Finding Alternative Solutions

Slim pickings for meat after abattoirs test positive for Covid

After a Covid-19 outbreak at Hong Kong's two abattoirs, the supply of fresh meat has plummeted, affecting supply, and now the government is considering allowing mainland butchers to come in to help out.

The city's largest operator Sheung Shui Slaughterhouse, and its smaller rival in Tsuen Wan would shut down temporarily on Saturday until further notice for disinfection after 183 of 866 samples from the Sheung Shui abattoir tested positive.

Supplies of pork and beef are disrupted

This has resulted in a knock-on effect with retail shops selling beef and pork having to shut temporarily as well due to having no more meat to sell.

Why do we have to bring in mainland butchers? Why not use this opportunity to push people to eat a more vegetarian diet?

Isn't this what people had to do during war time? If you want to eat meat, then you have to pay more for it.

While we are not at war, we are in a pandemic situation where food supplies are not consistent, so we should learn to make do with what we have and eat other protein-rich foods like tofu and legumes. 

Why not eat more tofu products to get protein?

Novel idea?

Meanwhile it has been reported by the Wall Street Journal that Chinese President Xi Jinping summoned Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor to Shenzhen to receive a direct order via Vice Premier Han Zheng that she has to get the fifth wave under control before Xi arrives for the 25th anniversary of the handover of Hong Kong to China on July 1.

Some China watchers are expecting the city to implement even harsher lockdowns... but how is that even logistically possible? Today Hong Kong reported 22,000 positive cases (a mixture of preliminary positive and rapid antigen tests).

By the way now in Hong Kong rapid antigen tests count as a positive test.

How is Lam going to tackle this, when the number of cases are rising exponentially? The current idea of universal testing starting next month is ridiculous and half-baked. Meanwhile we are are trying to prevent ourselves from getting infected so we don't test positive and get hauled into quarantine.

Han warning Lam to get Covid-19 under control

Meanwhile Secretary for Food and Health Sophia Chan Siu-chee told Bloomberg today that the government had Covid-19 "under control"...

She's saying this while the numbers of cases are rising exponentially everyday.

The deadline is looming, Carrie. How will you emerge victorious in stamping out the virus? 

More importantly -- did she wear a mask during the meeting?

Covid Could Harm Your Penis and Other Horrible News

A study of Covid-infected hamsters yielded interesting results

There might be another way to entice people -- particularly men -- to get vaccinated.

If they don't and catch Covid-19, their sperm count could drop.

That's according to research from the University of Hong Kong, that says the coronavirus could damage testicles, lower sex drive, and affect fertility in men.

The findings were released on Sunday by ProfessorYuen Kwok-yung and his HKU team, based on a study on testicular and hormonal changes in hamsters infected with the virus.

Yuen led the study by HKU researchers

The fact that Yuen even has time to conduct this study while being busy inspecting the airflow and ventilation of buildings whenever there's an infection is quite impressive... and how did they even come up with this hypothesis?!

Nevertheless, it was found that infected hamsters suffered a sharp drop in sperm count and serum testosterone four to seven days after infection.

The rodents also developed chronic testicular atrophy, resulting in a decrease in the size and weight of the testicles. Again aren't those quite small to start with?!

Both Omicron and Delta variants caused similar effects.

At least this is a bit of light-hearted news after days of depressing news and more to come.

Today 6,067 infected cases were recorded, only 12 of which were imported. The Centre for Health Protection has now given up on releasing preliminary positive cases as they did not reflect the true number, but also because they are completely overwhelmed.

Hong Kong officials are throwing their weight behind battling "the enemy", as Chief Secretary John Lee Ka-chiu says the city is in "full-on war mode" he wrote in his blog.

Lee says Hong Kong is in "full-on war mode"

"Now is the most critical time during the two years of anti-pandemic efforts. The SAR government is in a full-on war mode and will follow the important instruction of President Xi Jinping to stabilise the epidemic as an overriding priority, mobilising all forces and resources, taking all necessary steps to protect Hong Kong people's lives and health and ensure Hong Kong's social stability."

So it is under the guise of the pandemic that Hong Kong will follow instructions from Beijing because it is very evident that Hong Kong people cannot govern Hong Kong.

Meanwhile his colleague Secretary for Food and Health Sophia Chan Siu-chee warned in a radio program that social-distancing measures would be further tightened, but didn't go into details.

What does this mean? People can't even be in groups of two?

Chan says more restrictions to come

It seems the government is intent on making us the most miserable people on earth. We can't eat in a restaurant after 6pm, can't get haircuts or exercise in a gym, watch a movie, attend a concert, go swimming, go to a church/synagogue/mosque service, borrow a book from the library, and attend a wedding or funeral.

