Current Events

[Randy W]

All 132 people on board China Eastern Air crash confirmed dead as second black box recovered

One day after officials confirmed the deaths of all 132 people who were on board China Eastern Airlines flight MU5735, search teams recovered the plane’s second black box at the crash site in southern China.

from the SCMP on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/scmp/videos/384725886548328/

 

[Randy W]

from "Rachel from Goldthread <hello@e.goldthread2.com>

Weibo’s all over the Will Smith slap too

The word on Chris Rock’s face is “me” and the one on Will Smith’s face is “life”

This week, the entire world was shook by one man’s outburst. Not that guy waging war, but the Oscar moment when Will Smith slapped Chris Rock, who made a joke about Smith’s wife Jada’s alopecia.

Even Weibo couldn’t stop talking about it. Hashtags with Smith’s name started trending, as did memes about the slap. 

People were mostly mixed about what Smith did. Some were on his side. @万万_万万岁 said joking about a sick person isn’t funny at all, while @里个喵喵 said “It’s wrong to hit someone, but that’s because the other person started it first. Verbal abuse is even worse.”

Where do you stand on this?

People are getting tired of China’s zero-Covid strategy 

Xinhua

It’s been two years since the pandemic started, and most countries are now trying to just live with it. People can go mask-less; borders have opened. 

But China has stuck to its zero-Covid policies. And some can’t take it anymore. 

On Weibo, the hashtag “why can’t China ease restrictions like other countries” went viral alongside an interview clip of an epidemiologist, who said it’s too risky to relax the rules. Some businesses said they’ll go bankrupt soon since no one knows how long the pandemic will last. 

China’s harsh lockdowns have seen people locked in buildings for days as emergency testing exercises start, pets getting abandoned or worse, killed, as owners unexpectedly get hauled up for quarantine, and more. 

Scenes from Shanghai’s lockdown

Bloomberg. Empty shelves in a supermarket in Shanghai

Shanghai, home to 26 million people and China’s largest city, has put its residents under a two-phased lockdown as Covid cases rise — the east side locked down this week, the west side from April 1. 

But officials gave less than 12 hours’ notice, so people rushed to stock up on groceries late Sunday night. You can still order food online, but the apps are overwhelmed with orders. Some are afraid they can’t get non-Covid medical care.

On the lighter side of things, the current situation has spurred tons of jokes and memes. A group of rappers even came up with a song poking fun at panic buying — click to hear it in Shanghainese. 

“F— that Louis, f— that Gucci. Food is what we want, bring some food over homie,” they rap. Spot on.

Gemma Chan to play Anna May Wong

Turner Classic Movies

Chinese-British actress and Marvel superhero Gemma Chan is slated to star in and produce a film about Anna May Wong, The Hollywood Reporter reported. Wong, born in 1905, was the first Asian-American woman to break into Hollywood in the 1920s. 

The biopic will be based on the biography “Anna May Wong: From Laundryman’s Daughter to Hollywood Legend.” Tony Award-winning playwright David Henry Hwang will write the screenplay, and Wong’s niece will consult for the film. 

Last October, Wong was one of the five women chosen to appear on U.S. quarters this year as a way to honor her legacy.

No release date has been set yet, but we’re excited!

Watch this video:

Knife Skills: 3,600 Slices to Make a Tofu Flower | Chef’s Plate: Killer Skills E2

Huaiyang cuisine chefs have super knife skills. All they need is a chopper and a slicer. They can turn a plain block of tofu into a flower, and so much more. 

Finally

This Oscar-nominated doc about the “Chinese dream” looks stunning.

Edited March 31, 2022 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Randy W]

E-bikes meeting China's new national standards have seen their prices jump over 75 percent.
In an effort to improve road safety, China's State Administration for Market Regulation rolled out new regulations on e-bikes in May 2018, requiring them to be equipped with pedals, meet tamper resistance and flame retardancy standards, and set a maximum travel speed of 25 kilometers per hour and weight of 55 kilograms.

from CGTN on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/ChinaGlobalTVNetwork/posts/555921015901375

 

China's e-bike prices surge under new national standards

Quote

 

Large e-bike models, which generally cost more than 2,000 yuan previously, are now sold for between 3,500 yuan and 3,800 yuan, an e-bike salesperson in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, told CMG. The change translates to at least a 75-percent price hike.

More than 10 million below-standard e-bikes registered in Zhejiang Province will be disused by the end of the year, CMG reported. 

In order to reduce the burden on consumers, firms have increased discounts for those who trade in their old e-bikes to stimulate sales under the new national standards. 

