Today’s Focus: Five-star hotels in mainland China set up stalls, why has high-end consumption “fallen to the streets”? Trump says: treat the Chinese Communist Party as it deserves; Tibet today = Taiwan tomorrow? Listen to what Tibetans have to say…
In recent times, symbolic of the highest consumption in China, five-star hotels have set aside their status and turned to roadside stalls. This phenomenon has appeared in Zhejiang, Henan, Fujian, Tianjin, and even in the largest metropolitan city, Shanghai. Formerly intimidating five-star hotels are now selling dishes like Dongpo pork, drunken chicken, sausage platters on the roadside, and even top chefs are cooking and selling on the spot. Comments have pointed out that official receptions have been reduced, foreign corporate business has shrunk, and large enterprises are rigorously controlling travel expenses. In this background, five-star hotels can only “bend” to make money.
According to the “Blue News” under Zhejiang TV, since April this year, five-star hotels “Xianheng Hotel” and “Shaoxing Hotel” in Shaoxing have started setting up stalls on the roadside. Initially selling snacks, as time passed, the hotels expanded their variety and began selling cooked food.
This sales model quickly spread, and the four-star “Yintai Hotel” in Shaoxing soon joined in. Manager Song Xiaoping said that the hotel started setting up stalls from May 6th, offering 20 dishes a day, with prices ranging from 10 to 40 yuan. The most popular dishes include drunken chicken, crispy fish, fish balls, selling for around 10,000 yuan a day for three hours of sales.
Similar situations are not confined to Zhejiang, according to videos posted by bloggers on social platforms, five-star hotels across the country are setting up stalls.
Blogger “Wonton Beauty” mentioned that the five-star “Asia-Pacific Hotel” in Shijiazhuang has also started setting up stalls, selling large meat buns for only 3 yuan each.
Fujian Putian blogger “Kuihua’s Kui” stated that passing by the Vanke banquet, lychee meat is sold for 10 yuan, and the specialty spicy noodles are only 6 yuan.
In order to attract customers, Henan Xuchang’s “Rebecca Grand Hotel” advertised in a live broadcast, saying, “Ready-made dishes? Non-existent! Freshly cooked, affordable prices.” “We set up our stall every day at five in the afternoon, selling handmade flower rolls, braised snacks, baby lobsters, elbows, garlic fried fish, and also providing lemon tea, flower tea, etc.”
Not only local five-star hotels, even foreign-owned hotels are starting to “bend down” to make money. The WeChat public account “Travel World” mentioned that the five-star “Ritz-Carlton Hotel” set up a mobile hamburger truck in Tianjin Wudayuan, and the five-star Hilton chef was selling braised snacks in “Bazhong Street”; the five-star Shanghai Jing’an “Ruiji Hotel” mobile food truck ran into office buildings, residential areas, packing English scones and coffee in paper boxes for less than 20 yuan.
The article stated that first and second-tier cities are trying it out, and prefecture-level cities and county towns are quick to follow, setting up stalls is becoming an unspoken new habit for star-rated hotels across the country.
From a chronological perspective, this wave of setting up stalls in star-rated hotels in mainland China coincides roughly with the introduction of the “ban on alcohol” by the Chinese Communist Party.
The ban on alcohol refers to the explicit regulations issued by the State Council of the Chinese Communist Party in May this year, stipulating that high-end dishes should not be provided at official work meals, no tobacco, no alcohol, and state-owned enterprises and institutions are also included in the new regulations.
Epoch Times commentator Xiao Yi said that high-end banquets have always been dominated by consumption within the system. After the ban on alcohol was implemented, high-end restaurants saw a drastic drop in business. Average customer flow decreased by 43%, and there was a surge in cancellations of reserved tables. With star hotels devoid of customers, they could only rely on “roadside economy” to survive by selling boxed meals.
Next, let’s delve into a poignant interview.
Recently, a Tibetan man named Gesang, hailing from Tibet, shared his personal experiences with The Epoch Times, exposing the Chinese Communist Party’s bloody methods and warning Taiwan not to be deceived by the CCP.
Gesang bluntly stated that the CCP has turned the Tibetan region into a giant prison, urging the people of Taiwan to “cherish their freedom and not be deluded by the CCP.” He candidly stated, “Want to develop in China? Are you ready to live in hell?”
Gesang likened the CCP’s ruling method to “being wrapped in wet cowhide, which tightens more and more as it dries, making it difficult to breathe, ultimately suffocating.” He said that the CCP first entices with benefits, then brainwashes politically, and finally completely restricts people, leaving them with nowhere to escape.
Gesang pointed out that the CCP’s tactics begin by gaining trust and giving hope, but when individuals realize it, they find themselves completely under control.
In Tibet, even in remote villages without internet or mobile signals, the CCP demands young people swear oaths to join the Communist Party, not just verbally but also recorded on video. The CCP requires Tibetans to make promises in front of surveillance cameras, and if their words and actions don’t match one day, the recorded video becomes evidence of “breaking promises.” According to Gesang, for Tibetans, if they join the CCP and show insufficient loyalty one day, they will be dealt with; but if they don’t join, they will also be punished. This comprehensive control leaves individuals afraid to think freely.
To control Tibetans, the CCP’s infiltration is most deeply rooted in the realm of their most cherished religious beliefs.