And Chan says it's going to get worse?

It's going to be a long, long spring.

Hong Kong Continues to be in Tatters

Many interpret Xi's message as a rebuke, others say it's support

There was a lot of chatter about General Party Secretary Xi Jinping's directive to the Hong Kong government to put the current fifth wave under control to prevent social instability. While many interpreted his message to be a rebuke, others tried to spin it as encouragement towards the local authorities.

Regardless it was another day of mounting cases -- 6,116 today, and another 6,300 preliminary. There were also 24 deaths in the past 24 hours.

What has Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor done today?

The iclub Ma Tau Wai Hotel in Tokwawan

She managed to procure 20,000 hotel rooms -- double the number she asked for to house close contacts of coronavirus patients, and infected people with mild symptoms.

The hotels are scattered all over town and it was recommended not to use those that are attached to shopping malls to avoid further transmission of the virus. The first batch of hotels are located in areas such as Tsuen Wan, Fortress Hill, and Tokwawan.

Meanwhile some 300 taxi drivers have been recruited to ferry patients who have tested positive to clinics for treatment. The drivers will get masks and gowns as well as goggles, but it might be hard to see the road clearly wearing those all day...

This evening my colleagues and I received an email from our company saying someone this afternoon tested positive for the virus, which meant the office would be deep-cleaned all weekend.

While those who were in the office these few days could get self-tested, the Centre for Health Protection did not deem them as "close contacts" and so testing was not mandatory. This just shows how different the policy is from two years ago, when anyone who was near the infected person had to go into quarantine camp for two weeks despite testing negative.

Luk Yu Tea House is temporarily closed

After a few appointments in Central this afternoon I went to visit a few shops and was disappointed to find they were shut. The pandemic had made it unfeasible for them to open now, including one that has just opened last week.

Many restaurants have either temporarily closed -- including the iconic Luk Yu Tea House -- or have drastically scaled back their days and hours of operation in a bid to survive. 

A hotel restaurant I visited earlier today said they were supposed to have 50 diners, but 10 cancelled because they were scared of dining out.

I suggested they spread the tables out further and the manager said they had put them much further apart than the government regulations. 

The Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong has begun promoting takeaway from its Michelin-starred Chinese restaurant, which was unheard of last year. Will people really want char siu using Iberico pork, or fried rice vermicelli with crab meat and egg? By the time they bring it home it's cold...

Rapid antigen tests are the must have item now

The hottest must-have item now besides N95 or KF94 masks? Rapid antigen tests. Pharmacy chain Watson's had practically sold out of all of them except one -- at HK$118 (US$15) a piece.  

The other day Lam had said the government had ordered millions of RATs, but where are they? They should have been handed out to people this week, but no, they still aren't here.

This is not how to battle the pandemic with determination and speed. 

Again, the residents have to protect themselves with whatever resources they can get their hands on. 

Beijing Takes Over Anti-Epidemic Work in HK

Does Lam regret how she has handled the pandemic now?

Things don't look good when you have over 4,200 infections reported today, over 7,000 preliminary, but more importantly, when Party Secretary General Xi Jinping is personally concerned and tells Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor she has to work harder to contain the virus and maintain social stability.

Word came down that Xi asked Vice-Premier Han Zheng, the top state leader overseeing the city's affairs, to relay to Lam the president's "concern about the pandemic situation in the city and his care for Hong Kong residents".

Xi has personally voiced concerns over HK

Beijing will now have more oversight over anti-epidemic measures, creating another layer of bureaucracy, basically another layer of bosses to placate. The group will be made up of the State Council's Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, as well as the National Health Commission, and will involve Beijing authorities and experts, as well as the Guangdong and local governments.

Xi stressed that Hong Kong "must earnestly take the main responsibility, and to make it the overriding priority to stabilise and control the epidemic as soon as possible".

"Authorities must mobilise all forces and resources that can be mobilised, take all necessary measures and protect Hong Kong people's lives and health, as well as ensure Hong Kong's social stability," Xi was quoted as saying.

"The relevant central and local authorities must fully support and assist the Hong Kong government in doing its anti-epidemic work well."

Lam responded with "heartfelt gratitude" to Xi, and admitted the local healthcare system was overloaded. 

A record 4,285 cases, 7,000 preliminary

Han told Lam that she should implement Xi's instructions, which include boosting testing capacity, procuring rapid test kits, and other medical equipment, supporting the construction of isolation and medical facilities, ensuring the supply of necessities, such as fresh food, and sending coronavirus experts to Hong Kong to help.

