Tag Archives: Beijing

Comedian in China arrested + fined US$2.1 Million!

A comedian in China was just arrested and fined US$2.1 million for using a CCP slogan created by Chinese President Xi Jinping in his joke!

China Arrests + Fines Comedian US$2.1 Million For CCP Joke!

In the communist utopia of China, comedian Li Haoshi (who goes by the stage name, House) was just arrested by police after being fined a whopping 14.67 million yuan, which works out to about US$2.1 million!

What dastardly crime did Li Haoshi / House commit to deserve such a massive fine, and arrest? Well, the Chinese comedian simply made a joke using a CCP slogan created by Chinese President Xi Jinping!

The fine was issued by the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism, which concluded that his show was “a plot amounting to a serious insult to the People’s Liberation Army, and creates a bad social influence“.

We will never allow any company or individual to wantonly slander the glorious image of the People’s Liberation Army on a stage in the [Chinese] capital, never allow the people’s deep feelings for the soldiers to be hurt, and never allow serious subjects to be turned into entertainment.

What a glorious statement indeed by the most noble bureau of culture in China!

The Bureau confiscated RMB 1.32 million in “illegal proceeds” from the entertainment company representing House, and fined it RMB 13.35 million. The company was also banned from performing in Beijing indefinitely.

But that was not the end. On Wednesday, May 17, the Chaoyang branch of the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau stated that an investigation was opened against Li Haoshi / House for making “derogatory remarks against the People’s Liberation Army”.

On the morning of Thursday, May 18, the comedian was arrested by the police. There has been no word on his whereabouts since then.

The US$2.1 Million CCP Joke That Made China Mad!

So what exactly was the world’s most expensive joke all about?

During his show in Beijing on Saturday, Li Haoshi / House spoke about how he adopted two stray dogs since moving to Shanghai. He joked that when they chased after a squirrel one day, he was reminded of these eight words:

作风优良，能打胜仗
Good style of work, capable of winning battles

That was a flipped version of the slogan that was coined by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013, when he set out a list of qualities he wanted from the People’s Liberation Army (PLA)

建设一支听党指挥能打胜仗作风优良的人民军队
Build a people’s army that obeys the party’s command and can win battles with a good style of work

In the audio shared to Weibo, his audience can be heard laughing at the joke. Unfortunately, it went viral and caught the attention of Chinese nationalists and then the CCP government.

His joke was deemed to be insulting because “dogs” and “stray dogs” are used as insults in China. It is also common for Chinese netizens to also use insults like “American lapdogs”, for example.

In other words, his joke was perceived to be insulting both President Xi Jinping (who coined the slogan), and the PLA by referring to its soldiers as “stray dogs” that can win battles with a good style of work.

At military parades, especially when Xi Jinping is watching, PLA soldiers will often shout the slogan:

听党指挥，能打胜仗，作风优良！
Follow the Party’s command, capable of winning battles, with excellent conduct!

Now, such jokes may be par for the course in many free, democratic societies, but Li Haoshi / House appeared to have forgotten that China under the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is neither free nor democratic.

If he made the same joke using a slogan by Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, he would have gotten only laughs, because Taiwan is free and democratic. Unfortunately, he made a joke about the CCP and the PLA. Even worse, he made a joke about something Xi Jinping said, and that was the ultimate sin that anyone in mainland China can commit.

Li Haoshi / House and his company were not the only casualties of this expensive joke. Three other comedy companies suspended all of their performances as a result of this controversy :

Danli Ren Comedy (单立人喜剧),
Owl Comedy (猫头鹰喜剧), and
Xiaosheng Comedy Club (笑生喜剧脱口秀俱乐部)

Even more startling – a 34 year-old woman surnamed Shi was detained by police in Dalian city, after she posted a comment online, asking “Why should House be banned? Aren’t all soldier brothers also dog brothers?”

This goes to show just how closely the CCP government monitors speech in China, and how swiftly and mercilessly it strikes at people who even deigns to mock its authority.

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Does Steaming Food Cause Cancer From Chlorine?!

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Can you get cancer from chlorine if you steam your food?!

Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

Claim : Steaming Food Can Cause Cancer From Chlorine!

