Greetings to all listeners! Welcome to “Good News Time”. I’m Jia Yin.
Today’s focus: First step of US-Russia talks, reaching four agreements. Ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine possible? Loans to government officials for expenses? Shandong Mount Tai Steel explosion, nearly a thousand people seeking justice. “Ne Zha 2” breaks 10-billion achievement, mandatory viewing triggers flu outbreak.
On February 18, senior officials from the United States and Russia met in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated on the 17th that the focus of the talks was to “completely restore US-Russia relations, prepare for possible Ukraine reconciliation negotiations, and arrange a meeting between the two countries’ presidents.”
Ukraine and European countries are dissatisfied, believing the US should not bypass Ukraine and negotiate a ceasefire agreement with Russia.
In response, US State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce explained that the focus of the talks was to assess whether Russia genuinely wants to reach a peace agreement and whether both sides can engage in negotiations on details.
Bruce emphasized that Ukraine did not participate in the meeting, and there will be no peace negotiations between the US and Russia. Real negotiations “will only take place with Ukraine’s participation,” as Ukraine is an indispensable member for peace negotiations.
The US senior officials participating in the talks were Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff.
The Russian senior officials participating were Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, President Putin’s foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov, and Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian Sovereign Wealth Fund.
Regarding the content of the talks, Bruce summarized that the US hopes to stop the killing and use its global influence to unite countries. She stated that President Trump is the only leader in the world that both Ukraine and Russia acknowledge. During the US-Russia talks, the two countries reached the following agreements:
1. Establish a communication mechanism to address issues affecting US-Russia relations, aiming to take necessary measures to ensure the normal functioning of the diplomatic missions of both countries.
2. Form respective high-level teams to quickly advance the Russia-Ukraine ceasefire agreement, develop a lasting, sustainable, and acceptable solution for all parties.
3. Lay the foundation for future cooperation on “common geopolitical interests,” addressing historical economic issues resulting from the Russia-Ukraine conflict while seizing investment opportunities.
4. Participants commit to maintaining communication to ensure the smooth progress of this process until substantial results are achieved.
Before the talks, Trump had a phone call with Putin. Regarding this, Bruce said, “One phone call and one meeting are not enough to establish lasting peace. We must take action, and this meeting is an important step forward.”
Bruce explained that both US-Russia bilateral relations and ending the war between Russia and Ukraine are in the early stages, with both sides working to move forward.
Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov stated after the talks that the US and Russia had reached an agreement to remove obstacles for the two countries’ diplomatic missions and agreed to appoint envoys promptly. He mentioned that both sides are also interested in eliminating barriers to economic cooperation.
Regarding the timing of a meeting between Presidents Trump and Putin, Russian foreign policy adviser Ushakov, in an interview with Russian TV Channel One, said the two presidents are “unlikely” to meet next week. He stated, “The delegations of both countries need to cooperate closely. We are prepared for this, but it is currently difficult to determine the specific date for the leaders’ meeting.”
Russian negotiator Dmitriev told CNN after the talks that the meeting was “mutually respectful,” with both sides aiming to “understand each other’s positions.” He said, “This is a significant achievement,” and although “the road ahead is difficult,” the two countries “have started dialogue in a positive, professional manner.”
The US-Russia talks bypassing Europe have made European leaders very nervous. US State Department spokeswoman Bruce stated that after the US-Russia talks, Secretary of State Rubio spoke with the foreign ministers of France, Germany, Italy, the UK, and the EU foreign policy chief, Kyra Karas. She mentioned, “The Secretary briefed the foreign ministers on the meeting. All parties agreed to continue close coordination efforts to end the war.”
US National Security Advisor Waltz stated that President Trump decided to swiftly engage in negotiations on a potential peace agreement in Ukraine, as he cannot accept endless war in Europe. He noted that the US is consulting with American allies on the Ukraine issue, not excluding Europe and Ukraine. He emphasized that the US is pleased to see Europe discussing making a stronger contribution to Ukraine’s security.
Now, moving on to the domestic news from China:
On February 17, nearly a thousand investors and suppliers gathered outside the office building and factory entrance of Shandong Mount Tai Steel Company, demanding the company to repay financing funds and settle payments. The atmosphere was tense with people chanting “repay the money”, etc. Authorities sent police to maintain order, leading to a standoff between the two parties.
In recent years, the mainland economy has seen a significant decline, with supply-demand imbalances in the market, drastic compression of profits in the steel industry, resulting in many large steel enterprises experiencing losses. Mount Tai Steel was not spared and recently faced an explosion.
A netizen posted a video on social platform X on February 17, reporting that due to a financial chain rupture, a large number of debtors gathered at the company seeking justice. The video showed numerous protesters in front of the Mount Tai Steel Group office building, demanding the company to repay financing funds and settle payments while repeatedly chanting “repay the money”. Outside the factory, protesters blocked the road, confronting a large number of police and security guards.
According to workers, the government in Laifudistrict, two years ago, demanded Mount Tai Steel to relocate, promising substantial compensation which has not been fulfilled to this day. Additionally, last year, the local government borrowed several billion RMB from Mount Tai Steel for salary payment, leading to a rupture in the company’s financial chain, pushing it towards bankruptcy. Consequently, investors are unable to retrieve their funds, and suppliers’ payments remain unsettled.
Mr. Song, an employee of a company in Jinan, told Radio Free Asia that there are intricate connections between private enterprises and the government. When the government is financially strained, it borrows from more profitable enterprises, causing the financial chain of some companies to rupture, landing them in difficulties.
Mr. Li, an employee in Shandong, confirmed that local government officials have received pay raises, ranging from a few hundred to several thousand RMB. Not only did they get salary increases, but back payments for the past six months were also compensated by the government. Many companies have been unable to pay wages for several months, causing considerable outrage.
