The Hong Kong government issues a press statement complaining that a Bloomberg article on a proposed cybersecurity law selectively quoted consultation submissions…
The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) today (August 20) opposed Bloomberg’s biased report on the submissions made by some organisations on the proposed legislative framework to enhance protection of computer systems of critical infrastructures, taking the views of the submissions out of context.
HKFP story here.
Surely, the fears that the new law might infringe on privacy and confidentiality are the story? If they reflect distrust of the government among the business community, why blame Bloomberg for reporting it?
Also in HKFP, China’s foreign ministry tells Hong Kong-based consuls to get permission to travel to Macau (which many of them cover) and Greater Bay Area locations like Shenzhen and Guangzhou. Consular officials wonder whether applications for such travel could be refused, and are concerned that parties they are visiting might not want their details passed to Chinese authorities…
HKFP reached out to the Commissioner’s Office of China’s Foreign Ministry in Hong Kong for comment, but received no response to multiple emails and calls. HKFP also reached out to the Protocol Division and Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau, but a spokesperson referred HKFP back to the Chinese Foreign Ministry in Hong Kong.
Some weekend reading and viewing…
A short video in which Transit Jam has a word with Kowloon Tong traffic wardens.
Reuters looks at the ‘rotten-tail’ kids…
After spending years climbing China’s ultra-competitive academic ladder, “rotten-tail kids” are discovering that their qualifications are failing to secure them jobs in a bleak economy.
Their options are limited. Either they cut their expectations for top-paying jobs or find any job to make ends meet. Some have also turned to crime.
…Amada Chen, a recent graduate from Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, quit her sales job at a state-owned enterprise last week after just one month.
She blamed her decision on the toxic work culture and her boss’s unrealistic expectations. For the first 15 days of her probation, she was also getting just 60 yuan ($8.40) a day despite having to work 12 hours daily.
“I cried every day for a week,” she said.
Chen had wanted to become a quality inspector or a researcher, jobs she thought would match her skills as a traditional Chinese medicine major.
But over 130 job application letters later, she was offered mostly sales or e-commerce related positions.
Chen said she was reconsidering her career path altogether and might turn to modelling.
For fans of the ongoing Trump debate…
Vladimir Putin exploited Donald Trump’s “ego and insecurities” to exert an almost mesmeric hold over the former US president, who refused to entertain any negative evaluation of the autocratic Russian leader from his own staff, and ultimately fired his national security adviser, HR McMaster, over it.
In reality, McMaster says, Putin’s apparent simpering over Trump was a calculated effort by the Russian leader to exploit the president and drive a wedge between him and hawkish advisers in Washington DC such as McMaster urging the US to take a harder line with the Kremlin.
“Putin, a ruthless former KGB operator, played to Trump’s ego and insecurities with flattery,” McMaster writes.
In India, scientists and academics are protesting fake history and pseudoscience being pushed by Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist BJP party…
…“They want people to believe Vedic India was far advanced compared to all other civilizations in the world and that other civilizations emanated from the ancient Hindu civilization. Such claims without evidence are dangerous for society,” said Banerjee, who is a professor at the Department of Physical Sciences at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER-Kolkata).
Among the ideas: Modi’s claim that ancient Indians developed plastic surgery (citing Ganesh, the elephant-headed Hindu deity, as evidence); a state chief minister’s claim that ancient India had the internet and satellites; incorporation of reincarnation and astrology in academic courses; blaming non-vegetarianism for landslides in the Himalayas; ‘cow science’ (the belief that bovine products contain magic ingredients); and a government ministry devoted to Ayurveda, Unani and Homoeopathic medicine.
Sounds somewhat like some Chinese academics’ claims that the Chinese are descended from a different strain of hominid than other homo sapiens and only Han technology could have built Egypt’s pyramids, or Hong Kong’s insistence on treating regional folk superstition as equal to evidence-based medicine. From RTHK today – pro-Beijing politicians call on patients to consult both science-based and ‘Chinese medicine’ practitioners.
“Also in HKFP, China’s foreign ministry tells Hong Kong-based consuls to get permission to travel to Macau (which many of them cover) and Greater Bay Area locations like Shenzhen and Guangzhou.”
As the diplomatic business is entirely made up of quid pro quo agreements, we’ll hopefully see CCPChinese diplomats needing to apply for special permission to travel from, say, Tokyo to Okinawa. Berlin to Bavaria. Washington DC to Houston. Etc etc. In time things will change back to the way they were, though without all the fanfare.
