To support us with a donation? Click here!Dialogue China BriefingWhat China Is ReadingIssue 107 – May 1, 2022In This IssueThe articles shared here do not necessarily reflect the views of China Newsletter or Dialogue China. All articles sourced from WeChat public accounts unless otherwise noted.I. Dialogue China Opinions1. Special Video: To the “June 4, 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre Green Card” Generation (New York “June 4, 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre” Memorial Museum Preparation Video)2. The Humanitarian Crisis of China’s Pandemic PreventionII. Policy3. Who is Most Likely to be “Cultivated for Selection and Promotion” in China? An In Depth Report on the Rapid Promotion of Young OfficialsIII. Politics4. Reaction to China’s Rise: Russia’s Military Partnership with China5. The United States Has Withdrawn, Russia is Weak, Should China Control the Vacuum of Eurasia?6. The Deep Logic of China’s Surprise Diplomatic Visit to India and Afghanistan at a Critical MomentIV. Finance and Business7. What Quality of Life Does a Monthly Income of ¥10,000 in China Provide?Dialogue China Opinions1. Special Video: In That Year — Dedicated to the “June 4, 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre Green Card” Generation (New York “June 4, 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre” Memorial Museum Preparation Video) Yu Jinbiao, He Yang – “June 4, 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre” Memorial Museum Preparatory Committee –  April 15, 2022Thirty three years ago in China, on April 15, 1989, Hu Yaobang, the former General Secretary of the Communist Party of China suddenly died, triggering the 1989 pro-democracy movement that shocked the world. 33 years later, the world seems to have forgotten. But we, as survivors, will never forget. We also call on the world never to forget. To forget history is to pass erroneous judgment on reality, which in turn affects future possibilities.   The establishment of the June 4, 1989 Tiananmen Square Memorial Museum in New York is to protect the memory of history and to remind the world of the brutality of the Chinese Communist Party. With today’s overbearing and confrontational Chinese Communist Party, this is no longer just a concern for Chinese people.   To kick off today’s 33rd anniversary of the June 4, 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre commemorative activities, we are launching this new public relations work. We hope you will pay attention to our official website (jinian64.org), help share the video, and make a donation to support the establishment of the June 4, 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre Memorial Museum.   Click here to watch the video【Back to Top】Dialogue China Opinions2. The Humanitarian Crisis of China’s Pandemic PreventionWang Dan – Radio Free Asia Commentary – March 29, 2022At a time when the world is gradually and methodically lifting pandemic prevention restrictions and emerging from the shadow of the virus, China – once regarded as a model of pandemic prevention with few cases in a large country – has now reversed course and become a major pandemic hit country, starting a wave of city lockdowns similar to that of Wuhan. Jilin Province with 40 million people, Shenzhen City with 17 million people, and Shanghai with 25 million people have not been spared. The Chinese Communist Party’s insistence on a “Dynamic Zero COVID” policy is, on the surface, a continuation of the past practice to completely eradicate the virus in China. But it has a serious negative consequence that should be of great concern to Chinese people and the outside world, and that is the problem of the humanitarian crisis.   In Shanghai, for example, the authorities have ordered the closure of controlled areas, with all residents prohibited from going outside and the public transport system completely shut down, causing a complete cessation of daily life. At the same time, there has been a rush of panic buying, with many stores having empty shelves and a severe shortage of daily necessities. Many articles circulating on the Internet reveal that the so-called isolation wards are really like concentration camps, with not only no timely care from doctors and nurses, but even basic measures such as heating are not provided in a timely manner. In the Pudong area, where the largest number of patients are located, nearly 100 diagnosed positive patients have no bed to stay in in Shanghai Jun’ai Rehabilitation Hospital, and people can only lay cardboard to make a bed on the floor. Many people reflected that, lying like this overnight, those who are not sick will get sick. Some netizens disclosed on Weibo that water and electricity were cut off in some areas of Changchun, and vegetables could not be bought or delivered at all and the logistical supply system could not keep up. The establishment of a large area of so-called “mobile hospitals” – hundreds of people isolated together – is not isolation to prevent a pandemic, it is clearly increasing the risk of cross infection. What is more, under the strict epidemic prevention measures, not only do people who are seriously ill die because they are not treated in time, but for various reasons suicide cases have also started to appear in many places.   Looking at the nationwide “dynamic zero COVID” pandemic prevention measures, it is not difficult to conclude that: 1. Such strict control has already caused panic of a national nature. 2. The supply chain problems arising from the closure of residential areas have become a serious humanitarian crisis, not to mention that the resulting economic downturn will cause more people to lose their jobs and fall into poverty. 