This advice by a Chinese professor keeps going viral on WhatsApp, and social media platforms:

Please be sure to forward:

Steam food with water
Beijing Xuanwu Hospital Professor Qi’s article:

When steaming food, please be sure to open the lid to boil the water before adding the food to be steamed covered! No wonder more and more people have cancer.

When cooking food with the pot, we must use boiled water. Because if we directly use tap water, which has chlorine, and after heating due to the lid been covered, the chlorine is completely coated on the food. So be sure to use boiled water or filtered water without chlorine to steam thing.

Because chlorine is carcinogenic. This is really important! Even if only steaming buns, we must have this common knowledge.

Please share this info to more people. I hope all my friends are healthy.

請一定要轉發：

用開水蒸東西，北京宣武醫院齊教授的文章：蒸食物請一定要先開著蓋子把水燒開，再放入要蒸的食物，蓋上蓋子！難怪患癌症的人愈來愈多。用鍋蒸煮東西時，一定要用開水。因為如果直接用自來水，自來水有氯，再經過加熱後，由於鍋蓋是蓋著的，氯被全部包覆在食物上，所以一定要用煮沸過的開水或用已過濾掉氯的水來蒸東西。因為氯有致癌的危險。這真的很重要！即使只是蒸饅頭，都要有此常識。不要自私，讓更多的人看到。這個以前真不知道，以後得記住了。希望所有朋友都健健康康，贈人玫瑰手有餘香

No Evidence Steaming Food Can Cause Cancer From Chlorine!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS circulating on WhatsApp and social media, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : There Is No Chlorine Gas In Tap Water

First, I should point out that tap water does not actually contain chlorine gas. Chlorine gas may be used to disinfect tap water, but it is quickly transformed into other chemicals that actually disinfect the water – hypochlorous acid and hypochlorite anion.

The common usage of chlorine (or free chlorine) in tap water really refers to these chemical compounds, and not chlorine gas itself. There is certainly no chlorine gas inside tap water.

Fact #2 : Regulated Tap Water Has Low Levels Of Chlorine

Tap water in most countries only has low levels of chlorine – between 0.2 to 1 mg per litre, although it may go as high as 4 mg per litre – four parts per million.

Fact #3 : Water With Too Much Chlorine Is Undrinkable

In places where the levels of chlorine in the tap water is poorly regulated, it may be possible for the tap water to have too high levels of chlorine – anything above 4 mg per litre – four parts per million.

Even if you do not have professional testing on hand, you can look out for signs of too much chlorine in the water:

the water smells or tastes like swimming pool water
you experience nausea, diarrhoea, or vomiting after drinking the water

I should point out that swimming pools have an upper limit of 5 mg per litre – five parts per million, while spas can go as high as 10 mg per litre. You can taste the chlorine in the water, but even then, it is not dangerous to accidentally swallow some of the water, although it is distasteful.

Fact #4 : Chlorine Evaporates Naturally From Tap Water

What people may not realise is that chlorine is volatile and evaporates naturally from tap water over a day or so.

If you leave a glass of tap water in the open, it should be pretty much chlorine-free after a day or so.

Fact #5 : Chlorine In Tap Water Evaporates When Heated

The vapour pressure of chlorine is much lower than that of water, so it will evaporate by the time your tap water starts boiling.

The evaporated chlorine “escapes” with the steam, and doesn’t coat your food as claimed, because… its vapour pressure is lower than that of water!

So the risk of getting cancer from chlorine is lower, if not eradicated, by steaming or boiling tap water.

Fact #6 : Only Certain Water Filters Can Remove Free Chlorine

The typical particle filters will not remove free chlorine. Only water filters using reverse osmosis and/or active carbon filters can remove free chlorine from tap water.

So the advice to just use filtered water is not accurate, as the filtered water will likely still contain chlorine (unless it uses reverse osmosis / carbon filtration)

Fact #7 : Carcinogenicity Of Chlorine Has Not Been Determined

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has not classified chlorine regarding its human carcinogenicity.

That’s likely because chlorine is an irritant, and it is unlikely for humans to willingly consume large amounts of it.

Fact #8 : Trihalomethanes Are The Real Risk, Not Chlorine

Chlorine may react with organic matter in the water to produce compounds like trihalomethanes, such as chloroform, dibromochloromethane (DBCM), bromodichloromethane (BDCM), and Bromoform.

