Vision Times Newspaper VOL.14 APR 9,2021

VISION TIMES

14

VOL. APR 9 - 15, 2021

NY

EDITION (Getty Images)

Facebook Publishes Communist

Chinese Propaganda Ads

Whitewashing Xinjiang Genocide (Getty Images)

By Neil Campbell Vision Times

S

ocial media and social tracking giant Facebook is facing scrutiny for publishing ads sponsored by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) that astroturf over the genocide of Uyghur Muslims in the Xinjiang Autonomous region, according to a Wall Street Journal article.

WSJ describes the “advertisements and posts by the Chinese government and state media” played on Facebook, one of the Big Tech consortium’s biggest arms, as “videos of people in Xinjiang, including some children, proclaiming to the camera that their lives are improving and that Western nations are engaging in a plot to try to destabi-

lize China.”

In another instance, Xinhua, the propaganda mouthpiece of the communist regime, published an “ad promoting a video interview with the mayor of Xinjiang’s capital, Urumqi, in which he says that the ‘peace and stability that people from all ethnic groups in Xinjiang once longed for

has become a reality.’ He said a ‘plot’ by Western countries to disrupt China’s internal affairs is “doomed to failure.”

WSJ says Xinhua paid $100 to air the ad, which was shown 200,000 times before it was removed.

CGTN, a branch of official Party television station CCTV, published an ad “featuring stu-

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dents in a Xinjiang boarding school, where some academic researchers say children of arrested or detained individuals are sometimes sent. In the video, children in interviews say they are happy to be in the facilities because they are eating nutritious food and receiving an education,” according to WSJ. CGTN paid $400 for the video and it was viewed over a million times in a four day period targeting Facebook’s users in countries such as Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh.

Beijing as one of Facebook’s top clients

While Facebook is banned in mainland China by the CCP, the Party nonetheless uses the platform extensively to manipulate overseas opinion.

According to data by DataReportal, Facebook is the third most visited site on the Internet and is the largest social media outlet, eclipsing Tencent’s WeChat by a scale of more than 2:1. Four CCP propaganda hubs sit in the top 20 most popular Facebook pages on the platform. CGTN is ranked #4 at more than 113 million followers, ahead of the Coca Cola and the Real Madrid football team pages.

Of Facebook’s top 10 cities by active users, none are based in the United States or Canada.

The closest is Mexico City at #5 with 12 million. First place is Dhaka, Bangladesh at 17 million. As for countries with the largest advertising audiences, first place India eclipses second place United States by a margin of 320 million to 190 million users.

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Wall Street Behemoths Ate Reddit’s Gamestop Lunch

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By Neil Campbell

EDITION AdobeSto

JaNuarY 15-21, 2021

A

ck

ccording to Wall Street behemoth JPMorgan, the fairytale spun by pundits about Reddit’s WallStreetBets organizing to “squeeze” badly positioned hedge fund short sellers of video game retailer Gamestop (NYSE: GME) in what has been affectionately dubbed the “Gamestop Rebellion” is simply false.

Peng Cheng, the JPMorgan quantitative and derivatives strategy analyst, wrote to clients in a note: “Although retail buying was portrayed as the main driver of the extreme price rally experienced by some stocks, the actual picture may be much more nuanced,” according to CNBC.

JANUARY 22-2

2021

American UN

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TIMES

rum Am China’s Craft’s T bassador p and Administration a Sharp Eyes iw Visit Pla an Project nned, Th Serves as Warning toen Can E cellmephdasize Found Free World ing Value in Fina

Why the CCP k Wants Biden’s Pic n e ll e Y t DTNA Jane ted Y forour a in y m

About Pandemic Surveillance

Call Out for Geno China cide,

Travel pla ns Biden adm scrapped to acc om modat inistratio BlackRock Chair and CEO e n Lautra rence D. Fink attends a session nsitio n proced at the World Economic Forum ures (WEF) annual meeting in Davos

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on January 23, 2020. BlackRock

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NATION

A2 | APR 9 - 15, 2021

www.VisionTimes.com

A general view of the Coca-Cola Roxy in The Battery Atlanta connected to Truist Park, home of the Atlanta Braves, on March 26, 2020 in Atlanta, Georgia. Georgia lawmakers have moved to remove Coke products from state offices after CEO James Quincey went on record criticising Georgia’s election reform legislation. (Image: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Ron DeSantis Outlaws Vaccine Passports

By Neil Campbell Vision Times

F Georgia GOP Eyes Removal of Coca-Cola Products From State Offices After CEO Chastises Election Reform

By Shoba Rajamani Vision Times

G

eorgia’s Republican legislators have made the call to remove Coca-Cola’s products from state offices after the beverage company’s CEO publicly criticized election reform laws.

