Mao's Grandson not Invited to Party Congress

Mao Xinyu usually gets followed by the media in public appearances

The 19th Party Congress is set to start on October 18, but some notable faces won't be there, including Mao Zedong's grandson.

Major General Mao Xinyu is one of five senior military figures descended from or with close family ties to revolutionary generals or former state leaders who will miss out on this important political event that is held every five years.

General Liu Yuan won't be at the Party Congress in October

Those who are not invited to attend are effectively ruled out of any future promotions within the military.

Previously people like Mao Xinyu were practically guaranteed a seat at these events, but it seems President Xi Jinping doesn't put much weight on associations with "princelings".

Macau-based military watcher Anthony Wong Dong was diplomatic in explaining the reasoning behind Mao Xinyu's absence by saying perhaps it was because Xi didn't know these people to trust them in key roles.

"Rather than deliberately suppressing [the influence] of the descendants of party veterans, Xi might simply think they are not reliable enough, or that they don't have the right skills to lead the army," he said.

A total of 2,300 delegates from all sectors will attend the party congress, where they will vote to select the powerful Central Committee and the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.

Xi Jinping hasn't invited five princelings in the PLA

Other princelings that were excluded are: General Liu Yuan, the son of former president Liu Shaoqi; Admiral Liu Xiaojiang, the son-in-law of the party's former general secretary Hu Yaobang; General Zhang Haiyang, a son of former Central Military Commission vice-chairman General Zhang Zhen; and General Liu Yazhou, the son-in-law of former president Liu Xiannian.

Other than being known as Mao's grandson, Mao Xinyu had the honour (and the criticism) of being promoted the youngest major general in the People's Liberation Army in 2009.

He is also a member of the Chinese National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, an advisory group to the government.

Very interesting that Mao Xinyu is not invited to this year's congress -- he always got the paparazzi treatment during these events, just because he is Mao's grandson.

But guess that pedigree doesn't get you far anymore...

Revisiting Ciao Chow

A pretty and delicious Proscuitto and arugula pizza at Ciao Chow

Last night we went to Ciao Chow for dinner, a place I visited almost two years ago when it opened.

This time I went back with the restaurant owners so we were treated there, and there were some interesting items on the menu worth sharing.

Thinly sliced ox tongue (left), house-smoked salmon (right)

For antipasti, there's thinly-sliced ox tongue with a garlic-parsley sauce (HK$49), but the sauce could be on the side. The house-smoked salmon (HK$49) is also very good, but give the calamari (HK$66) a miss. The batter doesn't work and the tomato sauce needs seasoning.

We really enjoyed the kale salad (HK$99) that came with pine nuts -- though there would have been bonus points if they were toasted -- along with croutons and honey garlic dressing.

The manager told us the octopus salad (HK$119) was new on the menu and it needs some work. Some octopus pieces ranged from chewy to almost jaw-breaking, though we liked the other ingredients, such as baby potatoes, green beans, arugula and lemon dressing.

Popular kale salad with pine nuts and croutons

Ciao Chow is known for its pizzas and they are still good. We had the one that is basically a Margherita pizza topped with proscuitto and arugula (HK$209) and the dough was delicious, holding up the tomato sauce without being soggy.

I almost ordered a pasta, but then looking down at the main courses I spied an intriguing dish -- assorted seafood soup that is baked with a pizza dough top (HK$448). We had to try it.

It arrived in a large oval pan covered with pizza dough baked on top. The server then used a large spoon to cut the dough into four pieces before revealing what was underneath -- a gorgeous combination of fish, mussels, clams and prawns in a cherry tomato broth seasoned with white wine and garlic. Basically a bouillabaisse baked with a pizza dough on top to make it Italian. Magic!

Seafood soup under pizza dough

The seafood was perfectly cooked, particularly the mussels and fish; the clams had a bit of sand in them, but plump, the prawns a tad overcooked though still good. Our only complaint would be to have more of the tomato broth to eat.

We were pretty full at this point and passed on dessert -- luckily our generous hosts did not insist. For mocktails I tried the strange-sounding aged balsamic punch (HK$58) that was a concoction of fig, vanilla aged balsamic, and lemon juice. It was slightly tart, but the edge was taken off by the aged balsamic that gave it a rounded flavour. It's definitely an acquired taste.

