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Five stages of epidemic control show how a society like Taiwan survives this viral outbreak

By Tim Culpan

//Taiwan’s strength is its open society. Political institutions have matured a lot in the past 17 years and where democracy means that citizens have a real connection to their representatives. Experts are respected.

On Jan 20 this year, Taiwan’s Centers for Disease Control activated its Central Epidemic Command Center to coordinate efforts against the new virus. That was three days before China put Wuhan on lockdown and the first meeting of the WHO’s emergency committee. Significantly, it came before Taiwan had even recorded its first case.

The government skipped quickly through the internal and external denial phases. While many Taiwanese were yet to be convinced about the dangers, most trusted that the actions taken, such as temperature checks at buildings and use of masks so people knew where to shop. The result was caution, rather than panic.//

Source: Bloomberg #Mar12
https://trib.al/JvwVSWX
#WuhanPneumonia
China's Propaganda: Fighting Deadly Viruses with Marxism and Maoism

 “Marxism is a force that supports the absolute victory in battling against the COVID-19 and it is an important embodiment that shows the superiority of the socialism with Chinese characteristics,” wrote in article entitled “Marxist Belief: An Internal Force to Defeat the Novel Coronavirus Epidemic" published by an 'academic' journal in China.

Even though the epidemic is far from being over, the CCP’s Publicity Department already published “A Battle Against Epidemic: China Combating COVID-19 in 2020,” a book praising Xi Jinping.

During the Cultural Revolution, Mao Zedong Thought, or Maoism, was promoted as “a spiritual atom bomb of infinite power,” which could practically resolve any difficulty. All of a sudden, “extraordinary” results were achieved if guided by Maoism at work, slaughtering pigs, or treating diseases.

 Source: Bitter Winter #Mar12
#CensorshipKills #ChinesePropaganda
#StateTerrorism
Hong Kong Government to Turn Down Proposal Passed in Directly Elected District Council


On March 11, the Community Emergency Response Team of Tun Mun District Council passed the proposal of applying for a government funding of 3 million dollars to purchases protective gear, including gas masks and filters.

Tuen Mun District Officer Fung Ngar-wai opposed to the purchase, and said that even though the proposal had been passed in the district council, the Home Affairs Department possesses the rights for final decisions. Fung explained that, if the funding amount exceeded 1.2 million dollars, it would to require an approval from the Home Affairs Department. She also said in a threatening tone, ” If the purchase items were not cost-effective, we will not approve.”

Source: InMedia #Mar12
#DistrictCouncil #FaceMasks
#WuhanPneumonia #MaleFertility
Chinese government deletes report stating Covid-19 could damage male fertility

//It is theoretically possible that Covid-19 could be damaging to men’s reproductive health, according to an article published on the Hubei government’s website on Thursday, only to be removed a few hours later.

Men who had contracted the disease and recovered from it should seek medical advice on whether it might have had a detrimental impact on their fertility, said the piece, which was produced by a team from the reproductive medicine centre at Tongji Hospital in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei.

The Hubei government declined to say why the article – which was widely shared on Chinese social media before being removed – had been deleted.//

Source: SCMP #Mar12
Hongkongers Converge on Washington to Call For Sanctions Against Police, Leaders

//Pro-democracy lawmakers from Hong Kong are lobbying the U.S. government to impose sanctions on senior officials in the city over police violence and human rights violations during last year's protests.

Representative Jim McGovern, chairman of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC), said the situation in Hong Kong hasn't improved since the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act was passed by Congress last November.

Former Occupy Central student leader Joshua Wong said he isn't hopeful of immediate sanctions against Hong Kong officials amid the ongoing coronavirus epidemic and U.S. presidential primaries, but that evidence can be compiled to make a case for sanctions in the meantime.

"Even if there are no immediate sanctions ... we think we can lobby the U.S. to launch an inquiry into police violence in the next year or so," Wong said.//

Source: RFA #Mar12
https://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/converge-03112020114509.html/ampRFA?__twitter_impression=true
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#FirstHand #Mar12
Police chase citizens out of Times Square taxi stand, inciting them to "Come over!"

2200 | Causeway Bay
#Court #PoliceState
Court Rules Man Guilty of Police Assault for Whistling to 3 Officers and Sentences Man to 6 Week Sentence

A 50-year-old construction worker, surnamed Kee, whistled to 3 police officers during the annual July 1 protest in 2019. In the Eastern Magistrates' Courts on 13 March 2020, he was sentenced to 6 weeks in prison after he was convicted of police assault.

The magistrate commented that no police was subject to permanent injury and the defendant only whistled with his fingers but not with tools and loudspeakers.