We already have a lot of very good infectious disease experts... they just can't agree with each other, while Lam does not rein them in or at least make sure they are all on the same page.

Nevertheless, many of them have already suggested a citywide lockdown to clamp down on the virus mainland-style, and yet Lam refuses to do this.

But with Beijing now getting involved, it may get to this point.

Does Lam now see that her chances of running for chief executive again are becoming slimmer and slimmer by the hour?

There were 4,285 infections today, and sadly nine deaths, including the three-year-old girl who passed yesterday. 

These elderly patients outside must be freezing

This evening after dinner I walked along the harbourfront and it was quite windy. As long as I kept moving I was warm, but what about those elderly patients lying on gurneys outside hospitals waiting to get in? They must be freezing to death. Won't be surprised if there are cases of pneumonia tomorrow.

Meanwhile this afternoon one infectious disease expert, Professor Ben Cowling of the University of Hong Kong was interviewed by the Asia Society. 

A few points he made include: He projects the fifth wave will peak in about three weeks from now, when over half of the population will be infected with the virus. This will unfortunately mean seeing more fatalities, and so Cowling urged people, including children who haven't gotten vaccinated to do so.

In the first wave children did not seem to be affected by Covid-19, but they are now getting sick with Omicron, and so he highly urges them to get the jab. Cowling again pushed for seniors to get vaccinated, precious time was lost last year when elderly people did not get vaccinated, and hinted the government did not do enough to push up the inoculation rates in this age group. 

He does not see the point in having a vaccine mandate now because the rising numbers of cases may have prodded people to get jabbed now.

Cowling says fifth wave may peak in three weeks

Another suggestion Cowling made was for rapid antigen tests be made widely available. He is currently stuck in the UK and everyone can get lots of these RAT tests delivered to their homes. People can take these tests and if they are positive to isolate immediately or for everyone else in the household to get tested to prevent further spread in the community. 

Children in the UK take these tests every morning before going to school so that they can attend classes; Cowling says there is a risk they could become positive later in the day, but for the most part it allows education to continue and believes this is a good thing.

This evening there are reports that all Hong Kong residents will be tested maybe in early March three times. How this will be implemented has yet to be revealed, or revealed at all. It could be sprung on us one day.

Regardless it shows the local government has been completely swept aside, unclear of what needs to be done, let alone execute properly. This is what happens when there is no effective opposition, no grassroots activists, and media to point out what should be done. 

Lam and her administration have wasted lots of time, wasted lots of money -- the December 19 free rides day for starters -- and not listened to experts and figured out how to protect Hongkongers in the best way possible.

For the rest of us, it is only a matter of time before we get infected one way or another. This government has failed us. We are on our own.

Chinese Expert says Covid Already Adapted to Humans

Guan Yi warned Covid-19 would be 10 times worse than Sars

China has one voice of reason in the Covid-19 pandemic -- but his expert opinion goes against President Xi Jinping's zero tolerance goal.

That's because scientist Guan Yi, whose work helped averted a second Sars outbreak in 2004, says zero-Covid will not succeed because the virus has already adapted to humans and cannot be fully eliminated.

He said during an interview with Phoenix TV that China should instead focus on vaccines and test the population's immunity level after vaccination to determine which jabs to administer. Guan is the director of the State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases at Shantou University in southern China, which runs a lab in partnership with the University of Hong Kong.

He says the virus has already adapted to humans

Almost 80 percent of China's population has been vaccinated and they have already begun administering booster shots and inoculating children.

However, there have been sporadic outbreaks that have spread to at least 20 provinces and regions. On Monday there were 43 reported new local symptomatic cases as well as 19 imported and 74 asymptomatic infections after days of mass testing and quarantine in multiple areas.

"Local governments are adopting zero tolerance to these scattered cases," Guan said. "But if that remains the case, I think our economy will collapse... I think there is no chance if we set a goal to eliminate all cases.

"Just like influenza, this virus already has a foothold in mankind and it will stay with us for the long term -- it is in fact, whether we like it or not. This virus has already fully adapted itself in humans.

"We should not declare victory over this virus too early, or we would be underestimating its impact on mankind."

Vaccines should be tested for antibodies

Guan explained the Sars outbreak was stopped in 2003 because it had not yet fully adapted to humans. He played a key role in identifying civet cats as they intermediate host of Sars. In January 2020 he told news website Caixin the then newly emergent coronavirus would be 10 times worse than Sars.

