Hello everyone, welcome to “News Perspective”, I am Li Xin.
Today’s focus: Countdown to the US election “Garbage” becomes a hot term! Trump transforms into a garbage collector to greet Biden, congratulating Kamala awkwardly; Xi lacking conviction in speech to subordinates? Fourth Plenary Session difficult to open, economic turmoil unbearable, CCP entering a deadlock!
Recently, the term “garbage” has suddenly become a hot topic in the campaign camps of both parties in the United States.
Last Sunday (October 27), at Trump’s campaign rally held in Madison Square Garden in New York City, the warm-up guest comedian Tony Hinchcliffe mocked Puerto Rico, calling the American overseas territory a “floating garbage island,” sparking backlash from the Democratic camp and Puerto Rican communities.
On Tuesday (October 29), during a phone conference with the non-profit organization Voto Latino, Biden mentioned the gathering and said: “Just a few days ago, a speaker at his (Trump’s) rally referred to Puerto Rico as a ‘floating garbage island.’ “The only floating garbage I’ve seen is his supporters.” However, he quickly clarified that his comment was directed at the comedian who made the speech, not Trump’s supporters.
Kamala Harris tried to explain on Wednesday (October 30). She told reporters at Andrews Joint Base’s airstrip, “First of all, I want to say that he (Biden) clarified his comment, but let me be clear: I strongly oppose any comments criticizing or blaming voters based on their choices.”
The White House spokesperson also explained on social media that the President was referring to the “hate speech” at Trump’s rally as “garbage.”
However, this has sparked strong condemnation from the Trump team, calling on Kamala’s team to also condemn the statement. Trump said: “Terrible, terrible, it’s terrible to say such things.” Musk also immediately posted on platform X, saying that Biden referred to half of the Americans as “garbage.”
On Wednesday (October 30), Trump put on the uniform of a garbage collector, an orange-yellow reflective vest, and arrived at a rally in Rocky Mountain, North Carolina, in a garbage truck with campaign slogans and the American flag.
Sitting in the passenger seat, Trump said to reporters, “How do you like my garbage truck? This truck is a tribute to Kamala and Joe Biden.”
Later, Trump wore the garbage collector vest throughout the rally, his opening speech resembling a stand-up comedy routine, with jokes and witty remarks. He said he was going to wear a suit, but when he saw this brightly colored, oversized vest making him look slim, he decided not to change. The audience burst into laughter, turning what was originally a serious campaign rally into a comedy show.
He said, “First of all, I want to make it clear that 250 million Americans are not garbage.” “Joe Biden finally revealed in yesterday’s campaign call what he and Kamala really think of our supporters. He called them (Trump’s supporters) garbage. And they are serious.”
“My response to Joe and Kamala is very simple: If you do not love the American people, you cannot lead America.” “If you hate the American people, you cannot be president.”
Some say that Trump’s wearing a reflective vest and telling jokes is political wisdom, but I see more of his broad-mindedness. He defused what could have been a highly divisive event caused by a terrible comment in a humorous and light-hearted manner. And when Trump heard Biden say the word “garbage,” his initial response was: Let’s forgive him, he doesn’t know what he’s talking about. This reminds me of Jesus Christ praying to the Father on the cross, saying, “Father, forgive them! For they do not know what they are doing.” Trump clearly understands the essence of faith.
On the Chinese side, on Tuesday (October 29), the CCP held a seminar at the Party School for high-ranking officials at the provincial and ministerial levels to “study” the Third Plenary Session of the Twentieth Central Committee. Party leader Xi Jinping spoke at the opening ceremony.
Xinhua News Agency reported that Xi talked extensively about reform and opening up, deepening reform, and said that his reform is “directional and principled,” starting with “adhering to the overall leadership of the Party” and “adhering to the people’s democratic dictatorship,” etc. He also said, “What should be changed will be resolutely changed, and what should not be changed will not be changed.”
Commentators believe that Xi Jinping’s remarks seem to lack conviction, somewhat like self-justification or a response to criticism. For example, when Xi said, “What should be changed will be resolutely changed, and what should not be changed will not be changed,” he omitted the word “resolutely” in the second half, indicating that he is currently facing difficulty within the Party, so his tone has softened. In addition, Xi demands that officials “face contradictions without avoiding them,” indicating that the phenomenon of officials “lying flat” in the bureaucracy is very serious; his emphasis on unity and consistency suggests severe internal dissent within the Party.
Xi Jinping also said at the meeting on the 29th that efforts must be made to effectively guide public opinion on reform, strengthen positive propaganda, and sing the main theme, etc.
Since last year, under a gloomy economic situation, Xi Jinping and the Politburo member in charge of propaganda, Cai Qi, have repeatedly emphasized promoting the “economic prosperity discourse.” A group of mainland scholars who indirectly criticized economic policies have been silenced as a result. However, observers believe that the CCP’s “economic prosperity discourse” has long failed. The so-called Chinese economic miracle has come to an end, leading to poor domestic consumption, foreign investment, and a distressed stock market. Xi Jinping’s biggest crisis lies not in the economy but in politics. It appears that there are individuals or factions within the top echelons of the CCP looking to shift the blame onto Xi Jinping, with internal struggles within the CCP being cruel and intense, resorting to any means imaginable.
