#Analysis
Geopolitics Unmasked: How COVID-19 became China’s Chernobyl

(30 Mar) Chinese diplomacy often uses giving plums in exchange for peaches. Today the CCP offers European countries plums in the form of masks, but at the same time, Xi Jinping has a well-prepared plan of how and when to ask for peaches for alleged help in the epidemic. Some may be told that since Beijing offered gifts, it is now time for Huawei to build a 5G network. The others may be asked to provide access to their wealth or to use the Chinese Yuan in the trade so that the currency will play a greater role in world transactions and replace the dollar. This alleged aid, without identifying China as responsible for the worldwide spread of the pandemic and agreeing to the CCP propaganda presenting China not as the source of the crisis, but as a solution to this crisis in other countries of the world, in the future, may translate into economic and political dependence of other countries and is simply a fraud.

Full Article: The Warsaw Institute Review
https://bit.ly/3bzJu3o

#ChinaInfluence #ChinaExpansionism #ChinaThreat #SharpPower #CCP #5G #Mask #Huawei #ChinesePropaganda #Pandemic

#Analysis
Analysis of multiple cell types highlighted nasal cells might be the key site of SARS-CoV-2 infection

A recent study found that SARS-CoV-2 increases ACE2 and TMPRSS2 expressions in human cells. It is suggested the cell types that has a higher ACE2 and TMPRSS2 expressions are more likely to become the targets for SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, the abundance of ACE2 and TMPRSS2 across different cell types is currently unclear. 

A study published in Nature Magazine analysed the distribution of ACE2 and TMPRSS2 using publicly available data. The data included the abundance of various proteins from organs tissue including the airway, eyes, intestines, kidneys, testis, skin and so forth. The result showed that ACE2 and TMPRSS2 co-exist in cells from the nose, eyes and intestine. In particular, both ACE2 and TMPRSS2 are produced in various nasal cells including goblet cells and ciliated cells. 

Goblet cells and ciliated cells are responsible for secreting mucus and moving fluid/particles through the airway. The result suggested SARS-CoV-2 may first infect goblet cells and ciliated cells, before spreading to other organs or a different person. Also, the study showed both goblet cells and ciliated cells also produce factors responsible for mediating the immune response. Infecting goblet cells and ciliated cells may change how the host immune system responds to SARS-CoV-2, which may help SARS-CoV-2 to survive and replicate inside the host. Moreover, the presence of ACE2 and TMPRSS2 in the intestine also suggested the possibility of faecal-oral transmission.

In light of the finding, the researchers suggested that drugs and vaccines administered inside the nose could be highly effective. The authors also highlighted that some cell types were not examined due to the lack of available data. Future work can aim to obtain data from a wider range of cell types.

Source:  https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-020-0868-6

#Coronavirus #Vaccine #Drugs

#Analysis

Dispute of Article 22, raising the last ugly veil of the Basic Law

(21 Apr) The Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (LOCPG) asserted on the other day that it had the authority to supervise Hong Kong on the “normal functioning of its political system” and “matters pertaining to the overall interests of society” incited tremendous dispute. Confronting accusation from the pan-democrats, that LOCPG has violated Section 1 of Article 22 of the Basic Law which “No department of the Central People's Government…… may interfere in the affairs which the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region administers on its own in accordance with this Law”, LOCPG defended that LOCPG “was not “the department of the Central People's Government” in a general meaning”. It turns out that government departments are divided into being “in a general meaning” and “not in a general meaning”. Such an “Animal Farm” explanation from LOCPG has widened the horizons of Hong Kong people and raised the last ugly veil of the Basic Law and “Hong Kong People administering Hong Kong, and a high degree of autonomy”.

Instead of attributing such controversy to the distinctive views of Civil Law and Common Law, one could say that the controversy was due to the difference between rule of law and rule of man. Since CCP’s establishment, China has been led by policies from the party, while law has merely been a role of coordination. Therefore, the law could be revised and/or amended deliberately anytime, requiring neither the authorization of the people nor be reviewed by the court. As the policy regarding Hong Kong has been changed from “river water does not interfere well water” (a Chinese saying which means not intervening each other’s business) to emphasizing “a complete ruling authority”, Article 22 naturally requires modernization so that LOCPG can do whatever it desires to Hong Kong.

How should Article 22 truly be construed? What is the position and the role of LOCPG?