According to a CNBC report, Coca-Cola Company Chairman and CEO James Quincey blasted Georgia’s election reform laws in a statement issued on April 1, “Let me be crystal clear and unequivocal, this legislation is unacceptable. This legislation is wrong, and needs to be remedied, and we will continue to advocate for it both in private and in now even more clearly in public.”

Quincey said the reforms do not “promote principles we have stood for in Georgia, around broad access to voting, around voter convenience, about ensuring elec-

tion integrity.”

“We want to be crystal clear and state unambiguously that we are disappointed in the outcome of the Georgia voting legislation. Throughout Georgia’s legislative session we provided feedback to members of both legislative chambers and political parties, opposing measures in the bills that would diminish or deter access to voting,” added Coke’s CEO.

Cancel culture ‘out of control’

After the comments, eight Republicans in the state legislature sent a letter to CocaCola care of Kevin Perry, President of the Georgia Beverage Association, seeking the removal of Coke’s products from state offices, “Upon the passage of the ‘Election Integrity Act of 2021,’ your company has made the conscious decision to perpetuate a national dialogue which seeks to intentionally mislead

the citizens of Georgia and deepen a divide in our great State,” read the letter.

“We have the responsibility to all of Georgia to not engage in those misguided intentions nor continue to support corporations who choose to.”

In the letter, lawmakers explained their position that the new bill was a positive, rather than a negative for voters, saying the changes, “Expands early voting opportunities, provides a pathway to ensure shorter voting lines, secures the use of drop boxes which otherwise would be illegal, as well as several other provisions allowing all Georgians greater access to fast, secure, and transparent elections.”

“Given Coke’s decision to cave to pressure from an out of control cancel culture, we respectfully request all CocaCola Company products be removed from our office suite immediately,” they said.

Among the signatories of

Brian Kemp, the Governor of Georgia, speaks during a virtual Memorial Day ceremony at Clay National Guard Center in Marietta, Georgia on May 21, 2020. Kemp said he isn’t afraid of “Stacy Abrams and Joe Biden and the left” after Coca-Cola CEO James Quincey derided his state’s election reform laws.

(Image: Georgia National Guard via Flickr CC BY 2.0)

the letter were Republican State House Republicans Victor Anderson, Clint Crowe, Matt Barton, Jason Ridley, Lauren McDonald III, Stan Gunter, Dewayne Hill, and Marcus Wiedower.

“Should Coke choose to read the bill, share its true intentions and accept their role in the dissemination of mistruths, we would welcome a conversation to rebuild a working relationship,” they said.

In response to Quincey’s comments, Governor Brian Kemp told reporters that Coca-Cola and other corporate critics of the new voting law “may be scared of Stacey Abrams and Joe Biden and the left, but I am not.”

Delta Air Lines also threw its hat into the ring, calling the new legislation “unacceptable.”

Following the airline’s comment, Republicans in the Georgia House voted to strip Delta of a tax credit worth $35 million.

High School Student Sacrifices Life to Save Boy

By Prakash Gogoi Vision Times

A

n 18-year-old young man and student from North Carolina made the ultimate sacrifice by giving up his own life to save a 10-year-old boy’s life. The incident occurred on March 27 in Edgewater Park, New Jersey.

Al-Tarrek Bell was in the backseat with his girlfriend’s ten-year-old nephew when a driver in another vehicle suddenly opened fire on their car.

Bell instinctively shielded the boy with his body. Bell was hit multiple times and died from his wounds. The boy was unharmed in the shooting, but the driver of their vehicle, a 25-year-old man, also died in the shooting. Bell was just weeks away from celebrating his 19th birthday.

Bell’s school counselor described him as a good kid who was “never disrespectful.”

Police are investigating the incident, but no arrests have been made, and the motive of the shooting is unclear.

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(Photo: YUSSEF/AFP via Getty Images)

Memorial to the victims of gun violence at a church in Philadelphia.

57.3 % of mass shootings occur in schools and workplaces.

The mother of the 10-yearold child expressed her gratitude to Bell on social media.