China should have the courage to find out its population's antibody level after vaccination, instead of devoting so much of its resources to testing to identify positive cases, he said.

"What is the level of [neutralising] antibodies induced by vaccines and how long can it last?" Guan said. "Only by [establishing that] can you determine the effectiveness of a vaccine. We also have to find out how long immunity can last after boosters, otherwise it could be possible that the antibodies wane before the winter finishes because the drop in antibodies may outpace the speed vaccines are distributed."

In Hong Kong it has been determined through antibody testing that people injected with Chinese-made Sinovac hardly have any or do not have any antibodies to fight Covid-19, let alone the variants. 

A few months ago Ip got Pfizer/BioNTech booster

Lawmaker Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee was one of those tested to have found to have no antibodies and immediately got a Pfizer/BioNTech booster.

Guan says vaccine makers have a responsibility to update the public about their vaccines' effectiveness against different variants. 

"If a vaccine is not effective, we should remove it [from the vaccine program]. If we don't have sufficient understanding... we don't have the [chance] to make improvements, especially when vested interests are involved," he said, in a veiled reference to pharmaceutical companies.

His reasoning is sound, and hints that China will have to live with Covid-19, but will Xi? Will the President take Guan's expert opinion into consideration, or force him to submit to his zero-Covid strategy?

We will be watching.

HK Borders May Lift a Year from Now

There could be a lot more expats leaving HK next year

When is Hong Kong going to lift its borders? This is the constant question asked by everyone everyday and people's patience is wearing thin.

Up until yesterday many of us were led to believe things would slowly get back to "normal" after the Beijing Winter Olympics in February 2022. A few months from now, OK understandable from the Chinese capital's perspective desperate to have zero cases and zero disruptions.

But yesterday the Financial Post was reporting opening the border would happen in November 2022, just over a year from now. Another at least 365 days.

People are getting tired of no no-quarantine travel

A massive collective groan could be heard all over the city when people read this.

The reasoning?

"A significant outbreak in China or Hong Kong would also be politically sensitive, as Beijing prepares to host the Winter Olympics in February and President Xi Jinping seeks to secure a third term in power later next year. Hong Kong will also hold a leadership election in March and mark 25 years since the handover from British to Chinese rule of the city in July," the report says.

And here's the kicker:

"The new policy is expected to last into 2022 -- possibly until after the Chinese Communist party congress in November, according to one Chinese government official -- and authorities have not proposed any timeline for loosening the rules."

What does this mean?

A lot of expats who were thinking about possibly leaving next year are probably going to make the move, fed up with the government not rewarding residents for getting vaccinated to make it easier for them to travel, or their work is travel-related and they need to get on with it, or they want to see their loved ones but not be penalized by having to do up to 21 days' quarantine in a hotel room they have to pay for and not be sure of the conditions of the room or the food, or possibly catch the virus while in quarantine.

Lam aligning Hong Kong with China, zero-Covid

Or perhaps as someone suggested on Twitter, this was a non-political way for the Hong Kong government to get rid of expats to make the city more of a mainland one.

Various western chambers of commerce have had talks with the government, trying to persuade it to lift the quarantine restrictions to a maximum of 14 days and open the borders to other countries, but earlier this month, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said Hong Kong's ties with the mainland are more important than international business and global travel connections. 

So there it is, Hong Kong's determination, or rather Lam's determination to stand with China on all things Covid, which means following Beijing's zero-Covid goal.

As they say, "If you don't like it, leave", and many people may do just that.

Two Michaels Return Home

Kovrig (left) and Spavor (second from right) arrive in Calgary

After over 1,000 days, the two Michaels are finally home in Canada.

It is a relief to have this saga that lasted over two years to be over.

The speed at which they were released demonstrates that, as former Canadian diplomat Colin Robertson says, it was one for the other.

Robertson says it was clearly a hostage-taking

"China... up until now, has said there's been no linkage between the two, but by putting them on the plane [Friday night], they've clearly acknowledged that this was a hostage-taking."

Lynette Ong, a China specialist at the Munk School of Global Affairs agrees.

"The timing, it's totally undeniable that the two Michaels were unjustly detained because of the arrest of Ms Meng in Vancouver."

It is believed that not only diplomats behind the scenes were working hard to secure their release, but that US President Joe Biden played a pivotal role in lobbying Chinese President Xi Jinping.

While the Canadian side is breathing a sigh of relief and grateful to Biden and its allies, China is playing up Meng's return with a hero's welcome in Shenzhen.

Meng receives hero's welcome

Wearing a red dress and no mask, she was received on the tarmac with a red carpet, and a bouquet of red roses.

