They are businessmen, born in mainland China, who serve on top advisory committees to Beijing and profess patriotism for the motherland. One recently traveled to an obscure village in southeastern China to study Xi Jinping’s doctrine for guiding the country to greatness.

Now, they are seeking to bring that ardor to Hong Kong, as the founders of the city’s newest political party. They are calling for social stability to unify a deeply fractured society and mend a damaged economy.

“You cannot have a protest every day,” said Li Shan, founder and chairman of the party.

The arrival of the Bauhinia Party has fueled furious speculation about the future of Hong Kong’s once-vibrant, at times unruly, political scene. The party, led by business executives who moved to Hong Kong from the mainland, is entering the fray amid forceful moves by the Chinese government to quash dissent, after huge pro-democracy protests in 2019 challenged its rule.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hong-kong-blocks-popular-pro-democracy-website-hkchronicles-356946">Hong Kong blocks popular pro-democracy website HKChronicles</a>

Already, authorities have ejected opposition lawmakers from the Hong Kong legislature and disqualified and arrested would-be candidates. Many in the pro-democracy camp see the new party as yet another sign that Hong Kong — a former British colony that was promised 50 years of semi-autonomy when it returned to China in 1997 — is becoming just another mainland city.

But the news was equally, if not more, unsettling for Hong Kong’s pro-Beijing bloc, the coalition of local business tycoons, established politicians and trade unions that has long been allowed to govern as the central government’s proxy. Many have wondered if the emergence of the new party is Beijing’s signal that it has less use for those traditional power brokers and may replace them with figures deemed more effective or trustworthy.

While the pro-Beijing camp has always professed loyalty to the central government, its members have taken care to emphasize the differences between their city and the mainland.

Also read|<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/amid-strained-us-ties-xi-jinping-writes-to-former-starbucks-chairman-356731">&nbsp;Amid strained US ties, Xi Jinping writes to former Starbucks chairman</a>

The Bauhinia Party appears to be offering itself to Beijing as a new model for allies, ones who are more overt about their ties to the central government and their admiration for its top-down approach.

Li is a delegate to the national Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, an advisory body to Beijing, and speaks hardly any Cantonese, Hong Kong’s local language. Another co-founder, Chen Jianwen, is a delegate to a regional arm of the advisory body and leads an association for alumni of a training academy for Communist Party officials.

Central planks of the party’s platform include combating discrimination against mainland transplants to Hong Kong and fostering a love of Chinese language and culture. Li said he wants to encourage more Hong Kong students to study at mainland universities and undergo “patriotic education,” an echo of Xi’s own calls for young Hong Kongers to “increase their sense of belonging to the motherland.”

Even the way Li established the party nodded to the central government. He officially founded it aboard a cruise ship in Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbor, a reference to Mao Zedong’s founding of the Chinese Communist Party aboard a boat in eastern China, according to party lore.

Perceived allegiance to Beijing could be the most important factor for securing the central authorities’ blessing in the coming years, said Willy Lam, a professor of Chinese politics at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-plans-further-hong-kong-crackdown-after-mass-arrest-sources-356229">China plans further Hong Kong crackdown after mass arrest: Sources</a>

If more people with mainland backgrounds participated in Hong Kong politics, Beijing could “rest assured” that the city would be led by those who “would presumably be more loyal to the motherland,” he added.

The Bauhinia Party’s founders deny that they are puppets of Beijing or that they seek to supplant existing parties. Li said the party is focused on the selection of the city’s chief executive, not on winning legislative seats.

The chief executive is chosen by a committee of just 1,200 electors, many with close ties to Beijing.

While Li said he was not planning to run in next year’s chief executive race, he hinted repeatedly that he was interested in the job someday.

“If the community requires me to devote myself for such a job or responsibility, I’m willing to sacrifice myself,” he said in an interview in Beijing last month.

Li said he did not tell the central or Hong Kong authorities that he was starting a party until after he had done so. Then he notified Hong Kong’s chief executive, Carrie Lam, and the Central Liaison Office, Beijing’s official arm in Hong Kong.

He bristled at suggestions that he was an outsider. “I have been a permanent resident for 20 years,” said Li, a financier who moved to Hong Kong in 1993 after completing a doctorate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The co-founders say they want to reach opponents of the government as well as supporters.

In its stated principles, the party professes a commitment to universal suffrage — a central demand of the pro-democracy camp — and a promise to make Hong Kong “one of the world’s most free, democratic and open” cities. Li said he wants to preserve the structure of “one country, two systems,” for an additional 50 years.

But the pro-democracy camp has dismissed those overtures as lip service. An editorial in Apple Daily, a fervently pro-democracy newspaper, called the party a “Trojan horse” that would allow the Communist Party to operate openly in Hong Kong. Lo Kin-hei, chairman of the Democratic Party, wrote on Twitter that it was the “Hong Kong branch” of the Communist Party.

The pro-Beijing camp has been equally hostile. Many have sneered at the Bauhinia Party’s stated goal of attracting 250,000 members, about five times more than the largest pro-Beijing party in Hong Kong has. Li said on Friday that the party had fewer than 100 members so far.

“It is easy to start a party, but it is not that easy to establish your party as a viable political force,” said Jasper Tsang, founder of that largest party, the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong.

Tsang dismissed the idea that the Bauhinia Party had Beijing’s backing or that Li could become chief executive. He pointed out that Hong Kong’s two major state-backed newspapers had paid little attention to the new party, which he said suggested a lack of official support.

Regina Ip, the founder of another pro-Beijing party, said Li had approached her about possible collaboration and that she was “not in any way interested.”

“I don’t think he begins to understand how complex the job is,” she said of Li’s hints about running for chief executive. “If you have some financial credentials, it doesn’t mean you are qualified.”

Li acknowledged that he was not fluent in Hong Kong politics, despite his long residence in the city. He said he had never voted until late 2019. Asked about his position on a contentious proposal to allow Hong Kong residents living in mainland China to vote in the city’s elections, he said he had not heard of the issue.

Some have been more amenable to the Bauhinia Party.

Christine Loh, a former pro-democracy lawmaker who also worked in the administration of a pro-Beijing chief executive, said she did not know much about the new party. But she said that Hong Kongers should be more open to political figures more aligned with the mainland system.

“It isn’t that it’s going to be extended to Hong Kong, but it’s not totally unconnected,” she said of the mainland system. It is possible, she said, that people with ties to it might be able to help Hong Kong.

While Li insists that he did not consult any Chinese officials before establishing his party, he acknowledged discussing some of its proposals with officials since then.

Last month, he visited a museum in Xiadang, a village where Xi worked as a young Communist Party cadre in the 1980s. Li said he wanted to learn more about the early development of “Xi Jinping Thought,” Xi’s ideological manifesto.

Another co-founder, Wong Chau-chi, demurred in an interview with The South China Morning Post when asked whether Bauhinia Party members were secretly Communist Party members.

“It’s not correct to judge our party on whether we have underground members or not,” he said. “It’s something not relevant to our governance.”

They are businessmen, born in mainland China, who serve on top advisory committees to Beijing and profess patriotism for the motherland. One recently traveled to an obscure village in southeastern China to study Xi Jinping’s doctrine for guiding the country to greatness.

They are businessmen, born in mainland China, who serve on top advisory committees to Beijing and profess patriotism for the motherland. One recently traveled to an obscure village in southeastern China to study Xi Jinping’s doctrine for guiding the country to greatness. Now, they are seeking to bring that ardor to Hong Kong, as the founders of the city’s newest political party. They are calling for social stability to unify a deeply fractured society and mend a damaged economy. “You cannot have a protest every day,” said Li Shan, founder and chairman of the party. The arrival of the Bauhinia Party has fueled furious speculation about the future of Hong Kong’s once-vibrant, at times unruly, political scene. The party, led by business executives who moved to Hong Kong from the mainland, is entering the fray amid forceful moves by the Chinese government to quash dissent, after huge pro-democracy protests in 2019 challenged its rule. Also read| Hong Kong blocks popular pro-democracy website HKChronicles Already, authorities have ejected opposition lawmakers from the Hong Kong legislature and disqualified and arrested would-be candidates. Many in the pro-democracy camp see the new party as yet another sign that Hong Kong — a former British colony that was promised 50 years of semi-autonomy when it returned to China in 1997 — is becoming just another mainland city. But the news was equally, if not more, unsettling for Hong Kong’s pro-Beijing bloc, the coalition of local business tycoons, established politicians and trade unions that has long been allowed to govern as the central government’s proxy. Many have wondered if the emergence of the new party is Beijing’s signal that it has less use for those traditional power brokers and may replace them with figures deemed more effective or trustworthy. While the pro-Beijing camp has always professed loyalty to the central government, its members have taken care to emphasize the differences between their city and the mainland. Also read| Amid strained US ties, Xi Jinping writes to former Starbucks chairman The Bauhinia Party appears to be offering itself to Beijing as a new model for allies, ones who are more overt about their ties to the central government and their admiration for its top-down approach. Li is a delegate to the national Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, an advisory body to Beijing, and speaks hardly any Cantonese, Hong Kong’s local language. Another co-founder, Chen Jianwen, is a delegate to a regional arm of the advisory body and leads an association for alumni of a training academy for Communist Party officials. Central planks of the party’s platform include combating discrimination against mainland transplants to Hong Kong and fostering a love of Chinese language and culture. Li said he wants to encourage more Hong Kong students to study at mainland universities and undergo “patriotic education,” an echo of Xi’s own calls for young Hong Kongers to “increase their sense of belonging to the motherland.” Even the way Li established the party nodded to the central government. He officially founded it aboard a cruise ship in Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbor, a reference to Mao Zedong’s founding of the Chinese Communist Party aboard a boat in eastern China, according to party lore. Perceived allegiance to Beijing could be the most important factor for securing the central authorities’ blessing in the coming years, said Willy Lam, a professor of Chinese politics at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Also read| China plans further Hong Kong crackdown after mass arrest: Sources If more people with mainland backgrounds participated in Hong Kong politics, Beijing could “rest assured” that the city would be led by those who “would presumably be more loyal to the motherland,” he added. The Bauhinia Party’s founders deny that they are puppets of Beijing or that they seek to supplant existing parties. Li said the party is focused on the selection of the city’s chief executive, not on winning legislative seats. The chief executive is chosen by a committee of just 1,200 electors, many with close ties to Beijing. While Li said he was not planning to run in next year’s chief executive race, he hinted repeatedly that he was interested in the job someday. “If the community requires me to devote myself for such a job or responsibility, I’m willing to sacrifice myself,” he said in an interview in Beijing last month. Li said he did not tell the central or Hong Kong authorities that he was starting a party until after he had done so. Then he notified Hong Kong’s chief executive, Carrie Lam, and the Central Liaison Office, Beijing’s official arm in Hong Kong. He bristled at suggestions that he was an outsider. “I have been a permanent resident for 20 years,” said Li, a financier who moved to Hong Kong in 1993 after completing a doctorate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The co-founders say they want to reach opponents of the government as well as supporters. In its stated principles, the party professes a commitment to universal suffrage — a central demand of the pro-democracy camp — and a promise to make Hong Kong “one of the world’s most free, democratic and open” cities. Li said he wants to preserve the structure of “one country, two systems,” for an additional 50 years. But the pro-democracy camp has dismissed those overtures as lip service. An editorial in Apple Daily, a fervently pro-democracy newspaper, called the party a “Trojan horse” that would allow the Communist Party to operate openly in Hong Kong. Lo Kin-hei, chairman of the Democratic Party, wrote on Twitter that it was the “Hong Kong branch” of the Communist Party. The pro-Beijing camp has been equally hostile. Many have sneered at the Bauhinia Party’s stated goal of attracting 250,000 members, about five times more than the largest pro-Beijing party in Hong Kong has. Li said on Friday that the party had fewer than 100 members so far. “It is easy to start a party, but it is not that easy to establish your party as a viable political force,” said Jasper Tsang, founder of that largest party, the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong. Tsang dismissed the idea that the Bauhinia Party had Beijing’s backing or that Li could become chief executive. He pointed out that Hong Kong’s two major state-backed newspapers had paid little attention to the new party, which he said suggested a lack of official support. Regina Ip, the founder of another pro-Beijing party, said Li had approached her about possible collaboration and that she was “not in any way interested.” “I don’t think he begins to understand how complex the job is,” she said of Li’s hints about running for chief executive. “If you have some financial credentials, it doesn’t mean you are qualified.” Li acknowledged that he was not fluent in Hong Kong politics, despite his long residence in the city. He said he had never voted until late 2019. Asked about his position on a contentious proposal to allow Hong Kong residents living in mainland China to vote in the city’s elections, he said he had not heard of the issue. Some have been more amenable to the Bauhinia Party. Christine Loh, a former pro-democracy lawmaker who also worked in the administration of a pro-Beijing chief executive, said she did not know much about the new party. But she said that Hong Kongers should be more open to political figures more aligned with the mainland system. “It isn’t that it’s going to be extended to Hong Kong, but it’s not totally unconnected,” she said of the mainland system. It is possible, she said, that people with ties to it might be able to help Hong Kong. While Li insists that he did not consult any Chinese officials before establishing his party, he acknowledged discussing some of its proposals with officials since then. Last month, he visited a museum in Xiadang, a village where Xi worked as a young Communist Party cadre in the 1980s. Li said he wanted to learn more about the early development of “Xi Jinping Thought,” Xi’s ideological manifesto. Another co-founder, Wong Chau-chi, demurred in an interview with The South China Morning Post when asked whether Bauhinia Party members were secretly Communist Party members. “It’s not correct to judge our party on whether we have underground members or not,” he said. “It’s something not relevant to our governance.”