“He put his life on the line, to save my ten yrs old son. He shield[ed] my son, and made sure he was safe. I will never ever, forget you!! We will keep your name alive. You always said to me you got him. You will always protect him and you keep your word. You did exactly that, you gave your life to save his. You are your brother’s keeper. LONG LIVE Alttreck!! We gone mourn

A ten year old boy was unharmed, while 18-year-old Al-Tarrek Bell, who protected the boy, and the driver of their vehicle both lost their lives in a March 27 shooting in Edgewater Park, NJ.

you till we join you. Love you. Keep looking over us,” she said in a Facebook post.

Bell’s mother, Izetta Howell, called her son witty and a “beautiful soul” in an interview. She believes that the world has become more violent today. She said Al-Tarreck was a rapper, played drums, wrote his own music, and was about to achieve “major things.” Howell is proud that her son died a hero and expressed surprise at the support the commu-

nity has extended to her.

“Thank God my son was there to protect the little boy in the back seat. For him to save his life, that meant the world to me even though my son is gone; but just to know that my son had a heart of gold, it makes it even better to deal with,” she said in a statement. A GoFundMe page was set up on Howell’s behalf to raise money for Bell’s burial.

The fund, which has a goal of $10,000, has nearly reached its target.

VISION TIMES

Mass shootings

Most gun violence victims tend to be young Americans in the age group of 15 to 25.

Americans in this age group are 50 times more likely to die from gun violence than those in any other economically similar nation.

According to the Rockefeller Institute of Government, almost 96 percent of the shooters are male, with the average age of the perpetrators being 33.4 years. 57.3 percent of mass shootings occurred in schools and workplaces. Handguns are the most used weapon during mass shootings.

In 2020, only two incidents of public mass shootings targeted strangers, yet gun violence was estimated to have caused almost 4,000 additional deaths compared with 2019. A significant portion of the homicides took place in communities of color, with places like Oakland, Philadelphia, Chicago, and St. Louis being the most affected regions, despite some of the strictest gun laws in the country.

lorida’s Governor Ron DeSantis upped the ante on his administration’s efforts to resist the nationwide trend of coronavirus measures and surveillance on April 2 when he signed an Executive Order banning vaccine passports in his state.

In the Order, DeSantis, a Republican, says “requiring so-called COVID-19 vaccine passports for taking part in everyday life–such as attending a sporting event, patronizing a restaurant, or going to a movie theatre–would create two classes of citizens based on vaccination,” adding “It is necessary to protect the fundamental rights and privacies of Floridians and the free flow of commerce in the state.”

The decree prevents any Government agency at any level of Florida from issuing documentation that would certify a person’s vaccine status to a third party. It also bars businesses from requiring customers to show papers evidencing their vaccination status.

“It’s completely unacceptable for either the government or the private sector to impose upon you the requirement that you show proof of vaccine to just simply be able to participate in normal society,” said DeSantis at a press conference on March 29.

DeSantis directed all state agencies to work to ensure compliance with the Order.

Businesses who do not comply with the regulation will lose grants and contracts issued by the State of Florida.

“If you do a vaccine passport to say ‘Yeah you know, if you want to go to a movie theatre, or you want to go on a plane, or you want to do that,’ that is a bridge further than we have ever gone in this country, without question,” said the Governor.

“We’re not going to do it.

This would be an unprecedented expansion I think of using this both with public or with private power, and that’s why I think that businesses should not be allowed to be doing this either, because I think it just puts us down a slippery slope and I think it’ll end up being in a situation that we’ll live to regret in the future.”

On March 28, Washington Post published an article revealing a presentation by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology entitled COVID-19 Vaccine Credentials Discussion, where Director Micky Tripathi was not shy to say nationwide vaccine passports were coming to America, “As more of the population becomes vaccinated, proof of immunization will likely become a major, if not the primary, form of health status validation.”

In March, DeSantis was one of the first Governors to buck the trend of SARSCoV-2 coronavirus measures after abolishing the state’s mask mandate and eliminating fines issued by law enforcement for COVID-19 bylaw infractions. ny@visiontimes.com

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(Getty Images)

Hunter Biden Admits Incriminating

‘Laptop Could Be Mine’

By Prakash Gogoi Vision Times

P

resident Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, recently admitted in an interview with CBS News that the laptop at the center of a scandal regarding his foreign dealings may belong to him. Last year, the New York Post published a story about a laptop that was dropped off

at a repair shop in Delaware in 2019. It contained emails regarding Hunter’s business with the Ukrainian natural gas company Burisma and a Chinese energy conglomerate. The laptop was eventually handed over to the FBI. During the interview with CBS, the president’s son stated that he “really don’t know” who owns the laptop. When pressed further, Hunter acknowledged that he

may be the owner of the laptop. He also claimed he could be a victim.