By the time we left the restaurant just after 8pm and bar area were practically full for a Wednesday night.

Ciao Chow

G/F, California Tower

30-32 D'Aguilar Street

Central
2344 0005

1,300 People Fight Over Four Flats

Flats at Parc City in Tsuen Wan are still being built, with almost all units sold

Yesterday the headlines were unbelievable but true -- 1,300 people were fighting over four flats in Parc City, Tsuen Wan.

That's because the owners of the four flats walked away from their transactions, giving up hundreds of thousands of dollars in deposits.

The flats ranged in size from 427 to 850 square feet, with prices from HK$6.04 million to HK$14.4 million.

Over 1,300 people tried for a chance to buy one of four flats

But the most sought-after flat was the smallest one, which was being offered for resale at the original price. But if the buyer paid in cash, the price was discounted to HK$5.89 million.

So how did they decide who got which flat in the end?

Each potential buyer had to pay a deposit and then their name was put into a lucky draw with the odds at more than 300 to 1 in being able to buy a flat.

While property agents claim this is evidence that the property market is still hot, it also clearly illustrates there is hardly enough supply.

The Lam administration really needs to tackle this urgent issue -- not only to help people have roofs over their heads, but also give hope to young people who feel owning a home is an impossible goal.

China's Second Lost Generation

There are at least 9 million left-behind children in China, as high as 61 million

Two years ago, the village of Cizhu in Hubei province was in the news for the most unfortunately reason -- four children aged between five and 13 years killed themselves by drinking pesticide after their mother abandoned the family and the father went away for work.

The surviving grandparents were too infirm to care for them and the children had dropped out of school because they couldn't afford it.

What has happened since then?

The village still has a lot of left-behind children; while the parents understand the psychological and emotional consequences of being separated from their children, they have no choice -- the money needs to be made somewhere.

Grandparents must look after the youngsters, a tiring job

According to official figures, last year there were over 9 million left-behind minors, defined as rural children with both parents working away from home, or where one parent is working and the other did not have guardianship of them.

In a wider definition where all children with at least one parents working away from home, the number is as high as a staggering 61 million.

A State Council guideline issued last year called for a system to be set up involving families, governments, schools and social groups to provide care to left-behind children.

It also promised to reduce the number of affected children by improving laws and regulations by 2020 -- only three years away.

Cizhu village is home to 260,000 left-behind children and eight year-old Ma Juan is one of them. She doesn't understand why her father is hardly there, but he has no choice as her mother abandoned the family when she was three months old.

Her father works on construction sites in Shandong province, 1,800 kilometres away and only comes back for Lunar New Year.

Can the government make children's lives better in three years?

Ma's aunt says at least her brother is making some money and saving several thousand yuan a year, bringing gifts for Ma and her older sister.

But for his youngest daughter it's not enough. The aunt said she once found the youngster crying and not even the promise of buying anything could stop her. Later she told her aunt she could not help missing her mother, even though she did not have any pictures of her or remembered what she looked like.

After the 2015 tragedy, Bijie government, which administers Cizhu village, asked parents to return for the sake of their children, and there was even an effort to document those whose parents were away.

But even if parents want to bring children with them to where they are working, they have to pay extra to house them (on their own accommodation is free), and it's an additional cost they would rather not take on, which is why families are separated.

And if they do bring the kids with them, it's hard to find schools to accept them because academically they are behind, and there is the additional cost of tuition.

It's a tough call for parents, but through observation, families where at least one parents came home, their children were more at ease and happy, even smiling more.

Can the government really tackle such a serious issue -- that it has neglected for decades -- within three years?

Chinese President Xi Jinping may be making poverty alleviation a big priority, but how is the government going to help families whose parents must go away for work because they can't earn a decent enough living where their families are?

If the government can solve this issue effectively within three years that would be a miracle. These children -- like eight-year-old Ma -- have been neglected too long -- they are basically a lost generation, the second one after the Cultural Revolution.

What hope does Ma have of a decent life ahead of her if she can't even get the family love and support she desperately needs?