Current Events

[Randy W]

from the SCMP on Facebook 
https://www.facebook.com/scmp/videos/794222351520991/

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21 Xinjiang coal miners trapped underground after flooding cuts power,  communications

Rescue efforts are under way to help 21 miners trapped by flooding in a coal mine in China’s Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. 

[Randy W]

from the Sixth Tone

This is about "growing human organs for transplants, but also ethical debate."

Scientists Create Human-Monkey Hybrids, a Step Closer to Growing Organs
A Chinese-led team managed to grow human cells within monkey embryos for 20 days before terminating the experiment for ethical reasons.

 Human cells (red) in a lab-grown monkey embryo. Courtesy of Kunming University of Science and Technology

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In a paper published Thursday in the journal Cell, stem cell biologist Tan Tao of Kunming University of Science and Technology in the southwestern Yunnan province and his colleagues described in detail their creation of human-monkey chimeras — monkey embryos with human cells mixed in.

The team injected a type of human stem cell that has the potential to develop into any tissue depending on the biological instructions it receives, into monkey embryos. The idea behind creating human-animal chimeras is so that scientists can one day grow a human kidney inside a pig, for example, which could help meet high demand for organ transplants. According to China’s state-backed Xinhua News Agency, some 300,000 people in the country require organ transplants each year, though only one in 30 receives one.

“Our study is still in a very early stage,” Tan told Sixth Tone. “For example, we don’t have a way to figure out how to direct the stem cells to turn into a specific tissue on demand.”

 

 

[Randy W]

from the SCMP

China may send peacekeeping force to Afghanistan after US troops leave, observers say

• Beijing is concerned terrorist groups will prosper if there is a lack of stability in the region, experts say
• US President Joe Biden says all remaining US troops in Afghanistan will pull out by September 11

 

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The withdrawal may pose a threat to Afghanistan’s security and stability, which could spill over into Xinjiang and disrupt China’s counterterrorism efforts.

 . . .

While Beijing would not station troops in Afghanistan, it might work with other countries in the region to promote political stability and reduce the security risk to China, Sun said.

 . . .

China and the US were unlikely to engage in any significant cooperation in Afghanistan after the US troop withdrawal, given the tensions between the two countries, he said.
“We can see from the withdrawal of US troops that the willingness of the US to intervene in Afghanistan’s affairs is declining,” he said.
“Primarily because the idea of solving local conflicts by establishing a Western-style democracy in Afghanistan has failed.”
Sun said the US was likely to withdraw its military deployments from Central Asia and redeploy them to the Asia-Pacific.
“The withdrawal from Afghanistan allows the US to boost its military presence in Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean regions, with the aim of containing China,” he said.
“The US is highly likely to increase its military activity in the South China Sea and China-Indochina peninsula.”

 

 

[eseum]

Trying to tamp down any spill over into Xinjiang probably is China's number one concern, but they also need to look after investments into Afghanistan's natural resources and other areas. Still, I don't think they would be stupid enough to ever send troops, no matter how bad the situation gets.

[Randy W]

More to-do about online platforms from China Pictorial

https://www.facebook.com/ChinaPic/photos/a.558235270968533/3689436287848400/?type=3
from China Pictorial on Facebook 

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China determines to strengthen standardized management of platform economy, as online platforms are increasingly closely related to various aspects of people's lives, and becoming an integral part of modern life with the rapid development of digital economy.

Recently, China's State Administration for Market Regulation issued a document that aims to introduce multiple measures for supervision and administration of online transactions to further clarify the responsibilities of platform operators.
With the attributes of both market and enterprise, platforms are a crucial link in the standardized and sound development of platform economy, said Xue Jun, director of the E-Commerce Law Research Center of Peking University.

As an important regulation for implementing the e-commerce law, the document involving measures for supervision and administration of online transactions has practically enhanced the force of the e-commerce law, Xue noted. 

 

[Randy W]

from the Hong Kong Free Press

90-year-old woman loses HK$250 million in Hong Kong’s biggest phone scam yet
Last summer criminals contacted the unnamed woman pretending to be Chinese public security officials. They claimed her identity had been used in a serious criminal case in mainland China.

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Police on Tuesday said scammers targeted an elderly woman living in a mansion on The Peak, Hong Kong’s ritziest neighbourhood.

Last summer criminals contacted the unnamed woman pretending to be Chinese public security officials. They claimed her identity had been used in a serious criminal case in mainland China.

She was told she needed to transfer money from her bank account into ones held by the investigation team for safekeeping and scrutiny, the South China Morning Post reported, citing police sources.