Source: Now News #Mar12
#Whistle

Former Pro-Democracy Lawmaker Convicted of Police Assault with a Loudspeaker
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/19406
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#FirstHand #Mar12
21 of 47 democrats denied bail; Supporters chant "Victory to Democracy" outside the Court

//At the end of the hearing and when police vehicle was seen leaving the Court, Granny Wong ran into the cordoned area by Police and shouted, “Hang in there, fellow protesters. Victory to democracy.”//

#Court #47Democrats

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#FirstHand #Mar12
21 of 47 democrats denied bail; Supporters chant "Victory to Democracy" outside the Court

21 of #47Democrats detained on charges of subversion under the National Security Law appeared in the Western Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts on March 12 for bail hearing.

The Court upheld its decision to refuse bail to 11 of them, while 10 others withdrew their appeals.

A large group of supporters gathered outside the court to show support. Among them was Granny Wong who showed up with a British flag and a small umbrella, a symbol of the pro-democracy movement which also signifies “support and solidarity” to each fellow protester.

At the end of the hearing and when police vehicle was seen leaving the Court, Granny Wong ran into the cordoned area by Police and shouted, “Hang in there, fellow protesters. Victory to democracy.”

The 47 defendants were accused of conspiring to commit subversion by taking part in LegCo primary elections last year. Only five have been released on bail so far, pending their next hearing in late May.

#Court #PoliticalPrisoners #YNWA
Australia and New Zealand "Deeply Concerned" Over China's Electoral Changes in Hong Kong

Source: Stand News #Mar12

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Australia and New Zealand "Deeply Concerned" Over China's Electoral Changes in Hong Kong

The National People's Congress recently passed a bill to modify Hong Kong's electoral system in order to ensure only "China-lovers" can run for the election. Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne, together with ministers from Australia and New Zealand, released a joint statement on Mar 12 criticizing the move, as it undermines Hong Kong's freedom and democracy guaranteed under the Sino-British Joint Declaration:

"These changes run contrary to the ultimate aim of a Hong Kong Chief Executive elected through universal suffrage, weaken Hong Kong’s democratic institutions, and erode freedom of speech and association – all of which are set out in the Basic Law. This is a significant step that will further undermine Hong Kong’s autonomy."

"We urge the Hong Kong and Chinese authorities to uphold their commitments, allow genuine avenues for the people of Hong Kong to participate in their governance, and protect the role of the Legislative Council as a forum for the expression of diverse views and scrutiny of government."

Source: Stand News #Mar12

https://bit.ly/38SSYHD
Full text of joint statement; https://www.foreignminister.gov.au/minister/marise-payne/media-release/joint-statement-electoral-changes-hong-kong

#Australia #NewZealand #NationalPeopleCongress #ElectoralChanges
China to try two Canadians charged with espionage 'soon': Global Times

Two Canadians, Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig, were arrested in December 2018 shortly after Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou was arrested in Canada on a U.S. warrant. She faces charges of misleading HSBC Holdings Plc about the Chinese tech giant’s business dealings with Iran, which is under U.S. sanctions. They were formally charged with espionage in June 2020

The Global Times reported, citing an unnamed source, China will “soon” hold its first trial for Canadians Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig.

Canada and the United States have repeatedly demanded that China release Kovrig and Spavor, with Ottawa calling their arrest an act of “hostage diplomacy”.

Source: Reuters #Mar12

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-canada-trial-idUSKBN2B400Q?taid=604ababcb7d77200018e3c76&utm_campaign=trueAnthem:+Trending+Content&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=twitter

#Canada #HostageDiplomacy #China #MichaelSpavor #MichaelKovrig
#EU report: #Beijing "Consciously dismantling" HK's One Country Two Systems

Source: Stand News #Mar12

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#EU report: #Beijing "Consciously dismantling" HK's One Country Two Systems

The European Commission and the High Representative have on Mar 12, 2021 reported on political and economic developments in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

EU High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell said: “Over the course of 2020, we have witnessed an alarming political deterioration in Hong Kong. The National Security Law imposed by Beijing is being used to crack down on pro-democracy forces, stifle dissent and pluralism, and erode fundamental freedoms. The arrest of dozens of pro-democracy activists in January this year confirmed that this trend is accelerating.

"China is consciously dismantling the 'One Country, Two Systems' principle in violation of its international commitments and the Hong Kong Basic Law. The regressive electoral changes approved yesterday in Beijing are yet another step down this path.”

The report highlights that, over the course of last year, Hong Kong experienced a further severe erosion of its high degree of autonomy, its democratic principles, and the fundamental freedoms that the Chinese authorities committed to protect until at least 2047. This rapid deterioration calls into question China's willingness to uphold its international obligations and its commitments to the people of Hong Kong under the ‘One Country, Two Systems' principle and the Hong Kong Basic Law.

