For a line-by-line, Chinese-to-English translation of Peng Shuai’s #彭帅 2 Nov Weibo post discussing her relationship w/fmr Politburo Standing Committee, Vice Premier #副总理, Zhang Gaoli #张高丽 see ⬇️:
Coincidentally, from 2016 Zhang Gaoli #张高丽 headed the Chinese govt’s steering committee @OlympicsCN set-up to “guide, support & supervise the 2022 Beijing Winter Games bid”—his role put him in contact w/high ranking Olympic officials, incl Pres Thomas Bach @IOCThomasBach.
While much of the media spotlight has been on the woman: Peng Shuai #彭帅—@ChuBailiang & @stevenleemyers provide a backgrounder on her married PSC lover, Zhang Gaoli #张高丽 (75); an embodiment of the buttoned-down, technocratic qualities the CPC looks for in its top officials.
Following @WTA’s 1 Dec suspension of all China tennis play—the International Olympic Committee released the following regarding Peng Shuai #彭帅 minutes ago: “We share the same concern as many other ppl about the well-being and safety of Peng Shuai.” #WhereIsPengShuai#彭帅在哪里
So far, China’s authorities have announced an unimaginable death toll of only ~33 dead & 8 missing in the Henan floods (contrast w/Germany flooding ~180 ppl lost). Some Weibo msg tracking reveals at least ~1,000 dead via photos/comment… #ChinaFloods#河南#郑州#洪水#Zhengzhou
Post-flood scenes like this in Zhengzhou, solidify that despite CPC govt ‘positive energy’ #正能量 cleanup vibes—unlikely we’ll see accurate flood casualty numbers associated w/the tragedy that impacted cities like Zhengzhou #郑州, and its ~11M citizens.
Time-elapsed 4hrs (13:40-17:40) in Zhengzhou, Henan Province—traffic tunnels & the subway/metro (in particular) were impacted severely w/water drainage & flooding issues in a very short period of time.
Horrible to see flood devastation from the heavy rains (~year’s worth of rain in 3 days, >617mm) in Zhengzhou #郑州—20 July 2021 panorama view of Henan’s #河南 provincial capital city. (郑州市被淹全景). A city of ~11M residents—death toll remains unknown.
What some refer to as the cradle of Chinese civilization—Henan #河南 has seen it’s heaviest rains in 1,000yrs. Dozens of cities are flooded w/unknown death toll. PLA has issued a warning that Luoyang’s #洛阳 Yihetan dam #伊河滩大坝 (west of Zhengzhou) could collapse at any time".
PLA regional troops reported the downpour has caused a 20m breach in the Yihetan #伊河滩 dam in Luoyang #洛阳—a city w/a population of ~7M, which risks “collapse at any time”. Authorities have dispatched soldiers to conduct emergency response incl blasting & flood diversion.
Backlash in China state media outlets that previously feted the 1st female Asian film director (Chloé Zhao #赵婷) to win a Golden Globe #金球奖 for best director this past Sunday—China now questions Zhao’s “Chinese cred”—despite being born in Beijing in 1982. #Nomadland#无依之地
[Describing why] she was drawn to early American heartland subjects b/c of her China upbringing—and “being in a place where there are lies everywhere”—2013 Filmmaker Magazine interview excerpt Chloé Zhao #赵婷 gave poss causing CCP censors to rethink support #Nomadland#无依之地
Chloé Zhao #赵婷 is the 1st woman to win the best director category at the Golden Globes in 37yrs—and is only the 2nd woman ever (previous was Barbra Streisand for YENTL in 1984) to win best director for a feature film—Nomadland #无依之地@goldenglobes#GoldenGlobes#金球奖#電影
While many remark about Biden’s past rels w/China—Fmr USDOT Sec & wife of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Elaine Chao #赵小兰 repeatedly used her office staff over the past 4yrs. to help her family’s Foremost Group #福茂
shipping business w/extensive ties to China.
Published 2 March 2021 USDOT Inspector General report on fmr Secretary of Transportation #USDOT Elaine Chao’s #赵小兰 poss conflicts of interests in her interactions w/China (given her father’s Foremost Group #福茂 shipping firm’s heavy reliance on China). oig.dot.gov/sites/default/…
USDOT’s IG found multiple “potential ethics concerns arising from the actions of the Secretary & Office of the Secretary staff under her direction”—adding that Elaine Chao #赵小兰 used the USDOT “for tasks for the Secretary that appear to be personal in nature." h/t @shawnarchen
“In the last quarter century—there’ve only been seven truly new vaccines introduced globally into clinical practice.”—@Merck CEO Ken Frazier w/#Harvard Business School’s @tsedal on the grave disservice done to the public w/over promising a #COVID19 vaccine
“You’re one of four African American CEOs in the #Fortune500—does it make a difference to ‘our ppl’ that you’re in the room?”—@Merck CEO Ken Frazier w/#Harvard Business School’s @tsedal discussing the issue of race in America post-#GeorgeFloyd
nb: @wkamaubell@staceyabrams
@tsedal: What does it take to find a reliable vaccine? @Merck’s Frazier: It takes a lot of time—(I think) the record for the fastest vaccine ever brought to market was Merck in the mump’s [#MMR#MMRV] vaccine, it took about 4yrs; our most recent vaccine for Ebola took 5.5yrs.
“The greatest long term threat to our nation’s information & intellectual property & to our economic vitality is the #counterintelligence & economic espionage threat from China.” —Christopher Wray, #FBI Dir on the significance of China’s threat to the US (& its allies) #IPTheft
“If you think this is just an intel issue, govt prob or nuisance just for big corps—you couldn’t be more wrong. It’s the [Americans] who’re the victims of what amounts to Chinese theft on a scale so massive—it reps one of the largest transfers of wealth in history.”—#FBI Dir Wray
“We’ve now reached the point where the FBI is now opening up a China-related counterintelligence case—about every 10hrs. Of the nearly 5,000 active CI cases in the US—50% are related to China.”—Christopher Wray, FBI Director on China #IPTheft#Surveillance#ChinaModel#中国模式