Full translation:
https://telegra.ph/Dispute-of-Article-22-raising-the-last-ugly-veil-of-the-Basic-Law-05-11

Source: HKCNews

#RuleOfLaw #RuleOfMan #Article22 #OneCountryTwoSystems #LOCPG #CCP

#Analysis #LesterShum
Lester Shum: A possible black hole for live streaming and documenting in Mong Kok – a repeat of 831.

(10 May) The Hong Kong police were already very familiar with Mong Kok’s ‘sachet bag strategy’(a strategy which allows them to make mass arrests), and it seemed like they stepped up their game tonight.
It seems that the police are targeting journalists more strategically so no one would be able to film what happened.

• Within 10 - 15 minutes, the area around Sai Yeung Choi Street South, Shan Tung Street, Tung Choi Street and Fa Yuen Street were completely cordoned off by police and all those present were arrested, while a large number of journalists were stopped and "targeted".
• After the police started their operation, apart from those who targeted citizens, it seems like there was also a group of police who purposefully “subdued” and “dispersed” the journalists: those who could be kicked away, pushed away and sprayed away were dispersed, and those who couldn’t be dispersed due to the large number of journalists were demanded to sit down and turn their live streaming off.
• After being surrounded by the police, a number of journalists were demanded to retreat so far back that they couldn’t film the police’s actions at all.
• Given the large number of police on the scene and the strategic targeting of journalists, there was a part of Mong Kok where no one knew what happened, and how arrestees were treated.

The reason why the 831 Prince Edward Station incident happened is because the the police kicked all journalists off the platform, which is not a difficult thing to do with their resources if they have the intention to do it. But like tonight, clearing out hundreds of journalists in several streets, I don’t believe that there was no premeditation or deployment.

Journalists being targeted and brutalised by police is nothing new. But what happened tonight appears to be a premeditated and deployed effort by the police to create a black hole for reporting and documenting, like in the 831 incident.

Source: The Stand News

Further reading:
A View from a journalist - Police Brutality on Press
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/20925

#MongkokNight #FreedomOfPress #sachetbagstrategy #PoliceBrutality #PoliceState #LiveStreaming #831incident

#Analysis #CUMasks
Safety concerns regarding CUMasks provided by the Hong Kong government

On 8 May 2020, Professor Wallace Leung from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University questioned the safety of CUMasks distributed for free by the Hong Kong government. One issue is the copper layer of the mask, which the Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel (HKRITA) touted as having microbial properties that would "immobilize bacteria and common viruses". After repeated washes, however, Professor Leung worried that the copper nanoparticles (NPs) may diminish adhesion to the fabric and risk inhalation.

//These studies demonstrated the efficacy of copper NPs and its compounds as a safe antimicrobial barrier are questionable. A few key pieces of information are necessary to determine if the CUMask's copper layer will at least do no harm:
(1) What is the size and chemical nature of NPs in the copper layer?
(2) Its protective and filtration layers separate the copper layer from the wearer's face. What size of particles can pass through those layers?
(3) If the virus and other NPs are properly filtered, will the protective and filtration layers chemically react with the NPs?//

Full translation:
https://telegra.ph/Safety-concerns-regarding-CUMasks-provided-by-the-Hong-Kong-government-05-22

Sources: Apple Daily

HKRITA video on Technology behind CUMask
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9mbUUnqquM

ASTM Standards : F2299, F2100

Cu Nanoparticle: Synthesis, Characterization and Application (2019)

Organ burden and pulmonary toxicity of nano-sized copper (II) oxide particles after short-term inhalation exposure (2016)

Effects of copper nanoparticle exposure on host defense in a murine pulmonary infection model (2011)

Copper oxide (CuO) loaded polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofiber membranes for antimicrobial breath mask applications (2019)

Further Reading:
Guide to Face Mask Selection and Use (ASTM Levels)
https://healthcentricadvisors.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/3_MaskEnomics_Poster_2012.pdf

#CopperMasks

#Analysis #SimonShen

The National security law: the “Second handover” in the eyes of China, and the twenty steps

(20 May) I don’t agree with Beijing’s strategy. With that being said, we have to understand her logic and calculation, to find out the solutions. Actually, there is a loophole in every point on the Beijing’s plan. Let’s Brainstorm and find out what to do next.