Reminds me of a story from several years ago: A certain embassy in Peking had a commissary for employees that sold duty free imported craft beers, snack foods and other assorted personal daily use items not so easily procurable in China for their diplomatic employees and non Chinese local support staff. CCP MOFA ordered it shut down for whatever reason they could come up with to be total pricks. So the foreign affairs bureau of said foreign embassy had the home office suspend all tax free imports that the Chinese embassy in the opposite country had going (including unusually large amounts of *cosmetics*, liquor and cigarettes).
Needless to say, after a short time of doing without, things resumed back to the status quo. Ah, diplomacy…
Under George W Bush, Vladimir Putin invaded Georgia.
Under Barack Obama, Vladimir Putin invaded Crimea.
Under Joe Biden, Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine.
Under Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin didn’t invade anywhere.
Whatever game Donald Trump was playing, it worked.
Limpets
First – I hope you don’t mind – first, a little history.
Rome, the place. The year is 1849.
Rome was a virtual kingdom, subject to
The Pope. Then, a year ago, the people rose
And founded a Republic. Heady days. But now
The armies of both France and Naples are advancing
To crush the young Republic and re-enthrone the Pope.
English residents of Rome, what should they do?
Stay or flee? Hire some horses now, and flee?
They assemble, feeling safer in one place.
Hong Kong: foreign residents, what should they do?
Sometimes when I see another westerner
(Or when I see myself), I wonder, why are they
Still here? Ties of family, finance, or work,
Ties of habit, age, or illness? Hopefulness?
Are they a stranger in the country of their passport?
Are they saying, implying, ‘I belong here, now.’ ?
Rome, the English residents. The poet wrote:
“We cling to our rocks like limpets. Ocean may bluster,
Over and under and round us; we open our shells to imbibe our
Nourishment, close them again, and are safe.”
Are we safe? Do we cling? Are we limpets?
– – – – – – – –
The quotation is from ‘Amours de Voyage’ by Arthur Hugh Clough.
No sympathy here for the British Consulate. In 1989 I got a new passport issued by the British Embassy in Peking in about half an hour, while I sat on a nice sofa with last week’s Telegraph (previous passport, presented, was full). Nowadays the HK one doesn’t issue them at all, and I have to faff around online and with DHL to London and keep fingers crossed that I won’t need to travel for a few weeks.
Young Winston
Change due to Cameron and Osborne, in the interests (apparently) of security and efficiency! Plus austerity. Classic example of change for changes sake, making it worse.
You’re absolutely right of course, HR.
It would never be that Vlad needed to keep his useful moron in the pocket to milk for intel and good insider stuff as needed as well as build up the serial bankruptcy declarer as someone competent so that he’d feel confident enough (during a never materialized second consecutive term) to once and for all pull the U.S. out of NATO, right?
Your despot worshipping is almost as bad as the orange turd’s and I’m sorry you never got your fourth star after losing all credibility and dignity working for the turd. Just think…chief of staff of the army? Chairman of the JCS??? It all could have been possible had you not agreed to be shat upon on a daily basis by the poster boy for Freud’s Id.
@Mother Russia
I understand.
Your approach to political argument is very common these days.
When faced with facts, just scream, “Orange Man Bad”!
That’ll do the trick in most social circles.
#HR McMasturbate – you don’t need to invade the US if you’ve already got its leader by the short and curlies.
@HRMcM
I guess Putin’s got his hands full with the Ukraine situation right now and is too busy to plan another invasion.
@Low Profile
I get it. It’s an unassailable argument.
“Orange Man Bad!”
The reasoning is flawless.
Rinse & repeat. Ad nauseum.
“Rinse & repeat. Ad nauseum.”
Good thing you follow your own advice.
What else have you got? Fingers in ear while singing “Nyaaa nyaaa nyaaa!!” so no one will hurt your feelings?
@Mother Russia
Here’s what I’ve got and no reply except “Orange Man Bad”!
Under George W Bush, Vladimir Putin invaded Georgia.
Under Barack Obama, Vladimir Putin invaded Crimea.
Under Joe Biden, Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine.
Under Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin didn’t invade anywhere.
Whatever game The Orange Man was playing, it worked.
But you do you. Knock yourself out.
@Young Winston. In Peking. In 1989! Boy must you have stories to tell.
HR
Are you the same person as the “Peter Navarro” who posted one or two similarly asinine comments yesterday?
If so, why do you feel the need to keep changing your name?
I think we should be told.