“It could be that I was hacked. It could be that it was the — that it was Russian intelligence. It could be that it was stolen from me,” Hunter said in the interview.

Hunter’s interview comes soon after NPR had to change its claim about the laptop. In a review of Hunter’s book, NPR supported Hunter’s

innocence. The media outlet stated that the laptop being the property of the president’s son had been discredited by U.S. intelligence as well as news organizations’ independent investigations.

These were false statements.

NPR recently issued a correction, stating that U.S. intelligence officials have not discredited the possibility of Hunter being the owner.

Hunter is also accused of

breaking two laws. Firstly, he is accused of smuggling guests, including an ex-stripper, into a Washington D.C building owned by the Swedish government that housed several embassies. This incident happened sometime after Feb. 2017 when he had rented office space in the building. Secondly, Hunter allegedly made a gun purchase in 2018 and lied about his history of drug use.

FEMA Bumps Flood Insurance Rates for First Time in 50 Years

T

he Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has revised flood insurance rates for the first time since the 1970s in what it calls “Risk Rating 2.0 – Equity in Action.” New policies will see an increase in rates starting in October, while renewing policies will begin to see incremental premium increases starting in April of 2022.

An April 1 Press Release by FEMA on the changes says it

is “leveraging improved technology and FEMA’s enhanced understanding of flood risk” to back the changes to the National Flood Insurance Program’s (NFIP) rates.

A Fact Sheet issued by the agency on the changes says that in the last 50 years, NFIP has collected $60 billion in premiums but paid out $96 billion in “costs,” which it defines as “losses, operating expenses, and interest.”

FEMA says two-thirds of

policy holders who were previously paying under the old Flood Insurance Rate Map system are expected to see a rate decrease. The remainder will see their rates increase, but are limited to a maximum annual increase of 18 percent per year set by Congress.

However, according to the same Fact Sheet, the Agency says it expects 23 percent of policy holders will see a rate decrease on average of $1,036 per year, 66 percent will see

A neighborhood east of downtown New Orleans remains flooded August 30, 2005 in New Orleans, Louisiana after Katrina. FEMA and the NFIP are increasing flood insurance premiums after partnering with experts in the U.S. army and government, as well as private catastrophe modelling firms.

(Image: Dave Einsel/Getty Images)

an increase between $0 and $120 per year, 7 percent will pay $120 to $240 more per year, while only 4 percent will be paying in excess of $240 more per annum.

FEMA says the NFIP underwrites $1.3 trillion in liabilities for more than 5 million policyholders across the country.

Flood insurance risk more expensive, widespread A car gets towed while men walk in the flooded waters of Telephone Rd. in Houston, Texas on August 30, 2017 after Hurricane Harvey. FEMA and the NFIP are bumping flood insurance rates for the first time in 50 years as a result of potential climate catastrophe, which may lead to enormous increases for homeowners in the highest risk areas. (Image: THOMAS SHEA/AFP via Getty Images)

ny@visiontimes.com

In a March 26 article by Louisiana local news station KPLC, FEMA told the NBC affiliate, “40 percent of flood claims over the past five years

VISION TIMES

came from moderate to low risk areas.”

FEMA Spokesperson Gerard Hamink told the station, “Anywhere it rains, there can be flooding. That’s why flood insurance can help you save money if you get water in your house.”

Despite the rosy picture the NFIP paints about policy increases for most Americans, in a March 18 article by Forbes, First Street Foundation, a non-profit flood risk research group, said California, Washington, Delaware, Florida, and South Carolina would face steep premium increases. They said home-

owners currently paying $900 for insurance may see a rise to $3500 while some may see total policy costs increase by as much as $8000 per year.

In the article, Sarah Pralle, a Political Sciences Professor at Syracuse University, said the massive increase in policy rates for homeowners in the hardest hit zones, which are often required to hold flood insurance by their mortgagors, may result in bankruptcy and abandoned homes, “rising insurance rates could lead to a reduction in home values…they could be forced to sell at a loss, or even abandon their property.”

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CHINA

A4 | APR 9 - 15, 2021

www.VisionTimes.com

Communist China has built artifical islands in the South China Sea in ordeer to cement its claims there. (Image: wikimedia / CC0 1.0)

Vessels Gathering at Disputed South China Sea Reef

Push Beijing’s Territorial Claims

By Lucy Crawford Vision Times

S

ince March, over 200 Chinese vessels have gathered at Whitsun Reef, a disputed island in the South China Sea, triggering a new round of diplomatic argument.