These trihalomethane compounds are potential human carcinogens. These are the compounds that pose a potential health risk, and not the free chlorine in tap water itself.

However, the level of trihalomethane compounds in well-regulated tap water is very low, so the real risk occurs when there is poor regulation of tap water.

Yan Zonghai, Director of the Clinical Toxicology Department of Chang Gung Hospital in Linkou, said that the public is worried that after chlorine disinfection in tap water, there may be residual “trihalomethanes”, which are volatile organic compounds with low boiling points. Long-term exposure in large quantities may cause cancer.

The World Health Organization (WHO) lists trihalomethanes as a confirmed carcinogenic risk in animals, but there is no relevant evidence for human cancer. Yan Zonghai emphasized that the limit value of chlorination and disinfection of tap water is checked, and the possible production of trihalomethanes is very small, so the public should not worry.

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He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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Xi Jinping Appears For First Time Since Coup Rumours

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Chinese President Xi Jinping appeared for the first time since coup rumours surfaced amidst his disappearance. Here is what you need to know…

Xi Jinping Appears For First Time Since Coup Rumours

Chinese President Xi Jinping made his first public appearance on Tuesday, 27 September 2022, since returning from his trip to Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

It was his disappearance since then, coupled with a video of military vehicles heading towards Beijing and sudden, unexplained flight cancellations, that sparked rumours of a military coup.

However, those coup rumours were squashed when Xi Jinping was shown on TV visiting an exhibition in Beijing showcasing China’s achievements during his decade in power, called Forging Ahead in the New Era.

On that CCTV evening broadcast, Xi Jinping was seen wearing a face mask while taking a tour of the displays at the Beijing Exhibition Hall, where his photos featured heavily.

He was also seen in the company of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and other members of the Politburo Standing Committee – Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Wang Hunting, Zhao Leji and Han Zheng.

Despite unverified claims that he was under house arrest, Xi was likely undergoing the standard 7+3 quarantine required by China’s zero COVID policy.

One may be forgiven in thinking that this TV broadcast of Xi, backed by the top Chinese leaders, seems specifically designed to convey the message – he’s very much still in power.

Xi Jinping Coup Rumours : Much Ado About Nothing

Right now, much has been made about a short video showing military vehicles heading towards Beijing, and over 9,000 flights getting cancelled across China.

However, these “evidence” of a coup in China have not withstood serious analysis.

There is no evidence of an 80 km-long military convoy entering Beijing.
The viral video shows a minute or so of several military vehicles travelling on a highway, nothing more.
There is no evidence of any lockdown of Beijing, which would certainly occur during a military coup.
While there was a large number of cancelled flights in Beijing airports, quite a number of commercial flights were still allowed to fly in and out.
Airports in the rest of China were generally functioning normally, even though there were some cancelled flights.
Flight cancellation is pretty common in China, especially when it comes to COVID-19 mitigation.
Commercial air traffic in and out of Beijing was restored by Monday, 26 September 2022.
Xi Jinping issued two letters a day after he was supposedly under house arrest after being overthrown.
Sun Lijun and his anti-Xi Jinping “political clique” were sentenced to long jail sentences.
CCP delegates were “elected” as expected, together with Xi Jinping himself.
CCP mouthpiece, the People’s Daily, reaffirmed Xi Jinping as the party’s “core”.

To top it off, the CCP is continuing its business as usual, firming up support for Xi Jinping’s third term at the upcoming CCP Congress.

Now that Xi was publicly seen accompanied by top Chinese military leaders, any fantasy of a military coup in China is finally dead.

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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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Beijing Flights Back To Normal, No Coup In China!

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Flights in and out of Beijing are now back to normal, dealing yet another blow to rumours of a military coup in China!

Claim : Beijing Flights Were Cancelled By Coup In China!

The Internet has been abuzz for days with claims that there is a military coup underway in China, after over 6,000 domestic and international flights in and out of Beijing were just cancelled!

On top of that, about 60% of flights (about 9,583 flights) were cancelled across China on Wednesday, 21 September 2022.