Police said several days later a person arrived at her house with a dedicated mobile phone and SIM card to communicate with the fake security agents who persuaded her to make a total of 11 bank transfers.

Over five months the elderly lady gave a total of HK$250 million (US$32 million) to the scammers, the largest sum recorded yet by a phone con.

Police said the scam was only spotted because the elderly lady’s domestic helper thought something suspicious was happening and contacted her employer’s daughter who then alerted officers.

After an investigation a 19-year-old was arrested for fraud and has been released on bail, police said.

 

 

[Randy W]

Court Lady, a Chinese TV drama, with set and costume design inspired by the style of the Tang Dynasty (618-907)

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Court Lady, a Chinese TV drama, premiered on online streaming platforms Tencent Video and iQiyi on April 15. 

One of the highlights of the TV drama is the set and costume design, which are inspired by the style of the Tang Dynasty (618-907), such as architecture, clothes and home decorations. Over 3,000 costumes were designed for the TV drama, which combined items listed on the national intangible cultural heritage, such as Suzhou Kesi silk weaving, laran (or batik, color printing on cloth using wax) and the art of making ronghua, or velvet flower, which was a popular decoration in festivals or weddings in ancient China.

According to veteran costume designer, Doris Song, some of the colors and designs of costumes for the TV drama are based on the Tang Dynasty paintings and murals.

 

from China Pictorial on Facebook 
https://www.facebook.com/ChinaPic/photos/a.558235270968533/3700769656715063/?type=3

[Randy W]

China Needs Less Prudish, More Prudent Approach to Sexual Content
There can be a fine line between sexual and sexist content, but regulators are all too eager to ban the former, often for reasons that have little to do with gender equality.

from the Sixth Tone

Cans of Yeshu coconut juice on display in Nantong, Jiangsu province, April 1, 2021. IC

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In justifying their periodic crackdowns on racy advertising campaigns, official bodies generally invoke either Article 3 of the Advertising Law, which states that ads must “meet the requirements of building a socialist society and spreading the outstanding traditional culture of the Chinese people,” or the clause of Article 9 that prohibits “obstructing public order and violating upstanding social customs.” They rarely emphasize or even mention sexism, which is also explicitly banned by another clause of Article 9.

For example, a 2019 statement from China’s National Office Against Pornography and Illegal Publications said that ads featuring “sexual innuendos, the commodification of women, and sexism” constitute a kind of “soft porn.” The statement went on to claim that these ads may actually pose a greater risk than real pornography because they “sweep children up, assaulting their psychological defenses and fundamental morals.”

 

 

[Randy W]

China reacts to Chloé Zhao becoming the first Chinese woman to win the Oscar for best director

China Censors Chloé Zhao’s Oscar Win, but Fans Find Ways to Rejoice
On social media, the director’s fans blurred out her name and turned images on their sides to evade the censors. “People should be celebrating,” one writer said.

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China typically celebrates the success of its citizens abroad. But since Chloé Zhao became the first Chinese woman to win the Oscar for best director, the country has imposed a virtual news blackout and removed discussion of the award from social media.
https://nyti.ms/3xqftyf

from the NY Times
https://www.facebook.com/5281959998/posts/10152666382334999/

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Chinese state-run news media outlets — which are typically eager to celebrate recognition of its citizens on the global stage — made nearly no mention of the Oscars, let alone Ms. Zhao. Chinese social media platforms raced to delete or limit the circulation of articles and posts about the ceremony and Ms. Zhao, forcing many internet users and fans to use homonyms and wordplay to evade the censors.

No reason has been given for the suppression, though Ms. Zhao has recently been the target of a nationalist backlash over remarks she had made about China in the past.

 . . .

Although some posts about Ms. Zhao’s success made it through the filters, for the most part, the censors made it clear that the topic was off limits. Searches on Weibo, a popular social media platform, for the hashtag “Chloé Zhao wins the Oscar for best director” returned only the message: “According to relevant laws, regulations and policies, the page is not found.”

 . . .

Although some posts about Ms. Zhao’s success made it through the filters, for the most part, the censors made it clear that the topic was off limits. Searches on Weibo, a popular social media platform, for the hashtag “Chloé Zhao wins the Oscar for best director” returned only the message: “According to relevant laws, regulations and policies, the page is not found.”

 . . .

The controversy that had engulfed Ms. Zhao last month centered on remarks she made in 2013 to an American film magazine in which she criticized China as a place “where there are lies everywhere.”

