China considers easing entry rules for some foreign tourists
"According to a draft policy document released by China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism on Monday, tour groups organized by travel agencies in China's border areas will be able to choose their port of entry and exit "flexibly" -- however, further details on locations and dates weren't provided
[...] The policy didn't specify whether those entering would still have to follow China's quarantine requirements for incoming travelers, which consists of one week of hotel quarantine and three days of home observation."
--- Nothingburger. To know the unknown is to know that you know nothing.
If you have to quarantine, it's a joke, anyway. Because the above-mentioned 10 days are the absolute minimum. If you are unlucky, your quarantine takes a month or longer.
If you don't have to quarantine, you will probably have to stay in a bubble. I doubt that would give you much of a relaxing experience.
Anyway: Don't go to China. Going there is not a good idea as long as emperor Xi is in power. Going there is a terribly bad idea as long as emperor Xi insists on his zero-Covid nonsense.
China develops extra-large underwater drones
"extra-large uncrewed underwater vehicles (XLUUVs) [...] also called drone submarines, have already been developed by the navies of both the U.S. and the U.K., and China seems to be pursuing its own program
[...] The newly discovered XLUUVs in Sanya are said to be much larger than the HSU001s and similar to the Boeing-manufactured Orca XLUUV in size."
--- Wouldn't be too surprising if they were a direct Orca copy. Dubious whether they are as capable, though.
Overall, no surprise. You can expect a Chinese copy of any new US development within a few years.
Will China’s plan for a ‘green silk road’ live up to environmental promises?
"biologist William Laurance, director of the Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science at James Cook University in Cairns, Australia, remains skeptical. “BRI will still have a major impact on ecosystems: China has said that it will be low-carbon, green and sustainable, but it is anything but that,” he says. “New roads will still decimate forests, transport routes will still destroy biodiversity on a grand scale. China says it will follow environmental guidelines, but history has shown these protections are nonexistent.”"
--- & that's how it goes, lip service to environmental protection, but then ignoring it.
Concerns grow over treatment of detained #MeToo activist after she 'fires' attorney
"It said that while Huang's family had hired defense attorney Wan Miaoyan to represent her, police had presented a letter signed by Huang terminating the lawyer's instruction.
When Wan tried to visit Huang at the detention center, the request was denied on the basis of COVID-19 control and prevention measures.
"Huang has been represented by a government-appointed lawyer(s) since then,""
--- Why would you need your own freely chosen lawyer, if you have the totally honest & impartial CCP providing you one who will definitely do the best to impress the judge with loyalty towards emperor Xi? Your regime-provided lawyer will definitely do everything in his or her power to bring the Chinese conviction rate closer to 100%.
Taiwan's security chief's Thai visit leaked on social media in 'cognitive warfare'
"On Sept. 12, 2022, a Twitter account posted photos of Chen Ming-tong's customs clearance, flight information and hotel receipts"
--- So, China's secret service has either access to or sources inside the Thai customs system. Probably in other countries, too. Should worry you, if you are a Chinese dissident or a China critic.
Most of Kansas Professor's U.S. Conviction for Hiding China Ties Tossed
"U.S. District Judge Julie Robinson in Kansas City, Kansas, ruled prosecutors presented insufficient evidence to support Feng "Franklin" Tao's conviction on three wire fraud counts in April by a jury in her courtroom.
She upheld his conviction on one count of making a false statement.
[...] while Tao was "deceptive" in not disclosing his activities in China, there was "no evidence that Tao obtained money or property through the alleged scheme to defraud, as required under the wire fraud statute.""
--- Pretty naive to think that he simply did not disclose his activities & there was nothing else untoward going on. But if there is no(t enough) evidence, what can you do?
--- CNBC: "Qazi: There isn't a real case to be made for China's zero COVID policy to be scrapped altogether"
--- ARTE: "Power Play in the South China Sea" (French with English subs)
--- WION: Gravitas: This draconian policy could be taking lives in China
--- US Institute of Peace: China’s Influence on the Freely Associated States
CCP getting fed up with nationalists flying drones over Taiwanese islands?
Europas Wirtschaft: Auf Entzug von China
"All diese Schritte erfordern koordiniertes Handeln auf europäischer Ebene und mittel- bis langfristig angelegte Strategien. Gelingt das, können die Krisen der letzten beiden Jahre für Europa eine Chance sein."
--- Naja, & da liegt das Problem. Das mit der Koordination klappt innerhalb der EU leider nicht so richtig. Solange es für jedes Kinkerlitzchen ein Vetorecht gibt, wird man sich immer auf den allerkleinsten gemeinsamen Nenner einigen müssen. & mit Chinafreunden wie Orban in der EU ist dieser wirklich extrem klein.
Roboter-Installationen in China auf Rekordhöhe
"Die demografische Alterung der Bevölkerung führe im Reich der Mitte zu einem Mangel an Arbeitskräften und steigere damit die Nachfrage nach Roboterautomation."
--- Im Augenblick herrscht da aber eher Arbeitskräfteüberfluss. & da ist wachsende Automatisierung zur Zeit eher nicht hilfreich. (Naja, den automatisierten Firmen hilft es natürlich insoweit, als daß Roboter nicht in Quarantäne müssen.)
