Xi's Orchestrated Visit to Wuhan

President Xi Jinping paid a visit to Wuhan today

The big news today, other than Italy going into complete lockdown?

Chinese President Xi Jinping traveled to Wuhan, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in Hubei province. The city has been under severe lockdown since January 23, two days before the Spring Festival.

【習近平在武漢考察疫情防控工作】今天，習近平深入武漢社區，看望居民群眾和防控一線工作人員。 （視頻：央視新聞） pic.twitter.com/FLUmP37ASF

— 人民日報 People's Daily (@PDChinese) March 10, 2020

 

Donning a mask but no gloves, Xi waved to people quarantined in their apartment blocks -- with security officers in hazmat suits in their flats to make sure they would not shout out negative things to the president, like what happened a few days earlier when local officials walked through and a woman shouted "Fake! Everything is fake!"
    
That video clip went viral on social media.

Security officials hanging out with residents where Xi was

But here Xi praised Hubei and Wuhan for containing the coronavirus and suggested that victory was in sight. And in the meantime he urged continued vigilance and all-out efforts to defeat the epidemic.

He also visited Huashenshan Hospital via video link to frontline health care workers and patients. So while the numbers of new cases have gone done considerably, Xi isn't risking his health quite yet and doing some intense social distancing. Or maybe local officials wanted to show off the grandeur of the ballroom or the technological advances in video links?

Nevertheless, he thanked doctors and nurses for their hard work. "You're radiant emissaries of hope, essentially the most lovely of angels, and true-blue heroes."

The propaganda machines were working overtime today, with state media following Xi's every move, and the message now is: "The Party and all Chinese people are grateful to Wuhan people".

Xi talking to medical staff and patients via video link

This is apparently a 180-degree turn from a few days ago when Wuhan party chief Wang Zhonglin proposed an "extensive gratitude education campaign".

According to Changjiang River Daily, Wang made the suggestion at a meeting about the coronavirus on Friday.

"[We must] be grateful for the general secretary [Xi] and the Communist Party," he said. "[We must] listen to the party, follow the party."

People online were outraged that Wang expected people to be grateful, as they had paid a heavy price for the complete lockdown of the city.

The red circles show where security officers were positioned

"The government should put an end to its arrogance and humbly express gratitude to its master -- millions of people in Wuhan," wrote Fang Fang, a Wuhan-based writer, in an article posted on WeChat.

One piece of silver lining in Xi's visit was that the stock market reacted positively -- the Shanghai Composite Index rose 1.8 percent, while the Hang Seng Index in Hong Kong was up 1.4 percent.

Nonetheless, it seems not everyone was buoyed by Xi's Wuhan trip. On WeChat some users mocked his visit by sharing a video of a scene from a TV drama about Qing emperor Kangxi, where courtiers advised the emperor he should only personally lead troops into battle when final victory is all but assured...

Hong Kong's First Coronavirus Cases

A second patient with the coronavirus is moved to Princess Margaret Hospital

As I said two days ago, it was only a matter of time before Hong Kong had confirmed cases of the Wuhan coronavirus and today two were reported, heightening people's fears in the city -- is this SARS 2.0?

In late afternoon, a mainland tourist from Wuhan was found to have a fever when he arrived at the West Kowloon high speed rail terminus, though the four family members traveling with him did not show any symptoms. There was a race to stop him from flying to Manila.

Sophia Chan says holiday campsites are ready for outbreaks

He had taken the high-speed rail from Wuhan to Shenzhen North, and from there to West Kowloon. The family stayed at the Empire Hotel Kowloon in Tsim Sha Tsui. The patient is now quarantined at Princess Margaret Hospital, where the Hospital Authority Infectious Disease Centre is located.

Hours later the second case was reported, a man who had visited Wuhan and is now also isolated at the same hospital. The initial test came back positive and the second test is pending.

So far Hong Kong health officials are not advising everyone in the city to wear face masks, though the mayor of Wuhan has made this mandatory.

Cathay Pacific attendants can now wear masks for all flights

Cathay Pacific flight attendants working on flights to the mainland were allowed to wear masks, and the staff had to fight with management to be able to wear masks on all flights, because really, with cases reported outside of China, there is a strong possibility of becoming infected, especially in a confined space like an airplane.

