Heartbreaking story in #China today: the 26-year old teacher’s tearful re-union with the parents who’ve been looking for him since he was 2 years old. His father never gave up the search, famously riding a motorbike from town to town with banners carrying his son’s photo.
Twenty four years ago, the two year old was taken from the doorway directly in front of his family’s home. The police say they finally found him with a DNA match + that two suspects (a man and a woman) have been arrested for allegedly abducting the child and selling him in 1997.
Guo Gangtang’s relentless, decades-long search for his son on the back of a motorbike led to a film adaption of his story. He used the subsequent fame to help the parents of other missing children in #China but couldn’t find his own boy... until now.
A regular journalist experience in #China: I went to #Suzhou this weekend to play footy. After checking into a hotel my journalist visa obviously triggered the ‘warning journalist’ buzzer inside Big Brother’ HQ. The hotel staff then asked me: “Why are you here”? [cont]
“Err to play football”, I say. Later another call, this time the hotel manager. She says she’s checking again for the police why I’m in the city. “To play football,” I say again. What about the other foreigners staying in the hotel? Again I answer: “Football”. [cont]
Then another call. This time it’s the Exit-Entry police. “Why are you in #Suzhou”? A: “To play football”. Q: “Not to conduct interviews”? A: “No”. Police then say: “Because if you were here to conduct interviews you would have to first register with us”. [cont]
The Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s annual, highly-controlled press conference starts in about 10 minutes. #China facing massive global challenges but, with only screened questions permitted, no guarantee that any decent questions will be allowed at all.
Unfortunately due to the high volume of Communist Party sponsored/encouraged troll attacks in recent times I’m limiting who can respond to this thread. I’m sorry to impose this on normal people out there with genuine questions but until @Twitter fixes this it’ll be happening more
Due to #coronavirus restrictions Wang Yi’s annual NPC press conference will, for the second year in a row, be done remotely. He will be at the Great Hall of the People and a selection of approved journalists will ask questions from a media centre in another part of #Beijing.
National People’s Congress underway in #Beijing. Because of the #coronavirus we are not inside the Great Hall of the People for the opening session for the second year in a row. #China
Unlike last year as the #coronavirus took off, the Chinese Government has set an official economic growth target for this year of 6%+ GDP growth. Budget deficit (as a percentage of GDP) is also down on last year, as #China prepares to emerge economically from the #covid emergency
Though people will be looking at renewable energy targets etc, in terms of big news at the rubber stamp session, it'll be remembered for introducing changes to #HongKong's electoral system making an already rigged voting procedure even more impossible for the pro-democracy camp.
Tomorrow (Friday) National People’s Congress opening in #Beijing: nearly 3,000 delegates will gather to rubber stamp new measures/laws approved by the Communist Party. Watch out for changes to #HongKong’s electoral system making it even harder for anyone but pro-Beijing camp.
Also to watch out for: if #China’s leaders set a GDP target for the coming 12 months. Last year - given the #coronavirus emergency - there was no target (actually understandable really).
Climate and other environmental challenges could also get a mention, especially as they relate to economic changes. New 5-year plan to be unveiled. #China’s post-#covid relations with the world also critical, especially with new #US administration.