 

 

Edited January 20, 2023 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Randy W]

The historical TV drama The Imperial Age (《山河月明》, Shan He Yue Ming) is being broadcast in China right now. It tells the life story of The Yongle Emperor (永乐皇帝),  Zhu Di (朱棣, 1360-1424), the third Emperor of the Ming dynasty, played by Cheng Yi (成毅). It was the Yongle Emperor who moved his capital from Nanjing to Beijing and directed the construction of the Forbidden City, making it the imperial capital for the next 500 years.
 

from Discover China with Rui is with Ming Dynasty TV on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=143011588240359&id=101963692345149

 

 

Edited January 20, 2023 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Randy W]

China Eastern flight MU5375: early report into deadly crash unlikely to offer many answers, analysts believe

• The Boeing 737-800 plunged into a hillside from cruising altitude on March 21, killing all 132 people on board
• China expected to submit early investigation report to ICAO by Wednesday, per international aviation law

[Randy W]

Police break car window to stop woman from falling for phone scam

from the SCMP on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/scmp/videos/377978440908793/

 

[Randy W]

China Censors National Anthem Lyrics Used as Lockdown Protest

from VOA News

Quote

 

China's national anthem, "March of the Volunteers," seemingly offered clear instructions to Shanghai residents frustrated with the government's oppressive COVID-containment lockdown: "Rise up, people who don't want to be slaves."

But when the inhabitants of the Chinese Communist Party's birthplace began posting that stirring first line on Weibo, China's version of Twitter, censors blocked it, along with another commanding line: "Arise! Arise! Arise!"

 

 

[Randy W]

Residential building collapses in central Chinese city of Changsha

• Unknown number of people trapped in the ruins of the six-storey mixed-use structure
• Huge cloud of dust seen rising from the scene

from the SCMP

About two dozen fire trucks attend the scene of a building collapse in Changsha on Friday. Photo: CNS/AFP/China OUT

Quote

The Hunan fire department said in a post on Weibo that it was first alerted about the building collapse at 12.22pm. In an update around 4pm, it said that some people had been rescued, but did not state how many.
City authorities said the building was near the north gate of Changsha Medical University and was a mixed-use residential brick and concrete structure covering about 800 square metres (8,600 square feet).

 

[Randy W]

 

Ninth Person Rescued in Changsha Building Collapse

[Randy W]

How Netflix Made ‘Over the Moon’ Authentic
How “authentic” is “Over the Moon”? We talked to the production team behind Netflix’s latest animated film, which is based on the Chinese legend of the moon goddess.

from Goldthread on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/goldthread2/videos/402583911416483/

[Randy W]

Amid tax evasion cases involving high-profile celebrities in recent years, the country’s entertainment industry body has barred actors in television, film, and online series from getting paid in cash for their work.

from the Sixth Tone on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/sixthtone/posts/3222702638048574

Chinese Actors No Longer to Receive Paychecks in Cash
Two top industrial associations announced regulations on actors’ employment contracts in a bid to stem tax evasion.

Quote

 

Amid tax evasion cases involving high-profile celebrities in recent years, the country’s entertainment industry body has barred actors in television, film, and online series from getting paid in cash for their work.

The China Federation of Radio and Television Associations and China Netcasting Services Association said domestic actors shouldn’t be paid in cash or receive their earnings through transactions involving equity, property, or jewelry, among others, according to a notice published Saturday. The new directive also demanded written contracts signed by actors and prohibited close relatives or others from signing additional agreements to split remuneration.

The joint statement also stipulates actor contracts should clearly specify their personal income from the project.

 . . .

The new announcement comes as a direct response to stop actors from using illegal work contracts as a way to avoid paying tax. Once a common practice, many celebrities used “yin-yang contracts” — where actors sign two contracts with higher payments usually hidden from the authorities — to evade taxes.

Such contacts came into the spotlight in 2018 after popular actor Fan Bingbing’s leaked contract created an online uproar. She apologized for tax evasion that same year, while authorities ordered her to pay 884 million yuan ($130 million) in fines and outstanding taxes.

 

 

[Randy W]

Covid-19 workers in China douse entire flat with disinfectant while owner is away

A group of quarantine workers in eastern China went into a Covid-19 patient’s home to sanitise it without the owner’s permission.

from the SCMP on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/scmp/videos/5075436992525285/

[Randy W]

新华报业网 > 首页 > 正文

国家移民管理局：从严限制中国公民非必要出境活动

 

2022/05/12 17:27  中国新闻网  

 

　　中新网5月12日电 据国家移民管理局微信公众号消息，5月10日下午，国家移民管理局党组召开会议专题研究加强疫情防控等工作，会议要求，要严格执行从严从紧的出入境政策，从严限制中国公民非必要出境活动，严格出入境证件审批签发。

　　会议要求，要从严从实从细落实疫情防控各项措施，巩固拓展疫情防控战略成果。要全力配合打赢大上海保卫战，加强对上海边检总站和公安机关出入境管理部门的指导，调动全系统力量全力以赴支持配合上海实现社会面动态清零。要把北京作为重中之重，严格执行北京联防联控机制要求，大力支持北京疫情防控工作。要督促吉林边检总站落实精准防控措施，持续巩固吉林疫情防控成果。

