One of the factors leading to more English language stand up comedy in #China has been the existence of English language open mic nights. This is how @AlexandraShi who features in our story got her start. bbc.co.uk/news/world-asi…
Meanwhile in #Shanghai it seems that English stand up comedy shows have been suspended? #China
When athletes arrive in #China for the #Beijing2022 Winter Olympics they’ll be able to zoom out to the mountain venues inside a high-speed train bubble keeping them separate from the general public. Their whole time in China will be in a #COVID19 bubble so no quarantine necessary
Visiting athletes will get a taste of the arid beauty of the landscape north of #Beijing. In #China people live everywhere and here too there are new apartment blocks going up.
Well the last train outta Taizicheng’s almost gone. From tomorrow this high-speed train station in the heart of the Chongli mountain area will be closed to the general public & only serve #Beijing2022 athletes, officials etc til the Winter Olympics is over so get out while ya can
#Xian#COVID19 outbreak update. Official numbers are showing no sign yet of a downward curve in infection numbers in the city. In recent weeks, the official figures have recorded around a thousand infections with symptoms which must mean no easing up on the lockdown there yet?
Today another 155 new local #COVID19 infections with symptoms in #China’s Shaanxi Province. This takes the official total, since 9th of December, to 1117 in #Xian. No easing of a strict lockdown in that northern Chinese city yet with those numbers.
The #Xian lockdown has also become more strict in recent days. Officials have stopped letting 1 person from each household leaving to buy supplies every 2 days. Because the announcement came quickly people are all over social media there saying they’re desperately short of food.
Statement from the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of #HongKong regarding the latest round of reporters being arrested in that city: fcchk.org/fcc-statement-…
#HongKong's Stand News has now announced that it will cease operating. #China
#China's government says its Tiangong space station has twice had to manoeuvre to avoid collision with one of Elon Musk's satellites, avoiding potentially catastrophic space crashes. For Ministry Spokesman Zhao Lijian said the #US had "posed a serious threat to astronauts' lives"
#Beijing sent a note to the United Nations saying that signatories to the Outer Space Treaty are also responsible for any private actors in their countries. Hence the government of #China has blamed the government of the #USA for the actions of Musk's Space X company.
Some nationalists on #China's social media have called for a boycott of Musk's Tesla. His company Space X -
- which operates the subsidiary Starlink that has placed thousands of satellites into space for future internet access - is yet to comment.
#Pengshuai has turned up at a junior tennis event in #China this morning. Chinese officials now going to great lengths to show that she’s OK after being censored for accusing senior Party leader #ZhangGaoli of sexual assault. Has there been a deal done to secure her cooperation?
The photos of this event have popped up on the Party’s media outlets today but mostly not mentioning her by name. For foreign consumption it’s look #PengShuai is not in detention! For #China’s audience it’s Peng who? What? Look over there!
One potential solution for the Party could be to throw #ZhangGaoli under the bus politically? Party members have been dismissed/disciplined on grounds of morality. However, he’s been amongst the most senior members of government here and to take him down like this would be huge.
In #China the Party’s media has now released videos purportedly showing #PengShuai at a restaurant. Again many questions being asked: Was this staged? Who gave the video to the Global Times? Who took it?
A question regarding the second clip released by the Party’s media said to be of #Pengshui and friends at a restaurant: If a friend took this video why would they film a notice on the door showing the month ‘proof of life’ style? If a friend didn’t film it who did? #China
Why is none of this being posted on #Weibo? Why are #PengShuai’s original claims regarding sexual assault and #ZhangGaoli being censored in #China? Why is Global Times Editor @HuXijin_GT posting this stuff on Twitter but not having any of it reported in his newspaper?