"Chairman Xi cares about the safety of every Chinese citizen, and he also has my situation in his heart. I am deeply touched by this," Meng said upon her arrival.

During her flight she also released a statement thanking officials for her release and this interesting statement:

"For the past 1,028 days, I have been stumbling around, and it was difficult to choose between a thousand things; for the past 1,028 days, I have been wandering day and night, even if I had a thousand words to say; for the past 1,028 days, there have been endless mountains and rivers, and I did not know which way to return."

Let us be clear that Meng was released on bail and allowed to live in her luxurious home in Vancouver and come and go as she pleased as long as she abided by the bail conditions.

Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor were subjected to severe prison conditions, living over 1,000 days in tiny cells deprived of being able to speak freely to consular officials and lawyers, let alone access to sunlight and proper meals.

While this saga has finally ended happily for all involved, it does not mean it may not happen again.

China Limits Kids' Gaming to Three Hours a Week

Chinese kids under 18 can only play three days a week

 

Children under the age of 18 in China must be either fuming or trying to figure out a way to continue playing games on their smartphones after Beijing came down with a decree that they can only play it three days a week -- Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 8pm to 9pm.

The rule came down from the National Press and Publication Administration (NAAP), China's top watchdog for gaming and other forms of online media, in a bid to stop gaming addiction among teenagers, according to state media outlet Xinhua.

Government wants to prevent gaming addiction

It had previously issued rules in 2019 that limited play time for minors to no more than 90 minutes each day, and three hours on statutory holidays.

While kids must be throwing tantrums, gaming companies may not take a big hit on the stock exchange as children don't make up a big part of their revenues, but it could result in a bigger impact in terms of the player bases, now that they can only play an hour a day for three days.

Imagine on a Friday night at 8pm, everyone in China will know what kids under 18 are doing -- furiously playing games on their phones.

There isn't much anyone can do about it because all players have to register with their real name and ID. It might inspire some children to start downloading VPNs to get around the system, but would that work? Or how about playing games developed by outside of China?

Gaming companies will be anxious to comply to the new rules because if they are caught having minors playing outside of the specified times, the government could easily shut them down. No one wants that.

Children don't spend much money on gaming

"Many parents have said that the gaming addiction problem among teens and children has gravely affected their ability to learn and study as well as their physical and mental health, even causing a series of societal problems," a spokesman for NAAP told Xinhua.

NAAP said gaming companies are responsible for stopping children from becoming addicted to gaming, and it seems this policy is yet another spanner in the wheel for gaming giants like Tencent, NetEase and Bilibili.

However, minors are only a small percentage of gaming receipts for these companies. For example for Tencent, players under 16 constitute just 2.6 percent of its gross gaming revenues in China, and those under 12 accounting for just 0.3 percent. Bilibili said minors only contributed 1 percent of the company's gaming revenue.

Nevertheless, it seems China is determined to curb young people's addiction to gaming and possibly insist on more national education instead? Either way it will make young people resent the government even more, unless state media comes up with stories of kids who realize how much time they have wasted playing games and that studying Xi Jinping thought is the only way to enhance their lives...

RTHK Becoming State Media

Lam (centre) at launch of CMG's 100th anniversary programs

 

Radio Television Hong Kong has been pretty much gutted into a shell (of its former self) in renovation speak -- ready to be remade into the form of a news outlet that is approved by Beijing. In other words, state-controlled media.

Earlier this week Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor announced that RTHK will build a long-term alliance with state-owned China Media Group and air more television content produced on the mainland in a bid to boost patriotism in the city.

Xi awarded medals to war veterans on July 1

China Media Group includes China Central Television (CCTV),  China National Radio, and China Radio International. CMG is controlled by the Propaganda Department of the Chinese Communist Party.

The local broadcaster on channel TV31 will be running more dramas and documentaries produced by CCTV. 

She said the programs "offer a crucial opportunity to let Hong Kong people have a comprehensive and thorough understanding of the struggle and development of the Communist Party of China and nurture a stronger sense of patriotism".

Lam praised the quality of the programing, even adding: "I am also a fan of CCTV."

Where can people sign up to join the CCTV fan club?

So far TV31 has run programs like Awarding Ceremony of July 1 Medals, when President Xi Jinping bestowed honours on outstanding party members and war veterans. There's another called The Great Journey, documenting major moments in the history of the party. And there are other documentaries, like Masters of the Forbidden City and Asia-Pacific War Crimes Trials.

Masters of the Forbidden City

Riveting viewing.