Chinese diplomats have said the boats were sheltering from rough seas. However, after the weather improved, these so-called “fishing boats” remained in the area.

On March 25, after the Philippines’ repeated diplomatic protest went unanswered, the Philippine military ordered the deployment of more warships in the South China Sea on a “sovereign patrol” mission.

Experts and investigative journalists suspect that Chinese civil vessels, including fishing boats, often have ties to the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, providing Beijing with a “maritime militia.”

South China Sea claims

Beijing has long claimed sovereignty over the vast

This photo taken on May 14, 2019, Chinese coastguard ship monitors during the joint search and rescue exercise between Philippine and US coastguards near Scarborough shoal in the South China Sea. - Two Philippine coastguard ships, BRP Batangas and Kalanggaman and US coastguard cutter Bertholf participated in the exercise, as two Chinese coastguard ships monitor from a distance. (Image: TED ALJIBE/AFP via Getty Images)

majority of waters in the South China Sea. But in 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague ruled that China had no “historical rights” to the strategic waters.

But Beijing said it does not recognize the ruling and has built artificial islands in the disputed waters equipped with radar, missiles batteries and hangars for fighter jets.

According to the latest sat-

A Sachsen-class frigate of the German Navy docked in Kiel, state of Schleswig-Holstein. (Image: Rebell18190/Public Domain)

ellite images taken by Maxar Technologies, a U.S. space technology company, the second largest “island” in the Spratly Islands, Subi Reef, which China began to turn into an island in 2015, has recently resumed its “land reclamation” project.

In an interview on March 24, former Philippine Supreme Court justice Antonio Carpio, one of the legal counsels that secured the Philippines’ victory over China at the international court in The Hague, said he was “particularly worried” that China – by parking hundreds of ships believed to be manned by its maritime militia at the Julian Felipe Reef (Philippine’s name for Whitsun Reef) – was using the same strategy in occupying Mischief Reef in 1995.

In 1995, China occupied Mischief Reef on the pretext of creating a haven for fishermen.

In recent years, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has been reclaiming land, building military projects, and deploying military aircraft and radar in the disputed areas of the South China Sea, raising the alarm of the international community.

China Is Developing Its Capacity Through Weaponizing Trade

By Max Lu Vision Times

C

hina is taking proactive steps that reflect its deep desire to emerge as a leading player in trading, technology, and armed forces. It is weaponizing trade to accomplish this.

The country is not shy about flexing its muscles, and of late it has made headlines for showing aggression while dealing with neighboring nations. It is a big consumer of commodities like iron ore, 212-730-6963

coal, and crude oil. However, it imports such materials for consumption needs. Now, it is trying to buy overseas companies to diversify the supply of such natural resources. A Verisk Maplecroft report says the country is aiming for stable autocratic regimes.

Owing to its aggressive foreign policies with nearby countries, China has been subjected to criticism at the global level. Its handling of border issues with India and interference in the island of Hong Kong has drawn widespread protests from other

nations. In the future, it may affect its supply of critical commodities from other countries. However, China will have to worry less if it owns a stake in foreign companies supplying such materials. It is reluctant to rely on democratic countries that may not see its rise as a positive sign.

China has been weaponizing trade with countries like Australia

The reality is some of the democratic countries are

Coal is one of the Australian exports that has been hit hard

by China’s weaponizing trade measures. (Image: Decumanus via wikimedia / CC BY 2.0 )

major players in the production of resources like iron ore. The largest supplier of iron ore to China

VISION TIMES

was Australia. Of late, the Beijing trade restrictions have hit the supplier country hard. The data shows that Australia used to ship almost 60 percent of Chinese iron ore imports. That explains why China is now strengthening its trade ties with other nations producing iron ore, like Guinea and Brazil. This is a good example of how China is weaponizing trade with countries around the world.

Coal is one of the Australian exports that has been hit hard by China’s retaliatory

measures. The tariff revisions and restrictions made the relationship between the two nations sour. It remains to be seen how the supplier countries react to the latest business moves of China.

Verisk Maplecroft is of the view that China is adamant regarding its stance and banning coal import was only the beginning. It may end up banning many more product imports from the oldtime suppliers. These moves will have a major impact on the global trade landscape. ny@visiontimes.com

WORLD

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JEFF PACHOUD , AFP , Getty Images

Coronavirus Lockdown

Protests Erupt All Across the EU and UK

By Prakash Gogoi VisionTimes

A An anti-lockdown protest at Queen’s Park April 25 last year attracted about 200 who claimed measures to control the spread of COVID-19 are an infringement of freedom. Protests are becoming more common across Europe with growing discontent over the lengthy disruption to normal life. (Image:

s several countries continue with lockdown restrictions amidst the coronavirus pandemic, strong public opposition has risen against these measures. In Europe and the UK, several protests have erupted against government-mandated restrictions, with some even turning violent.