Gesang said that today, over 90% of the temples in Tibet have been forcibly integrated into the Communist Party system. Lamas, temple leaders, etc., must undergo “Sinicization re-education” and participate in political training. During large-scale Buddhist assemblies, temples must hoist the Five-Star Red Flag and cheer “Long live the People’s Republic of China.”
Gesang expressed that this is a deep insult to Tibetans, a desecration of their faith. He criticized: “When even religion must obey the political power, how can such a society have a soul?”
Despite the grave extent of infiltration, the CCP remains distrustful, with a large number of spies infiltrating their living areas. These spies are embedded in communities, temples, schools, and civil organizations. No matter where you are, merely saying the CCP is bad could lead to being reported. Even an elderly person in their eighties, saying “the Communist Party is bad,” could potentially be shot.
Gesang warned that the CCP excels in infiltrating the entire society through religion and culture. “Temples are the easiest to infiltrate because religion needs funding. The CCP uses donations, cultural exchanges, art visits, etc., to send covert agents to influence thoughts.” And the Taiwanese are enthusiastic and have religious freedom. If the CCP wants to infiltrate Taiwan, religious groups are their primary targets.
He mentioned witnessing religious groups in Taiwan participating in cultural art exchanges with mainland China, unaware that many people in these so-called religious groups have political missions. Despite claiming to be pilgrims, disciples, or cultural exchange professionals, they are essentially pawns of infiltration.
Apart from faith, Tibetan culture is also systematically eradicated under the CCP’s rule. Gesang mentioned that in the Amdo region, there was a Tibetan vocational school with a 30-year history that primarily taught Tibetan language and traditional Tibetan skills. However, in July last year, the school was forcibly closed. Officially, it was stated that “Qinghai Province already has enough schools and doesn’t require special ethnic education.” The students could not resist and could only collectively mourn, crying together in sorrow before leaving with sadness after offering khatas.
Gesang expressed sorrow saying, “This is not an ordinary school consolidation but the destruction of cultural foundations.”
He said that this extreme control makes many Tibetans want to escape, but the CCP blocks Tibetans’ connections with the world through the household registration system. He stated, “90% of Tibetans don’t have passports. Even if they go abroad, they have to surrender their passports, which are confiscated upon returning, making it impossible for them to leave China forever.” Under long-term oppression, many people choose to resist by death. To date, over 200 Tibetans in Tibet have self-immolated, each leaving behind a final wish, “We just want freedom.” He pointed out that this is not sporadic but the most poignant voice of despair.
Gesang also indicated that he wants to use the Tibetans’ experiences to warn the Taiwanese people who harbor illusions about the CCP. Perhaps some people are indifferent to these issues because they haven’t experienced them personally. He lamented, “Freedom is not a matter of course; it is gained through bloodshed and sacrifice.” He emphasized that the most terrifying aspect of the CCP’s united front is not repression but slowly buying your soul through culture, money, and feigned kindness. “By the time you realize you cannot breathe, it’s already too late.”
Gesang warned not to wait until everything is lost to understand the value of freedom, stating, “Today’s Tibet cannot become tomorrow’s Taiwan.”
On June 29, U.S. President Trump discussed the latest developments in U.S.-China trade negotiations in an interview with Fox News.
Trump stated, “Biden let the CCP take advantage, but I will treat them as they have treated us!” He mentioned, “The U.S. has a trade deficit with China of up to a trillion dollars, but Biden has continuously allowed China to take advantage of the U.S., and I won’t allow this situation to continue. Currently, we are reaching a rare earth agreement with China,” “Progress is smooth in all aspects because the U.S. holds crucial cards in the global supply chain and has defense measures,” “for example, the U.S. controls all aircraft parts supply; without U.S. parts, Chinese aircraft cannot take off.”
Trump stated that the agreements reached with China during his presidency are beneficial to both parties. In the past, the tariffs imposed by the U.S. on China reached as high as 145%, almost halting China’s economic activities. Now, while relations between the U.S. and China are more amicable than before, China is still paying substantial tariffs. The U.S. has earned a lot of money from this. So, “as long as the agreements are effective, I will continue with trade agreements.”
When the host asked Trump whether the temporary suspension of high tariffs on China would be extended, Trump replied, “Dealing with trade issues is actually ‘very simple,’ and his team is actively negotiating with multiple countries. Currently, agreements have nearly been reached with India, China, and the UK. Although there are agreements, he prefers to directly send “fair letters” specifying to others that they can trade in the U.S. market but must pay a certain percentage of tariffs, whether it’s 25%, 20%, 40%, or 50%, as he believes this method is more efficient.
Trump mentioned that he didn’t believe he would extend the deadline for the temporary suspension. He planned to send “notification letters” to 200 countries globally before July 9. The letters will express that the U.S. is pleased to cooperate with other countries, but if they want to trade in the U.S. market, they must comply with the regulations and pay tariffs. He mentioned that they are doing this because there are too many countries, and the U.S. cannot negotiate individually with all of them.
Trump compared the U.S. to a department store that other countries need to pay to enter. He said the team would send letters based on the data they have, informing other countries, “Congratulations, you can trade in the U.S. market, but you need to pay a 25%, 35%, 50%, or 10% tariff.”
Trump emphasized that if he hadn’t changed the situation, goods shipped from China would have been returned due to tariffs as high as 145%. Even if not returned, they would languish on Walmart shelves because of exorbitant prices, with no buyers. Now, he is willing to cooperate with China, but the precondition must be: fairness, reciprocity, and in favor of the U.S.