Image: Kit Da Sketch - Kit Man
Source: Mingpao

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https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/21713

#Analysis #SimonShen
The National security law: the “Second handover” in the eyes of China, and the twenty steps

Image

Many were surprised to see Beijing directly inserting a national law ‘The National Security Law’ into the appendix of the Basic Law, given there were already many signs before head. I have written articles warning that such could happen, but was ignored among the many many articles and public opinions. And we must stay calm, think so to strike back afterwards. Beijing didn’t make these move impulsively, but accomplishes them with detailed plans. So they don’t treat it as normal clash, but alleviate it to the level of ‘HK’s Second handover’. A real HKer, must therefore learn these moves, to understand ourselves and our enemy.

1. Beijing believes the pandemic has brought along a good timing to forcefully intrude into HK’s affair. and this is based on the assumption that the West has been affected by the pandemic more severely than herself, and requires more time for economy recovery. So the West will not truly want to decouple with China, and will greatly need Chinese capital and market. Be it on “Wolf diplomacy” (extremely aggressive diplomacy), full and all rounded deployment of soft power, or HK’s national security law, are illustrations of pragmatism and brinksmanship. Just like the reclamation and making of island on the South sea. No matter how the world condemned the act, the world didn’t take action, so the island was made there.

2. Beijing as the biggest winner of the last 20 years of globalisation, also becomes one of those on the same boat. Although she understands anti China is becoming a trend, the existing elites and their friends around the world will still be in power for 10 years or so. This group is easily drawn in, for they care about their personal interests. So even policies like ‘Sinophile making great money’ will emerge. Before the new and ideology-guided generations taking the office, this gap is the final opportunity for China to implement her strategy.

3. Beijing believes all the commerce associations only care about profit, and are only worried about themselves, who have connections with ‘foreign associations’, being extorted under the national security law. So Beijing only needs to win them over by procurement contracts and deals, the businessmen will deploy their influence to lobby within their countries. Examples include the businessmen who betrayed and sold HK away in the 90s.

4. Internationally, UK has the most right to express her opinion, but since Beijing is in the impression that the UK, having less influence than before, will not take action in fight between China and US, or take side to provide mandate to other countries, such as taking legal action against Chinese’s unilateral violation on the joint declaration. China has moved its enterprises away from US, and even suggested enterprises to go public in the UK, so to tackle each nation. Trump is hostile against his allies, and advocates unilateralism. So Beijing guessed that the West would not let US do everything as she wishes.

5. US’s response can be diverse. In addition, the election in Nov is coming soon, many class of politicians will play the anti China card, but as they only targets on votes, they might do something totally opposite. CCP, based on their understanding on humanity, thinks that US at most will sanction a few second class officials (such as Xinjiang CCP secretary Chen Qhuanguo) and CCP could just comfort the related parties with their power. But when it comes to rejecting HK’s status as separate custom territory, and more so financial wars, CCP believes the politicians will not act at the expense of their own.

Full translation:
https://telegra.ph/The-National-security-law-the-Second-handover-in-the-eyes-of-China-and-the-twenty-steps-05-26

Source: Simon Shen’s Facebook

#US #UK #NationalSecurityLaw #Pandemic #Globalization #DSE #Election #Sanction #CCP #YellowEconomy #FreedomOfPress #OneCountryTwoSystem #WhiteTerror #ChinesePropaganda #HongKongProtest #Article23

#Analysis #RuleofLaw
Three young lawyers discuss the legal system in Hong Kong

• Three young lawyers expressed their thoughts and opinions on working in the current judicial environment in Hong Kong. They discussed the discrepancy between the public’s expectations from the legal system and the limitations imposed on the courts by the system.

• Although they support or sympathise with the social movement, they are also caught in a position between the public and the traditional legal elites. In the midst of cries that “the rule of law is dead”, these young lawyers seem speechless. They criticise the system, yet they have to work within the system.

• Benny Tai: “If the court does not cooperate with an authoritarian regime, the authoritarian government will set up an alternative legal or political body that it can fully control to deal with political sensitive cases. In order to protect the damage in legal authority, the court can only avoid dealing with politically sensitive issues, thus limiting its power.”

• The rule of law in Hong Kong has not collapsed yet but it does not mean it will not. In reality, it can break easily because there is an invincible external force called the Interpretation of the Basic Law by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC). But Ben and Jerry further pointed out that there is no need for the regime to Interpret the Basic Law or incorporate judges because it has hundreds of other ways to undermine the authority of the judiciary.

Read more:
https://telegra.ph/Diagnosis-for-the-Rule-of-Law---Reflections-of-Three-Young-Lawyers-on-the-System-and-the-People-05-29

#BennyTai #LegalSystem #Lawyer

#OpinionArticle #Analysis

What are Beijing’s calculations?