Beijing Capital International Airport canceled 622 flights, with a 60% cancellation rate.
Shanghai Pudong International Airport had 652 cancelations of flights, with a 54% cancellation rate
Shenzhen Baoan Airport’s 542 flights were canceled, with a 51% cancellation rate
Guiyang Longdongbao Airport (Guizhou Province): 539 flights canceled, with a 99% cancellation rate
Lhasa Gongga Airport (Tibet): 157 flights canceled, with a 98% cancellation rate
Chengdu Tianfu Airport (Sichuan Province): 752 flights canceled, with a 87% cancellation rate
Urumqi Diwobao Airport (Xinjiang): 476 flights; with a 79% cancellation rate
Tianjin Binhai International Airport (about 84 miles east of Beijing): 353 flights; with a 74% cancellation rate
Harbin Taiping Airport (Heilongjiang Province): 275 flights canceled; with a 56% cancellation rate
Xi’an Xianyang International Airport (Shaanxi Province): 555 flights canceled; with a 56% cancellation rate
Nanjing Lukou International Airport (Jiangsu Province): 378 flights canceled; with a 54% cancellation rate
Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (Guangdong Province): 560 flights canceled, with a 40% cancellation rate

The number of flights to and from Beijing continued to decline from Wednesday until Saturday.

Beijing Flights Back To Normal, No Coup In China!

Although flights in and out of Beijing continued to be few through the weekend, it was soon restored by Monday, 26 September 2022.

The flight tracking site flightradar24 now shows air traffic back to normal at the Beijing Capital International Airport, and the Beijing Daxing International Airport.

Other airports across China were also operating as normal, with no mass cancellations that we saw earlier.

There has been no official word on why so many flights were cancelled, but flight cancellations are rather common in China. This is especially true during the COVID-19 pandemic, when flights have been grounded with little or no warning.

While most of the world is relaxing COVID-19 measures and opening up, China is still persisting with its Zero COVID policy. Hence, it is certainly possible that those flights are being cancelled to protect Beijing from COVID-19 outbreaks / surges in other parts of China.

The Beijing Capital International Airport, incidentally, regularly ranks as one of the airports with the most cancellations in the world.

The Chinese news portal Netease said that the cancellations were mainly due to the recent COVID-19 surges in multiple provinces in China, which makes quite a lot of sense.

Beijing is preparing to host 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) on 16 October 2022.

This is a major twice-a-decade meeting for the CCP, and one in which President Xi Jinping is expected to be re-elected as General Secretary for an unprecedented third term.

While the 20th National Congress is really just a rubber-stamp event, it is critical for President Xi that his Zero COVID policy is seen to work. Hence, it is critical that Beijing has no COVID-19 outbreak at that time.

Former Chinese investigative journalist Zhao Lanjian, however, suggested that the flights may have been cancelled due to a military exercise.

刚刚我问询一位墙内专业人士。这么回答的。这个大规模取消航班，必须是军方指令。空中交通管制权由中国军方决定，再下指令给民航管理部门。空域留出来，军方飞机才可以随便飞。这是军事计划，至少是有军备预演。但愿未来真的实施军事行动了，不要有太多赔偿品。

This mass cancellation of flights must be a military directive. Air traffic control authority is decided by the Chinese military, which in turn gives instructions to civil aviation management. The airspace is set aside so that military aircraft can fly at will. This is military planning, or at least with military prep.

China Coup Rumours : Much Ado About Nothing

Right now, much has been made about a short video showing military vehicles heading towards Beijing, and over 9,000 flights getting cancelled across China.

However, these “evidence” of a coup in China have not withstood serious analysis.

There is no evidence of an 80 km-long military convoy entering Beijing.
The viral video shows a minute or so of several military vehicles travelling on a highway, nothing more.
There is no evidence of any lockdown of Beijing, which would certainly occur during a military coup.
While there was a large number of cancelled flights in Beijing airports, quite a number of commercial flights were still allowed to fly in and out.
Airports in the rest of China were generally functioning normally, even though there were some cancelled flights.
Flight cancellation is pretty common in China, especially when it comes to COVID-19 mitigation.
Commercial air traffic in and out of Beijing was restored by Monday, 26 September 2022.
Xi Jinping issued two letters a day after he was supposedly under house arrest after being overthrown.
Sun Lijun and his anti-Xi Jinping “political clique” were sentenced to long jail sentences.
CCP delegates were “elected” as expected, together with Xi Jinping himself.
CCP mouthpiece, the People’s Daily, reaffirmed Xi Jinping as the party’s “core”.