　　要指导各边检总站和出入境管理部门，支持配合地方打好疫情防控歼灭战、阻击战。要严格执行从严从紧的出入境政策，从严限制中国公民非必要出境活动，严格出入境证件审批签发。要严密边境口岸管控，严防滞留境外人员抵边聚集、非法入境带入疫情，确保人、物、环境同防同控，问题隐患动态清零。要严打非法出入境活动，全面深入开展“獴猎”行动—2022，深入推进“三非”突出问题整治，切断边境地区非法出入境主要通道，严防疫情循违法犯罪渠道输入传播。

　　要统筹推进疫情防控和服务经济社会发展，坚决贯彻“疫情要防住、经济要稳住、发展要安全”的要求，积极研究推出便民利企、助企纾困政策措施，助力“六稳”“六保”，保证口岸畅通，为必要的人员往来提供优质高效服务。要强化内部防疫，严格防护标准，严密防护措施，确保队伍安全稳定。要压实工作责任，加强组织领导，强化党建引领，改进综合保障，严肃工作纪律，切实把疫情防控和服务经济社会发展任务落到实处。

　　会议要求，要认真履行移民管理职责任务，始终胸怀“两个大局”、心系“国之大者”，坚持正风肃纪反腐与服务经济社会发展一体推进，为稳住经济基本盘作出积极贡献。要加快推动便民利企政策措施落地，全面贯彻以人民为中心的发展思想，进一步深化移民管理领域“放管服”改革，深入开展 “我为群众办实事”实践活动，加快落实各项便民利企政策措施。

　　要严密防范化解重大风险，持续深化专项严打整治，严厉打击跨境违法犯罪、整治重点地区“三非”问题，不断净化边境辖区社会治安秩序，为经济社会发展提供良好的移民管理环境。要规范权力运行，全面实行行政许可事项清单管理，完善政务服务事项基本目录及实施清单，严格执行执法执勤“六个严禁”，始终做到严格公正规范文明执法，坚决惩治群众身边腐败和不正之风。要严格落实“过紧日子”要求，大力推进节约型机关创建，严格落实节能减排指标要求，严格规范公务用车管理，严控“三公”和会议、差旅、培训等经费，切实把宝贵的财政资金用在发展紧要处、基层急需上。

Xinhua Newspaper Network  >  Home  > Text

National Immigration Administration: Strictly restrict non-essential outbound activities of Chinese citizens

 

2022/05/12 17:27   China News Network  

 

　　China News Service, May 12. According to the WeChat public account of the National Immigration Administration, on the afternoon of May 10, the party group of the National Immigration Administration held a special meeting to study and strengthen epidemic prevention and control. The entry-exit policy strictly restricts the non-essential outbound activities of Chinese citizens, and strictly approves and issues entry-exit documents.

　　The meeting called for the strict and practical implementation of various measures for epidemic prevention and control, and the consolidation and expansion of the results of the epidemic prevention and control strategy. It is necessary to fully cooperate to win the battle to defend Shanghai, strengthen the guidance of the Shanghai General Inspection Station and the exit and entry management departments of the public security organs, and mobilize the entire system to support and cooperate with Shanghai to achieve a dynamic social zero. We must make Beijing a top priority, strictly implement the requirements of the Beijing joint prevention and control mechanism, and vigorously support Beijing's epidemic prevention and control work. It is necessary to urge the Jilin Frontier Inspection Station to implement precise prevention and control measures, and continue to consolidate the achievements of Jilin epidemic prevention and control.

　　It is necessary to guide all frontier inspection stations and entry-exit management departments, and support and cooperate with local governments to fight the war of annihilation and blockade of epidemic prevention and control. It is necessary to strictly implement strict and strict entry and exit policies, strictly restrict non-essential exit activities of Chinese citizens, and strictly approve and issue exit and entry documents. It is necessary to strictly control border ports, strictly prevent stranded overseas people from gathering at the border, and illegal entry into the epidemic, ensuring that people, objects, and the environment are prevented and controlled simultaneously, and hidden problems are dynamically cleared. It is necessary to crack down on illegal entry and exit activities, carry out the "Meerkat Hunting" campaign in an all-round and in-depth manner - 2022, further promote the rectification of prominent "three non-existent" problems, cut off the main channels for illegal entry and exit in border areas, and strictly prevent the spread of the epidemic through illegal and criminal channels.

