Those of you with longer memories may remember my previous article, published in February, in which I suggested that Xi Jin Ping’s political future would be strongly linked to the CCP ‘Zero Covid’ policy and its perceived success or failure. What, then, of Xi Jin Ping’s bid for a lifetime term of office, to be decided at the NPC (National People’s Congress) on October 16th?
China’s Zero Covid policy remains very much in place while others, notably New Zealand’s, have been suddenly and embarrassingly abandoned. Jacinda Ardern’s statement “We just need to respect everyone’s individual decisions” with regard to ongoing mask-wearing is laughable from someone who sacked state employees who took the individual decision not to be vaccinated. But China’s continuing policy has had deep and sometimes bizarre consequences. Chengdu, where most pandas come from, is a mega-city of 21 million people and was recently locked down for 19 days, until last weekend.
Al Jazeera reported last week that “Residents of Ghulja (where most Uighurs come from) in China’s far western Xinjiang region say they have run out of food after more than 40 days under a strict coronavirus lockdown.” These are heavy lockdowns, by the way: Al Jazeera described them as “whole communities [confined] to their homes for extended periods – with food supplies delivered… with forced medication, arrests and residents being hosed down with disinfectant.”
Back in Chengdu, there was “Outcry as Chinese lockdown traps residents during earthquake” (BBC). Allowing people out of locked compounds was apparently more of a risk (because of Covid) than a 6.8 magnitude earthquake which killed at least 65 people.
This weekend, a coach crash near Guiyang in south China killed 27 passengers while on their forced transportation to a quarantine facility some 150km from their homes. Comments on the Weibo forum were allowed – but only two out of 96 were published.
Because of censorship it is difficult to assess the degree of pushback against policies, but Sina Weibo and TikTok have been busy. There was also genuine concern about coverage of Her late Majesty’s funeral, with many Chinese very surprised at the almost entire absence of face masks (the Chinese delegation excepted). But pushback there is.
So what is the endgame here? Your correspondent makes these predictions.
Firstly, little will happen in the next two to three weeks. The October 16th start to the CCP’s 20th National Congress, at which Xi Jin Ping’s term is up for renewal, is too close for any major announcements. In any event, a change from Zero Covid policy at this stage would be perceived as an admission of failure.
Instead, there will be suppression of dissent. On September 20th, the Weibo account of Lao Dongyan was wiped. She is a Professor of Law at the pre-eminent Tsing Hua University and had 400,000 followers. She is a policy critic. Expect more of the same.
Secondly, Xi Jin Ping will be re-elected. This will not be for life, as often previously assumed, but will be for a third term. Nobody has done this since Mao, so there is a personal achievement for Xi. But not even he is exempt from the CCP consequences of policy failure, so there will be no life term. A clue to eventual succession will be provided by the people escorting him onto the stage.
Thirdly, China will then abandon Zero Covid. Not quite immediately, and not all at once, as in New Zealand. That is not the China way. But China’s economy, and perhaps population, demands the opening of borders with Hong Kong, Asia and beyond. Xi Jin Ping will present this as looking to future prosperity: a leap forward, but perhaps not a great one.
To join in with the discussion please make a donation to The Daily Sceptic.
Profanity and abuse will be removed and may lead to a permanent ban.
Next paid 3 day seminar: ‘GlobaloneyBoiing and how it causes cancer, heart attacks and ugly nurses’
Next one after that: ‘Midazolam, murder, and euthansia and why we need to do it more often – tips and tricks for beginners’
Next one after: ‘Stabbinations, profits and Transhumanism – how to stab effectively and safely’
Followed by: ‘Dance routines in empty hospitals during a scamdemic – intermediate level’
etc
End. The. National. Death. Service.
Next one: The Roman Empire flourished during the Roman Warm Period. How an increase in temperatures leads to colonialism and how you can prevent it by turning down the heating on your wards.
Next one: Don’t clap for carers. How not to contract an STD at work.
Next one: How to tackle the obesity crisis. A beginners guide to fat shaming.
Next one: How to frame a neonatal nurse to cover up failings in your department. An advanced course for senior managers.
More Tax payers hard earned ££,s down the SH1TTER !
Memo from the Prime Minister’s office:
“Steve, important we respond to show that we’re on the side of ordinary working people, so suggest you:
1. Make announcement today that you’re a bit miffed about this
2. Er…think (1) should be enough, so no further action required.
Cheers mate. Rish”
I’ll tell you who needs unconscious bias training – the radicals that organise these conferences and push these insane agendas on everyone. They, more than anyone else, need to examine their biases. In fact they probably need psychotherapy pretty urgently.
Please don’t call it a Diversity Conference. It has nothing to do with Diversity. Our enemies have chosen this language in order to make anyone who opposes their mad, evil ideas seem like they are against “diversity” (whatever that means) – and what nice, right-thinking person could possibly be against that?
We must now always put an Orwellian interpretation on anything coming from those nominally in authority.
I’m completely against diversity when it means giving respect to a minor attracted person & child abusers. When I started in the NHS in the late 1980s they were called paedophiles & mandatory training was for child protection, how to spot grooming behaviours & prevent harm. How the world has changed. I’d be going through a disciplinary if I were still working as there is no way I could stop protecting children by going along with this perverted nonsense.
Patient care should be the focus of healthcare & that includes being aware of signs of abuse rather than facilitating abuse disguised as healthcare.
I’ve spotted a couple in my career & with the right intervention have helped to protect a wife & 2 children.
NHS internal emails and intranet announcements have the writer specify their preferred method of address, such as ‘he/him’.
Benches outside hospitals, a Southeastern Railway locomotive, and the logo of a branch of a high street bank are striped in the rainbow + chevron colours. Perhaps the new banknotes featuring the portrait of the King will be the next to display this sign of the new conformity.
The very fact that Fishy and his ministers are allowing this jamboree to proceed tells us all we need to know about where their priorities lie and whose side they are on.
An NHS waiting list of seven million and a regional health authority is organising a three day talking shop on pronouns? FFS!
Jacqueline Scott, the head nutter for this outfit, should be loudly and publicly sacked and made an example of.
Unfortunately, this crap is all part of the Agenda 2030 ESG criminal enterprise and we all know where Fishy takes his orders from so this shit will simply continue.
NHS motto:
F. the patients we’re on a jamboree.
Some people may well die while this beano plays out.
Beautifully put.
Thank you.
Brilliant, HP!
Thanks Aethelred
What on god’s green earth is this to do with healthcare? Nothing. How many times do you, as the NHS customer, find yourself in the position of being confused what to call someone? Never I should think. So it’s all about brainwashing the healthcare service in idiotic language. And this is a conference for 1,000 people over 3 days which is going to cost money. And who are all these attendees? People taken away from the actual business that the NHS is meant to deliver. It’s a effing disgrace!
This is worse than a disgrace: It’s New Labour authorized fraud. There’s a so-called equalities act which demands that all public services must DIE (note the wording) and hence, hordes of consultant and ‘charitable’ poleeches attach themselves to anything with a budget in order to suck it dry.
Seconded Aethelred
If I called a patient by the wrong name or title, they were usually quick to say what I should have called them. How does that differ from not knowing which pronoun to use? I’m certain that a very quick & firm correction would be made!!
I´m pretty sure that if doctors and nurse were in charge of the health service, we would not see this inversion of clinical priorities.
Given the way doctors and nurses have conducted themselves these last three years, I cannot support that contention.