3. The measures taken by the authorities now are the same as those adopted in Wuhan more than two years ago when the pandemic first broke out. It can be seen that for more than two years, the Chinese Communist authorities have not found more advanced and effective measures to prevent the spread of the virus, but have only been using the state machinery to try to eradicate the pandemic in one go by means of state violence. Such thinking is just as stupid and barbaric as Mao Zedong’s attempt to eliminate the “four pests” before the Cultural Revolution by exhausting sparrows to death. What’s more, in the face of the overwhelming discontent on the Internet, the authorities not only did not actively listen to public opinion, but also continued to resort to the old tactics of speech control, deleting posts unfavorable to the government, and even arresting netizens who told the truth. So much so that some people have been punished by the dictatorial authorities simply for mockingly changing their “resident ID cards” to “good citizen ID cards.”   It is no wonder that such pandemic prevention measures have been described as a “waging war against the people.” When Xi Jinping was “personally in charge,” he proposed standards for China’s pandemic prevention, including “scientific precision” and “dynamic zero COVID,” including “minimum cost” and “maximum prevention and control effect.” Anyone with a little common sense can see that these goals are simply contradictory. But Xi Jinping insisted on doing things his own way. This is the problem of the state run system, the danger to society caused by a dictator who insists on his own views. Humanitarian crises do not only occur in times of military warfare, but also in times of pandemic, when the highest priority is given to the completion of political tasks, without regard for the actual plight of the people. Such a humanitarian crisis is no less damaging to society and to the people than a virus. This is the true picture of China today.【Back to Top】Policy3. Who is Most Likely to be “Cultivated for Selection and Promotion” in China? An In Depth Report on the Rapid Promotion of Young OfficialsJi Naili, Zhang Jincheng – Executive Forum – March 8, 2022Why Read This? In recent years, young cadres have been unceasingly emerging. “Post 90s” office level cadres, “post 80s” department level cadres, and “post 70s” provincial Communist Party committee standing committee cadres are not uncommon. The phenomenon of graduates of some well known universities and colleges directly taking up local posts has also emerged. So, how does the selection and promotion mechanism for young cadres work? How should we look at the development logic behind the selection and promotion of young cadres? Based on a lot of front line research, this paper proposes the concept of “cultivated selection and promotion” of young cadres.（Read the full text） 【Back to top】Politics4. Reaction to China’s Rise: Russia’s Military Partnership with ChinaTom Røseth – National Politics Scholar – March 24, 2022Why Read This? In recent years, Russia and China have been cooperating more and more closely. The two countries have positioned their relationship as a comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation for a new era, which has also led to heated discussions on whether the two countries will form a formal alliance. However, Russia’s worries about the rise of China and its growing influence in the Far East and Central Asia still loom large, and these worries influence Russia’s policy toward China and are a factor that has to be taken into account when objectively assessing the relationship between the two countries.（Read the full text） 【Back to top】Politics5. The United States Has Withdrawn, Russia is Weak, Should China Control the Vacuum of Eurasia?Wang Siyu – Beijing Cultural Review – April 2, 2022Why Read This? The Russia – Ukraine war has had a serious impact on the global military security structure and the globalized economic system. Russia faces an ongoing cycle of comprehensive economic sanctions and technological strangulation, and increasing isolation in the international diplomatic environment. Europe will seek acceleration of conventional deterrence armaments, and NATO will become more assertive in upholding its security order and value system. The “middle ground” nature of the Euro – Asian region will be further strengthened, with large foreign powers and some of the region’s traditional middle powers becoming more active. A new and highly uncertain cycle of reorganization of the Eurasian order may have just arrived.（Read the full text） 【Back to top】Politics6. The Deep Logic of China’s Surprise Diplomatic Visit to India and Afghanistan at a Critical MomentTeng Jianqun, Wei Honglang – Peace and Development – March 27, 2022Why Read This? As the war between Russia and Ukraine continues to rage – and in the face of increasingly narrow strategic competition – China must pay attention to the “middle ground.” China should refine its approach to the “middle ground” countries: some countries in Europe and the Association of South East Asian Nations [ASEAN] seem to be willing to work with the United States against China, but they do not necessarily follow in lock step with the United States. China should stabilize its relations with Japan, South Korea, India, Afghanistan and other neighboring countries, and stabilize its comprehensive strategic partnership with Russia. China should make full use of the existing multilateral mechanisms and regional organizations to maintain regional stability and development by forming partnerships rather than alliances with other countries.（Read the full text） 【Back to top】Finance and Business7. What Quality of Life Does a Monthly Income of ¥10,000 in China Provide?Xing Haiyang – Sanlian Life Weekly Magazine – April 9, 2022Why Read This? When the pandemic broke out in Beijing earlier this year, the “hardest worker” in the epidemiological survey, who went to 28 localities around the clock for 18 days as a porter, emotionally touched everyone. Even though he may earn more than ¥10,000 a month, it is in exchange for over time and over intensive physical labor. Moreover, physical labor is only valuable in megacities. Manual laborers in big cities live in shared rooms and squeeze onto the subway to afford their large expense in rent. ¥10,000 income seems to be the standard, but if you look at the whole country, workers who can earn ¥10,000 a month are really not as many as we think or perceive.（Read the full text） 【Back to top】

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