The China Thread

[Berkut]

The good thing about them being so prickly and quick to anger is that it doesn't take much to make a point.

[Josquius]

as long as the athletes still go this really doesn't mean much, i don't think.

Yeah. We need to stop that too.

[Savonarola]

We use GPS for train location services and to set timing for our fiber backbones.  Today I got a request in from a project in the PRC to replace all GPS antennas and receivers (which have been used on the system for fifteen years) with GPS/BeiDou compatible antennas and receivers.  (I hope this is some sort of zany nationalism and not China's plan to jam GPS or something like that.)

[Jacob]

as long as the athletes still go this really doesn't mean much, i don't think.

Still seems to upset the Chinese Communist Party though.

Yup, a point is made. I actually think this is a reasonable way to do it. Boycotting something is a symbolic action, and this symbolism seems to be sticking in the CCP's craw. No need to punish athletes for whom going to the Olympics is potentially the highlight of their career when you can still make the symbolism stick.

[Sheilbh]

I also found the WTA's stance quite interesting and impressive compared to many other sports - maybe just a feature of it being an individual-led and dominated sport rather than one run by federations and clubs?

[Berkut]

I also found the WTA's stance quite interesting and impressive compared to many other sports - maybe just a feature of it being an individual-led and dominated sport rather than one run by federations and clubs?

Yeah, the WTA President is a damn hero. Maybe its just because there is so much less to lose then what those fucking bootlickers at the NBA stand to lose?

[Sheilbh]

Yeah, the WTA President is a damn hero. Maybe its just because there is so much less to lose then what those fucking bootlickers at the NBA stand to lose?

Maybe - my guess is it's athlete power. Serena had posted about Peng and I think in tennis if a few of the top athletes who are big draws say they won't do something/don't want to go somewhere than it won't happen.

Teams and franchises and federations have lots of people to not take a stand and make a lot of money. See also the Arsenal and Ozil incident.

[Jacob]

Yeah I agree... in the NBA (and other leagues, like soccer) the teams are owned by someone or groups of someone who - while they may love the sport and have ethics and so on - are concerned about their return on investment. They're possibly also concerned about their other business interest, because team owners are typically rich folks with business interests.

But in tennis, are there any businesses or investors whose interests need to be safeguarded (as in, don't leave money on the table by displeasing China)? Or are the individual athletes the primary decision makers?

[Admiral Yi]

There's also a significantly lower chance of an NBA player being sexually assaulted by a member of the Politburo.

[HVC]

But they could be gulaged for unpatriotic thoughts.  The WTA has a lot less money tied up in China
Then the NBA or even the ITF. To sheilbh's point plenty of male tennis stars have spoken out but the ITF has said they won't boycott.  Morals are all well and good, but money talks.


*edit* ATP has said they won't boycott either.

[Jacob]

So Evergrande has apparently defaulted (Kaisa as well): https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-12-09/evergrande-defaults-for-first-time-as-china-debt-strains-spread

[Josquius]

Saw a random YouTube video today which said the bankruptcy of the natural railway wasn't far off on the horizon due to all the useless high speed line construction

[Sheilbh]

Stand media shut down by police in Hong Kong this morning. Editors, board members and a pro-democracy popstar have been arrested.

We are a bit used to this now - it seems to be pretty minor news now (it was on the frontpage of the Guardian, but is now not) of the type we are used to. But the speed and range of the collapse in freedoms in Hong Kong is really astonishing.

From a purely UK perspective it's also essential we expand the criteria for the BNO visa route so as many people as possible can leave if they wish.

Edit: And vast majority of Hong Kongers detained under the National Security Law are not being allowed bail and are just being imprisoned until trial. So far that includes people who've been held for almost a year. This was reported on by Stand, whose journalists will now be added to that list

[Valmy]

Well at least Mono is happy those rioters are getting what's coming to them.

[Josquius]

Just wait till they come for the anime.