In the meantime yesterday Secretary for Health Sophia Chan Siu-chee has said two public holiday campsites, Lady MacLehose Holiday Village and Lei Yue Mun Park and Holiday Village that are managed by the government will be used to quarantine people in case of a local outbreak.

"Once we have confirmed a case in Hong Kong,  the Centre of Health Protection will first of all identify their close contacts and put them under medical surveillance," she said. "All those close contacts will be isolated in the holiday camps."

When the camps admit patients, two nurses and a doctor will be on hand to monitor them.

Macau also announced its first case of a middle-aged woman from Wuhan falling ill from the coronavirus on Wednesday. She was not detected with flu symptoms until after a week after she arrived in the former Portuguese enclave. The two friends she was with have been quarantined and put under medical surveillance.

The spread of the Wuhan coronavirus on a map by Bloomberg

So how do you protect yourself?

Medical experts say there is no need to panic, but if you want to take precautions then when in public wear a mask -- the three-ply surgical masks to completely cover your nose and mouth. Also wash your hands regularly with soap and water for about 20 seconds. If soap is not available then use an anti-bacterial or alcohol rub also for about 20 seconds.

If you feel feverish, quarantine yourself at home and don't come to work. If it gets serious, contact your doctor and if you have traveled to China recently do tell him or her on the phone so that they can be prepared beforehand.

Hopefully with more knowledge and trying to contain cases as soon as possible, we won't have a tragic repeat of SARS in 2003 when there were 1,755 cases and 17 people died.

At least Wuhan is doing its bit with the mayor insisting everyone wear a mask and not to travel in or out of the city. Some people there have had to cancel their plans to travel during the Spring Festival.

Meanwhile, the Chinese government needs to seriously rethink the existence of these live animal markets -- are they really necessary and should people be eating such exotic animals?

Wuhan Pneumonia Cases Jump

It is believed the Wuhan coronavirus started in this market in Wuhan

The Wuhan coronavirus just jumped exponentially today with the announcement of three people who have died from the pneumonia-like virus, and reports over 130 new cases this past weekend bringing the total to 198 in the Chinese city in Hubei province.

Xi calls on officials to stop the spread of the virus

It is believed the source is from a seafood and animal meat market in Wuhan.  So far the entire country has reported 218 cases.

Today President Xi Jinping has ordered officials to "resolutely contain" the spread of Wuhan pneumonia, and that "the safety of people's lives and health should be given top priority".

 Errr... how come it took Xi this long to say that when the mystery virus was first reported on December 30, and now hundreds of millions of people are traveling on public transport to their hometowns for Spring Festival?

In addition, many Chinese people's knowledge about personal hygiene let alone food hygiene is not up to par with international standards, making it very difficult to try to stop and isolate the cases as quickly as possible since it is now believed many cases were from human-to-human transmission.

Health workers in hazmat suits treating a patient in Wuhan

The virus has also apparently spread to other countries with cases reported in South Korea, Thailand and Japan. Meanwhile Singapore, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Nepal and Taiwan are monitoring suspected cases.

According to the Secretary for Health Sophia Chan Siu-chee said today there are 106 people in isolation in Hong Kong with suspected symptoms.

And how is the city trying to stop and isolate the number of cases of possible Wuhan pneumonia?

The Department of Health has announced it will require mainland Chinese travelers from Wuhan to make a health declaration starting from midnight tonight. But strangely, Chan says mainland train passengers will not be asked to make health declarations at the West Kowloon train terminus.

Why does Chan (middle) not implement stronger measures?

Why the discrepancy? Shouldn't all travelers from China be screened? A person from Wuhan may not even know or think they have symptoms of the Wuhan virus. Or even if they do, would they declare it?

This is really pathetic handling by the Hong Kong government on this fast-emerging health issue. Did the authorities not learn from SARS in 2003? This is a matter of life and death, not about appeasing senior Chinese officials by being less lenient on mainlanders coming to the city...