In Hong Kong, a new party’s calls for stability only raise suspicions

Even as China featured among the few countries that managed to post healthy growth in 2020 notwithstanding the severe economic and health impact of the coronavirus pandemic, several economists have questioned the veracity of the data. While the International Monetary Fund (IMF) projected a 7.9 per cent growth for China in 2021, it said that the dragon must allow its overburdened lenders to be liquidated for economic growth to be sustained in the medium term, the Nikkei Asia reported. 
 
The opaque nature of information flow from the country has added to the worry for think tanks and rating agencies across the world. 
 
Spanish economist Daniel Lacalle in his blog, about two months ago, said that China`s is a "planned GDP" and that the growth is not demand-driven but is pushed by a tactfully expanded government expenditure. 
 
"A planned GDP. The GDP of China is dictated by production, not demand. It is not an observed GDP but rather planned by the government together with the provinces. For this reason, many analysts scrutinize the data and deduct various factors, including the increase and valuation of inventories," Lacalle pointed out in his blog. 
 
However, he also noted that economic recovery is underway but "it is not dissimilar to that of many of the leading Asian countries". 
 
"It is not by chance that inventories of iron ore, automobiles and finished goods have risen to the highest level in seven months as the economy recovers. If the economic situation we're in the announced expansion, inventories would be falling rapidly when sold. Much is produced that is then not sold and remains in warehouses," Lacalle added. 
 
Interestingly, China also does not follow the practice of revising GDP figures. The final December figure "stands and is consolidated without question". 
 
China's rising debt problem 
 
As China has been expanding its hold over the world through the much-hyped Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) which runs across over 70 countries, its debt is rising continuously. 
 
The Washington-based Institute of International Finance (IIF) last year said that China`s debt was on track to hit a whopping 335 per cent of GDP. This however included debt across all sectors such as household, government, financial and non-financial corporate. 
 
The country`s overall level of debt is driven primarily by real estate, corporates and shadow banking. 
 
Deftly, China has kept direct borrowings by the central government at a reasonable level but the accounts of the local governments and its companies and banks are mired in a web which is difficult to analyze. 
 
The Committee for the Abolition of Illegitimate Debt, in a study done before the Covid-19 outbreak, highlighted that China`s overall debt calculation is complicated though "research has been able to estimate central government debt with precision". 
 
What makes it murky is the accounts of the local governments and state-owned enterprises. "The central government is not over-leveraged and benefits from ample foreign currency reserves. But regional governments have expanded unsafe financial operations since 2007, and often resort to off-the-counter loans or shadow banking. 
 
Analysts said that while the Chinese government had started the exercise of cleaning up the mess, the pandemic has derailed the drive. 
 
"While China`s lending traditionally comes from the major state-controlled banks, there has been a gradual shift towards less transparent alternative lending sources that can produce high-risk loans and contribute to China`s debt woes. This lending is at times done through smaller local and provincial banks that sell lightly regulated investments," wrote ChinaPower. 
 
The Harvard Business Review in an article pointed out that China has turned into a major global lender in the last two decades with outstanding claims exceeding more than 5 per cent of global GDP. Almost all of this lending is official, coming from the government and state-controlled entities. 
 
According to the HBR, "China has extended many more loans to developing countries than previously known" and the "systematic under-reporting of these loans has created a `hidden debt` problem? meaning that debtor countries and international institutions alike have an incomplete picture of how much countries around the world owe to China and under which conditions". 
 
It said that the Chinese state and its subsidiaries have lent about $1.5 trillion in direct loans and trade credits to more than 150 countries around the globe, making China the world`s largest official creditor. 
 
However, the country has never published any official data on this despite the huge lending size. 
 
Surprisingly, China is not a member of the Paris Club, an informal group of creditor nations with the aim to strike workable repayment solutions. Not just that. The country is also not part of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Both Paris Club and the OECD maintain loan records of official creditors. 
 
China`s financial assistance is directed in the form of trade credits, foreign direct investment advances under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) besides direct loans. An analyst on condition of anonymity said that China`s immediate problem emerges from the fact that most of the countries that have benefited from the dragon`s loans have been "badly hit" by the coronavirus pandemic and are in no position to repay the debt.

Even as China featured among the few countries that managed to post healthy growth in 2020 notwithstanding the severe economic and health impact of the coronavirus pandemic, several economists have questioned the veracity of the data.

Even as China featured among the few countries that managed to post healthy growth in 2020 notwithstanding the severe economic and health impact of the coronavirus pandemic, several economists have questioned the veracity of the data. While the International Monetary Fund (IMF) projected a 7.9 per cent growth for China in 2021, it said that the dragon must allow its overburdened lenders to be liquidated for economic growth to be sustained in the medium term, the Nikkei Asia reported. The opaque nature of information flow from the country has added to the worry for think tanks and rating agencies across the world. Spanish economist Daniel Lacalle in his blog, about two months ago, said that China`s is a "planned GDP" and that the growth is not demand-driven but is pushed by a tactfully expanded government expenditure. "A planned GDP. The GDP of China is dictated by production, not demand. It is not an observed GDP but rather planned by the government together with the provinces. For this reason, many analysts scrutinize the data and deduct various factors, including the increase and valuation of inventories," Lacalle pointed out in his blog. However, he also noted that economic recovery is underway but "it is not dissimilar to that of many of the leading Asian countries". "It is not by chance that inventories of iron ore, automobiles and finished goods have risen to the highest level in seven months as the economy recovers. If the economic situation we're in the announced expansion, inventories would be falling rapidly when sold. Much is produced that is then not sold and remains in warehouses," Lacalle added. Interestingly, China also does not follow the practice of revising GDP figures. The final December figure "stands and is consolidated without question". China's rising debt problem As China has been expanding its hold over the world through the much-hyped Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) which runs across over 70 countries, its debt is rising continuously. The Washington-based Institute of International Finance (IIF) last year said that China`s debt was on track to hit a whopping 335 per cent of GDP. This however included debt across all sectors such as household, government, financial and non-financial corporate. The country`s overall level of debt is driven primarily by real estate, corporates and shadow banking. Deftly, China has kept direct borrowings by the central government at a reasonable level but the accounts of the local governments and its companies and banks are mired in a web which is difficult to analyze. The Committee for the Abolition of Illegitimate Debt, in a study done before the Covid-19 outbreak, highlighted that China`s overall debt calculation is complicated though "research has been able to estimate central government debt with precision". What makes it murky is the accounts of the local governments and state-owned enterprises. "The central government is not over-leveraged and benefits from ample foreign currency reserves. But regional governments have expanded unsafe financial operations since 2007, and often resort to off-the-counter loans or shadow banking. Analysts said that while the Chinese government had started the exercise of cleaning up the mess, the pandemic has derailed the drive. "While China`s lending traditionally comes from the major state-controlled banks, there has been a gradual shift towards less transparent alternative lending sources that can produce high-risk loans and contribute to China`s debt woes. This lending is at times done through smaller local and provincial banks that sell lightly regulated investments," wrote ChinaPower. The Harvard Business Review in an article pointed out that China has turned into a major global lender in the last two decades with outstanding claims exceeding more than 5 per cent of global GDP. Almost all of this lending is official, coming from the government and state-controlled entities. According to the HBR, "China has extended many more loans to developing countries than previously known" and the "systematic under-reporting of these loans has created a `hidden debt` problem? meaning that debtor countries and international institutions alike have an incomplete picture of how much countries around the world owe to China and under which conditions". It said that the Chinese state and its subsidiaries have lent about $1.5 trillion in direct loans and trade credits to more than 150 countries around the globe, making China the world`s largest official creditor. However, the country has never published any official data on this despite the huge lending size. Surprisingly, China is not a member of the Paris Club, an informal group of creditor nations with the aim to strike workable repayment solutions. Not just that. The country is also not part of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Both Paris Club and the OECD maintain loan records of official creditors. China`s financial assistance is directed in the form of trade credits, foreign direct investment advances under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) besides direct loans. An analyst on condition of anonymity said that China`s immediate problem emerges from the fact that most of the countries that have benefited from the dragon`s loans have been "badly hit" by the coronavirus pandemic and are in no position to repay the debt.