According to public records, Mount Tai Steel is a privately-owned enterprise primarily producing stainless steel. In September last year, due to guarantee obligations, Mount Tai Steel was executed by the court for 144 million RMB. The company’s legal representative, Shao Shudong, has been restricted from high consumption multiple times due to involvement in several bank litigations.
In recent years, the overall situation in China’s steel industry has been poor. According to data from the China Iron and Steel Industry Report, in the first half of last year, several large steel companies suffered severe losses. For instance, Angang Steel lost over 2.6 billion, Bengang Plate lost 1.5 billion, Anyang Iron and Steel lost 1.26 billion, Traditional Horse Steel lost 1.148 billion, Shandong Iron and Steel lost 890 million to 1.04 billion, and Chongqing Iron and Steel lost 690 million, etc.
As a major private company, will Mount Tai Steel weather the crisis? Let’s wait and see. Moving on to the epidemic situation in China.
In recent times, the flu epidemic in China continues to spread. However, at this juncture, instead of appealing to the public to take precautions and reduce gatherings, the authorities vigorously encouraged people to go to cinemas to watch the Chinese animated film “Ne Zha 2”. Following this, many internet users complained online, claiming they and their families were infected with the virus after watching the film.
On February 17, a woman in Suzhou posted a video on social media, holding movie tickets for “Ne Zha 2” and hospital test reports, saying, “Last time I watched a movie, we were isolated for 15 days. This time, my child got the flu and a fever after watching the movie.”
A mother in Guangxi posted, mentioning that when she took her two children to see “Ne Zha 2”, they all got infected afterward, displaying symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, and fever.
A woman in her twenties shared how she watched movies for two consecutive days, including “Ne Zha 2”, and was diagnosed with the flu on the third day.
A movie fan posted a video online complaining, “It’s really scary. After watching ‘Ne Zha 2’, I got infected shortly after reaching home. The illness came too quickly!”
A doctor on social media expressed that recently, there has been a spike in patients with fevers seeking medical care, with many parents mentioning that their kids contracted the virus at the cinema. The doctor shared, “The risk of cross-infection is very high in crowded places, such as a movie theater. After one movie watching session, many people came down with the flu. A few days ago, during my night shift, I saw 70 patients at the clinic, most were children with fever, cough, and pneumonia. Many parents mentioned that many kids went to the movies to watch ‘Ne Zha 2’.”
Even hospitals organized movie-watching events. On February 10 and 11, the Chongqing New Bridge Hospital affiliated with the Army Medical University held a screening of “Ne Zha 2” in the auditorium for two consecutive days, with a significant number of people in attendance. Some internet users questioned, “Isn’t this like seeking death with so many people gathered at the hospital?” One commenter joked in the comment section, “Is this to make all patients ‘take control of their destiny instead of being controlled by fate’ and perform a ‘reverse turning of fate’?”
Currently, promoting the movie “Ne Zha 2” has been elevated to the level of a patriotic movement, with various Chinese Communist Party (CCP) media outlets incessantly hyping it up and with CCP loyalists continuing to follow suit.
Under official urging, many corporations, schools, hospitals, etc., are treating movie-watching as a task, organizing screenings for everyone. Some leaders have even compelled employees to watch it.
One netizen said, “Our company also organized a viewing this week, saying it was part of a $10 billion project.”
To make things worse, a netizen revealed that while taking her child to watch “Ne Zha 2”, they sat next to a mother and son. The young boy showed severe cold symptoms, including severe nasal congestion, coughing, and sneezing. Despite the child’s discomfort, they and the mother stayed till the movie ended before leaving the theater.
Currently, the box office earnings of “Ne Zha 2” have surpassed 10 billion RMB. While Chinese authorities are lauding the film as the “culmination of Chinese animated films” and showcasing China’s “ever-increasing influence in the global film industry,” many internet users criticize it for having a cliched plot, unattractive characters, and distorting traditional Chinese culture.
Some comments suggest that the film is brimming with CCP political ideology, portraying the traditional Chinese mythological figure Ne Zha as a “demon child,” incorporating slogans such as “my fate depends on me, not on heaven,” which contradicts traditional cultural values.
Former Associate Professor of History Education at Capital Normal University, Li Yuanhua, stated that the movie contains many anti-traditional elements, such as the statements made by Ne Zha, “battling against heaven and earth” and “if heaven and earth won’t accept me, I will reverse the universe,” presenting a little red guard disguised as Ne Zha.
One netizen’s comment highlighted the movie’s CCP anti-divine ideology, transforming the heroic Ne Zha from ancient Chinese mythology into a “demon child,” along with various vulgar actions. Additionally, the film alters the original evil character, Shen Gongbao, designating him as the main culprit, and transforms Guanyin, originally highly respected and symbolizing auspiciousness, into an alleged antagonist. The movie aligns perfectly with the CCP’s taste, hence the strong state propaganda.
It is worth noting that despite continual online exposure of severe cases and deaths due to flu, the Chinese authorities have not provided detailed data on the epidemic, including the number of severe infections and deaths.
Family members revealed that for some flu-related deaths, the stated cause of death on their death certificates was unrelated to the flu. For instance, a Beijing mother recently expressed her frustration, as her child’s death certificate stated “pulmonary hemorrhage,” despite the child passing away from the flu. The authorities’ concealment has left her extremely angry.
Furthermore, some healthcare workers privately disclosed that the current epidemic may not be merely a flu outbreak but could involve the novel coronavirus and its variants. However, due to the authorities’ strict control over epidemic information, a vast amount of truth remains obscured.
“Good News Time” Production Team