　　It is necessary to coordinate the promotion of epidemic prevention and control and serve economic and social development, resolutely implement the requirements of "epidemic prevention, economic stability, and development safety", actively research and introduce policies and measures to facilitate the people, benefit enterprises, and help enterprises to help the "six stability" "Six guarantees" to ensure smooth ports and provide high-quality and efficient services for necessary personnel exchanges. It is necessary to strengthen internal epidemic prevention, strict protection standards, and strict protective measures to ensure the safety and stability of the team. It is necessary to consolidate work responsibilities, strengthen organizational leadership, strengthen the leadership of party building, improve comprehensive security, strict work discipline, and effectively implement the tasks of epidemic prevention and control and serving economic and social development.

　　The meeting called for conscientiously fulfilling the responsibilities and tasks of immigration management, always keeping in mind the "two big picture" and "the big one in the country", insisting on the integrated promotion of upright conduct, discipline and anti-corruption and serving economic and social development, and making positive contributions to stabilizing the economic fundamentals. . It is necessary to accelerate the implementation of policies and measures to facilitate the people and benefit enterprises, fully implement the people-centered development philosophy, further deepen the reform of "decentralization, management and services" in the field of immigration management, carry out in-depth practice activities of "I do practical things for the people", and speed up the implementation of various conveniences for the people. corporate policy measures.

　　It is necessary to strictly prevent and defuse major risks, continue to deepen the special crackdown and rectification, severely crack down on cross-border crimes, rectify the "three illegal" problems in key areas, continuously purify the social security order in border areas, and provide a good immigration management environment for economic and social development. It is necessary to standardize the operation of power, comprehensively implement the list management of administrative licensing items, improve the basic catalogue and implementation list of government service items, strictly implement the "six prohibitions" on law enforcement duties, always implement strict, fair, standardized and civilized law enforcement, and resolutely punish the corrupt and unjust people around the masses. wind. It is necessary to strictly implement the requirements of "living a tight life", vigorously promote the establishment of energy-saving institutions, strictly implement the requirements for energy conservation and emission reduction indicators, strictly regulate the management of official vehicles, strictly control "three public affairs" and funds for conferences, travel, training, etc., and effectively put valuable The financial funds are used in the development of critical areas and the urgent needs of the grassroots.

 

 

Edited May 12, 2022 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Randy W]

Severe downpours in southern and central China leave people stranded with more heavy rain forecast

Torrential rains have been battering southern and central China since May 8, as rescuers struggle to reach residents stranded by severe flooding.

from the SCMP on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/scmp/videos/470903984792473/

[Randy W]

For a century, China’s Communist Youth League has taught the nation’s young people to love the Party. Can the League adapt its message to reach this new generation? Sixth Tone spoke with four students born around the turn of the century about their experiences as Youth League members and their views on the organization.

from the Sixth Tone on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/sixthtone/posts/3225811194404385

China’s Youth Are Changing. The Party’s Message Must Too.
For a century, China’s Communist Youth League has taught the nation’s young people to love the Party. But is Generation Z willing to listen?

Quote

 

Yet, 100 years after its founding, the League is struggling to stay relevant. Today’s young Chinese, born into a diverse, digitally connected world, are much less receptive to the organization’s methods than previous generations.

“When the League interacts with today’s youngsters, the form is outdated, the discourse is embarrassing, and the effects are poor,” wrote Guo Guangliang and Zou Qiao, two scholars researching the League’s interactions with Chinese born after 2000, in a recent paper.

 . . .

Clio Du, 18, history student in Shanghai

Du applied to become secretary of her class’ League branch after starting university. The reason was simple: A friend advised her to get the position as it would help her find useful academic and career development opportunities.

Half a year into the position, Du has organized meet-ups to study government reports, quizzes about Party and League history, visits to revolutionary museums in Shanghai, and discussions on current events and policies. The response, however, has been tepid. 

“Our classmates aren’t very enthusiastic,” Du says. “It’s more like a task that needs to get done.”

Students rarely volunteer to participate in activities. The problem may be that the activities aren’t engaging, but Du says the League organizers don’t have time to come up with more creative ideas.

But when students feel a topic is relevant to their lives, they’ll jump into the conversation, according to Du. One recent example was a debate on China’s “double-reduction” policy, which aims to reduce the amount of homework and after-school tutoring Chinese schoolchildren receive.

Du describes herself as patriotic, but says this hasn’t come from being part of the League. Instead, she has been inspired by seeing how grassroots Party organizations provide support to vulnerable people.

Last Spring Festival, she returned to her hometown in the southwestern Sichuan province and found an elderly neighbor had fallen ill. He was only able to receive treatment after the village committee agreed to pay his medical bills. This incident left a lasting impression on her.

“I feel that disadvantaged groups are cared for and that individuals are valued,” she says.

Yet, there are also times when she and her classmates have doubts. When Du saw the news about the “chained woman” — a human trafficking victim who had been kept chained inside a hut by her husband in Feng County, Jiangsu province — she was horrified.

“I wondered if individuals are truly under protection,” she says.