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Two protesters told Reuters that callers identifying themselves as Beijing police officers asked them to report to a police station on Tuesday with written accounts of their activities on Sunday night. "We are all desperately deleting our chat history," said another person who witnessed the Beijing protest and declined to be identified. Simmering discontent with stringent COVID prevention policies three years into the pandemic ignited into protests in cities thousands of miles apart over the weekend. Officials say the COVID policy has kept the death toll in the thousands, avoiding the millions of deaths elsewhere. In an editorial that did not mention the protests, People's Daily, the Party's official newspaper, urged citizens to "unswervingly implement" COVID policies.

☆ Analysis: China protests highlight Xi's COVID policy dilemma - to walk it back or not
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

REUTERS/Thomas Peter/File PhotoBEIJING, Nov 29 (Reuters) - The rare street protests that erupted in cities across China over the weekend were a referendum against President Xi Jinping's zero-COVID policy and the strongest public defiance during his political career, China analysts said. Public dissatisfaction with Xi's zero-COVID policy, expressed on social media or offline in the form of putting up posters in universities or by protesting, is Xi's biggest domestic challenge since the 2019 protests in Hong Kong against an extradition bill. Although this authoritarian arrangement allowed Xi to be more powerful, it also contains vulnerabilities, as exposed by the protests, analysts said. "If he lets go, it would mean that his past zero-COVID policy has completely failed and he would have to take responsibility for it. Xi tried tweaking the zero-COVID policy with the release of "20 measures" last month, in an attempt to standardize prevention measures nationwide and make them friendlier to residents and to the economy.

REUTERS/Thomas PeterBEIJING, Nov 29 (Reuters) - The rare street protests that erupted in cities across China over the weekend were a referendum against President Xi Jinping's zero-COVID policy and the strongest public defiance during his political career, China analysts said. Public dissatisfaction with Xi's zero-COVID policy, expressed on social media or offline in the form of putting up posters in universities or by protesting, is Xi's biggest domestic challenge since the 2019 protests in Hong Kong against an extradition bill. Although this authoritarian arrangement allowed Xi to be more powerful, it also contains vulnerabilities, as exposed by the protests, analysts said. "If he lets go, it would mean that his past zero-COVID policy has completely failed and he would have to take responsibility for it. Xi tried tweaking the zero-COVID policy with the release of "20 measures" last month, in an attempt to standardize prevention measures nationwide and make them friendlier to residents and to the economy.

☆ Blank sheets of paper become symbol of defiance in China protests
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

In Shanghai, a crowd that started gathering late on Saturday to hold a candlelight vigil for the Urumqi victims held up blank sheets of paper, according to witnesses and videos. Other images showed dozens of other people subsequently taking to the university's steps with blank sheets of paper，illuminated against the night sky by flashlights from their mobile phones. In Hong Kong in 2020, activists also raised blank sheets of white paper in protest to avoid slogans banned under the city's new national security law, which was imposed after massive and sometimes violent protests the previous year. Several Internet users showed solidarity by posting blank white squares or photos of themselves holding blank sheets of paper on their WeChat timelines or on Weibo. By Sunday morning, the hashtag "white paper exercise" was blocked on Weibo, prompting users to lament the censorship.

Later on, they shouted, “lift lockdown for Urumqi, lift lockdown for Xinjiang, lift lockdown for all of China!”, according to a video circulated on social media. [1/3] Workers in protective suits keep watch behind a barrier at a sealed restaurant area, following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Shanghai, China, November 26, 2022. Some posted screenshots of street signs for Wulumuqi Road, both to evade censors and show support for protesters in Shanghai. Shanghai's 25 million people were put under lockdown for two months earlier this year, an ordeal that provoked anger and protest. A video shared with Reuters showed Beijing residents in an unidentifiable part of the capital marching around an open-air carpark on Saturday, shouting "End the lockdown!"