Government restrictions have also been legally challenged.

Germany

The “Querdenken (Anti-

conformist)” movement that opposes social restrictions recently held a protest march to Stuttgart. Both left and rightwing groups supported the protest. ‘End the Dictatorship of Covid,’ said some banners.

One protesters stated that she did not believe the official data on coronavirus infections and related deaths.

German-American lawyer Dr. Reiner Fullmich’s Corona Committee is gathering testimonies from almost 100 wellknown scientists, psychologists, lawyers, physicians, and economists. He plans to use the material for a major class-action

michael_swan via Flickr CC0 1.0)

A man gestures and takes a selfie during a protest against the restrictions imposed by the government as part of lockdown measures in Lyon on November 23, 2020. - Shop owners, restaurants owners and night clubs owners protest to call for the reopening of their stores closed as activity has ceased in their sector over coronavirus restrictions, during a national lockdown in France aimed at curbing the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus.

suit against the country’s medical and political establishment for implementing extremely restrictive coronavirus measures.

Finland

A government attempt to strengthen lockdown policies was overruled by the Parliamentary Constitutional Law Committee which stated that the proposal to ban movement was “completely disproportional.”

PM Sanna Martin had suggested imposing a partial lockdown in areas that had high coronavirus infection levels. Former PM Antii Rinne, chair of the committee, noted that the lockdowns went against “the meaning of the constitution.”

Romania

against their third lockdown restrictions, effective April 1 until April 11. Many called the restrictions bizarre and irrational. The protesters demanded the Constitutional Court to review requests regarding the restrictions.

Compared with other European nations, Romania’s restrictions are fairly moderate. Even so, anti-restriction protesters attacked policemen in the capital on March 30. The unrest was due to a recently installed curfew aimed at curbing the spread of the CCP Virus. Around 200 demonstrators were arrested and at least 12 policemen are known to be injured. In the town of Bacau, a group of protesters occupied a hospital forecourt, calling nurses and doctors “assassins.”

Belgium

A court in Brussels has ordered the government to revoke all coronavirus restrictions within 30 days. The decision was taken as part of a lawsuit filed by the League for Human Rights which challenged the government’s use of a Ministerial Decree without getting any input from the parliament. The court observed that the restrictions were imposed without a proper legal basis.

Slovenia

In Slovenia, hundreds of people gathered in front of the Presidential Palace, speaking out

Unvaccinated Seafarers Restricted Entry Into Ports

Mandates Disrupting Worldwide Logistics

By Prakash Gogoi VisionTimes

T

Vaccine mandates for seafarers imposed by several nations are threatening to disrupt global shipping supply chains.

open up legal liabilities and costs for owners, which would not be recoverable from charterers. Furthermore, while owners would be able to address the need for seafarer vaccines in new contracts, owners attempting to

change existing contracts or asking crew to receive a specific vaccine requested by a port could open themselves up to legal liabilities,” says the ICS report.

Guy Platten, secretarygeneral of ICS, stated that Adobe Stock

he Internationa l Chamber of Shipping (ICS) has warned that mandating COVID-19 vaccines for seafarers risks disrupting the smooth operations of global shipping supply chains. The organization said that it received reports of countries insisting that shipping crews be vaccinated before being allowed entry into ports. ICS noted that crews aboard a ship can originate from almost 30 different countries at a time.

Requesting all to be vaccinated under the current lack of access to vaccinations can

be a potential “legal minefield.”

Nearly 900,000 seafarers employed in the profession are from developing nations.

Given that these countries are not projected to achieve full immunization until 2024, ensuring that all crew members are fully vaccinated presents difficulties. Moreover, when countries mandate that seafarers be injected with a specific vaccine regardless of whether they are already inoculated by another, the situation becomes more complicated. Ship-owners could even decide to cancel voyages to avoid the risk of sailing with unvaccinated crews.

“Delays into ports caused by unvaccinated crew would

Denmark Continues Suspension of AstraZeneca in Concern Over Dangerous Side Effects

By Arvind Datta VisionTimes

D

anish authorities have decided to extend the suspension of AstraZeneca for an additional three weeks as they continue evaluating the COVID-19 vaccine for potential risks. The country had temporarily blocked the

ny@visiontimes.com

use of the vaccines on March 11, after a woman died from blood clots just a week after inoculation.