The Political Bureau of the CCP held a meeting on October 28 to review a report on the situation of the Third Round of Inspection of the Twentieth Central Committee. The official media stated that the meeting also discussed other matters, but did not mention the timing of the Fourth Plenary Session.
Political commentator Tang Jingyuan said that since the Third Plenary Session has just concluded, the timing of the Fourth Plenary session may also be postponed accordingly. Coupled with the current US election, significant impacts on Sino-US relations and the formulation of major domestic and foreign policies of the CCP will be substantial. Therefore, the top CCP leadership is waiting for the results of the US election before determining the next steps.
Tang Jingyuan said, “The biggest dilemma for the CCP now is that it has completely entered a dead end. Since the end of the Cultural Revolution initiated by Mao Zedong, the CCP has already entered a dead end in terms of ideological aspects, it’s just that Deng Xiaoping extended the so-called legitimacy of governance for decades through unilateral open economic policies.”
“The problem is that under Xi Jinping’s series of blows to the reform and opening-up economic policy, it has entered a severe economic crisis that is irreparable, and the CCP has completely lost this last bit of legitimacy. They have completely lost their way.” He stated.
Recently, China’s economy continues to falter with no signs of improvement. Data from Wind Information, a Chinese financial data and information provider, showed that industrial profits in September fell by 27.1% year-on-year after a 17.8% drop in August, marking the largest decline since March 2020. At that time, the decline was 34.9%.
Bloomberg reported that the performance of provinces accounting for one-third of China’s total economy this year was worse than the national average.
According to calculations based on official data by Bloomberg, only five (underdeveloped) provinces in China experienced an increase in their actual gross domestic product growth rate compared to the previous year. Among the 26 provinces that released third-quarter data, 11 provinces had growth rates lower than the national average.
China’s economic problems are widespread, with industrial output declining in Heilongjiang, Qinghai, and Shanxi this year, while retail sales in Beijing and Shanghai, two of China’s wealthiest cities, have also fallen.
Beijing’s catering and hotel sales dropped by 5.1% this year, while Shanghai dropped by over 11%, highlighting that personal consumption has never truly rebounded from the pandemic.
The sharp decline in the real estate market, affecting people’s wealth, as most of China’s savings have been invested in real estate. Recent price drops in the property market have led to a rising youth unemployment rate, from 13.2% in June to 17.1% in July and 18.8% in August. It is becoming increasingly clear that China will struggle to achieve its growth target of around 5% this year.
The slowdown in economic growth prompted Beijing to introduce a series of stimulus measures in September.
Since September, Xi Jinping has been urging governments at all levels to take necessary measures to restore economic growth. Following the real estate support plan launched in May, the People’s Bank of China has used measures such as lowering the benchmark interest rate, releasing credit quotas to boost the stock market, and issuing bonds to help deficient provinces and cities.
However, a serious deficiency in the series of measures taken so far is the absence of consumers, as reported by the French newspaper Le Monde.
Xi Jinping often says that he believes science and technology are the “backbone” of China’s progress, especially in the face of the United States. Xi Jinping also emphasizes industrial production, especially in future areas such as new energy, batteries, semiconductors, etc. He also emphasizes the importance of public services.
However, Xi Jinping says little about consumers in his very red, very political vision, suggesting that an overly generous welfare state may lead to laziness and create habits that are hard to change. The Chinese people are hard workers and should not indulge in the sweetness of life?
In the United States, consumption accounts for 68% of GDP, while in Germany, this figure is 52.9%. However, in China last year, consumption accounted for only 39% of GDP.
Yet, the CCP rarely considers consumers. In Xi Jinping’s extremely red and political vision, consumers do not play a dominant role. However, the economic reality in China is that as people grow increasingly apprehensive about the future, they are less willing to consume. Can this economic reality force the most hardline leader of the CCP in half a century to adjust plans and provide more explicit support to consumers?
The authorities of the CCP have long advocated the superiority of the system in China under its rule, including the establishment of a “top-down” and “centralized power to do great things” national system. In reality, this has caused serious damage.
Three years after the epidemic, economies in most countries around the world have swiftly recovered, but China’s economy remains in a slump.
Voice of America recently analyzed that during the three-year period of implementing the “epidemic zeroing” policy, a key slogan and command of the CCP authorities was to implement it “at all costs.”
Xi Jinping’s characteristic policy of “sealing off,” which lasted for three years and included frequent city, provincial, and regional lockdowns, road and airport closures, is a unique feature of China’s COVID-19 response. Presently, the policy of “epidemic zeroing” has become a taboo topic in today’s China. When Chinese citizens now refer to it, they can only do so by referring to the “three-year mask” period.
This situation seems to demonstrate that the severity of the “epidemic zeroing” policy is unparalleled worldwide, and the effectiveness of the CCP’s governing method of “top-down design” and “concentrated efforts to do great things” in its impact on the Chinese economy is also unmatched.
Nowadays, the “epidemic zeroing” policy has become a taboo topic, while the Chinese people and economy continue to suffer the heavy consequences.
Despite the CCP authorities’ attempts to conceal the “epidemic zeroing” policy, the consequences of this policy have inflicted hardships on the Chinese economy and people.
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