To top it off, the CCP is continuing its business as usual, firming up support for Xi Jinping’s third term at the upcoming CCP Congress.

The People’s Daily editorial seals the case for Xi Jinping’s toppling in a military coup. That was nothing more than the wishful thinking of netizens who despise him, fuelled by unverified claims.

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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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Are Beijing Flights Getting Cancelled By Military Coup?!

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Are thousands of flights into and out of Beijing being cancelled because a military coup is underway?!

Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!

Claim : Beijing Flights Are Getting Cancelled By Military Coup!

The Internet is abuzz with claims that there is a military coup underway in China, with an 80 km military convoy heading for Beijing!

Many also believe that this was evidence of a military coup in China – over 6,000 domestic and international flights into and out of Beijing were just cancelled!

On top of that, about 60% of flights (about 9,583 flights) were cancelled across China on Wednesday, 21 September 2022.

Beijing Capital International Airport canceled 622 flights, with a 60% cancellation rate.
Shanghai Pudong International Airport had 652 cancelations of flights, with a 54% cancellation rate
Shenzhen Baoan Airport’s 542 flights were canceled, with a 51% cancellation rate
Guiyang Longdongbao Airport (Guizhou Province): 539 flights canceled, with a 99% cancellation rate
Lhasa Gongga Airport (Tibet): 157 flights canceled, with a 98% cancellation rate
Chengdu Tianfu Airport (Sichuan Province): 752 flights canceled, with a 87% cancellation rate
Urumqi Diwobao Airport (Xinjiang): 476 flights; with a 79% cancellation rate
Tianjin Binhai International Airport (about 84 miles east of Beijing): 353 flights; with a 74% cancellation rate
Harbin Taiping Airport (Heilongjiang Province): 275 flights canceled; with a 56% cancellation rate
Xi’an Xianyang International Airport (Shaanxi Province): 555 flights canceled; with a 56% cancellation rate
Nanjing Lukou International Airport (Jiangsu Province): 378 flights canceled; with a 54% cancellation rate
Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (Guangdong Province): 560 flights canceled, with a 40% cancellation rate

The number of flights to and from Beijing continue to decline from Wednesday until Saturday.

Truth : Beijing Flights Are Not Getting Cancelled By Military Coup!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS that started as a rumour, but was used to generate page views for rumour / fake news websites.

Here are the reasons why… and what we know so far!

Fact #1 : Flights Are Being Cancelled In Beijing

First, let me confirm that the claims of mass flight cancellations into or out of Beijing are correct.

The flight tracking site flightradar24, for example, shows that the Beijing Capital International Airport and the Beijing Daxing International Airport have more or less come to a standstill with very few flights taking off, or landing.

Fact #2 : Some Flights Continue In + Out Of Beijing

While many scheduled flights at the airports either have a Cancelled status, or listed as Unknown, there continue to be some flights flying in and out of both airports.

It was not a total lockdown of the airspace around Beijing, as some have claimed. This would suggest that a military coup is not underway.

Fact #3 : Other Chinese Airports Are Operating Normally

According to flightradar24, other major airports in China, like the Shanghai and Hong Kong airports, appear to be operating normally, although some flights have been cancelled.

It seems rather unlikely that coup plotters would allow airports to continue operating while trying to take over the country.

Fact #4 : Flight Cancellations Are Common In China

The Beijing Capital International Airport, incidentally, regularly ranks as one of the airports with the most cancellations in the world.

Fact #5 : Cancellations Could Possibly Be Due To COVID-19

The Chinese news portal Netease said that the cancellations were mainly due to the recent COVID-19 surges in multiple provinces in China, which makes quite a lot of sense.

Beijing is preparing to host 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) on 16 October 2022.

This is a major twice-a-decade meeting for the CCP, and one in which President Xi Jinping is expected to be re-elected as General Secretary for an unprecedented third term.

Fact #6 : Cancellations Could Possibly Be Due To Military Exercise

Former Chinese investigative journalist Zhao Lanjian, however, suggested that the flights may have been cancelled due to a military exercise.

Fact #7 : No Evidence Of Military Coup In China

Outside of these flight cancellations and an 80 km military convoy, there really isn’t any actual evidence of a military coup in China.