China's Painful Economic Woes

The chances of finding a job is harder with more people out of work

The New York Times recently reported how the economic slowdown in China is affecting its workers and it's very worrying.

It's not just the factory workers and construction workers who are hurting -- it's also the white-collar ones with university degrees, making them wonder how stable their futures are.

There are fewer jobs available, some companies reporting layoffs of up to 30 percent in firms that employ hundreds of people, while jobs ads across all sectors have dropped by 10 percent. Start-ups have had it the hardest with new positions falling 51 percent in the third quarter of 2018 from a year earlier.

Not just factory workers, but white-collar ones are laid off too

Just after Spring Festival in February, Didi Chuxing, China's largest ride-sharing and taxi-hailing service, told employees that it would cut 2,000 jobs, or 15 percent of its workforce.

Previously the Chinese government would create an economic stimulus by throwing money at infrastructure projects like bridges and airports, and that would generally solve the problem, but not anymore.

Fraser Howie, co-writer of three books on the Chinese financial system says now, "there is no obvious catch up, and therefore it makes it all the more important that China makes important, difficult decisions to move forward."

The government really should be restructuring its state-owned enterprises that have grown into lumbering behemoths but they are the elephants in the room that aren't being addressed. Instead the government is in denial and hoping things shall pass, but perhaps not this time.

The economic slowdown is impacting young professionals like Sherry Xu, a 34-year-old finance professional who did all the right things, studying at a prestigious university and then rising up the ranks of the finance industry.

Infrastructure projects aren't solving China's economic issues

And then recently, right after she had just pitched a group of potential investors Xu was called into a meeting with human resources who told her that her employer, a financial firm was having difficulties and she would be laid off.

Xu then accepted a job as a freelance contractor with the same firm for half her previous salary. "The job marketing isn't looking good. I feel this time, it will be harder than ever for me to find a job."

Not only that but people's budgets have tightened which means less disposable income for shopping, dining and travel.

Maybe it's because of this worrying sentiment that the government just announced on Friday the May Day holiday would be extended to four days instead of one in a desperate bid to stimulate the economy.

But really, who is in the mood to spend when their futures are uncertain?

Kids' Rights Over CNY Money

Chinese New Year means children receiving a lot of red envelopes

This is an interesting case -- a 10-year-old boy successfully sued his father to give him back the money he received from Chinese New Year from his parents' friends and family.

Usually parents keep the lai see or hong bao for their children and deposit it into the bank for safe keeping. In this case, the father, surnamed Su, deposited 3,000 yuan (US$443) in the child's bank account from February 2014 to March 2015.

Children in China can receive lots of money from hong bao

In March 2016, Su withdrew the entire amount plus interest without his son's permission. He may have done this because his son began living with his mother until she applied for custody of him in December 2015, which was granted the following April.

During the case, which was heard in Baiyun District Court in Guangdong province, Su claimed the money was given to the child by his friends and relatives who were unrelated to the mother. He also said he had promised his son to return the money, together with interest, when he grew up.

In the end the judge ruled the child had the rights over his savings account and ordered the father to give him back 3,045 yuan.

No touching my hong bao! The court says so!

It's intriguing the court decided to hear this case. Perhaps it had received several of these requests and wanted to lay down the law on parents taking their kids' Chinese New Year money without their knowledge.

So parents -- don't even think twice about taking your kids' lai see money -- it's theirs!

Xi Has the Common Touch

Xi Jinping made an unannounced visit to a Beijing restaurant yesterday

Millions of Chinese are already making their way home for Spring Festival that starts on February 5. Many major cities are emptying out and people are heading on trains, buses and planes for the next week or so.

Yesterday Chinese President Xi Jinping surprised diners by dropping into a small restaurant in Beijing. On state television Xi was seen asking how much a bowl of rice noodles was and how long the owners had been in the city.

He praised deliverymen for being like diligent bees

As diners stood up to take pictures, he told them not to stop eating on his account. "I'm just passing through," he said.

The last time Xi unexpectedly interacted with the public was in 2014 when he visited courtyard homes and chatted with passers-by on one particularly smoggy day.

This time the Chinese President also chatted with deliverymen who spend all day delivering packages around Beijing.