In the future, Lam said, RTHK will make more programs aimed at promoting national security, Greater Bay Area development, and the country's 14th five-year plan "in order to help Hong Kong citizens understand Chinese culture and the country's latest developments".

In the last several years television has become irrelevant with people streaming shows online and watching them on their laptops and mobile phones.

It'll be interesting to see if it is difficult to find staff to produce this kind of content, and also what audience numbers are like when these state-produced shows are airing full time...

Apple Daily Fights to the Death

A skeletal staff is keeping the paper going to the bitter end

 

Apple Daily is soldiering on to its last days even though some 40 percent of its staff have quit in the last few days.

Many of them resigned when they were told the company would ask the Security Bureau to unfreeze its assets; many believed this request would not be granted. They also quit when they were told they did not need to give one month's notice.

About 40 percent of staff have resigned

Some of the reporters who quit were concerned about legal repercussions, while others were determined to continue on to the end.

Among the teams that have packed up and gone were those managing online financial news, English-language coverage, breaking news and video content called "Apple Action News". Sections still running are local news, courts, features, entertainment, sports and photography.

"People who are doing their best even though we know the paper could shut down at any time, and teams have started to share workloads in order to make the paper publish as usual," said a journalist who has been at the paper for over a decade.

"The finance team is helping to work on local news, while the breaking news team is helping with interviewing colleagues as they do not have enough manpower to work outside."

Lam refused to answer an Apple Daily question

One of the three Apple Daily executives who was released on bail, Cheung Chi-wai, who was director of the tabloid's digital platform, has resigned. 

Meanwhile one Apple Daily reporter tried one last time to get Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor to respond to a question during the weekly press conference:

"You said the national security law only affected a small number of people. But more than 800 people from my company were forced to lose our jobs. Can you respond, Mrs Lam?"

She left the auditorium without answering.

So this is a great victory for China and Xi Jinping -- just in time for the 100th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party, to see the end of its most outspoken foe.

But it was hardly a fair fight.

Shutting Apple Daily is a hollow win for China

It reminds me of C.S. Lewis' book, The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, where the White Witch has the lion Aslan tied up with rope before she kills him.

The imagery of the helpless lion is similar to the newspaper trying to keep going in the last few days, its leader Jimmy Lai Chee-ying in jail, and lots of loyal readers willing to buy the paper even if its pages are blank.

Even when Apple Daily is shuttered, this will not change people's opinions about the paper; in fact they will have fonder memories of it and reinforce their attitude towards the government and Beijing.

Is this the way to win people's hearts and minds?

 

Will Chinese Families Have Three Kids?

China now allows families to have three kids, but will they?

 

China is now encouraging families to have not just two children but three in an announcement made today due to a significant drop in the birth rate in the world's most populous country.

Xinhua reported the change was approved by Chinese President Xi Jinping during a politburo meeting. 

"To further optimize the birth policy, [China] will implement a one-married-couple-can-have-three-children policy," Xinhua said.

The cost of raising children is very expensive

Five years ago China finally scrapped its one-child policy that dates back to 1978, and allowed couples to have two children, but that didn't lead to a significant baby boom thanks to the rising costs of having children, as well as housing and education.

The announcement today was short on specifics in how it would give support and incentives to families to have more children.

Dan Wang, chief economist at Hang Seng Bank (China), said the government would have to offer subsidies, and maybe even set up a new tax system for companies to have the incentive to hire women of childbearing age.

"The high costs of housing and education, as well as a lack of job protection for women, are strong economic constraints on having children," she said, adding the cost of having a third child would be too high for most middle-class families.

This decision comes soon after the release of a summary of census data that pointed to a decline in births in China, and Yi Fuxian, a specialist in China's demographics, said the timing of the announcement so soon after the census summary suggested the detailed data to come would be extremely worrying.

Women's job prospects are low after childbirth

"Maybe it's because the real population data is too scary. Even if they have not published it, it probably frightened the decision makers," Yi said.

The once-in-a-decade census showed the population grew at its slowest rate during the last decade since the 1950s to 1.41 billion.

But the reality of the situation is that young, educated and ambitious women do not want to be baby-making machines. Many are happy to be single let alone married, and prefer having a successful career than the thankless task of looking after a husband and children.

While the government has tried to scorn these women online, that is not going to help the situation, as the ratio of women to men is much smaller, so the pool of women willing to have children is even smaller.

Company policies and attitudes are sexist and need to change -- during job interviews young men are usually chosen over young women because it is assumed the latter will get married soon and have children and then may quit the job. 

Maybe Peng can tell Xi what women go through?