Full press release from European Commission:
https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_21_1086

Source: Stand News #Mar12 #OneCountryTwoSystems #NationalSecurityLaw #PoliticalSuppression
#ElectoralOverhaul
International Olympics Commission Purchasing Chinese Vaccines. Japan’s Olympic Minister: Did Not Know about This Beforehand and Japanese Athletes Will Not Be Administered with the Chinese Vaccines  
 
Source: Stand News #Mar12

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International Olympics Commission Purchasing Chinese Vaccines. Japan’s Olympic Minister: Did Not Know about This Beforehand and Japanese Athletes Will Not Be Administered with the Chinese Vaccines  
 
According to a report from Asahi Shimbun, after attending a cabinet meeting on 12th March, Japan’s Olympic Minister Tamayo Marukawa was asked by reporters about International Olympics Commission (IOC) Chairperson Thomas Bach’s announcement of purchasing COVID-19 vaccines from China. Marukawa indicated that she did not know about this beforehand. She said there is no arrangement with IOC and no adjustments are needed regarding this issue. She also emphasized that having received COVID-19 vaccines will not be a prerequisite for participating in the Tokyo Olympics, that this principle remains the same. Marukawa further indicated that the Japanese government does not have more information about this issue, that “all the information we know is from IOC’s website and reports from news media”. 
 
#Olympics #China #Japan #Vaccine #COVID19 #VaccineDiplomacy
 
Source: Stand News #Mar12

https://bit.ly/3c79oy9
 
China’s Dirty Recovery Will Make Curbing Climate Change Tougher

A carbon analyst at Refinitiv Carbon said that efforts to meet a growth target of more than 6% set out by Premier Li Keqiang would likely keep an emphasis on polluting industries. The local governments or state-owned enterprises could use short-term lenience to usher through carbon-intensive projects. It might screw up of hitting objectives to reach peak emissions before 2030 and reach carbon neutrality by 2060.

Climate plans of China’s 14th five-year plan didn’t set a hard target for cutting emissions.

 “It’s also crucial to change the economic structure in a cleaner direction, with less reliance on the most polluting smokestack industries,” said CREA’s lead analyst Lauri Myllyvirta.

Source: Bloomberg #Mar12

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-03-11/china-s-dirty-recovery-will-make-curbing-climate-change-tougher

#ChinaCO2Emission #ChinaDirtyIndustry #China14FiveYearPlan
Biden Administration Further Limits the Exportation of Components to Huawei. Global Times: Two Canadians Will Soon Stand Trial

 The Biden administration amended licences for companies to sell Huawei technology, further restricting companies from supplying items that can be used with 5G devices. Two sources quoted in Reuters said the change could distrust the exiting contract with Huawei. Global Times said trials of two Canadians on an espionage charge, Michael Kovrig and Michael Kovrig, would be closed soon. There are signs that the Huawei case cannot be solved through a diplomatic channel.

According to a Reuters report, the Biden administration has taken action this week, indicating Biden is stepping up their hard line against Huawei. US Department of Commerce Spokesperson and spokesperson of Huawei have both declined to comment. 
 
#Huawei #China #Canada #US #UnitedStates #Biden  
 
Source: The Stand News #Mar12

https://bit.ly/2PybRbV
"Ten Years" Director Organizes #HongKongFilmFestival in the UK

Source: Inmedia #Mar12

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"Ten Years" Director Organizes #HongKongFilmFestival in the UK

Ka-Leung Ng, a Hong Kong director who produced the dytopian film #TenYears, has moved to the UK for almost a year; however, he did not announce his whereabouts until September 2021. When asked about the reason, Ng said, "I don't even know how to explain."

Being away for a year, #KaLeungNg still has his mind on Hong Kong, like many other Hong Kong people. Therefore, he organized the 1st Hong Kong Film Festival (UK) with fellows. It was held between March and April in #London, #Manchester, #Bristol and #Edinburgh.

Among his 16 film productions, there are videos related to social movements which are not allowed to be screened in Hong Kong. However, even more are small-scaled independent movie productions that even Hongkongers may not know them.

He knows that it is difficult to produce a movie freely in Hong Kong's current situation. Therefore, he hopes to promote Hong Kong movies in the #UK in various areas, topics and presentation ways throughout the Film Festival. He added, "Even if Hongkongers are emotionally eager to watch some of the movies, we have the responsibility to promote a breadth of movies. Therefore, more people can understand Hong Kong culture and stories... How Hong Kong films move further depends on how we continue to promote overseas."

Since people in the UK would like to watch HK movies but he does not have relevant experience, he and #ChingWong, with the aid of other people such as local film festival hosts and professors for HK movies, organise the event, titled "Rupture and Rebirth". "Rupture" can be understood as the change of not only interpersonal relationships due to imprisonment and being apart, but also the identity of #HKers and movie cultures. "Rebirth" indicates hope -- people try to find a way out of a bad situation. "Good artworks can still be seen in bad times". He emphasises that he does not intend to choose banned movies to screen, "when a place becomes abnormal, normal actions will be treated as weird".

Source: Inmedia #Mar12
https://bit.ly/3MLcRTa

#HongKongCinema