The China Thread

[Jacob]

Total aside from this thread - but it is an example of the sort of thing that Twitter is brilliant for and (as a Westerner) I can't think of an equivalent. If there's something you're interested in you can follow accounts to see others who know better all commenting, as well as actual material from other networks being re-posted. From these protests, to Ukraine or the Arab Spring, which is when I first got Twitter because everything was being posted there.

Yeah, I picked a bad day to stop using my twitter account. So far I can rely on my wife, but if this takes off I may return.

[Jacob]

Protests across a number of large cities in China. A blank piece of white paper as well as songs and slogans focusing on the power of the people are common.

While there are reports (and video) of individual arrests and police action, there's no major crackdown reported... but given the trajectory, it's probably only a matter of time.

[Legbiter]

Zero covid in the context of low vaccination rates for the older population in China, no acquired immunity to speak of in the general population and unending lockdowns, yeah there is no good way out for China. If they abandon their current strategy then what happens will probably be similar to what happened in Hong Kong in the beginning of this year. And Hong Kong had a strong health system.

[Jacob]

Zero covid in the context of low vaccination rates for the older population in China, no acquired immunity to speak of in the general population and unending lockdowns, yeah there is no good way out for China. If they abandon their current strategy then what happens will probably be similar to what happened in Hong Kong in the beginning of this year. And Hong Kong had a strong health system.

Yeah for sure.

But at this point the demonstrators are chanting about wanting democracy and freedom, not about covid. The heavy-handed, cruel, and non-sensical covid controls were just the proximate cause.

[Jacob]

Another thing that happened recently and added to the stress - and I don't know how much this was reported in Western media (I didn't see it reported myself) - in Xinjiang there was a fire in a residential compound in Urumqi. Urumqi has been in lockdown for 3+ months. The fire fighters couldn't get to combat the fire because of lockdown measures and a number of people died (10 according to official accounts, but who believes those)?

The dead were all Uighurs and some government officials said some pretty shitty things (like how they weren't good enough at escaping the fire, in spite of lockdown measures, so it was sort of their own fault). This triggered protests in Urumqui - by Han Chinese, because the Uighur are too frightened from government repression to do anything.

China has a number of these incidents - where people die due the combination of strict measures, heavy-handed enforcement, and mischance - and news of them are circulating in spite of government controls.

[Syt]

News video by Deutsche Welle:

[Jacob]

Central district in Chengdu: https://twitter.com/fangshimin/status/1596951120588308481?t=7A3tkcOt-ocKLTSTGBNd1g&s=19

People are chanting "without freedom I'd rather die" (Hong Kong protester slogan), "we want freedom of speech", and "we want a free press."

Covid restrictions may have been the final trigger, but the issues are more fundamental.

[Berkut]

I don't know how to evaluate this. Obviously it is amazing to see happening, but....it just seems so hopeless. After Tiananmen, I just don't have much room for optimism.

[Jacob]

I don't know how to evaluate this. Obviously it is amazing to see happening, but....it just seems so hopeless. After Tiananmen, I just don't have much room for optimism.

Yeah. Same as Iran, really.

I nurture a small seed of optimism, but mostly it's admiration. That, and bearing witness.

[Syt]

https://www.bbc.com/news/live/world-asia-63776816?ns_mchannel=social&ns_source=twitter&ns_campaign=bbc_live&ns_linkname=6383eaa9e7e8f473cfbfbcca%26BBC%20extremely%20concerned%20about%20arrest%20of%20BBC%20journalist%20in%20China%262022-11-27T23%3A13%3A41.998Z&ns_fee=0&pinned_post_locator=urn:asset:caf91381-e2d4-41c0-93a0-6a35a0d166bb&pinned_post_asset_id=6383eaa9e7e8f473cfbfbcca&pinned_post_type=share

BBC extremely concerned about arrest of BBC journalist in China

Several hours ago, a BBC journalist covering the protest in Shanghai was arrested and detained by Chinese authorities.

The BBC has said it is extremely concerned about his treatment.

Ed Lawrence was beaten and kicked during his arrest, the BBC said. He was then handcuffed and held for several hours before being released.

A spokesperson said the attack on Lawrence while carrying out his duties as an accredited journalist was very worrying.

They said the Chinese authorities had given no credible explanation or apology for his detention.

[Josquius]

Yeah.... That does seem to be where this is going. Conspiracy hat I wonder how organic it all even was originally.
Could it be the regime creating/using a given opportunity to flush out subversive attitudes and move back towards the totalitarianism xi desires?

[Tamas]

Yeah.... That does seem to be where this is going. Conspiracy hat I wonder how organic it all even was originally.
Could it be the regime creating/using a given opportunity to flush out subversive attitudes and move back towards the totalitarianism xi desires?

No.

[mongers]

I think the West should stop talking about Taiwan and go back to the old position, that they're two governments in dispute about who rules China, one is Beijing the other it Taipei .

And just accurately describe what they are, so Xi would be called the "the Chinese dictator" and the president in Taipei " the Chinese president democratically elected by Chinese people".

[Jacob]

Yeah.... That does seem to be where this is going. Conspiracy hat I wonder how organic it all even was originally.
Could it be the regime creating/using a given opportunity to flush out subversive attitudes and move back towards the totalitarianism xi desires?

 

[Josquius]

Yeah.... That does seem to be where this is going. Conspiracy hat I wonder how organic it all even was originally.
Could it be the regime creating/using a given opportunity to flush out subversive attitudes and move back towards the totalitarianism xi desires?

 

You don't see a hard crackdown and further backsliding as the most likely outcome?