If the government wants to boost the population, it must force employers to find ways to accommodate women before, during and after having children, to keep a job for them or at least give them the opportunity to come back from maternity leave, otherwise how are they going to afford their mortgage, childcare, and pay for education? 

It would be beneficial for companies to retain these workers too; many mothers just want a steady pay cheque, though it is less than what a man would earn in the same position.

So it's all very well and good for the government to tell families to have more children to increase the country's population, but there needs to be specific incentives, services and tax breaks to give couples the financial confidence to have children. 

Grandpa Xi really needs to step up on this issue and look at it from the women's perspective before deciding what carrots he will dangle in front of them.

Perhaps his wife Peng Liyuan, or his daughter Xi Mingze can give him suggestions...

Xi Wants "Patriots Ruling Hong Kong"

Xi Jinping listens to Carrie Lam give her work report today

 

Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-gnor gave a virtual work report to her boss, Presideng Xi Jinping today. 

He said he was concerned about the pandemic situation in the city and praised Lam for her efforts, the latest of which have involved "ambush" lockdowns, though Xi was not as pleased as he was with the other Chief Executive, Macau's Ho Iat-seng.

Xi praised Ho's handling of pandemic in Macau

"In the face of the sudden pandemic, you responded quickly, adopted stringent measures and brought it under control within a short period of time," he told Ho, noting Macau had gone more than 300 consecutive days without a local infection.

Meanwhile today Hong Kong reported 60 new cases, and last night's sudden lockdown in Yau Ma Tei tested some 300 people, yielding only one positive case.

But Xi seemed to be more concerned about Hong Kong's stability and hinted at some possible new measures.

"Hong Kong's significant change from chaos to peace again showed an important rule: We must insist on 'patriots governing Hong Kong', so as to ensure the stable and long-term implementation of 'one country, two systems'," he said, indirectly referring to the anti-government protests in 2019.

Tam says HK had to implement Xi's ideas

Xi said having "patriots ruling Hong Kong" is a "fundamental principle" that affects national sovereignty and security, and that it would also allow "various deep-seated problems" to be effectively resolved and result in greater stability.

Soon after the work report was over, Hong Kong's only delegate to the National People's Congress Standing Committee Tam Yiu-chung, said Xi only set out general principles and it was the task of local and central governments to decide how to implement them.

Political commentator Chung Kim-wah, said Xi's remarks shouldn't be surprising given that it is clear Beijing wants complete control over next year's Chief Executive election, and Hong Kong's situation in general.

But he didn't think Beijing would go so far as to have almost 400 pro-democracy district councillors dismissed from office.

"I don't think they would disqualify all DC members, because that would be too far-reaching and would arouse a lot of condemnation or criticism by the international community," Chung said.

Chung says Beijing wants more control of HK

"But they are trying to kick some people out to ensure that the Election Committee for the election of the CE in the coming year will be fully under control."

The government is currently looking into forcing councillors to take an oath of office to the SAR that could possibly be used as a way to expel them.

It is quite clear what Xi is expecting, and now Lam and her administration will have to do political gymnastics to somehow only have "patriots ruling Hong Kong".

However knowing Lam, she will do whatever it takes to win that praise at the expense of existing election laws in choosing Hong Kong's next leader...

Jimmy Lai's Shackled Appearance

Lai made a court appearance today to face NSL charges

The sight of 73-year-old Jimmy Lai Chee-ying bound in chains around his waist and in handcuffs will not be forgotten; the self-made tycoon is the embodiment of free speech, free press and free expression -- wrapped in chains.

He made an appearance at West Kowloon Court this morning to face charges of violating the national security law by colluding with foreign forces in his social media posts, calling for sanctions against local and mainland authorities.

Police are gathering evidence from Lai's tweets

The founder of Apple Daily was denied bail and his case will be brought to trial in April. In the meantime police will spend the next four months going through his social media, mainly Twitter to gather evidence.

While the law is not meant to be retroactive, prosecutors claim to have found tweets published after the national security law was implemented, where Lai called for overseas countries to "voice out and take action" over Beijing's suppression, tagging United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

In another tweet, Lai urged the US to "be lenient" towards young Hongkongers seeking asylum in the country.

Prosecutors also focused on Lai's commentaries published in his newspaper, in which he believed international sanctions against Beijing over the new law would be more severe than the penalties imposed over the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre.

The 17-page filing also noted Apple Daily has hosted online chats with guests like New York Times correspondent Nicholas Kristof, and Lai discussed how he thought Western countries should unite against China and why the West should be careful dealing with Chinese President Xi Jinping, whom he called "Mao Zedong No. 2".

