parteien, der am Donnerstag im Bundestag mit großer Mehrheit verabschiedet wurde. Die Volksrepublik China müsse „ihre Billigung des Krieges“ aufgeben und sich stattdessen aktiv für einen Waffenstillstand einsetzen, heißt es in dem Antrag. Für den Fall, dass Peking den Kreml aktiv unterstützen sollte, wird mit Strafmaßnahmen gedroht."

--- Das scheint aber mehr auf Druck der Ampelpartner zu geschehen, von der SPD bin ich da noch nicht überzeugt. Interessant auch, daß dieser Antrag in deutschen Medien nur am Rande erwähnt wird (jedenfalls außerhalb von Paywalls).

"bereits Anfang April hatte CDU-Chef Friedrich Merz ein härteres Auftreten gegenüber Peking gefordert. „Wir müssen auch die deutsche und europäische Chinapolitik überdenken“, sagte er in einem Deutschlandfunk-Interview. Die Abhängigkeit von China müsse Deutschland „schnell und deutlich reduzieren“."

--- Auch die CDU/CSU wäre überzeugender, wenn man nicht einen China-Apologeten wie Friedrich zum Vorsitzenden der chinesisch-deutschen Parlamentariergruppe gemacht hätte.

Nicht abschaltbar: Sina Weibo gibt zu Einträgen ungefähren Standort aus

"Durch die Zusatzinformation würden die Rechte der Nutzer und Nutzerinnen besser geschützt und das Nutzererlebnis verbessert, versichert Sina Weibo"

--- 'Alles zum Nutzen der Nutzer. Die KPCh denkt an euch!'
Übrigens muß man in China zur Nutzung von Internetplattformen sowieso mit Klarnamen registriert sein. Diese Anzeige der IP ist nur eine zusätzliche Einschüchterungsmaßnahme.

Shanghaier Bürger begehren auf

"Die Menschen in Shanghai protestieren wieder an den Fenstern ihrer Wohnhäuser. Mit Pfannen und Töpfen machen sie Krach. Sie wollen etwas zu essen. Lebensmittelpakete von der Regierung. Es ist ein organisierter Protest. Die Menschen haben sich in mehreren Stadtteilen zu einer bestimmten Uhrzeit verabredet."

--- Chinesische Bürger protestieren gegen die KPCh-Politik? Kann gar nicht sein. Dahinter müssen geheimnisvolle, ausländische Kräfte stecken:

"Die Behörden in Shanghai reagierten mit Lautsprecherdurchsagen und Textnachrichten an die Bürgerinnen und Bürger auf die Proteste. Darin hieß es, dass ausländische Agenten diese Aktion organisiert hätten"

--- Denn alle Shanghaier haben ungehinderten Zugang zu ausländischen Medien & können extrem leicht durch das fiese Ausland beeinflusst werden.

Früherer BND-Informant und Ehefrau wegen Spionage verurteilt

Sechsstöckiges Wohngebäude stürzte in China ein

--- Spiegel: Massenflucht vor dem Coronatest