Crouching Dragon: Experts raise doubts on data behind China growth story

China urged the United States and other countries to immediately stop wrongdoings, foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said on Thursday (January 14), after Washington announced an import ban on some imports from the Xinjiang region over forced labour allegations.

China urges US to stop wrongdoings over Xinjiang

China's President Xi Jinping has asked former Starbucks chairman Howard Schultz to help promote trade between Washington and Beijing in a rare missive to a foreign business figure, state media reported Thursday.

Xi, responding to an earlier message from Schultz, urged the multi-billionaire to "continue to play an active role in promoting China-US economic and trade cooperation", the official Xinhua news agency said.

China will "provide a broader space for companies from all over the world, including Starbucks and other American companies, to develop in China", Xi wrote in his letter.

It was not immediately clear why the letter was published by state media, but it comes as relations between the superpowers have reached a nadir with bitter disputes over trade, tech, security and rights.

Starbucks, a ubiquitous sight in major Chinese cities, says it has opened over 4,700 coffee shops across the country since 1999.

Schultz, who stepped down as chairman of the chain in 2018 but retains an honorary title at the company, had previously congratulated Xi on China's transition into "moderately prosperous society", Xinhua said.

US-China ties have grown increasingly strained under the administration of Donald Trump.

Beijing and Washington have also sparred over blame for the Covid-19 pandemic and China's human rights record in Xinjiang and Hong Kong.

But China's top diplomat Wang Yi has called for both sides to "restart the dialogue" and "rebuild mutual trust" with the incoming US administration of president-elect Joe Biden.

Xi and Schultz previously met at a formal reception in Seattle during the Chinese leader's state visit to the US in 2015.

China's President Xi Jinping has asked former Starbucks chairman Howard Schultz to help promote trade between Washington and Beijing in a rare missive to a foreign business figure, state media reported Thursday.

China's President Xi Jinping has asked former Starbucks chairman Howard Schultz to help promote trade between Washington and Beijing in a rare missive to a foreign business figure, state media reported Thursday. Xi, responding to an earlier message from Schultz, urged the multi-billionaire to "continue to play an active role in promoting China-US economic and trade cooperation", the official Xinhua news agency said. China will "provide a broader space for companies from all over the world, including Starbucks and other American companies, to develop in China", Xi wrote in his letter. It was not immediately clear why the letter was published by state media, but it comes as relations between the superpowers have reached a nadir with bitter disputes over trade, tech, security and rights. Starbucks, a ubiquitous sight in major Chinese cities, says it has opened over 4,700 coffee shops across the country since 1999. Schultz, who stepped down as chairman of the chain in 2018 but retains an honorary title at the company, had previously congratulated Xi on China's transition into "moderately prosperous society", Xinhua said. US-China ties have grown increasingly strained under the administration of Donald Trump. Beijing and Washington have also sparred over blame for the Covid-19 pandemic and China's human rights record in Xinjiang and Hong Kong. But China's top diplomat Wang Yi has called for both sides to "restart the dialogue" and "rebuild mutual trust" with the incoming US administration of president-elect Joe Biden. Xi and Schultz previously met at a formal reception in Seattle during the Chinese leader's state visit to the US in 2015.

Amid strained US ties, Xi Jinping writes to former Starbucks chairman

Beijing has compelled its companies to either ignore US sanctions or face the consequences thereafter. The new rules prohibit Chinese companies from complying with punitive measures by the United States.

Chinese firms barred from complying with US sanctions

On 31st December 2020, Chinese president Xi Jinping took a victory lap when he declared that China has secured a decisive victory over the pandemic.

However, the coronavirus is still spreading in China. The province of Hebei reporting another outbreak. On Wednesday, it had 120 new cases. Thursday saw another rise which China's biggest in five months. The province has re-introduced lockdown measures.

Rail, air and highway routes to Shijiazhuang are now shut. This is the capital of the Hebei and around 10 hours away from Wuhan. The original epicentre of this pandemic.

Health officials are carrying out mass testing in the city. According to the local media, more than six million people have been tested so far.

The new cases are the first locally transmitted infections since June and health officials expect the numbers to rise.

The authorities have pressed the panic button. Mass disinfection drives have begun with residents facing strict checks.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-china-reports-its-biggest-rise-in-daily-cases-in-five-months-355237">WATCH|</a>

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The latest outbreak --- busts Xi Jinping's claim of normalcy. With his speech on new years' eve --- the Chinese president tried to push a new narrative. He wanted the world to see China. Not as the exporter of the virus. But as the conqueror of the pandemic.

China has been called out again for its lapses. The latest on its list of critics is America's top infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci.

In an interview, Dr Fauci said China's lack of transparency allowed the virus to spread. He blamed China for delay in reporting --- person to person and asymptomatic transmissions. He said --- many people outside China "got fooled" because of the initial assessment.

He also slammed Beijing for not allowing foreign scientists to investigate the outbreak. This comes just a day after W.H.O chief Dr Tedros also accused China of blocking the probe.

China is yet to grant visas to the U.N. investigators. WHO are probing the origins of the coronavirus.

A year after the outbreak started in Wuhan. The world still doesn't know how the pandemic began. And China --- still refuses to offer answers.

Another lockdown in china is proof of how much it hides. From the world and its people.

On 31st December 2020, Chinese president Xi Jinping took a victory lap when he declared that China has secured a decisive victory over the pandemic. However, the coronavirus is still spreading in China.

On 31st December 2020, Chinese president Xi Jinping took a victory lap when he declared that China has secured a decisive victory over the pandemic. However, the coronavirus is still spreading in China. The province of Hebei reporting another outbreak. On Wednesday, it had 120 new cases. Thursday saw another rise which China's biggest in five months. The province has re-introduced lockdown measures. Rail, air and highway routes to Shijiazhuang are now shut. This is the capital of the Hebei and around 10 hours away from Wuhan. The original epicentre of this pandemic. Health officials are carrying out mass testing in the city. According to the local media, more than six million people have been tested so far. The new cases are the first locally transmitted infections since June and health officials expect the numbers to rise. The authorities have pressed the panic button. Mass disinfection drives have begun with residents facing strict checks. WATCH| × The latest outbreak --- busts Xi Jinping's claim of normalcy. With his speech on new years' eve --- the Chinese president tried to push a new narrative. He wanted the world to see China. Not as the exporter of the virus. But as the conqueror of the pandemic. China has been called out again for its lapses. The latest on its list of critics is America's top infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci. In an interview, Dr Fauci said China's lack of transparency allowed the virus to spread. He blamed China for delay in reporting --- person to person and asymptomatic transmissions. He said --- many people outside China "got fooled" because of the initial assessment. He also slammed Beijing for not allowing foreign scientists to investigate the outbreak. This comes just a day after W.H.O chief Dr Tedros also accused China of blocking the probe. China is yet to grant visas to the U.N. investigators. WHO are probing the origins of the coronavirus. A year after the outbreak started in Wuhan. The world still doesn't know how the pandemic began. And China --- still refuses to offer answers. Another lockdown in china is proof of how much it hides. From the world and its people.

As Covid-19 remerges in China, a glance at Jinping's short-lived victory lap

Chinese President Xi Jinping has ordered the army to be ready to act at any second, stressing on full-time combat readiness.

Chinese President's fresh diktat to army, 'scale up combat readiness'

Alibaba's Jack Ma is the most celebrated Chinese entrepreneur in the world, however, now he has a target on his back and he only has one man to blame for it - Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The Chinese president is said to have personally scuttled the Ant group's IPO. Jack Ma is a member of the Communist Party, he is one of their own and yet, he's being hounded.

The Ant group IPO was supposed to be the biggest in history amounting to $35 billion driven by China's most well-known entrepreneur Jack Ma but just days before the Ant group was set to list all hell broke loose as Beijing hit the brakes on Jack Ma's IPO.

President Xi Jinping scuttled Jack Ma's plans. The trigger was a speech in which Jack Ma made scathing criticism of Chinese regulators.&nbsp;

Just before his IPO Ma had attended a summit in Shanghai in which the participants included the who's who of China's financial, regulatory and political establishment.

One of the attendees was Wang Qishan - the Chinese vice-president. In front of the august crowd, Jack Ma said China's banks operate like "pawn shops" and the regulators were stifling innovation.

The Alibaba founder paid a heavy price for those words. Reports say the message reached the top as Xi Jinping read government reports about Jack Ma's statements.

The Chinese president was furious. He personally ordered Chinese regulators to start an investigation. They are studying plans that could force the Ant group to divest investments in financial companies. The disinvestments would ultimately shrink the Ant group's influence over Chinese markets.

Jack Ma is also set to lose equity. Ma was once the most celebrated entrepreneur in China, however, now he is being painted as the enemy. He has been called a "villain", an evil capitalist and a bloodsucking ghost.

Ma's strategy has backfired. First, he infuriated the regulators with his speech and then overplayed his hand by lobbying with them. The Chinese state hit back with a new set of regulations.

The new rules dictated how companies like the Ant group will operate in the future. China declared that it is protecting investors by halting Ant group's IPO.

A day before the statement, Jack Ma and his executives were summoned by the Central Bank of China and three other regulators. The rare joint meeting prompted speculation that Jack Ma was given a dressing down.

The Chinese state under Xi Jinping values loyalty and submission above everything else but with his words in Shanghai Jack Ma challenged the state. The Alibaba founder now faces not just scrutiny of his business, he also must pass the Communist Party's loyalty test.

