In an update as of August 31, 2024, Epoch Times compiles essential articles that are a must-read for readers:
1.
Henan TV Station Adjusts Basic Salary to Uniform Standard, Sparks Discussion
Due to financial constraints at the local level in mainland China, the television industry is facing a crisis. Amid reports that a satellite TV channel in a southern province is only paying out 38% of salaries, Henan TV Station has announced that the basic salary will be standardized across the entire station at 3,500 Chinese Yuan. Some analyses suggest that this signals the arrival of a cold winter for traditional media.
2.
Scholar in Mainland China: Business Decline in Every Hot Pot Restaurant, Average Customer Spending Drops by 30%
Amid a severe downturn in the Chinese catering industry, the trend of closures in hot pot restaurants has been ongoing for at least two years. The founder of Shanghai Paper Communication Co., Ltd. mentioned that currently, business is poor in every hot pot restaurant, with average customer spending generally decreasing by 30%.
3.
Hunan Netizen’s 12-word Comment on County Party Secretary’s Arrest Revealed by Lawyer
Recently, a lawyer in mainland China released a video disclosing that a fan of his was detained by the Hunan police for making a 12-word comment online about a county party secretary who had fallen from grace. The netizen lost two lawsuits in response to this incident. The Hunan High Court recently initiated mediation to address the netizen’s grievances, who questioned whether the authorities were framing him for extortion.
4.
US Inflation Stabilizes in July, Setting the Stage for Fed’s Moderate Rate Cut
The US core PCE price index rose 2.5% year-on-year in July, indicating that the inflation rate did not expand further. This sets a foundation for the Federal Reserve to begin a moderate rate cut in September.
5.
NTD Traditional Martial Arts Competition Approaching, 85 Contestants Gather in New Jersey
On August 30, 2024, a day before the 8th Annual NTD World Chinese Traditional Martial Arts Competition, 85 contestants from 11 countries arrived in New Jersey to prepare for the three-day boxing and equipment competitions.
6.
Formerly Suppressed by the CCP, Breeze Bookstore Reopens in the US, Announcement Deleted
Breeze Bookstore, a once-prominent independent bookstore in Shanghai, was forced to close. The former owner, Yu Miao, recently announced on WeChat that Breeze Bookstore would reopen in Washington DC on September 1. Enthusiastic readers commented, “The breeze will eventually return.” However, the announcement was later deleted.
7.
International Travel Recovery Slow, China’s Three Major Airlines Report Losses
In the first half of this year, all three major state-owned airlines in China reported losses. Despite Beijing implementing various preferential policies, the pace of international travel recovery remains below expectations.
8.
CICC Cuts Salaries and Staff, 264 Employees Laid Off in First Half of Year
On August 30, a message circulated online about CICC stating, “Many CICC employees have received emails about demotion and salary reduction. Those who do not sign and accept will be assigned future work according to the company’s unified arrangements,” attracting attention from the market, according to information obtained from sources familiar with the matter by mainland media.
9.
Economists Warn: Chinese Economy Might Face “Slow Internal Explosion”
Out of 74 analysts tracked by Bloomberg, 51 estimate that China’s economic growth rate in 2024 may fall below 5%. Some economists have even warned that the Chinese economy may face a “slow internal explosion.”
10.
Prominent Artist Gao Peng Detained in Mainland China for Offenses Related to Artwork
Gao Peng, a Chinese artist who created a statue depicting Mao Zedong kneeling and confessing, was recently arrested at his home in Sanhe City, Hebei Province. He was charged with alleged defamation of the reputation of revolutionary martyrs, sparking international attention.
11.
Xie Tian: Housing Pension Plan Sees the Light of Death, Advanced Version of Land Reform Hits a Wall
Recently, there has been a bizarre claim circulating on social media in China, “Chinese people welcome the housing pension”.
12.
Yuan Bin: Dialogue on “Three Withdrawals” and Self-Redemption
Since Epoch Times website launched the “Three Withdrawals” (withdrawal from the Party/Youth League/Youth Pioneers) campaign on December 3, 2004, over 435 million people have withdrawn as of now.
13.
Indo-Pacific Nations Actively Unite in Defense, Jointly Confronting the CCP
As tensions escalate in the Asia-Pacific region, Indo-Pacific countries actively seek to deepen security cooperation. Vietnam and the Philippines, Australia and Indonesia, have reached defense cooperation agreements, aiming to collectively defend against the threat posed by the CCP.
14.
Pinduoduo Stock Plunges, Could Lead to Hedge Funds Losing Billions of Dollars
Recently, the stock price of Pinduoduo, a popular Chinese e-commerce giant, saw a sharp decline. According to Reuters, this could result in global hedge funds that heavily invested in the company losing billions of dollars.
15.
Qingdao Woman Driving a “Land Rover” Cuts in Line, Rear-Ends Another Vehicle and Assaults Driver, Sparking Discussion
Recently in Qingdao, Shandong, a woman driving a “Land Rover” attempted to cut in line, accidentally rear-ended a bus, and then proceeded to assault the driver, Lin, who was driving normally, leaving the young man’s face covered in blood. While assaulting him, the woman threatened, “Not afraid to report to the police.” The video release sparked widespread discussions across the internet.