Hello everyone, welcome to “News Perspective,” I am Xin Li.
Today’s focus: 13-hour Military Exercise Around Taiwan, Different from Before. Is the Chinese Communist Party Intending to Block Taiwan? Condemned by Various Parties! Wu Bangguo’s Body was Cremated, Is He a “Prominent Proletarian Revolutionary” or a Wealthy Elite Comparable to a Country? The Chinese Ministry of Finance Claims Employment Subsidies of 66.7 Billion, Netizens Question: Where Did the Money Go?
Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te delivered a speech during the National Day celebration, and on the same day, the Chinese military began a new round of exercises near Taiwan. As early as three days ago on October 11th, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned China during the ASEAN Summit in Vientiane, Laos, against military provocations towards Taiwan. Blinken stated, “I can tell you that the so-called Double Tenth speech is a routine activity, and China (CCP) should not in any way use it as an excuse to take provocative actions,” and “All ASEAN and other participating countries strongly hope to maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, and no party should take actions to disrupt the status quo.” However, China has disregarded Blinken’s warning and has escalated military threats against Taiwan since President Lai Ching-te’s speech on 10/10 where he rejected CCP’s sovereignty over Taiwan.
Last Friday on October 11th, Taiwan detected 20 Chinese military planes and 10 naval vessels operating in the airspace and waters surrounding Taiwan. Among them, 13 military planes crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait, entering Taiwan’s northern and southwestern air defense identification zones.
Between Wednesday and Thursday last week, Taiwan also detected 27 Chinese military planes, nine naval vessels, and five official ships’ activities.
This time, official information from the Chinese Eastern Theater Command claimed that on the 14th they conducted an exercise named “Joint Sword—2024B,” located in the Taiwan Strait and waters north, south, and east of Taiwan, conducted training on “sea and air combat readiness patrol, port and domain blockade, strikes on sea and land, seizing comprehensive control rights.” The Chinese military also claimed that this is a powerful intimidation against the “Taiwan independence splittist forces.”
The map released by the Eastern Theater Command shows that the exercise took place in nine areas surrounding Taiwan: two adjacent to Taiwan’s east coast, three near the west coast, one to the north of Taiwan, and three around Kinmen, Matsu, islands close to the Chinese coast. The Liaoning aircraft carrier was also deployed for the exercise.
In response, Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense strongly condemned China’s “irrational provocative actions” and has dispatched appropriate forces to respond, “to safeguard freedom and democracy with concrete actions and defend the sovereignty of the Republic of China.”
Taiwan Presidential spokesperson Kuo Ya-hui stated that following Lai’s National Day speech, which emphasized “willingness to contribute to maintaining regional security with China and bringing benefits to the people on both sides of the Strait,” she urged the Chinese side to “understand the goodwill” and not continue to use force to intimidate neighboring countries.
US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller stated that China’s military provocation in response to Lai Ching-te’s routine annual speech is unreasonable and escalates the risk, “We urge the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to act with restraint and avoid taking any further actions that may disrupt the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait and the broader region, which is crucial for regional peace and prosperity and a concern for the international community.”
Additionally, Japanese Defense Minister Motegi Toshimitsu stated that they will closely monitor the Chinese military’s encirclement of Taiwan and take all possible measures to gather information and monitor the situation. Japanese Foreign Minister Iwao also emphasized the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait for the overall peace and stability in Asia.
Earlier, shortly after taking office, China held a two-day “Joint Sword—2024A” exercise around Taiwan in May, targeting Lai Ching-te’s inaugural speech. After President Lai Ching-te’s National Day speech last week highlighting the defense of sovereignty, China once again reacted. This is the second military exercise against Taiwan since Lai Ching-te’s election as president. However, the people of Taiwan have become accustomed to such provocations.