Jack Ma's story isn't technically rags to riches but it's a very compelling story, nonetheless. It is a story that every Chinese citizen wants to emulate. Ma is bigger than life and his personality is so towering that he is not shy of overshadowing Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Jack Ma or Ma Yun had started as a lecturer in English and became a member of the Chinese Communist Party. He went on to found China's biggest online commerce company - Alibaba.

He also launched Alipay and ventured into finance. Now, seventeen years on, Jack Ma is China's richest man. He has a western a name and around $50 billion in banks which is a career graph every young Chinese wants to follow and a reputation for challenging Chinese authorities.

Jack Ma is not just a billionaire, he is a people's billionaire.

Outside the country, Ma is China's poster boy. The first prominent Chinese man Trump met after he won the US presidential election in 2016.

Xi Jinping wanted to make China a global superpower through technology. Jack Ma was supposed to be his footsoldier in that plan - an entrepreneur who understood technology who could appear alongside top Chinese leaders and at the same time connect with a global audience.

Jack Ma's was supposed to be the face that told Xi Jinping's success story instead, Ma himself has become China's biggest success story - too big for the president's liking.

Now Xi Jinping is cutting him to size, not only did Jack Ma become China's biggest star, but he also questioned China's policies at a time when Xi Jinping's regime is already under global scrutiny.

Alibaba's Jack Ma is the most celebrated Chinese entrepreneur in the world, however, now he has a target on his back and he only has one man to blame for it - Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Alibaba's Jack Ma is the most celebrated Chinese entrepreneur in the world, however, now he has a target on his back and he only has one man to blame for it - Chinese President Xi Jinping. The Chinese president is said to have personally scuttled the Ant group's IPO. Jack Ma is a member of the Communist Party, he is one of their own and yet, he's being hounded. The Ant group IPO was supposed to be the biggest in history amounting to $35 billion driven by China's most well-known entrepreneur Jack Ma but just days before the Ant group was set to list all hell broke loose as Beijing hit the brakes on Jack Ma's IPO. President Xi Jinping scuttled Jack Ma's plans. The trigger was a speech in which Jack Ma made scathing criticism of Chinese regulators. Just before his IPO Ma had attended a summit in Shanghai in which the participants included the who's who of China's financial, regulatory and political establishment. One of the attendees was Wang Qishan - the Chinese vice-president. In front of the august crowd, Jack Ma said China's banks operate like "pawn shops" and the regulators were stifling innovation. The Alibaba founder paid a heavy price for those words. Reports say the message reached the top as Xi Jinping read government reports about Jack Ma's statements. The Chinese president was furious. He personally ordered Chinese regulators to start an investigation. They are studying plans that could force the Ant group to divest investments in financial companies. The disinvestments would ultimately shrink the Ant group's influence over Chinese markets. Jack Ma is also set to lose equity. Ma was once the most celebrated entrepreneur in China, however, now he is being painted as the enemy. He has been called a "villain", an evil capitalist and a bloodsucking ghost. Ma's strategy has backfired. First, he infuriated the regulators with his speech and then overplayed his hand by lobbying with them. The Chinese state hit back with a new set of regulations. The new rules dictated how companies like the Ant group will operate in the future. China declared that it is protecting investors by halting Ant group's IPO. A day before the statement, Jack Ma and his executives were summoned by the Central Bank of China and three other regulators. The rare joint meeting prompted speculation that Jack Ma was given a dressing down. The Chinese state under Xi Jinping values loyalty and submission above everything else but with his words in Shanghai Jack Ma challenged the state. The Alibaba founder now faces not just scrutiny of his business, he also must pass the Communist Party's loyalty test. Jack Ma's story isn't technically rags to riches but it's a very compelling story, nonetheless. It is a story that every Chinese citizen wants to emulate. Ma is bigger than life and his personality is so towering that he is not shy of overshadowing Chinese President Xi Jinping. Jack Ma or Ma Yun had started as a lecturer in English and became a member of the Chinese Communist Party. He went on to found China's biggest online commerce company - Alibaba. He also launched Alipay and ventured into finance. Now, seventeen years on, Jack Ma is China's richest man. He has a western a name and around $50 billion in banks which is a career graph every young Chinese wants to follow and a reputation for challenging Chinese authorities. Jack Ma is not just a billionaire, he is a people's billionaire. Outside the country, Ma is China's poster boy. The first prominent Chinese man Trump met after he won the US presidential election in 2016. Xi Jinping wanted to make China a global superpower through technology. Jack Ma was supposed to be his footsoldier in that plan - an entrepreneur who understood technology who could appear alongside top Chinese leaders and at the same time connect with a global audience. Jack Ma's was supposed to be the face that told Xi Jinping's success story instead, Ma himself has become China's biggest success story - too big for the president's liking. Now Xi Jinping is cutting him to size, not only did Jack Ma become China's biggest star, but he also questioned China's policies at a time when Xi Jinping's regime is already under global scrutiny.

How Chinese President Xi Jinping scuttled Jack Ma's Ant group IPO

The amendments are aimed to strengthen the military leadership under Chinese President Xi Jinping. Also, it will provide it with the means to respond to the conflicts between China and the United States.

China amends defence law to strengthen military powers

The United States has called for the release of an Uyghur Muslim doctor who has been sentenced to 20 years of jail in China because of activism of her family members.

The daughter of Gulshan Abbas told a briefing organised with the bipartisan US Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) that their family had recently learned that her mother received the sentence in March last year on terrorism-related charges after disappearing in September 2018, Al Jazeera reported.

Gulshan Abbas is the sister of activist Rushan Abbas, who has been quite vocal about the Chinese Communist Party`s atrocities against Muslim minorities in China. Meanwhile, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said Abbas was sentenced for the crimes of joining a "terrorist" organisation, helping terrorist activities and "assembling a crowd to disrupt social order".

"We urge certain politicians in the United States to respect facts and stop fabricating lies and smearing China," the spokesman, Wang Wenbin, told a news conference.

The daughter, Ziba Murat, called the charges "preposterous". Gulshan`s sister, Rushan Abbas, said the charges are the consequence of activism by her and her brother, Rishat Abbas, both of whom are based in the US."We have committed to working to defend our people`s rights and advocate for justice, and now our sister is denied justice as a punishment," Rushan said.

Taking to Twitter, US assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights and labour, Robert Destro, said Gulshan Abbas must be released."Her forcible disappearance, detainment and harsh sentencing by the CCP [Chinese Communist Party] is evidence of a family suffering the consequences of speaking out against a government that has no respect for human rights," he said.

Ziba Murat said she could not reveal the source of the information on the sentencing to protect their identity. "We only learned that she is sentenced to 20 years, and we`re trying to get more information."

"My mom is a medical professional, non-political, kind person who has spent her life helping people," she said, adding that her mother was in fragile health and suffered from multiple conditions, including high blood pressure.

The CECC chairman, Democratic Representative James McGovern, called the punishment of an innocent family member in what he said was an attempt to silence free expression "morally reprehensible".He said it was just part of a "mass persecution" of Uighurs in China that has involved the detention of as many as 1.8 million people in internment camps, forced labour and other abuses.

According to credible reports, more than one million people, are or have been, detained in what is being called `political re-education` centres, in the largest mass incarceration of an ethnic minority population in the world today.

The internment camp system in the XUAR is expanding, with more than 380 suspected detention facilities having been newly built or expanded since 2017, and at least 61 detention sites newly constructed or expanded between July 2019 and July 2020. (ANI)

The United States has called for the release of an Uyghur Muslim doctor who has been sentenced to 20 years of jail in China because of activism of her family members.

The United States has called for the release of an Uyghur Muslim doctor who has been sentenced to 20 years of jail in China because of activism of her family members. The daughter of Gulshan Abbas told a briefing organised with the bipartisan US Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) that their family had recently learned that her mother received the sentence in March last year on terrorism-related charges after disappearing in September 2018, Al Jazeera reported. Gulshan Abbas is the sister of activist Rushan Abbas, who has been quite vocal about the Chinese Communist Party`s atrocities against Muslim minorities in China. Meanwhile, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said Abbas was sentenced for the crimes of joining a "terrorist" organisation, helping terrorist activities and "assembling a crowd to disrupt social order". "We urge certain politicians in the United States to respect facts and stop fabricating lies and smearing China," the spokesman, Wang Wenbin, told a news conference. The daughter, Ziba Murat, called the charges "preposterous". Gulshan`s sister, Rushan Abbas, said the charges are the consequence of activism by her and her brother, Rishat Abbas, both of whom are based in the US."We have committed to working to defend our people`s rights and advocate for justice, and now our sister is denied justice as a punishment," Rushan said. Taking to Twitter, US assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights and labour, Robert Destro, said Gulshan Abbas must be released."Her forcible disappearance, detainment and harsh sentencing by the CCP [Chinese Communist Party] is evidence of a family suffering the consequences of speaking out against a government that has no respect for human rights," he said. Ziba Murat said she could not reveal the source of the information on the sentencing to protect their identity. "We only learned that she is sentenced to 20 years, and we`re trying to get more information." "My mom is a medical professional, non-political, kind person who has spent her life helping people," she said, adding that her mother was in fragile health and suffered from multiple conditions, including high blood pressure. The CECC chairman, Democratic Representative James McGovern, called the punishment of an innocent family member in what he said was an attempt to silence free expression "morally reprehensible".He said it was just part of a "mass persecution" of Uighurs in China that has involved the detention of as many as 1.8 million people in internment camps, forced labour and other abuses. According to credible reports, more than one million people, are or have been, detained in what is being called `political re-education` centres, in the largest mass incarceration of an ethnic minority population in the world today. The internment camp system in the XUAR is expanding, with more than 380 suspected detention facilities having been newly built or expanded since 2017, and at least 61 detention sites newly constructed or expanded between July 2019 and July 2020. (ANI)

Ugyhur activist's sister sentenced to 20 years of jail in China, US calls for her release

China has revised its National Defence Law, expanding the power of its armed forces headed by President Xi Jinping to mobilise military and civilian resources to defend its national interests both at home and abroad.

The new law, effective from January 1, weakens the role of the State Council, China's Cabinet headed by Premier Li Keqiang, in formulating military policy, handing decision-making powers to the Central Military Commission (CMC), the overall high-command of the two million-strong People's Liberation Army (PLA) headed by Xi, Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported on Sunday.

Xi, 67, has emerged as the Communist Party of China's (CPC) most powerful leader after its founder Mao Zedong, holding the posts of CPC General Secretary, head of the military besides the Presidency with prospects of a life-long tenure.