Tanja Erichsen of the Danish Medicines Agency said that the suspension extension was decided on the basis of “presumed side effects” and argued that the possibility of a connection between very rare blood clot cases and the vaccine cannot be ruled out.

Electron micrograph of blood clot, high power.

David Gregory & Debbie Marshall ; CreativeCommons CC BY 4.0

Around 150,000 people in Denmark have received a shot of the AstraZeneca vaccine. Following Denmark’s March 11 decision, several European nations, including Sweden and Norway, also paused their use of the company’s vaccines.

After the European Medicines Agency gave a clean chit, some countries have resumed the use of Astra-

VISION TIMES

Zeneca in their vaccination campaign.

In Sweden, the country’s Public Health Agency stated that they will continue giving AstraZeneca shots to people aged 65 and older. The agency’s director, Johan Carlson pointed out that the potential side effects of the vaccine have not been seen among this demographic. AstraZeneca shots will remain on hold

many shipping companies were facing difficulties as they had little to no access to vaccines that would enable them to inoculate their workers. He warned that if seafarers are blocked from passing through international borders due to a lack of vaccination, the implications in the supply chain could be huge.

Last year, 400,000 seafarers were stranded on board ships across the world due to travel restrictions and international lockdowns in a “crew change crisis.” With further requirements and mandates looming, compounded with a lack of direct access to vaccines, shipowners fear a similar crisis in the coming months.

for those below the age of 65, however.

Norway has extended the suspension until April 15, with authorities saying that they need more time to confirm whether the risk of blood clotting exists. Geir Bukholm, Director of the Division of Infection Control at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (FHI), stated that even though the decision was a difficult one to make, it was the right course of action, as more investigation needs to be conducted into the cases of side effects.

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A6 |APR 9 -15 , 2021 Philippe Lopez , AFP , Getty Images

Xi Jinping Targets Jack Ma’s Alibaba China’s leading tech company in the crossfire between rival Communist Party factions

By Lin Chen VisionTimes

I

n many ways, Alibaba Group is the face of China’s tech industry, penetrating every aspect of Chinese life with its products, from Taobao to Alipay. Alibaba and Tencent, another Chinese Big Tech company, have

"service adjustment, temporarily not available for download". The day before, on the annual March 15 evening broadcast by the Chinese state media, UC Browser was criticized for allowing fake medical advertisements. The criticism was aired on a program for raising awareness about consumer rights.

This rationale leaves something to be desired.

For example, Baidu, the Chinese version of Google, is filled with far more fake drug ads. This unusual move is likely the

Jack Ma addressed over 100 teachers in rural areas via the video conference on January 20, 2021

Getty Images

a combined market capitalization of $1.3 trillion, and almost every major US investment fund has a stake in the company.

UBS estimates that slightly more than a third of Alibaba's shares are held by US investors. But now the tech giant and its founder, Jack Ma, are facing growing trouble in China.

On March 16, Alibaba's UC browser was taken down from the Android store. The website shows 212-730-6963

result of the Android store cooperating with the Chinese Communist Party’s efforts to dismember Alibaba.

On March 15, the Wall Street Journal broke the news that the media business affiliated with Alibaba was to be split up. Because Beijing is increasingly concerned about Alibaba's influence in public opinion, it has pressed for the company to reduce its presence in

the media industry.

In 2014, Alibaba went public in New York and raised $25 billion, setting a record for the world's largest IPO (initial public offering) at the time. But on Nov. 3 last year, Alibaba's Ant Group, which was expected to set another record for the world's largest IPO, was called off by Beijing in an emergency. The day before this event, China's four major regulators, namely Beijing's central bank, the CBRC, the SFC and the State Administration of Foreign Exchange, summoned Jack Ma for an urgent interview.

In The Way of Attack and Defense, a 2017 martial arts film that Jack Ma invested and starred in, he seemed to be predicting his own fate. He beats the world's top masters, but when he’s in the presence of the Chinese police, he begs his opponent to let him go.

Caught between current and former Party bosses

Last October, at the second Bund Financial Summit in Shanghai, Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan warned of various risks in the Chinese financial system. These included “the crooked path of speculation and gambling, the circuitous side path of financial bubbles,” and “the pernicious path of Ponzi schemes.” “We must insist

Alibaba’s media operation is a powerful force in its own right. The sum of its listed media holdings total $8 billion.