If a military coup did occur, Beijing would be under martial law, with no flights allowed in and out. That would include a lockdown or curfew with military roadblocks all over Beijing and the rest of China.

These are all “noisy” actions that would be clearly visible, not only to the Chinese public but the entire world as well, especially in a time of smartphones and social media.

Yet, there was no mention of anything remotely close to a military coup of any kind, in any mainstream media or social media, either inside or outside of China.

It may be possible to keep a lid on such a major event in North Korea – the hermit kingdom, but not in China. Not even with the Great Firewall (防火长城).

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He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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China Introduces COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate In Beijing!

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China is introducing their first-ever vaccine mandate, to protect Beijing from a new COVID-19 outbreak!

Here is what you need to know…

China Introduces COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate In Beijing!

From Monday, July 11, 2022 onwards, Beijing residents will be required to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination at these public locations :

Live performances
Entertainment venues like movie theatres, museums, art galleries, cultural centres
Gyms and training facilities, stadiums and other sports venues
Libraries and tutoring centres
Internet cafes

This vaccine mandate will apply to everyone, including medical staff, people working in community service operations, home furnishing operators, express delivery providers, and people attending conferences.

Beijing residents will also need to receive a booster dose, although exemptions will be available for people who don’t qualify for vaccination.

Beijing Municipal Health Commission deputy director Li Ang called for elderly people living in care homes, and people who plan to enter an entertainment venue, to get vaccinated as soon as possible.

He also said that care home staff and visitors, as well as tourists, should get the booster dose; and that Beijing’s health code system will be updated to show everyone’s vaccination status more prominently.

Despite the vaccine mandate, Beijing residents are still required to get tested at least every three days to enter all public venues.

It is unknown how people who received their COVID-19 vaccinations overseas can meet this requirement since the Chinese health code system does not even recognise foreign vaccines. In fact, people who were vaccinated overseas have not been able to get their vaccinations registered.

Why China Is Introducing COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate In Beijing

China is implementing its first-ever vaccine mandate in Beijing to tamp down a new outbreak of the more infectious BA.5.2 Omicron subvariant.

On Wednesday, July 6, Beijing CDC announced 12 new cases caused by the Omicron BA.5.2 subvariant, based on gene sequencing tests. They were from four different districts, including Yanqing and Changping in Beijing.

These cases were traced back to previously quarantined patients, although one case reported a day earlier was picked up through community testing. This suggests that community spread is still limited.

This new BA.5.2 Omicron outbreak started on July 4, apparently caused by people returning to Beijing after completing their entry quarantine period.

Chinese authorities appear to be implementing this vaccine mandate in hopes of avoiding a lockdown that had already shut down the northwestern city of Xi’an until at least next Wednesday, July 13.

As of January 2022, some 98% of Beijing’s 20 odd million residents have been fully vaccinated, including 12 million who received a booster dose. However, only 80% of Beijing’s senior citizens (60 years and older) have been vaccinated, as late as April.

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Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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Did Twitter Suspend Aaron Blunck For Praising China?!

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Did Twitter suspend US Olympic skier Aaron Blunck for praising China?

Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what’s really going on!

Claim : Twitter Suspended Aaron Blunck For Praising China!

Chinese netizens and Sinophiles are outraged about the news that Twitter suspended US Olympics skier Aaron Blunck after he praised China for their “stellar job with the whole COVID protocol”.

It was first covered by South China Morning Post (SCMP), and here is an excerpt from their article :

Three-time Olympian Aaron Blunck said he was suspended from Twitter after he and his US ski teammates praised China for its “stellar” operations at the Olympic Village.

“They have honestly done a stellar job with the whole Covid protocol,” the 25-year-old told reporters in the press room, before criticising biased coverage of the Games. “I didn’t really know what to expect, being stateside you’ve kind of heard some pretty bad media, and that is completely false – it’s actually been phenomenal.”

The 25-year-old said his Twitter account was then suspended, as he resorted to Instagram to protest the social platform’s unexplained decision, reposting a fan’s comment that read: “Aaron Blunck [is] out here telling the truth and getting punished by his own government.”