(24 Jun) The series of iron-fisted moves last month in Hong Kong may seem sudden to international observers: Hong Kong government’s earlier reinterpretation of the China-Hong Kong relationship, the election of a pro-Beijing legislator to be a Legislative Council chair through a controversial mechanism, and Beijing’s recent decision to impose a national security law on Hong Kong. The desire to bring Hong Kong under the banner of “one country, one system” is not impulsive. Quite the contrary, it’s a calculated campaign to initiate a so-called “second reunification with Hong Kong” — since the first reunification after the handover, using a lenient soft-power approach, has supposedly failed.

What are Beijing’s calculations that motivate this bold campaign now? And more important, will the campaign work?

Continue reading:
https://www.facebook.com/223783954322429/posts/3355220164512110/?d=n

Source: Simon Shen’s Glos World

#NationalSecurityLaw #Coronavirus #CCP #OneCountryTwoSystems #UK #US #Trump #Election #DivideAndConquer

#Analysis

A closer look of National Security Law

(1 Jul) It's not only Hong Kong that we cannot go visit. I suggest that everyone see which countries have signed extradition treaties with China.

Russia, Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Mongolia, Romania, Thailand, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Cambodia, Republic of Korea [South Korea], Peru, Lithuania, Laos, Kyrgyzstan, United Arab Emirates, South Africa, Lesotho, Tunisia, Philippines, Spain, Pakistan, Portugal, Namibia, Algeria, Azerbaijan, Mexico, Angola, Brazil, Bosnia, France, Italy, Iran, Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Barbados, Granada

*Added by netizens: Malaysia

(The 40 countries [above] with extradition agreements already signed into effect, arranged by date signed)

Argentina, Australia, Vietnam, Chile, Sri Lanka, Morocco, Congo, Belgium, Ecuador, Turkey, Kenya, Cyprus, Senegal, Mauritius, Zimbabwe, Panama, Uruguay, Armenia

(The above 18 countries have signed extradition treaties with China but have yet to ratify them.)

Information source: Baidu Encyclopedia
Image source: Reporter

Editor's Note:
While this particular information source may not be accurate, there are countries verified to have extradition treaties with China Confirming this is highly recommended before making any travel plans.
http://www.inmediahk.net/node/1064520
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extradition_law_in_China

Source: Facebook

#NationalSecurityLaw #Extradition #Article38 #OneEarthOneSystem

#Analysis #OpinionArticle

Mass COVID-19 testing = DNA database
 
[Diagram Contents]
How DNA samples helped the police solve crime

1. The police sample the suspect's DNA from the crime scene.
2. This sample is uploaded to GEDmatch, a public DNA database, to find a match.
3. Those that that match to a certain degree are classified as the suspect's relatives.
4. Genealogy experts use these relatives as the basis alongside census data, marriage licences, obituaries, etc. to find their common ancestor with the suspect. The experts, then, put together a family tree leading back to the suspect's identity.
5. If the suspect's DNA [from step 4] matches that collected from the crime scene [in step 1], the case is solved.

Source: 612 Reminder

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#Analysis #OpinionArticle
Mass COVID-19 testing = DNA database

Although Prenetics was founded in Hong Kong, it has received 40 million USD in capital investment from Chinese companies like Alibaba. The company specialises in Circle DNA technology* and provides genetic testing services. A drop of saliva is enough to detect DNA using their test kit. Their advertisement with Watson's even claimed that a single drop of saliva could be used for more than 500 tests. The COVID-19 testing that you see people lining up for on TV are the ones using their Circle DNA technology.
 
According to a 2017 report by the Wall Street Journal, law enforcement agencies in some parts of China have already collected their citizens DNA information along with other biometric data, including fingerprints, facial features and voice signatures. They connected these to people's daily activities (e.g. online purchases, entertainment habits) to facilitate surveillance by public security and to successfully solve crimes.
 
According to a 2019 report by XG01 [recte HK01], the US police used DNA to solve a crime. [HK01] made a diagram explaining how DNA samples aided the police in solving the case, so we could better understand the process.

Editor's Note:
* The original writer mistook Circle DNA for a type of technology. It is a product offered by Prenetics that uses whole exome sequencing technology.

Source: 612 reminder TG Channel
https://t.me/reminder612/26793
Translated by: Hong Kong Echo

#DNA #Coronavirus #SalivaTest #Surveillance #Alibaba #Prenetics