IN THE VILLAGE of Anbang in Yunnan, a south-western province, people of social stature are heaving a sigh of relief. In the past, what a delicate matter it was to point out bad behaviour among residents. There was etiquette to consider, and the risk of causing offence. Recently, however, Anbang has set up a “moral review council” to praise the worthy and criticise the errant. The local government says the mood has changed. Now the village elite can use these meetings to exercise their “right to speak”. In some parts…
Day: May 6, 2022
China-Vatican Relations in the Xi Era
Advertisement As a theocracy governed by the Holy See, Vatican City is supposed to administer Catholic affairs all over the world. The authority claimed by the Roman Curia, especially the right to appoint bishops, inevitably conflicts with other states’ sovereignty, per se the supreme power of internal jurisdiction. Secular regimes advocate the principle of “separation of church and state” to solve the conflict – that is, the state allows the Pope to exercise the power of managing Catholic affairs stipulated by the Canon Law, while he does not interfere in…
Has Shanghai Been Xinjianged?
Shanghai and Xinjiang used to be the two sides of the China coin. Shanghai was the glamorous China, with skyscrapers, Art Deco apartments and a thriving middle class that shopped in Paris and strolled around Kyoto, Japan. Xinjiang was the dark China. The western frontier region, which is twice the size of Texas, is home to more than 10 million Muslim ethnic minorities who have been subject to mass detentions, religious repression and intrusive digital and physical surveillance. Since April, the 25 million residents of Shanghai have gotten a small…
Asian Games in China Postponed Because of Spread of COVID-19
Advertisement Less than three months after Beijing hosted the Winter Olympics and Paralympics, the Olympic Council of Asia said Friday that this year’s Asian Games in China are being postponed because of concerns about the spreading Omicron variant of COVID-19 in the country. The OCA said it had not picked new dates but said they would be announced “in the near future” after talks with local organizers and the Chinese Olympic Committee. The OCA statement said local organizers were “very well prepared to deliver the games on time despite the…
Ukraine war: China invokes 1999 Belgrade embassy bombing in attack on Nato expansion
“The Chinese people will never forget this barbaric atrocity, and will never allow such history to repeat itself,” Zhang Jun, China’s ambassador to the United Nations said of the 1999 Nato bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade in 1999. He was speaking at a UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine. Photo: Goran Tomasevic South China Morning Post
In Hong Kong Election, John Lee Is Running Uncontested
HONG KONG — When hundreds of thousands of Hong Kong residents took to the streets in 2019 to protest a proposed extradition bill, John Lee, the security secretary at the time, went before the city’s Legislative Council to defend the government’s position. During the session, Mr. Lee, a former police officer, was questioned about the excessive use of force and tear gas on protesters by the police. Combative lawmakers shouted “down with John Lee!” One accused him of trying to “sell out Hong Kong for personal gains” in his dogged…
Xi Jinping attacks ‘doubters’ as he doubles down on China’s zero-Covid policy
Xi Jinping has confirmed there is no intention to turn away from China’s zero-Covid commitment, in a major speech to the country’s senior officials that also warned against any criticism or doubting of the policy. Addressing the seven-member politburo standing committee, China’s highest decision-making body, specifically about the Shanghai outbreak, the president said China’s response was “scientific and effective”. He told officials to “unswervingly adhere to the general policy of dynamic zero-Covid”. “We have won the battle to defend Wuhan, and we will certainly be able to win the battle…
Asian Games in China postponed because of Covid-19
New dates for the Asian Games in Hangzhou have yet to be announced The Asian Games in China have been postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic, says the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA). The event was scheduled to take place between 10 and 25 September in Hangzhou. A statement from the OCA said that “new dates of the 19th Asian Games will be agreed … in the near future”. The Asian Youth Games, which were scheduled to take place in Shantou, China in December, have been cancelled. Hangzhou is about…
Adidas cuts profit target as China sales slump amid Covid-19 lockdowns across major market
Adidas cut its profitability targets for this year and forecast a plunge in sales of sporting goods in China as the Covid-zero policy keeps stores shut. The company also said Friday supply bottlenecks in Vietnam have reduced the availability of products, eroding sales. The shares fell as much as 4.4 per cent. A fifth of the shoemaker’s business is underperforming amid whirlwind of geopolitical challenges. First-quarter revenue to Greater China fell 35 per cent, and the company has been starting to increase prices as higher costs for transport, shoes and…