"You are the most diligent, like diligent bees, traveling here and there and being exposed to the sun and rain. It's not easy," Xi told them.

He asked if they would be going home for Spring Festival, and one replied in the affirmative. The rest were probably thinking, "I need to feed my family", or "The boss made me work".

Xi even wrapped dumplings, but how did they look?

Xi also visited policemen and even made dumplings with residents in a courtyard building in Qianmen.

We have the photographic, but how did his dumplings look?

What is Peppa?

Any guesses as to what this is?

Do you know what this is?

A hint -- it's one of the most popular pigs in China at the moment.

Does it look like Peppa Pig to you?

OK it doesn't have the exact resemblance of the pink pig, but for a Chinese grandpa it's as good as it gets.

It's to drum up excitement for Peppa Pig Celebrates Chinese New Year, released by Alibaba Pictures, and it's about two children who mark the Chinese holiday with Peppa and her family.

The teaser trailer doesn't show any animation in it, but the five minute, 41-second video called What is Peppa will resonate with many people in China.



A grandfather in the countryside calls his son to ask if he is bringing the grandson to visit for Spring Festival. He gets to talk to the child and asks what he would like grandpa to buy for him. The child says, "Peppa!" before the line is cut off.

The old man is stumped. Peppa? He consults the dictionary and can't find the Chinese word in there, and asks his friends but they have no idea what he is talking about.

Peppa (far right) with her family in Chinese clothes

Finally he finds a woman who used to be a nanny in the city. She describes what Peppa looks like and so the grandfather fashions a porcine head out of metal scraps he has...

It's a cute video that really reflects the extreme social and economic changes happening in China, but also sadly shows how people in the rural areas are really left behind and hardly benefit from the country's economic development in the past 40 years.

So there you go. Does it look like Peppa to you?

Peppa the Pig Politically Rehabilitated

Peppa the Pig and her family celebrate Chinese New Year

The Chinese Communist Party has from time to time, banned certain things or people and later on decided they are kosher again and rehabilitated them politically.

Such is the case for a cartoon pig -- Peppa the Pig.

Earlier this year in the spring, the Chinese government banned Peppa the Pig, from tens of thousands of cartoon clips, to even the hashtag #PeppaPig, claiming the porcine character was associated with 社会人 or "society people", a slang term for lowlifes and gangsters.

Back in May Peppa the Pig was banned from China

According to state media outlet Global Times, people who upload videos of Peppa Pig tattoos and merchandise, and make Peppa-related jokes "run counter to the mainstream value and are usually poorly educated with no stable job. They are unruly slackers roaming around and the antithesis of the young generation the [Communist] party tries to cultivate."

So that was the end of Peppa... until now.

With Chinese New Year around the corner -- guess what? It's the Year of the Pig!

And just in time for the Lunar New Year holiday, one movie that will be released is called Peppa Pig celebrates Chinese New Year.

She was a symbol for slackers that the government didn't like

The film will feature traditional Chinese customs during the festival, including a dragon parade and fireworks.

Interestingly the film, co-developed by Alibaba Pictures and a Canadian media company called Entertainment One, will feature the entire Peppa Pig cast and two new characters called Dumpling and Glutinous Rice Ball...

Wonder what happens to these two characters in the end...

Picture of the Day: Trumping the Rooster

The giant inflatable rooster that bears a resemblance to Donald Trump

Well, it is the Year of the Rooster and the Year of Trump.

So why not mash them together?

That's what a Seattle-based graphic artist had in mind when he designed giant inflatable roosters whose headgear look very similar to the new American president.

"I can definitely say Mr Trump has a lot of similarities in that he likes to tweet," says Casey Latiolais.

"And he also likes to tweet at or around sunrise, and if you take away the fact that roosters are kind of loud and self-absorbed, then I think you can start drawing similarities that way."

The factory in Zhejiang province producing these inflatable birds can't keep up with demand for these Trump-like roosters, with workers going on their annual Spring Festival holiday.

But it's funny how Latiolais has drawn a link between the rooster and Trump, who likes to rule the roost, strut his stuff and puff up his chest...