Blunck further shared a commentator’s tweet accusing the US government of being behind his account being shut down: “Twitter has executed the order of the Western ruling cabals … Punishment comes pretty fast.” Blunck tagged Twitter and asked: “what’d I do?”

Immediately, Chinese netizens (or bots?) and Sinophiles leaped onto the bandwagon, accusing the United States of censoring Aaron Blunck :

“Washington reviews all posts made about China and Russia.. freedom of speech? “

“Free speech in the United States has taken its knife to apolitical athletes. If China is good, ban it. If China is bad, give the green light. Shame!”

“US athlete Aaron Blunck praise the Beijing Olympics… saying it’s one of the best Olympics he’s been to. Everything negative you read in western media is fake news. His Twitter account was suspended immediate after. That’s fast!!”

“Team US athletes [sic] Aaron Blunck’s Twitter account got suspended after telling the truth about China at the press conference. Freedom of speech is dead in America!”

Truth : Twitter Did Not Suspend Aaron Blunck For Praising China!

This is so lame, I cannot believe I have to actually write about it, or that SCMP’s standards have dropped so low….

Fact #1 : Aaron Blunck’s Twitter Account Was Not Suspended For Long

I have no idea if the Account suspended screenshot is genuine, but assuming it was – the suspension didn’t last very long.

As early as 12:01 AM on 15 February 2022, Aaron Blunck’s Twitter account (@Aaron_Blunck) was active and not suspended, nor deleted.

In fact, his Twitter account gained about 600 new followers in the last day or so, up from 5,655 to over 6,200 after the story broke.

Fact #2 : Aaron Blunck Has Not Used Twitter Since July 2021

Aaron Blunck has not been active on Twitter, posting his last tweet on 3 July 2021.

He did not tweet anything during the 2022 Beijing Olympic Games, so why would Twitter suspend his account?

Is he suggesting that Twitter suspended his account for… not posting anything? Or that they saw his interview, and decided to punish him by suspending his inactive account?

Fact #3 : Aaron Blunck Was Suspended Earlier

According to the Wayback Machine archives, Aaron Blunck was suspended on Twitter earlier – approximately 5 September 2021 until 14 February 2022.

It is quite likely that his Twitter account was suspended back then, because it was hacked :

His Twitter account was also hacked back in 2012.
Before February 2018, he only tweeted about his snowboarding games.
From February 2018 until May 2021, he didn’t post anything.
But from May to June 2021, his account was spamming posts on bitcoin mining.

Obviously, the 2021-2022 suspension had nothing to do with the 2022 Beijing Olympics.

Fact #4 : Aaron Blunck Still Has Not Posted On Twitter

Even now that it is obvious to everyone (including himself) that his Twitter account is no longer suspended, Blunck has NOT posted anything, not even to address his earlier claim.

For someone who raged against Twitter on Instagram, it is peculiar how he continues NOT to post on Twitter, not even to castigate Twitter for his suspension.

Quite a few people have asked Blunck about his Twitter suspension, but he has also not responded.

Fact #5 : Aaron Blunck Press Conference Videos Are Still On Twitter

Despite claims of censorship, there are easily hundreds of posts and videos on the Aaron Blunck press conference on Twitter.

So it is obvious that Aaron Blunck’s temporary Twitter suspension had nothing to do with what he said at that press conference.

Unlike in China, where censors can and do wipe out all mention of “sensitive matters”, Twitter doesn’t seem at all bothered about what he said at that 2022 Beijing Olympics press conference.

Fact #6 : There May Have Been A Glitch

According to a Twitter user @Grunge_Bob, he saw Aaron Blunck’s account go for suspended to reactivated with just 38 followers, before being restored to its proper condition “within minutes”.

There is no way to confirm if the temporary suspension was due to a glitch, but there is at least evidence of a glitch.

Fact #7 : Twitter Only Removes Content Based On Local Laws

Twitter can be compelled by individual countries to remove content that contravene local laws, but there is a due process, and the account holder is informed of the legal demand.

Twitter is also removing content that receive DMCA takedown requests by copyright owners… like the IOC and NBC, for example.

It is therefore absurd for anyone to claim that Aaron Blunck’s Twitter account was suspended by the United States government, without any evidence.

For all of its foibles, free speech is protected in the United States, by the First Amendment to the US Constitution.