☆ Vatican says China violated pact on bishops, wants explanation
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-26 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Aly SongVATICAN CITY, Nov 26 (Reuters) - The Vatican on Saturday accused Chinese authorities of violating a bilateral pact on the appointment of bishops by installing one in a diocese not recognised by the Holy See. A statement said the Vatican learned with "surprise and regret" that the bishop of another district had been installed as auxiliary, or assistant, bishop in Jiangxi. The unauthorized installation appeared to be one of the most serious violations of a 2018 agreement between the Vatican and Beijing on the appointment of bishops. The Vatican was expecting an explanation from Chinese authorities and was hoping that the "similar episodes are not repeated," the statement said. The Vatican statement came a day after a Hong Kong court found Zen and five others guilty of failing to register a now-disbanded fund for pro-democracy protesters.

☆ Huge COVID protests erupt in China's Xinjiang after deadly fire
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Reuters verified the footage was published from the Xinjiang capital Urumqi. Videos showed people in a plaza singing China's national anthem with its lyric, "Rise up, those who refuse to be slaves!" The Urumqi protests followed a fire in a high-rise building there that killed 10 on Thursday night. Urumqi officials abruptly held a news conference in the early hours of Saturday, denying that COVID measures had hampered escape and rescue but saying they would investigate further. Some lamented its similarities to the deadly September crash of a COVID quarantine bus.

☆ China reports third consecutive daily record for new COVID cases
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

That compared with 32,943 new cases a day earlier – 3,103 symptomatic and 29,840 asymptomatic infections, which China counts separately. Excluding imported cases, China reported 34,909 new local cases on Friday, of which 3,405 were symptomatic and 31,504 were asymptomatic, up from 32,695 a day earlier. Chongqing, a southwestern city of 32 million people, reported 7,721 new local cases for Friday, a jump of almost 20% from the previous day. Guangzhou, a prosperous city of nearly 19 million people in southern China, reported 7,419 new local cases for Friday, down slightly from 7,524 cases a day earlier. New local cases for Friday in the capital Beijing jumped 58% to 2,595, according to figures released by local health authorities on Saturday.

A source familiar with the situation in Zhengzhou said production at the plant was unaffected by the worker unrest and output remained "normal". It makes most of the phones at the Zhengzhou plant, though it has other smaller production sites in India and southern China. Shares of Foxconn have slipped 2% since the unrest emerged in late October. Before the unrest, the Zhengzhou plant employed some 200,000 people. To retain staff and lure more workers Foxconn has had to offer bonuses and higher salaries.

☆ China says open to meeting with U.S. defence secretary
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] China's State Councilor and Defence Minister General Wei Fenghe speaks at a plenary session during the 19th Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore June 12, 2022. REUTERS/Caroline ChiaBEIJING, Nov 20 (Reuters) - China said on Sunday it is open to a meeting with the U.S. defence secretary on the sidelines of a regional security forum in Cambodia this week, in a sign of thawing relations after the countries' top leaders met earlier this month. China Defence Minister Wei Fenghe and U.S. Secretary of Defense Austin Lloyd previously confirmed separately that they would attend the forum with Southeast Asian countries, the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus. On Sunday, China's defence ministry issued a statement featuring a question about whether the two would meet, with spokesman Tan Kefei quoted as saying, "China holds a proactive and open attitude for exchange with the United States." A meeting would represent the first high-level military exchange between the countries since China halted regular dialogue between military commanders in August in retaliation for U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan.

☆ China names Chen Yixin as state security minister -parliament
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING, Oct 30 (Reuters) - China has appointed Chen Yixin as state security minister, replacing Chen Wenqing who was promoted to oversee police, legal affairs and intelligence, the National People's Congress, or parliament, said on Sunday. Chen Yixin, who was elected to the ruling Communist Party's Central Committee during its once-every-five-years congress this month, had been in charge of a campaign in recent years to purge corrupt security and legal officials. Chen Wenqing's promotion marked the first time that a spy chief was tapped to fill the top security position, which had typically been held by a former minister of public security. Analysts said this reflects the bigger role intelligence is likely to play in China's security during President Xi Jinping's third term. Xi emphasised China's national security in a report at this month's congress.