Nationalist trolls had also homed in on another, more recent interview in which Ms. Zhao, who grew up partly in the United States and now lives there, was quoted as saying: “The U.S. is now my country, ultimately.” (The Australian site that interviewed her later said that it had misquoted Ms. Zhao, and that she had actually said “not my country.”)

Following the uproar last month, searches on social media for hashtags related to “Nomadland” in Chinese were blocked, and Chinese-language promotional material vanished as well. Although the film, a sensitive portrait of the lives of itinerant Americans, had been scheduled for release in China last week, as of Monday, there were no screenings in theaters.

and the SCMP
https://www.facebook.com/355665009819/videos/739751290023151

Chloé Zhao makes history at Oscars 2021

Chinese-born director Chloé Zhao became the first woman of colour to win the Academy Award for best director at the 93rd Academy Awards on April 25, 2021. 

Edited April 26, 2021 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Randy W]

"The American burger chain Five Guys opened its first location on the Chinese mainland on Monday. Customers in Shanghai were spotted lining up to visit the store on Huaihai Road. (Photos: Weibo)"

from the Sixth Tone on Facebook 
https://www.facebook.com/1570821646570023/posts/2934091833576324/

[Randy W]

China's 'super highway': Fast, safe and green at the same time?

China is building a new kind of highway that enables faster driving and better safety measures. /CFP

from CGTN

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But China's "super highway" is a new kind of road with its speed limit raised to possibly 150 km/h. And that's only one of the least impressive parts.
Currently, China's Zhejiang Province is trying to put the new concept into reality. The road will link Hangzhou and Ningbo. The project started back in 2015 and the construction began in mid-2017. The officials wish the road can be put into use before the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou.
What's so good about 'super highway?'
Main characteristics of the Hangzhou-Ningbo intercity highway include "smartness, speed, environmental-friendliness and safety," according to Ren Zhong, deputy head of transportation in Zhejiang, who first mentioned the concept in January 2018.
With cars getting closer and closer to gadgets, the highway will also become "smart," just like smartphones.
According to public reports, the super highway will feature the harmony among people, vehicles and roads.
Initially, the road will be equipped with various kinds of sensors and help trucks stay organized and charge all vehicles without pausing the traffic.
In the long run, the road will support fully autonomous driving and get cars more connected to the internet.

 

Edited May 3, 2021 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Randy W]

China’s Dark New ‘Blind Box’ Craze: Live Pets
Online vendors are offering to send customers a mystery live animal by mail. The result: a wave of dead animals and public fury.

from the Sixth Tone 

Members of an animal welfare group inspect a stack of boxes containing live animals at a logistics center in Chengdu, Sichuan province, May 3, 2021. From @河南法制报 on Weibo

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At a local logistics depot, they found an enormous stack of boxes, packaged ready for shipping. There were 160 in total, the pile stretching several feet high. Inside the boxes, they could hear squealing.

Each package contained a live cat or dog. They had arrived at the depot inside crates disguised as regular express deliveries, and were due to be shipped to cities across China. Many of the animals were already in a pitiful state.

The volunteers did all they could to help the creatures, feeding them glucose water with syringes through holes in the boxes, a member of the group surnamed Zhou told Sixth Tone. But they couldn’t save them all. By Tuesday, four had died.

 

 

[Randy W]

With Heavy Rain Forecast for May, China Warns of Potential Flooding
Authorities have also called on local officials in the north to be on guard for risks associated with melting glaciers due to the warming climate.

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Chinese authorities have warned that cities in the country’s south could potentially face floods in the coming weeks as monsoons become more active.
The Ministry of Emergency Management said regions around the Pearl and Yangtze rivers may “exceed warning levels” this month due to the forecast rainfall, according to a statement published Thursday. The ministry also urged local officials to pay particular attention to the risks involving glacial snowmelts in the western Xinjiang and Tibet regions.

from the Sixth Tone 

Edited May 9, 2021 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Randy W]

An official investigation found that Hangzhou Safari Park covered up the escape of three leopards for over two weeks, fearing that the news would impact visitor numbers during the Labor Day holiday. One of the big cats still remains at large.

from the Sixth Tone on Facebook 
https://www.facebook.com/1570821646570023/posts/2945490169103157/

[Randy W]

China's #population on the mainland reached 1.41178 billion, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said Tuesday, citing data from the seventh national population census.

The figure does not include Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan residents and foreigners who live in the mainland's 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities, according to the NBS.

#PopulationCensus #China

from China Pictorial on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/ChinaPic/posts/3769532923172069