He is the only civilian leader in the CMC, packed with high-ranking military officials. The amendments for the National Defence Law (NDL) were passed by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) on December 26 last year.

The revised law came into force after the key conclave of the ruling CPC in November last year finalised plans to build a fully modern military on par with the US by 2027. 
By the year 2027, which marks the centennial of the founding of the PLA, China will build a fully modern military, a goal that is in alignment with the national strength and will fulfil the future national defence need, official media reports earlier said.

The revised law specifically stresses the need to build a nationwide coordination mechanism for the mobilisation of state-owned and private enterprises to take part in research into new defence technologies covering conventional weapons, as well as the non-traditional domains of cybersecurity, space and electromagnetics.

Military and political analysts said the new NDL aimed to strengthen the country's military leadership under Xi, providing it with the legal grounds to respond to the challenges of accelerating confrontations between China and the US.

Deng Yuwen, a former deputy editor of the Communist Party publication Study Times, said the amendments aimed to legalise and formally apply the ?special? nature of China's political and defence system when dealing with situations that could harm the regime at home and abroad.

"China's political nature is very different from many countries...It's not surprising for Beijing to enhance the leadership of the CMC when the PLA is going out to defend China's national interests across the world,"&nbsp;Deng told the Post.

Chen Daoyin, a former professor of Political Science and Law at the Shanghai University, said the changes showed the regime had gained the confidence to legitimise its long-standing principle that ?the party commands the gun? and stamp its ?absolute leadership over-armed and reserved forces?.

"The move to include 'development interests' as a reason for armed mobilisation and war in the law would provide legal grounds for the country to launch a war in the legitimate name of defending national development interests,"&nbsp;Chen said.

Zeng Zhiping, a military law expert at Soochow University said one of the big changes of the law was the downgrading of the State Council's role in formulating the principles of China's national defence, and the right to direct and administer the mobilisation of its armed forces.

"The CMC is now formally in charge of making national defence policy and principles, while the State Council becomes a mere implementing agency to provide support to the military,"&nbsp;Zeng, who is a retired PLA lieutenant colonel, said.

"It's a big contrast when compared with developed countries like Israel, Germany and France, which prefer to put their armed forces under civilian leadership. Even in the US, the civilian-led defence ministry plays a more important role than their military top brass, the Joint Chiefs of Staff,"&nbsp;he said.

China has revised its National Defence Law, expanding the power of its armed forces headed by President Xi Jinping to mobilise military and civilian resources to defend its national interests both at home and abroad.

China has revised its National Defence Law, expanding the power of its armed forces headed by President Xi Jinping to mobilise military and civilian resources to defend its national interests both at home and abroad. The new law, effective from January 1, weakens the role of the State Council, China's Cabinet headed by Premier Li Keqiang, in formulating military policy, handing decision-making powers to the Central Military Commission (CMC), the overall high-command of the two million-strong People's Liberation Army (PLA) headed by Xi, Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported on Sunday. Xi, 67, has emerged as the Communist Party of China's (CPC) most powerful leader after its founder Mao Zedong, holding the posts of CPC General Secretary, head of the military besides the Presidency with prospects of a life-long tenure. He is the only civilian leader in the CMC, packed with high-ranking military officials. The amendments for the National Defence Law (NDL) were passed by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) on December 26 last year. The revised law came into force after the key conclave of the ruling CPC in November last year finalised plans to build a fully modern military on par with the US by 2027. By the year 2027, which marks the centennial of the founding of the PLA, China will build a fully modern military, a goal that is in alignment with the national strength and will fulfil the future national defence need, official media reports earlier said. The revised law specifically stresses the need to build a nationwide coordination mechanism for the mobilisation of state-owned and private enterprises to take part in research into new defence technologies covering conventional weapons, as well as the non-traditional domains of cybersecurity, space and electromagnetics. Military and political analysts said the new NDL aimed to strengthen the country's military leadership under Xi, providing it with the legal grounds to respond to the challenges of accelerating confrontations between China and the US. Deng Yuwen, a former deputy editor of the Communist Party publication Study Times, said the amendments aimed to legalise and formally apply the ?special? nature of China's political and defence system when dealing with situations that could harm the regime at home and abroad. "China's political nature is very different from many countries...It's not surprising for Beijing to enhance the leadership of the CMC when the PLA is going out to defend China's national interests across the world," Deng told the Post. Chen Daoyin, a former professor of Political Science and Law at the Shanghai University, said the changes showed the regime had gained the confidence to legitimise its long-standing principle that ?the party commands the gun? and stamp its ?absolute leadership over-armed and reserved forces?. "The move to include 'development interests' as a reason for armed mobilisation and war in the law would provide legal grounds for the country to launch a war in the legitimate name of defending national development interests," Chen said. Zeng Zhiping, a military law expert at Soochow University said one of the big changes of the law was the downgrading of the State Council's role in formulating the principles of China's national defence, and the right to direct and administer the mobilisation of its armed forces. "The CMC is now formally in charge of making national defence policy and principles, while the State Council becomes a mere implementing agency to provide support to the military," Zeng, who is a retired PLA lieutenant colonel, said. "It's a big contrast when compared with developed countries like Israel, Germany and France, which prefer to put their armed forces under civilian leadership. Even in the US, the civilian-led defence ministry plays a more important role than their military top brass, the Joint Chiefs of Staff," he said.

China's new defence law expands power of its military headed by Xi Jinping

The Wuhan Virus ruined all resolutions for 2020. The virus from China killed 2 Million people, snatched 400 million jobs, pushed countries into recession, forced students to drop out of school. Palki Sharma Upadhyay says- make it your new year resolution to Make China Pay.

Gravitas Plus: Who will bear the cost of the Pandemic?

The Chinese law recognizes same-sex couples but legal sanctions have not been accorded to gay marriages. However, under XI Jinping the LGBTQ community is increasingly feeling the heat. WION brings you a report.

Same sex marriages are not recognized under Chinese law

2020 has been a disaster for China. It has become permanently associated with the biggest challenge of our times. The Wuhan virus. Xi Jinping wanted to profit from this pandemic. Little did he know- that this move will boomerang and kill his dreams. Dreams of making china the world leader. Today, Beijing, like the rest of the world is bidding goodbye to 2020. It can also safely bid goodbye to its superpower dreams..

Beijing has the blood of nearly 2 million people on its hands. It is equally responsible for around 83 million Wuhan virus infections. The world can't trust a country that caused the biggest health crisis of our times. It has cost the world 16 trillion dollars. 400 million jobs have been lost. 24 million students have dropped out of school. Businesses have been shuttered. Brands have been pushed into bankruptcy. A recession has touched all 5 continents.

This is what China gave the world in 2020. How can the world trust such a country? China has earned itself its biggest ever trust deficit. And Xi Jinping has earned himself comparisons with Nazi dictator Hitler. The world has seen how, just like Hitler, &nbsp;Xi Jinping is capable of killing people in cold blood. In his regime too, people disappear if they question the state. They face punishment if they speak the truth. Be it a citizen journalist reporting on Wuhan, a doctor warning the world about an outbreak or an outspoken real estate tycoon.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-xi-jinping-declares-2020-a-triumph-353689">WATCH|</a>

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The pandemic has also exposed the corruption in Xi Jinping's regime. The world knows about China's test kit blunders. How Xi Jinping's men struck secret deals with firms linked to the CCP. How they botched-up testing. The pandemic not only exposed the corruption-- it also exposed the extent of it. How China got WHO chief Dr Tedros to play accomplice. How it blocked a Wuhan virus discussion at the UNSC.

Where does this leave the president's pet project? The ambitious Belt and Road Initiative? Xi Jinping had a two-part plan to rule the world. First, through technology. Second, through infrastructure, through the Chinese debt trap. Now the president is going after the biggest tech name in China Jack Ma.

And the world is rejecting Chinese technology starting with Huawei and Chinese apps. As for Chinese infrastructure, the banks don't have that kind of cash to burn anymore. So it's a bumpy road ahead for the BRI and for Xi's dreams for China.

2020 has been a disaster for China. It has become permanently associated with the biggest challenge of our times. The Wuhan virus. Xi Jinping wanted to profit from this pandemic.

2020 has been a disaster for China. It has become permanently associated with the biggest challenge of our times. The Wuhan virus. Xi Jinping wanted to profit from this pandemic. Little did he know- that this move will boomerang and kill his dreams. Dreams of making china the world leader. Today, Beijing, like the rest of the world is bidding goodbye to 2020. It can also safely bid goodbye to its superpower dreams.. Beijing has the blood of nearly 2 million people on its hands. It is equally responsible for around 83 million Wuhan virus infections. The world can't trust a country that caused the biggest health crisis of our times. It has cost the world 16 trillion dollars. 400 million jobs have been lost. 24 million students have dropped out of school. Businesses have been shuttered. Brands have been pushed into bankruptcy. A recession has touched all 5 continents. This is what China gave the world in 2020. How can the world trust such a country? China has earned itself its biggest ever trust deficit. And Xi Jinping has earned himself comparisons with Nazi dictator Hitler. The world has seen how, just like Hitler, Xi Jinping is capable of killing people in cold blood. In his regime too, people disappear if they question the state. They face punishment if they speak the truth. Be it a citizen journalist reporting on Wuhan, a doctor warning the world about an outbreak or an outspoken real estate tycoon. WATCH| × The pandemic has also exposed the corruption in Xi Jinping's regime. The world knows about China's test kit blunders. How Xi Jinping's men struck secret deals with firms linked to the CCP. How they botched-up testing. The pandemic not only exposed the corruption-- it also exposed the extent of it. How China got WHO chief Dr Tedros to play accomplice. How it blocked a Wuhan virus discussion at the UNSC. Where does this leave the president's pet project? The ambitious Belt and Road Initiative? Xi Jinping had a two-part plan to rule the world. First, through technology. Second, through infrastructure, through the Chinese debt trap. Now the president is going after the biggest tech name in China Jack Ma. And the world is rejecting Chinese technology starting with Huawei and Chinese apps. As for Chinese infrastructure, the banks don't have that kind of cash to burn anymore. So it's a bumpy road ahead for the BRI and for Xi's dreams for China.

China faces bumpy road ahead in 2021

On the last day of 2020, China's President Xi Jinping declared a victory over the pandemic. Wuhan - the original epicentre, threw a party. Palki Sharma tells you how China is trying to reframe the narrative of the Wuhan Virus Pandemic.