On the afternoon of the 14th, Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense held a press conference, where Deputy Director of the Office of Operations Xie Risheng stated that from 5:02 am on the 14th, Taiwan detected 125 Chinese main and support aircraft, helicopters, and drones, with 90 aircraft crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait into Taiwan’s response zone, marking a record for the highest number in a single day.
This Chinese military exercise opened nine exercise areas, including six surrounding Taiwan Island and three around Matsu, Dongyin, and Wuchiu. As for naval forces, at 5:02 am on the 14th, Taiwan detected 17 Chinese combat ships, four of which were outside Taiwan’s southeastern response zone; 17 Coast Guard vessels were also present.
The specifics of this exercise are different from previous ones, focusing on six key ports in Taiwan. It also obstructs attempts to cooperate with the US and Japan in defending Taiwan. The commander of the Taiwan Navy previously mentioned that China would implement what is known as the python strategic plan to continuously squeeze Taiwan’s international space.
Su Ziyun, Director of the Institute of National Defense Strategy and Resources at Taiwan’s National Defense University, also noted that this exercise aims to showcase Beijing’s ambition to block Taiwan; it includes the PLA’s emphasis on “domain and port blockade” against Taiwan, as well as the expanded involvement of the Chinese Coast Guard.
Su Ziyun stated, “This time, the Chinese Coast Guard will participate on a larger scale, which is different from before. In this situation of China (the CCP), if they were to blockade Taiwan in the future, the PLA Navy would play the role of China’s sovereignty, while the Coast Guard would be responsible for maritime control and governance.”
On Sunday, the Eastern Theater Command of the CCP released a video stating that they were prepared for combat.
It is worth noting that in this military exercise, the CCP did not include Kinmen. However, on the morning of the 14th, the Kinmen Patrol District of the Taiwan Coast Guard found a Chinese national illegally entering Kinmen by driving a rubber boat, who is currently detained.
Su Ziyun mentioned that CCP military exercises are always “seven parts politics, three parts military,” by excluding Kinmen in this exercise, they want to show that the routine law enforcement patrols in Kinmen have become the norm. Additionally, it highlights the uniqueness of Kinmen, showcasing that the CCP prioritizes politics over military matters.
However, the people in Taiwan are not afraid of the CCP’s military intimidation. The Taiwan Stock Exchange performed steadily on the 14th without being affected. The stock market closed with an increase of 73 points, with TSMC holding steady. The CCP’s belligerence and militarism in attempting to intimidate Taiwan with military means each time are counterproductive. It is evident that because of these actions, the CCP’s stock market outlook remains uncertain.
General Yu Zongji, former Dean of the Political Warfare College at the National Defense University of Taiwan, believes that while the CCP may blockade Taiwan’s waters, Taiwan has the ability to counter. Any blockade is an act of war, and during wartime, Taiwan also has the absolute ability to control all ports along the southeastern coast of the mainland. He mentioned, “It can only be carried out during peacetime. Once China truly harbors military ambitions towards Taiwan, it will not be easy for them to pass through Taiwan’s southern and northern channels, including the waters around the Miyako Islands and the Bashi Channel.”
“Even if they reach the east of Taiwan, there are no naval bases in that area. Therefore, as long as Taiwan, or Japan, the United States targets the CCP’s logistics support in the east of Taiwan, all their fleets will be in a death trap in the east of Taiwan.”
On October 8th, former Chairman of the National People’s Congress, Wu Bangguo, passed away in Beijing. On the 14th, his body was cremated at the Babao Mountain public cemetery in Beijing. State media mentioned that seven members of the Politburo Standing Committee and Vice President Han Zheng, attended the event, mentioning Hu Jintao, the former Party leader, “sending a wreath.”
Hu Jintao had already missed the CCP’s “Eleventh” concert and reception, possibly due to his poor health.