He has met with Vice-President Mike Pence

Lai was also interviewed on Fox News, and CNN, and met with US Vice-President Mike Pence.

The filing also noted Lai had 120,000 followers on Twitter, and he followed such people as Pompeo and Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen. 

Lawyers for Lai appealed to grant the tycoon bail, but was refused. They also urged the magistrate to cut the adjournment period of four months down to one, but prosecutors claimed more time was needed to "enable police to conduct further investigation", and the case was adjourned to April 16.

As Lai is the first high-profile case to be tried under the national security law, there is not chance for leniency, everything is strictly by the book.

Sadly Lai most likely will spend the rest of his life in prison. Did he know it would happen this quickly? And like this?

Meanwhile the Department of Justice is "appalled" by overseas politicians like Pence and Pompeo calling for Lai's release.

Lai has given interviews with Fox News, CNN

Pence called the charges against Lai "an affront to freedom loving people and everywhere," while Pompeo said Hong Kong's national security law "makes a mockery of justice", and Lai's only crime is "speaking the truth about the Chinese Communist Party's authoritarianism and fear of freedom."

In a statement, a DOJ spokesman said: "We are appalled by such open demands for withdrawal of charge and immediate release of the defendant by senior officials in another jurisdiction. Such acts not only disrespect the HKSAR's judicial system and undermine the spirit of the rule of law, but also attempt to meddle in Hong Kong's affairs which are internal affairs of the People's Republic of China."

A very typical Chinese government statement.

"Any demands or statements that purport to interfere with the prosecutorial decision and process controlled by the DOJ or the independent exercise of judicial power by the judiciary of the HKSAR will be futile," he added, stressing that all prosecutions are without political consideration and it has nothing to do with people's political belief.

But this case is very much about Lai's political belief, is it not?

China's Rich Get Even Richer

The poor might be less poor, but still not catching up to the rich

A quick follow-up to yesterday's blog post about Ted Hui Chi-fung's financial predicament -- suddenly -- on a Sunday -- HSBC unfroze his bank account and that of his family and the latest report is that they have moved their money elsewhere.

However, as many have pointed out on social media, the trust in the bank has broken, making them wonder how safe their money is.

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China announced late last month that it has eradicated extreme poverty, a goal President Xi Jinping had pledged in 2015, to complete this year.

832 counties are not in extreme poverty anymore

He made it in the nick of time on November 23, with the 832 counties that were identified as extremely poor are not in dire straits.

However, Caixin reports this does not mean these counties are completely poverty-free. 

"Because the policies are based on raising average incomes, the results often smooth over the circumstances of individual families or communities that continue to live in penury."

Meanwhile on the other end of the spectrum, China's rich have gotten much richer thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, according to lists compiled by Forbes and Hurun Report.

"The world has never seen wealth created at this speed before," said Rupert Hoogewerf, founder of Hurun Report that tracks China's richest.

Nongfu owner Zhong is US$52billion richer

Forbes reports China's 400 richest people now have a total wealth of US$2.11 trillion, a 64 percent surge from US$1.29 trillion last year.

By comparison, America's 400 richest are now worth US$3.2 trillion, only 8.2 percent more than a year ago, according to Forbes numbers.

How China's rich became many times more richer is thanks to IPOs and stock market jumps. Other factors are post-epidemic economic recovery, and fast-booming digital and technology industries. 

One company that profited from its IPO is Nongfu, the water bottle brand. When it went public in Hong Kong in September, founder Zhong Shanhan became US$52 billion richer, which made him the third richest in the country.

The pandemic resulted in a surge in sales in the e-commerce and healthcare industries. Wang Xing, founder of food delivery company Meituan, quadrupled his wealth to US$25 billion. 

Meanwhile Chongqing-based vaccine producer Zhifei saw the wealth of its chairman Jiang Rensheng almost triple, after Chinese regulators approved human trials of the company's Covid-19 vaccine.

Li of Winner Medical prospered during pandemic

And Li Jianquan, the head of Winner Medical that makes PPE and face masks, saw his wealth grow a staggering 11-fold to US$5.6 billion.

Not only those areas are doing well, but also the automotive industry, such as electric vehicles and autonomous driving companies.

Electric vehicle or EV startup Xpeng's IPO in New York this summer helped its founder He Xiaopeng grow his wealth by 80 percent to US$6.6 billion.

And China's biggest lithium battery producer CATL's head, Zeng Yuqun, tripled his wealth to US$17.6 billion this year.

So while Xi met his goal to lift 832 counties out of extreme poverty, that doesn't mean the wealth gap has narrowed significantly...