Gravitas: Xi Jinping declares 2020 a triumph

With 2020 coming to an end, while countries worldwide are sliding into recession due to the coronavirus pandemic, the People’s Republic of China has bounced back to moderate economic growth.

China’s control over the pandemic is widening its divergence with other major nations, many of which are now re-imposing virus restrictions amid new waves of cases.

The Chinese Communist Party will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2021 and commemorate the occasion by organising several events as a reminder.

During 2020 the Communist Party dealt crushing blows to two things that might have spoiled the centenary celebration: coronavirus pandemic&nbsp;and unrest in Hong Kong.

However, even in 2021, China will face challenges on several fronts as democratic countries push back against Beijing.

In its bid to remain assertive and become the global superpower, China's relationship will remain tense with neighbours.

The threat of an armed conflict is real since the Chinese army&nbsp;remains active on multiple fronts, including India, Taiwan,&nbsp;South China Sea and Japan.

China's&nbsp;government sees&nbsp;human rights&nbsp;as an existential threat. Its reaction could pose an existential threat to the rights of people worldwide.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-what-to-expect-from-china-in-2021-353690">WATCH|</a>

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In its report, the Human Rights Watch said China conducts repression&nbsp;under the guise of “anti-separatism” or “counter-terrorism” remained particularly severe in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region (Xinjiang) and Tibetan-populated areas (Tibet). Authorities subjected Uighurs, Kazakhs and other predominantly Muslim ethnic groups in Xinjiang to intrusive surveillance, arbitrary detention and forced indoctrination.

The government continued to intimidate, harass, and prosecute human rights defenders and independent NGOs, including raids on their homes and offices. Human rights defenders’ family members were subjected to police surveillance, harassment, detention and restrictions on their freedom of movement.

US President-elect Joe Biden on Monday slammed China once again for “abuses” on trade, technology and human rights.

The&nbsp;pro-democracy&nbsp;opposition in&nbsp;Hong Kong's&nbsp;Legislative Council resigned en masse, a powerful show of solidarity against Beijing's&nbsp;latest intervention in the territory.

The protest came after the Chinese government passed a new law that would disqualify legislators for&nbsp;“unpatriotic”&nbsp;behavior — things like supporting Hong Kong’s independence or colluding with foreign powers.&nbsp;

Western countries such as Britain are granting&nbsp;asylum to Hong Kong pro-democracy protesters. Activist Nathan Law has submitted a refugee claim to the UK government.&nbsp;

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, has stressed adhering to systematic thinking to build a holistic national security architecture.

China's virus ruined its global reputation in 2020 and the&nbsp;cover-up along with the&nbsp;military campaigns to seize disputed territories made it worse.

Chinese President Jinping&nbsp;begins 2021 with a massive trust deficit, both at home and outside.

&nbsp;

With 2020 coming to an end, while countries worldwide are sliding into recession due to the coronavirus pandemic, the People’s Republic of China has bounced back to moderate economic growth.

With 2020 coming to an end, while countries worldwide are sliding into recession due to the coronavirus pandemic, the People’s Republic of China has bounced back to moderate economic growth. China’s control over the pandemic is widening its divergence with other major nations, many of which are now re-imposing virus restrictions amid new waves of cases. The Chinese Communist Party will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2021 and commemorate the occasion by organising several events as a reminder. During 2020 the Communist Party dealt crushing blows to two things that might have spoiled the centenary celebration: coronavirus pandemic and unrest in Hong Kong. However, even in 2021, China will face challenges on several fronts as democratic countries push back against Beijing. In its bid to remain assertive and become the global superpower, China's relationship will remain tense with neighbours. The threat of an armed conflict is real since the Chinese army remains active on multiple fronts, including India, Taiwan, South China Sea and Japan. China's government sees human rights as an existential threat. Its reaction could pose an existential threat to the rights of people worldwide. WATCH| × In its report, the Human Rights Watch said China conducts repression under the guise of “anti-separatism” or “counter-terrorism” remained particularly severe in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region (Xinjiang) and Tibetan-populated areas (Tibet). Authorities subjected Uighurs, Kazakhs and other predominantly Muslim ethnic groups in Xinjiang to intrusive surveillance, arbitrary detention and forced indoctrination. The government continued to intimidate, harass, and prosecute human rights defenders and independent NGOs, including raids on their homes and offices. Human rights defenders’ family members were subjected to police surveillance, harassment, detention and restrictions on their freedom of movement. US President-elect Joe Biden on Monday slammed China once again for “abuses” on trade, technology and human rights. The pro-democracy opposition in Hong Kong's Legislative Council resigned en masse, a powerful show of solidarity against Beijing's latest intervention in the territory. The protest came after the Chinese government passed a new law that would disqualify legislators for “unpatriotic” behavior — things like supporting Hong Kong’s independence or colluding with foreign powers. Western countries such as Britain are granting asylum to Hong Kong pro-democracy protesters. Activist Nathan Law has submitted a refugee claim to the UK government. Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, has stressed adhering to systematic thinking to build a holistic national security architecture. China's virus ruined its global reputation in 2020 and the cover-up along with the military campaigns to seize disputed territories made it worse. Chinese President Jinping begins 2021 with a massive trust deficit, both at home and outside.

China in 2021: What's in store?

2020 has been a disaster for China. Xi Jinping wanted to profit from this pandemic, but his plan boomeranged. Palki Sharma tells you how.

Gravitas: How Xi Jinping's plans boomeranged

Over 50 per cent of the Chinese population believes that Russia is the country's most important ally, according to a poll published in state-run the&nbsp;Global Times newspaper.

The poll was&nbsp;found that&nbsp;nearly 2,000 respondents are writing off China's better relations with the United States.

There was a sharp reduction in the number of people saying that ties with the US had the biggest impact on China, dropping to only 47.5 per cent, compared to 82.1 per cent when the question was asked last year.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/in-message-to-us-xi-jinping-says-china-russia-ties-will-not-be-broken-353156">In message to US, Xi Jinping says China-Russia ties will not be broken</a>

It comes after&nbsp;Chinese President Xi Jinping&nbsp;said that his country's&nbsp;ties to Russia will&nbsp;weather all kinds of international crises.

In a clear message to US President-elect Joe Biden, Jinping had highlighted&nbsp;the ''strong individual value'' of the China-Russia relationship.

Beijing has become the most significant commercial partner for Moscow, and the country is the leading destination for the export of Russian commodities, and a source of more than $56 trillion in imports.&nbsp;

Experts believe&nbsp;shared political obstacles with the EU and the US appear to be playing a role in the two nations stepping towards closer and closer political ties.

Over 50 per cent of the Chinese population believes that Russia is the country's most important ally, according to a poll published in state-run the Global Times newspaper.

Over 50 per cent of the Chinese population believes that Russia is the country's most important ally, according to a poll published in state-run the Global Times newspaper. The poll was found that nearly 2,000 respondents are writing off China's better relations with the United States. There was a sharp reduction in the number of people saying that ties with the US had the biggest impact on China, dropping to only 47.5 per cent, compared to 82.1 per cent when the question was asked last year. Also read: In message to US, Xi Jinping says China-Russia ties will not be broken It comes after Chinese President Xi Jinping said that his country's ties to Russia will weather all kinds of international crises. In a clear message to US President-elect Joe Biden, Jinping had highlighted the ''strong individual value'' of the China-Russia relationship. Beijing has become the most significant commercial partner for Moscow, and the country is the leading destination for the export of Russian commodities, and a source of more than $56 trillion in imports. Experts believe shared political obstacles with the EU and the US appear to be playing a role in the two nations stepping towards closer and closer political ties.

Over half of Chinese population believes Russia is its most important ally

In a clear signal to the United States, Chinese President Xi Jinping has said that his country's&nbsp;ties to Russia will&nbsp;weather all kinds of international crises.

Highlighting the ''strong individual value'' of the China-Russia relationship, Jinping told his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin&nbsp;“China is willing to unswervingly develop the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between China and Russia in the new era.”

A&nbsp;Chinese foreign ministry statement quoted Xi as saying&nbsp;“Sino-Russian relations are not affected by changes in the international situation or interference by any other factors. Strengthening strategic cooperation between China and Russia can effectively resist any attempt to suppress and divide the two countries.”

Jinping's remarks come as China pushes to consolidate its ties with other nations ahead of the inauguration of Joe Biden on January 20.

An investment deal between China and the European Union is also expected to wrap up soon after seven years of talks.

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin&nbsp;hailed the China-Russia Treaty of Good-neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation as an important milestone in bilateral relations, adding that Russia will continue staying committed to pushing forward the high-level development of China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination.&nbsp;

Putin said he hopes the two countries can continue to support each other on issues of major concern and enhance strategic coordination and cooperation in international affairs to make contributions to global stability.&nbsp;

'Systematic rival'

While Donald Trump's administration has engaged in a war of words with Beijing, Brussels has taken a balanced approach.

The EU states treat China as a "systemic rival" and have expressed concerns over China's rights record, especially its clampdown in Hong Kong and treatment of the Uighurs.&nbsp;

Berlin wanted to get the agreement signed off at a joint EU-China summit in September, but the coronavirus pushed the event online and no deal was signed.

China pushed past the United States in the third quarter of this year to become the EU's top trade partner, as the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the US economy while Chinese activity rebounded.

In a clear signal to the United States, Chinese President Xi Jinping has said that his country's ties to Russia will weather all kinds of international crises. Highlighting the ''strong individual value'' of the China-Russia relationship, Jinping told his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin “China is willing to unswervingly develop the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between China and Russia in the new era.

In a clear signal to the United States, Chinese President Xi Jinping has said that his country's ties to Russia will weather all kinds of international crises. Highlighting the ''strong individual value'' of the China-Russia relationship, Jinping told his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin “China is willing to unswervingly develop the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between China and Russia in the new era.” A Chinese foreign ministry statement quoted Xi as saying “Sino-Russian relations are not affected by changes in the international situation or interference by any other factors. Strengthening strategic cooperation between China and Russia can effectively resist any attempt to suppress and divide the two countries.” Jinping's remarks come as China pushes to consolidate its ties with other nations ahead of the inauguration of Joe Biden on January 20. An investment deal between China and the European Union is also expected to wrap up soon after seven years of talks. Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin hailed the China-Russia Treaty of Good-neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation as an important milestone in bilateral relations, adding that Russia will continue staying committed to pushing forward the high-level development of China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination. Putin said he hopes the two countries can continue to support each other on issues of major concern and enhance strategic coordination and cooperation in international affairs to make contributions to global stability. 'Systematic rival' While Donald Trump's administration has engaged in a war of words with Beijing, Brussels has taken a balanced approach. The EU states treat China as a "systemic rival" and have expressed concerns over China's rights record, especially its clampdown in Hong Kong and treatment of the Uighurs. Berlin wanted to get the agreement signed off at a joint EU-China summit in September, but the coronavirus pushed the event online and no deal was signed. China pushed past the United States in the third quarter of this year to become the EU's top trade partner, as the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the US economy while Chinese activity rebounded.