During Hu Jintao’s era, Jiang Zemin wielded political power, placing many protégés into the Politburo Standing Committee. During Hu Jintao’s first and second terms, there were several of Jiang’s protégés on the Politburo Standing Committee. Wu Bangguo held the position of Chairman of the National People’s Congress, and although only a rubber stamp, he wielded significant power during that time. Wu was accused of using the NPC to counter against “Hu-Wen,” as the then Premier Wen Jiabao was a thorn in the eye of the Jiang faction, and his political reform speeches were deeply resented by the Jiang clique. Therefore, Wu opposed Wen Jiabao on a series of major policies.
During his tenure as Chairman of the NPC, Wu Bangguo became known for the “Five Nos” policy during Hu Jintao’s latter period in office. In 2011, at the National Two Sessions, Wu proposed “Not implementing a multiparty system, not diversifying guiding ideology, not promoting the separation of powers and bicameral system, not implementing federalism, not promoting privatization.”
Xi Jinping’s “Seven Nos” and Wu Bangguo’s “Five Nos” policies show a clear legacy. Xi Jinping issued the “Seven Nos” shortly after taking office, which listed seven so-called “wrongful trends” that must be opposed in universities, including discussions on universal values, press freedom, civil society, civil rights, the CCP’s historical errors, privileged capitalist class, and judicial independence.
After Wu Bangguo’s death, the CCP lauded him as a “prominent proletarian revolutionary,” but overseas social media platforms ridiculed him as obscenely wealthy, alleging his family had accumulated billions of renminbi in assets.
Wu Bangguo’s brother Wu Bangjie and his brother Wu Bangsheng transformed from ordinary people to tycoons who dominated Shanghai. Wu Bangguo’s son-in-law Feng Shaodong initially served as the President of Bank of America Merrill Lynch in China and later held the position of Chief Investment Officer of the state-owned industrial investment fund with total assets exceeding 10 billion, as well as an external director of the super-business carrier Shanghai Baoli Group. Wu Bangguo’s son Wu Lei now serves as the Party Committee Secretary and Chairman of Shanghai Electric Group.
Is such a family representative of the proletarian class? The CCP shamelessly whitewashes its most heinous crimes as sacred and pure deeds. Joseph Goebbels, the former Minister of Propaganda and Education for Nazi Germany, once said, “The media’s job is to convey the will of the ruling power intact to the ruled, making the ignorant see purgatory as heaven!” He also said, “If you tell a lie, tell a big one! For the bigger the lie, the more believable it becomes.”
On October 12th, Finance Minister Lou Fuan introduced at a press conference held by the State Council Information Office: this year, the central finance allocated 66.7 billion in employment subsidies to support local efforts in employment for key groups such as college graduates and vocational skills training.
This topic quickly trended on Weibo with the hashtag #central finance has allocated 667 billion in employment subsidies#, but Weibo regulated the trend by lowering its visibility. Under the official “People’s Daily” Weibo account, among the more than 2,000 comments saved, the top five comments overwhelmingly questioned the subsidy.
The top comment, “Can you disclose the details of the funds’ usage?” received 8113 likes; the second, “Applied properly, prevent embezzlement,” received 4443 likes; the third, “What about flexible workers?” resonated with 1650 likes; the fourth, “Hope every penny is implemented correctly,” received 1071 likes.
Some Weibo users directly questioned, “Where is the subsidy? It hasn’t reached me. I’ve been unemployed for nearly a year.” Others commented, “It’s all given to vocational training institutions, who are making money hand over fist. Training skills won’t increase employment; no one knows who formulated this policy, which doesn’t connect with reality.” Some requested transparency, saying, “The internet is so convenient. Can you disclose where the money went, who received it?”
I know in the US, when the government distributes money, they directly mail checks to each individuals’ mailbox, or directly deposit the money into the bank accounts provided during tax filing. It is not difficult for the government to operate this way. During the pandemic, I didn’t even know how much money the government was going to give, but the money automatically arrived. How were the employment subsidies of 66.7 billion allocated by the CCP? Why can’t the people see the money?
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