China's strategy aims to win over "swing" countries to score United Nations votes, the diplomat said on Tuesday. Washington said it had taken note of the congress and stressed the importance of keeping open lines of communication. Like many up-and-comers, he is a former subordinate from Xi's days as party chief of the eastern province of Zhejiang. Other pro-reform policymakers excluded from the party's new central committee were outgoing economic czar Liu He, 70, and central bank party chief Guo Shuqing, 66. Also among the newcomers is Ding Xuexiang, who was Xi's chief of staff and named to the new Standing Committee.

☆ Xi says China's economy has high resilience, room for manoeuvre
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BEIJING, Oct 23 (Reuters) - China's economy has high resilience, sufficient potential and room for manoeuvre, President Xi Jinping said on Sunday, during a ceremony where China unveiled the new members of its highest political body, the Politburo Standing Committee. China will open its doors even wider, Xi also said to dozens of journalists packed into a room inside central Beijing's Great Hall of the People. China's development is inseparable from the world and the world also needs China, Xi added, according to state media. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Yew Lun Tian, Writing by Martin Quin Pollard; Editing by Lincoln Feast. Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ China's Xi clinches third term, packs leadership team with loyalists
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-23 | by ( Yew Lun Tian | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Tingshu WangBEIJING, Oct 23 (Reuters) - China's Xi Jinping secured a precedent-breaking third leadership term on Sunday and introduced a new Politburo Standing Committee stacked with loyalists, cementing his place as the country's most powerful ruler since Mao Zedong. Shanghai Communist Party chief Li Qiang followed Xi onto the stage at the Great Hall of the People as the new leadership team was introduced, meaning he is likely to succeed Li Keqiang as premier when he retires in March. The other members of the seven-man Standing Committee, China's top governing body, are Zhao Leji and Wang Huning, who return from the previous committee, and newcomers Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang and Li Xi. Li Qiang is also new to the Standing Committee. Xi Jinping also has total control over the larger Politburo and Central Committee," he said.

BEIJING, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Li Qiang, who oversaw Shanghai's grinding two-month COVID-19 lockdown this year as party boss of China's commercial hub, is on track to become China's next premier after President Xi Jinping unveiled a new governing body packed with loyalists. Current Premier Li Keqiang, a more reform-minded voice, will step down in March after the maximum two terms. "We have not seen Li Qiang introduce any market-oriented reforms," said Lam. In 2015, Li accompanied Xi on a visit to the United States to meet then-President Barack Obama. In Seattle with Xi, Li gave a speech calling for more cooperation between Zhejiang and U.S. firms.

Three of the four new Standing Committee members owe their political rise to Xi, and the fourth is believed to be closely aligned with him. All but Guangdong party chief Li Xi worked under Xi in the 2000s, either in affluent Zhejiang province or in Shanghai. By excluding Li Keqiang and Wang Yang, both 67, from the party Central Committee and Standing Committee, Xi broke with the "seven-up/eight-down" rule that those aged 67 or under would remain for another five years. No woman has ever made it onto the Standing Committee. NOT TROUBLE-FREEThe run-up to the party congress was hardly smooth, with China facing sharp economic slowdown, frustration over zero-COVID and worsening relations with the West.

REUTERS/Tingshu WangBEIJING, Oct 22 (Reuters) - China's Communist Party wrapped up its twice-a-decade congress on Saturday, approving amendments to its charter aimed at cementing Xi Jinping's core status and revealing a new Central Committee missing two key officials lacking close ties to Xi. The new Central Committee on Sunday will choose the elite Politburo Standing Committee, with Xi, 69, widely expected to secure a third leadership term. Among the amendments to the party constitution, the "Two Establishes" define Xi as the "core" leader of the party and cement his ideas as the guiding principles of China's future development. Voting was conducted by show of hands in the vast Great Hall of the People, where much of the week's party congress proceedings have taken place behind closed doors. At its first plenum on Sunday, the party's new central committee will choose the next Politburo, which is typically 25 people, and its new Standing Committee.