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Did China Give These AWESOME Olympics 2022 Gifts?!

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Did China give Olympics 2022 athletes AWESOME gifts like Samsung gadgets, and a personalised necklace?

Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

Updated @ 2022-02-12 : Added the actual price of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 Olympic Edition, and other updates.
Originally posted @ 2022-02-07

Claim : China Gave Olympics 2022 Athletes These AWESOME Gifts!

This video and message are going viral on WhatsApp, claiming to show the awesome gifts that China gave Olympic Games 2022 athletes.

A total of 2,925 athletes participated in the Winter Olympics. The country has prepared a gift bag for every athlete, which contains the latest Samsung mobile phone worth $7999, sports headphones, a unique Winter Olympics necklace and ring, and a small quilt that is close to the body.

Foreign athletes are happy when they open the gift bag. Shout out Mamma Mia, resounding throughout the sports village. The cost of the Samsung phone is no more than $3k (marketing & profits accounting for more than half the listed price).

Product placement to the 3,000 Olympian influencers will cost about $9m. Compare that with a 30-second advert slot during the Superbowl for $6m a pop. If they give a Huawei the Western press would be terrified. 🌿

Truth : China Did NOT Give Olympics 2022 Athletes Those Awesome Gifts!

This is yet another example of pro-China fake news circulating on WhatsApp, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : Video Was Taken By Petra Nieminen

The video was misappropriated by the fake news creator, probably because it has the comment – Beijing 2022 gifts for athletes.

This video was actually taken by Petra Nieminen, a hockey player from Finland, who was showing off the free gifts she received since arriving in Beijing for the 2022 Winter Olympics.

Fact #2 : Gifts Not Prepared, Nor Given By China

The gifts Petra showed in the video were neither prepared, nor sponsored, by China – the host country for the 2022 Winter Olympics.

Samsung is the worldwide sponsor of the Olympic Games, and it was they who gave the athletes the Galaxy Z Flip 3 Olympic Edition smartphone, and Galaxy Buds2 wireless earphones.

Incidentally, Samsung will also be giving them to athletes at the upcoming Paralympic Games!

The personalised necklace with the ring was given to the athletes by Lumoava – the official Olympic partner of the Finnish team.

Fact #3 : No Evidence Athletes Shouted Mamma Mia

There is no known report of any athlete shouting Mamma Mia on getting their gifts. It is also a silly claim since it’s an Italian expression.

Fact #4 : The Gifts Do Not Cost So Much

The fake news creator made up the value of these gifts, falsely claiming that the Samsung smartphone cost $7,999.

It’s likely a mistranslation from the original Chinese post, because the Galaxy Z Flip Olympic Edition smartphone costs ¥7,999 (about US$1,259 / £929 / RM5,269), while the Galaxy Buds2 cost US$149.

The personalised Lumoava Brilliance Pendant 4 necklace, which is engraved with the words “Olympic Team Finland Beijing 2022” costs €124 or about US$142.

Fact #5 : Lumoava Necklace Limited To Finnish Athletes

From what I understand, the Lumoava necklace was made specially for Finnish athletes, and was not given to athletes from other countries.

Teams from different countries received different gifts from their partners. For example, Team USA received gear from Skims, while Team Canada received special Lululemon gear.

Fact #6 : China Can Spy On Athletes Without HUAWEI Smartphones

The fake message mocked Western media for fearing HUAWEI smartphones. The truth is – China can spy on Olympic athletes without giving them HUAWEI smartphones.

All participants in the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics are required to install and use the My 2022 app, which ostensibly is used to keep everyone connected and informed about services, food, transportation, etc.

The problem is one cybersecurity researcher, Jonathan Scott, recently reverse-engineered the app, and found that it was capable of recording and sending audio to servers based in China.

It appears that Chinese netizens / 50 Cent Army are creating such fake news to cover up negative news reports of the 2022 Winter Olympics.

Since arriving in Beijing, Olympic athletes from Germany, Belgium and Russia have complained about nightmarish conditions in their quarantine hotels – bad food, poor to no Internet connectivity, no access to training equipment, or even the ability to communicate with their own teams.

Whatever their reasons may be, there is no excuse for creating and spreading fake news. Help us fight their fake news by sharing this fact check!

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Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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