In message to US, Xi Jinping says China-Russia ties will not be broken

For China, China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a geopolitical game-changer - the biggest success of Chinese expansionism, and for Pakistan, it is a life-time opportunity and its last chance for economic modernisation.

For the last 18 months, the US$60 billion infrastructure project has been both a source of interest and concern even as there has been a global debate over its potential and problems.

China appears to be backing away from its initial financial promises to Pakistan under Beijing-financed CPEC, amid rising corruption and terrorist attacks on Chinese engineers.

According to Asia Times, Pakistan Army is set to take near-total control of the CPEC in a bid to reassure Beijing that their investments will be more secure amid terrorist attacks on Chinese engineers and others facilitating the infrastructure projects.

The new bill comes at a time when reports suggest that China is slowly retreating from its promises.

Overall lending by the state-backed China Development Bank and the Export-Import Bank of China declined from a peak of USD 75 billion in 2016 to just $4 billion last year. Provisional 2020 figures show that amount shrunk to around $3 billion in 2020, according to data of Boston University researchers in the United States.

The belt-tightening is believed to be in line with Beijing's so-called "rethink strategy" for its US$1 trillion BRI, which is under broad fire for "structural weaknesses" including opacity, corruption, overlending to poor countries resulting in "debt traps" and adverse social and environmental impacts, the Boston University researchers said.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, whose government is criticised for being under military control, is also facing flak in his country for not prioritising and expediting big-ticket Chinese infrastructure investments, Asia Times reported.

In 2018, Imran Khan had put on hold several CPEC projects suspecting corruption by the previous government. However, two years later, several of his Cabinet members were named in big corruption scandals involving the country's power sector. About one-third of Pakistan's power companies are involved in Chinese projects under the CPEC.

The 278-page inquiry report, compiled by the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) and presented to Imran Khan in April, unearthed alleged irregularities worth over USD 1.8 billion in subsidies given to 16 independent power producers (IPPs) including those belonging to Imran Khan's advisors Razak Dawood and Nadeem Baber, Asia Times said.

The SCEP had also investigated the profits earned by the Chinese power companies. The report revealed that Huang Shandong Ruyi Pakistan Ltd (HSR) and Port Qasim Electric Power Co Ltd (PQEPCL) were together overpaid by 483.6 billion rupees (USD 3 billion).

Terrorists in Balochistan province, meanwhile, have intensified their attacks on CPEC projects and Chinese nationals working on them, raising the security costs and political risks of the projects. Islamabad's move to give the military more control over the scheme is a clear attempt to mollify China's rising security concerns.

(With inputs from agencies)

For China, China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a geopolitical game-changer - the biggest success of Chinese expansionism, and for Pakistan, it is a life-time opportunity and its last chance for economic modernisation.

For China, China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a geopolitical game-changer - the biggest success of Chinese expansionism, and for Pakistan, it is a life-time opportunity and its last chance for economic modernisation. For the last 18 months, the US$60 billion infrastructure project has been both a source of interest and concern even as there has been a global debate over its potential and problems. China appears to be backing away from its initial financial promises to Pakistan under Beijing-financed CPEC, amid rising corruption and terrorist attacks on Chinese engineers. According to Asia Times, Pakistan Army is set to take near-total control of the CPEC in a bid to reassure Beijing that their investments will be more secure amid terrorist attacks on Chinese engineers and others facilitating the infrastructure projects. The new bill comes at a time when reports suggest that China is slowly retreating from its promises. Overall lending by the state-backed China Development Bank and the Export-Import Bank of China declined from a peak of USD 75 billion in 2016 to just $4 billion last year. Provisional 2020 figures show that amount shrunk to around $3 billion in 2020, according to data of Boston University researchers in the United States. The belt-tightening is believed to be in line with Beijing's so-called "rethink strategy" for its US$1 trillion BRI, which is under broad fire for "structural weaknesses" including opacity, corruption, overlending to poor countries resulting in "debt traps" and adverse social and environmental impacts, the Boston University researchers said. Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, whose government is criticised for being under military control, is also facing flak in his country for not prioritising and expediting big-ticket Chinese infrastructure investments, Asia Times reported. In 2018, Imran Khan had put on hold several CPEC projects suspecting corruption by the previous government. However, two years later, several of his Cabinet members were named in big corruption scandals involving the country's power sector. About one-third of Pakistan's power companies are involved in Chinese projects under the CPEC. The 278-page inquiry report, compiled by the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) and presented to Imran Khan in April, unearthed alleged irregularities worth over USD 1.8 billion in subsidies given to 16 independent power producers (IPPs) including those belonging to Imran Khan's advisors Razak Dawood and Nadeem Baber, Asia Times said. The SCEP had also investigated the profits earned by the Chinese power companies. The report revealed that Huang Shandong Ruyi Pakistan Ltd (HSR) and Port Qasim Electric Power Co Ltd (PQEPCL) were together overpaid by 483.6 billion rupees (USD 3 billion). Terrorists in Balochistan province, meanwhile, have intensified their attacks on CPEC projects and Chinese nationals working on them, raising the security costs and political risks of the projects. Islamabad's move to give the military more control over the scheme is a clear attempt to mollify China's rising security concerns. (With inputs from agencies)

China retreating from promises to Pakistan under economic corridor: Report

Xi Jinping is trying to turn a food crisis into a war on food wastage. China is set to criminalise 'overeating'. Restaurants promoting excessive meals will pay fines. Chinese citizens will face penalties for leftovers. WION's Palki Sharma Upadhyay gets you a detailed report.

Gravitas: 'Over-eating' now a crime in China

Xi Jinping's battle on waste is set to be cherished in law, with the accommodation of draft enactment to China's most elevated legitimate council suggesting enormous fines for organizations that empower or advance squandering food.&nbsp;

In August the Chinese leader&nbsp;said the measure of food squandered broadly was stunning and troubling, pronouncing in a discourse that: "squander is dishonorable and frugality is noteworthy".&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-is-china-running-out-of-food-320611/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Under the mission "Activity void plate", neighborhood specialists immediately set out on projects to diminish squander and urge food sources to restrict requests to one less dish than the quantity of cafes in a gathering. The famous wonder of mukbang recordings – performative eating recordings which began in Korea and frequently include extreme gorging – were additionally prohibited.&nbsp;

It additionally would permit eateries to charge supporters for unnecessary measures of extras.&nbsp;

The draft law likewise specified possible fines for a telecaster – radio, TV, or on the web – which produces distributes or disperses the advancement of food squander, including indulging. Neglecting to regard a conventional admonition by government specialists could bring about punishments of up to 100,000 yuan, and the suspension of business "for correction".&nbsp;

A report by the China Academy of Science found that in 2015 occupants in large urban communities, including Beijing and Shanghai, squandered 17 to 18 million tons of food, or enough to take care of 30 to 50 million individuals.

A fourth of the waste was staple nourishments like rice and noodles, and about 18 per cent&nbsp;of its meat, the report said.&nbsp;

China depends vigorously on imports for its food security, especially when catastrophic events like flooding influence homegrown creation and costs.&nbsp;

On Chinese online media, some named the proposed law pointless excess and said it was "obliging the authority".&nbsp;

"As a business, who might rebuff its own clients?," said one individual in Weibo who called the draft "hopeful".&nbsp;

"Rather than this sort of charge, it is smarter to control the norm of the measure of nourishment for foodservice, expecting foodservice to give medium and little parts."&nbsp;

Others stressed that the law would incite eateries to give more modest suppers at more exorbitant costs, or considered what it would mean if a supporter had a little hunger or simply didn't care for their feast.&nbsp;

"I will focus on the segment when requesting, and I will pack the extras," said one individual. "In any case, in some cases, the facts confirm that the food can't be gulped on the grounds that the food is unpalatable. I trust that the administrative arrangements can consider."

Growing surveillance

Shanghai authorities are requesting that inhabitants report food-squandering practices. Food industry managers are asking coffee shops to arrange at any rate one less dish than the quantity of individuals in their gathering. What's more, one café in southern Hunan territory even requested that burger joints gauge themselves prior to entering, to assist them with picking suitable suppers.&nbsp;

In the same way as other nations around the globe, China has a gigantic issue with food squander. In 2015, the nation threw enough to take care of at any rate 30 to 50 million individuals - the populaces of Australia and New Zealand joined, or the territory of Texas - for a whole year, as indicated by Chinese state media&nbsp;

Chinese President Xi Jinping declared the mission to handle what he called the "stunning and upsetting" issue of food squander on August 11, state-run news office Xinhua said. His message came as the Covid-19 flare-up upset worldwide food supply chains.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Xi Jinping's battle on waste is set to be cherished in law, with the accommodation of draft enactment to China's most elevated legitimate council suggesting enormous fines for organizations that empower or advance squandering food.