☆ Factbox: China's Communist Party amends its charter, strengthens Xi power
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIJING, Oct 22 (Reuters) - China's ruling Communist Party amended its constitution on Saturday, further cementing President Xi Jinping's power ahead of what is expected to be his precedent-breaking third term as party general secretary. The party constitution, or charter, is a document of ultimate authority by which all 96 million party members must abide, and amendments remain effective indefinitely. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterXi, 69, is widely expected to be confirmed on Sunday to a third five-year leadership term as party general secretary. Saturday's revisions incorporate priorities and policy directions that Xi had outlined in the past, including:-"Two Establishes", which defines Xi as the "core" leader of the party and cements his ideas as the guiding principles of China's future development. -"Two Safeguards", which assures Xi's "core" status within the party and the party's centralised authority over China.

☆ Factbox: FACTBOX How China's Communist Party Congress works
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( Yew Lun Tian | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

A day after the congress, the newly elected Central Committee will convene behind closed doors at its first plenum. The 200 Central Committee members with voting rights will then vote "yes" or "no" on each of the proposed candidates for the two committees. The Central Committee will then elect one person from the Politburo Standing Committee (PSC) to be the general secretary. The general secretary will then introduce his new team and speak about the work ahead. The Central Committee also approves the make-up of a new secretariat and the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.

☆ The big reveal: Xi set to introduce China's next standing committee
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( Tony Munroe | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Tingshu Wang/File PhotoBEIJING, Oct 21 (Reuters) - Xi Jinping, poised to clinch a third five-year term as China's leader, will on Sunday preside over the most dramatic moment of the Communist Party's twice-a-decade congress and reveal the members of its elite Politburo Standing Committee. Xi's break with precedent to rule beyond a decade was set in motion when he abandoned presidential term limits in 2018. His norm-busting as China's most powerful ruler since Mao Zedong has made it even harder to predict who will join him on the standing committee. At least two of the seven current Standing Committee members are expected to retire due to age norms. Reports this week in the Wall Street Journal and South China Morning Post suggest there could be as many as four openings, with Premier Li, 67, possibly among those stepping down.

☆ China's Xi says full control over Hong Kong achieved, determined on Taiwan
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BEIJING, Oct 16 (Reuters) - China has achieved comprehensive control over Hong Kong, turning it from chaos to governance, Chinese President Xi Jinping said in a speech on Sunday at the opening of the once-in-five-year Communist Party congress in Beijing. China has also waged a major struggle against Taiwan separatism and is determined and able to oppose territorial integrity, Xi said. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Yew Lun Tian and Eduardo Baptista; Writing by Martin Quin Pollard; Editing by William MallardOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Xi says China will unwaveringly support private economy
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BEIJING, Oct 16 (Reuters) - China will unwaveringly support the private economy and let the market play decisive role in resource allocation, President Xi Jinping said in a speech on Sunday at the opening of the once-in-five-year Communist Party Congress in Beijing. China will aim for high-quality economic growth and the next five years will be crucial for building a modern socialist power, Xi said. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Yew Lun Tian, Writing by Kevin Yao; Editing by William MallardOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ China will accelerate building of world-class military, strong strategic deterrent, Xi says
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BEIJING, Oct 16 (Reuters) - China will accelerate the building of a world-class military and strengthen its ability to build a strategic deterrent capability, President Xi Jinping said on Sunday at the opening of the once-in-five-year Communist Party Congress in Beijing. China must adhere to the party's absolute leadership of the military, Xi said in a speech before some 2,300 delegates at the Great Hall of the People. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Yew Lun Tian; Writing by Martin Quin Pollard; Editing by William MallardOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ China will accelerate building of world-class military, strong strategic deterrent - Xi
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

☆ China must ensure Hong Kong is ruled by patriots - Xi
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BEIJING, Oct 16 (Reuters) - China must ensure Hong Kong is ruled by patriots and China will support Hong Kong in integrating with the mainland, Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Sunday at the opening of the once-in-five-year Communist Party congress in Beijing. "One country, two systems" is the best system for Hong Kong and must be adhered to in the long run, Xi said in a speech to around 2,300 delegates at the Great Hall of the People. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Yew Lun Tian; Writing by Martin Quin Pollard; Editing by William MallardOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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