China news roundup / Nachrichten 2024-11-12

9 days ago

Dozens killed in car rampage through Chinese stadium

"At least 35 people have been killed in a car attack in southern China, believed to be the deadliest known act of public violence in the country in decades.
[...] The "serious and vicious attack" also injured 45 people - among them elderly and children, local media report."

--- Could be the deadliest in decades, but not by far. Eg. in Kunming in 2014 at least 31 people died (just like now, official numbers only, the real tally may be higher). & it seems to me that attacks with cars are becoming more common this year. We still see a lot of knife attacks, but more cars ramming people than before, though usually with fewer victims.

"Police say the 62-year-old driver, identified as a Mr Fan, appeared to have acted out of unhappiness over a divorce settlement."

--- Plausible. 'Revenge on society' happens a lot in China.

"The incident has sparked a national outcry in China, where President Xi Jinping vowed "severe punishment" for the perpetrator, and called for "all-out efforts" to treat the injured."

--- Well, national outcry... Most of the commentary is censored.

"A number have been reported this year including a mass stabbing and firearms attack in Shandong in February which killed at least 21 people. That incident was heavily censored by Chinese authorities."

--- As mass killings usually are.

"Reports of Monday's attack were already being restricted online on Tuesday - with several videos taken by witnesses at the scene removed from Chinese social media platforms.
But some footage still circulating online showed dozens of people lying on the ground and being attended to by paramedics and bystanders."

--- The usual.

When horror hits China, the first instinct is shut it down

"Outside the gates people passed by to catch sight of the aftermath. But among them was a group of around a dozen people more interested in us.
A women started calling to the others: "Look, foreigners, foreigners."
Soon a man who was with her was aggressively interrupting our reporting, grabbing me and shouting.
Often, when sensitive stories like this unfold in China, local Communist Party officials organise groups of cadres to pretend to be outraged locals who have been given the role of targeting foreign reporters and preventing any coverage.
Invariably it doesn't stop the stories, it just makes China look bad."

--- In this case, only one evil uncle attacked the BBC reporter. Could have been a cadre, but not necessarily. There are lots of nationalists in China who don't want foreigners to report anything negative.

The Guardian view on China’s growth limits: shifting to a post-industrial economy is tough

"Three decades of Thatcher-era shock therapy and New Labour City-led globalisation were needed to shift Britain to a service-dominated, consumption-based economy, with manufacturing reduced to just a tenth of the economy. Replicating this transition in China is a daunting challenge.
[...] Yet if China proceeds cautiously, it risks stifling its shift to a consumption-driven economy, leaving it vulnerable to economic stagnation, social unrest and dependence on volatile global markets – a combination that could ultimately erode both economic resilience and political stability."

--- Does the CCP actually want a consumption-driven economy?
The way it has been going until recently, global markets were becoming dependent on China, not so much vice versa.

China must face ‘higher cost’ for backing Russia in Ukraine, says next EU foreign policy chief

"Asked about how Europe should respond to authoritarian states supporting Russia, she said the EU needed to signal to China that its aid to Moscow had “consequences” and “a higher cost” but did not offer specifics."

--- Talk is cheap. Will the EU actually do something?

--- BBC News: "Dozens killed in China after car ploughs into crowd"

--- China Unscripted: "Xi Jinping Has No Solution to the Chinese Economy. And That Means Americans Could Die" (Gordon Chang, so take it with a grain of salt.)

Autofahrer fährt in Menschenmenge - 35 Tote

"In der südchinesischen Stadt Zhuhai ist ein Autofahrer in eine Menschenmenge gerast und hat dabei 35 Menschen getötet. 43 weitere Menschen seien bei dem Vorfall verletzt worden, teilte die Polizei mit.
[...] Nach Angaben der Behörden fuhr der Mann absichtlich in die Menschengruppe. Es sei ein "schwerer und bösartiger Angriff gewesen", so die Polizei. Nach ihren Angaben hätten erste Ermittlungen ergeben, dass Ärger über die Vermögensaufteilung nach seiner Scheidung den Mann zu der Tat getrieben habe."

--- Nicht unwahrscheinlich. Kommt in China recht oft vor, daß sich jemand an der Gesellschaft (oft an Kindern) rächt, wenn er sich ungerecht behandelt fühlt. Meist gibt es allerdings nicht soviele Opfer. Jedoch scheint die Nutzung von Autos für solche Taten zuzunehmen, was wohl zu mehr Opfern führen wird.