Xi Jinping's battle on waste is set to be cherished in law, with the accommodation of draft enactment to China's most elevated legitimate council suggesting enormous fines for organizations that empower or advance squandering food. In August the Chinese leader said the measure of food squandered broadly was stunning and troubling, pronouncing in a discourse that: "squander is dishonorable and frugality is noteworthy". Under the mission "Activity void plate", neighborhood specialists immediately set out on projects to diminish squander and urge food sources to restrict requests to one less dish than the quantity of cafes in a gathering. The famous wonder of mukbang recordings – performative eating recordings which began in Korea and frequently include extreme gorging – were additionally prohibited. It additionally would permit eateries to charge supporters for unnecessary measures of extras. The draft law likewise specified possible fines for a telecaster – radio, TV, or on the web – which produces distributes or disperses the advancement of food squander, including indulging. Neglecting to regard a conventional admonition by government specialists could bring about punishments of up to 100,000 yuan, and the suspension of business "for correction". A report by the China Academy of Science found that in 2015 occupants in large urban communities, including Beijing and Shanghai, squandered 17 to 18 million tons of food, or enough to take care of 30 to 50 million individuals. A fourth of the waste was staple nourishments like rice and noodles, and about 18 per cent of its meat, the report said. China depends vigorously on imports for its food security, especially when catastrophic events like flooding influence homegrown creation and costs. On Chinese online media, some named the proposed law pointless excess and said it was "obliging the authority". "As a business, who might rebuff its own clients?," said one individual in Weibo who called the draft "hopeful". "Rather than this sort of charge, it is smarter to control the norm of the measure of nourishment for foodservice, expecting foodservice to give medium and little parts." Others stressed that the law would incite eateries to give more modest suppers at more exorbitant costs, or considered what it would mean if a supporter had a little hunger or simply didn't care for their feast. "I will focus on the segment when requesting, and I will pack the extras," said one individual. "In any case, in some cases, the facts confirm that the food can't be gulped on the grounds that the food is unpalatable. I trust that the administrative arrangements can consider." Growing surveillance Shanghai authorities are requesting that inhabitants report food-squandering practices. Food industry managers are asking coffee shops to arrange at any rate one less dish than the quantity of individuals in their gathering. What's more, one café in southern Hunan territory even requested that burger joints gauge themselves prior to entering, to assist them with picking suitable suppers. In the same way as other nations around the globe, China has a gigantic issue with food squander. In 2015, the nation threw enough to take care of at any rate 30 to 50 million individuals - the populaces of Australia and New Zealand joined, or the territory of Texas - for a whole year, as indicated by Chinese state media Chinese President Xi Jinping declared the mission to handle what he called the "stunning and upsetting" issue of food squander on August 11, state-run news office Xinhua said. His message came as the Covid-19 flare-up upset worldwide food supply chains.

China to fine restaurants for promoting overeating under anti-food waste campaign

An enormous expansion in biodegradable plastic creation in China is outperforming the nation's capacity to debase the materials, as indicated by another report distributed by the foundation Greenpeace.&nbsp;

China, the world's biggest maker of plastic waste, presented boycotts recently on a few kinds of non-degradable single-use plastics, inciting makers to increase the creation of biodegradable adaptations.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-reporting-usage-of-single-use-plastics-to-authorities-now-mandatory-346475">China: Reporting usage of single-use plastics to authorities now mandatory</a>

As indicated by Greenpeace, 36 organizations in China have arranged or constructed new biodegradable plastic assembling offices, adding a creation limit of more than 4.4 million tons for every year - a more than sevenfold expansion in under a year.&nbsp;

China's internet business industry is on target to create an expected 5 million tons of biodegradable plastic waste every year by 2025 when the nation's single-utilize plastic boycotts become an effective cross country, the cause said.&nbsp;

Biodegradable plastics can be separated by living life forms, yet most require explicit mechanical treatment at high temperatures to be debased inside a half year. Left in landfills under ordinary conditions, the materials can take any longer to start to separate will, in any case, deliver carbon into the air.&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/video-crime-networks-profit-from-china-plastic-trash-import-ban-says-interpol-report-323847/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"Without controlled fertilizing the soil offices, most biodegradable plastics end up in landfills, or more regrettable, in waterways and the sea," said Greenpeace's East Asia plastics specialist Dr. Molly Zhongnan Jia.&nbsp;

"Changing starting with one kind of plastic then onto the next can't settle the plastics contamination emergency that we're confronting," she said.&nbsp;

Chinese president Xi Jinping has in late talks focused on the significance of decreasing plastic waste, yet many significant Chinese urban communities have a next to zero framework set up to adapt to the development of biodegradable plastics creation.&nbsp;

Plastic issues&nbsp;

One of the primary difficulties with biodegradable plastics all around the world is that they can't be placed into normal family reusing or debased in-home fertilizing the soil receptacles - which means purchasers generally don't have any course to get biodegradable bundling to the sorts of mechanical offices fit for handling it.&nbsp;

"Except if there is a clear framework for what we call 'end-of-life' - regardless of whether that is reusing or cremation or landfill or biodegradation somehow or another - at that point that is as yet a solitary utilize plastic," said Dr. Rachael Rothman, the co-overseer of the Grantham Center for Sustainable Futures at the University of Sheffield.&nbsp;

"Because a plastic is biodegradable, that doesn't mean it isn't single-use," she said.&nbsp;

Another classification of plastics made completely or incompletely from natural assets - frequently alluded to as "bioplastics" - are not really biodegradable, adding to likely disarray for buyers.&nbsp;

Internationally, the mechanical foundation expected to handle biodegradable plastics - from assortment through to high-temperature treating the soil - doesn't exist at the scale expected to coordinate the volume of those plastics being delivered.&nbsp;

"This is a worldwide issue, totally," said Dr. Rothman. "The UK has been counseling on bio-degradable and compostable plastics and there's another norm on biodegradability. In any case, when you take a gander at the subtleties, it says the material requirements to get to 60 degrees Celsius, and what plastic is going to 60 degrees in the UK?"&nbsp;

Transportation off waste&nbsp;

An investigation distributed in October in the diary Sciences Advances, which inspected information from 2016, assessed that the US was the world's driving plastic waste maker that year, trailed by India and afterward China. Taken, all things considered, the EU countries would be in the runner up, notwithstanding having just about 40% of the number of inhabitants in India and China.&nbsp;

The US delivers enormous amounts of its plastic waste to different nations. In 2017 alone, China took in 7 million tons of plastic waste from Europe, Japan, and the US.&nbsp;

China has since prohibited the import of 24 unique evaluations of garbage, however different nations including Malaysia, Turkey, the Philippines, and Indonesia, which as of now need to handle enormous amounts of their own plastic waste, have gotten a portion of the leeway.&nbsp;

A portion of these nations has since sent a portion of the imported plastic waste back.&nbsp;

The Greenpeace report distributed on Thursday cautions that supplanting single-use plastics with high-volume creation of different biodegradable options isn't the answer for the plastics squander issue.&nbsp;

"This 'biodegradables surge' needs to stop. We need to investigate the impact and expected dangers of mainstreaming these materials, and ensure we put resources into arrangements that really diminish plastic waste," said Greenpeace's Dr. Jia.&nbsp;

"Reusable bundling frameworks and a decrease in generally plastic use are significantly more encouraging methodologies to keep plastic out of landfills and the climate," she said.

An enormous expansion in biodegradable plastic creation in China is outperforming the nation's capacity to debase the materials, as indicated by another report distributed by the foundation Greenpeace.

An enormous expansion in biodegradable plastic creation in China is outperforming the nation's capacity to debase the materials, as indicated by another report distributed by the foundation Greenpeace. China, the world's biggest maker of plastic waste, presented boycotts recently on a few kinds of non-degradable single-use plastics, inciting makers to increase the creation of biodegradable adaptations. Also read: China: Reporting usage of single-use plastics to authorities now mandatory As indicated by Greenpeace, 36 organizations in China have arranged or constructed new biodegradable plastic assembling offices, adding a creation limit of more than 4.4 million tons for every year - a more than sevenfold expansion in under a year. China's internet business industry is on target to create an expected 5 million tons of biodegradable plastic waste every year by 2025 when the nation's single-utilize plastic boycotts become an effective cross country, the cause said. Biodegradable plastics can be separated by living life forms, yet most require explicit mechanical treatment at high temperatures to be debased inside a half year. Left in landfills under ordinary conditions, the materials can take any longer to start to separate will, in any case, deliver carbon into the air. "Without controlled fertilizing the soil offices, most biodegradable plastics end up in landfills, or more regrettable, in waterways and the sea," said Greenpeace's East Asia plastics specialist Dr. Molly Zhongnan Jia. "Changing starting with one kind of plastic then onto the next can't settle the plastics contamination emergency that we're confronting," she said. Chinese president Xi Jinping has in late talks focused on the significance of decreasing plastic waste, yet many significant Chinese urban communities have a next to zero framework set up to adapt to the development of biodegradable plastics creation. Plastic issues One of the primary difficulties with biodegradable plastics all around the world is that they can't be placed into normal family reusing or debased in-home fertilizing the soil receptacles - which means purchasers generally don't have any course to get biodegradable bundling to the sorts of mechanical offices fit for handling it. "Except if there is a clear framework for what we call 'end-of-life' - regardless of whether that is reusing or cremation or landfill or biodegradation somehow or another - at that point that is as yet a solitary utilize plastic," said Dr. Rachael Rothman, the co-overseer of the Grantham Center for Sustainable Futures at the University of Sheffield. "Because a plastic is biodegradable, that doesn't mean it isn't single-use," she said. Another classification of plastics made completely or incompletely from natural assets - frequently alluded to as "bioplastics" - are not really biodegradable, adding to likely disarray for buyers. Internationally, the mechanical foundation expected to handle biodegradable plastics - from assortment through to high-temperature treating the soil - doesn't exist at the scale expected to coordinate the volume of those plastics being delivered. "This is a worldwide issue, totally," said Dr. Rothman. "The UK has been counseling on bio-degradable and compostable plastics and there's another norm on biodegradability. In any case, when you take a gander at the subtleties, it says the material requirements to get to 60 degrees Celsius, and what plastic is going to 60 degrees in the UK?" Transportation off waste An investigation distributed in October in the diary Sciences Advances, which inspected information from 2016, assessed that the US was the world's driving plastic waste maker that year, trailed by India and afterward China. Taken, all things considered, the EU countries would be in the runner up, notwithstanding having just about 40% of the number of inhabitants in India and China. The US delivers enormous amounts of its plastic waste to different nations. In 2017 alone, China took in 7 million tons of plastic waste from Europe, Japan, and the US. China has since prohibited the import of 24 unique evaluations of garbage, however different nations including Malaysia, Turkey, the Philippines, and Indonesia, which as of now need to handle enormous amounts of their own plastic waste, have gotten a portion of the leeway. A portion of these nations has since sent a portion of the imported plastic waste back. The Greenpeace report distributed on Thursday cautions that supplanting single-use plastics with high-volume creation of different biodegradable options isn't the answer for the plastics squander issue. "This 'biodegradables surge' needs to stop. We need to investigate the impact and expected dangers of mainstreaming these materials, and ensure we put resources into arrangements that really diminish plastic waste," said Greenpeace's Dr. Jia. "Reusable bundling frameworks and a decrease in generally plastic use are significantly more encouraging methodologies to keep plastic out of landfills and the climate," she said.

China's biodegradable plastics 'failing to tackle pollution crisis'

China is the world’s leading jailer of journalists for the second year in a row, according to an annual survey by the Committee to Protect Journalists.

China jailed number of Journalists amid COVID-19: CPJ report

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