Alibaba and Ant Financial are tied to the political faction belonging to Jiang Zemin, Xi Jinping's chief rival in the Chinese Communist Party.

on preventing and resolving financial risks, and financial security always comes first.“ But later, Jack Ma said at the summit that China does not have "financial systemic risk, there is basically no systemic financial risk in China. On November 3, days after the Bund Financial Summit, it was announced that Alibaba’s IPO had been halted. The fact that Jack Ma dared to refute Xi Jinping’s righthand man in such a highprofile manner shows that Jack Ma has powerful backers. But who are they?

Since its creation, the CCP has been plagued by factional struggles that spill over into all levels of China's politics and economy. For Xi Jinping, his greatest enemy is former Party leader Jiang Zemin. Though Hu Jintao was the nominal leader of China from 2002 to 2012, Jiang and his faction held real power during those ten years. Jack Ma's career started in the Jiang era. Both Alibaba's shareholding and Ant Financial's shareholding are intricately tied to the Jiang faction, particularly Jiang Zemin’s close ally, Zeng Qinghong. As a result, Ma's background is heavily tainted by that of the Jiang faction, Xi Jinping’s chief rival in the

Communist Party.

In 2014, Jiang Zemin's grandson, Alvin Jiang, helped Ma buy back his stake in Alibaba from Yahoo. Alvin Jiang also invested in Ant Financial through Boyu Capital. This suggests a link between Jack Ma and the Jiang faction.

Xi Jinping has recently tightened his control over Hong Kong and the financial system, moves aimed at reducing the influence of the Jiang faction. In late February, it was reported that Boyu Capital, which is run by Alvin Jiang, had left Hong Kong for Singapore.

Xi Jinping came to power in 2012. During his first five years in office, he has purged hundreds of high-ranking officials. A review of the backgrounds of these fallen officials shows that the vast majority rose through the ranks during the Jiang Zemin era. Since the start of Xi Jinping's second term in office in 2017, there has been a steady stream of criticism of Xi, both inside and outside China. Especially in the last two years, there have even been calls from within the Party for

Xi to step down. Almost all of these voices, which spread quickly via the media, are linked to Jiang Zemin's faction, which remains powerful even after the purges. When Jack Ma challenged Xi publicly at the Shanghai Financial Summit, was he speaking on behalf of the Jiang faction?

Forays into the Chinese media landscape

Alibaba’s media operation is a powerful force in its own right. The sum of its listed media holdings total $8 billion. For example, Alibaba holds nearly 30 percent of Weibo; it has acquired 100 percent of Hong Kong's Englishlanguage outlet, the South China Morning Post; and has bought 20 percent of the China operations of international PR giant WPP Group. WPP Group is the world's largest advertising and communications group, which includes public relations advertising giants Burson-Marsteller, Ogilvy & Mather, and a host of other companies. BursonMarsteller is very powerful in brand PR and media PR. Ogilvy & Mather is a world-renowned advertising company and one of the top 500 brands in

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PIC

APR 9 - 15, 2021 |

On Oct. 24, Jack Ma gave a speech in Shanghai, where he complained that the Chinese banking sector was suffering from a riskaverse “pawn shop mentality.” “Good innovations,” he said, “are not afraid of supervision, but they do fear outdated supervision.”

Alibaba, big data, and authoritarian security

the world.

In 2014 and 2015, Alibaba took a stake in China's leading social media; music and video platforms; and film and TV industry drama heads. In 2014 and 2015, it acquired a 60 percent stake in a TV and film company, Culture China, and changed its name to Ali Pictures.

In 2016, Jack Ma’s Ant Financial invested 20 million yuan in Caixin, one of China’s most influential financial media outlets. Prior to that, Alibaba already held 37 percent of Caixin’s shares and controlled to some extent another influential financial media in China, "First Financial.” Also in 2016, Alibaba further increased its stake in Sina Weibo, and established a new media company with Xinhua, the Communist Party's media outlet.

Such a deep partnership between Alibaba Group and the CCP media effectively gives Alibaba a relationship with more than a dozen influential official media outlets under the Xinhua umbrella.

In 2017, Alibaba entered the international public relations field. It bought a 20 percent stake in the China business of WPP Group, the international PR giant.

In 2018, Ali invested in the "Chinese Culture Group". The media giant also has a number of wellknown media companies under its umbrella.

In 2019, Alibaba took a stake in the video platform BiliBili, becoming its fourth-largest shareholder. In 2020, after acquiring Focus Media, Alibaba also took a stake

TIMES

in Hunan TV's Mango Super Media.

Threatening the CCP’s monopoly on public opinion

In China, most professionals in the media industry are almost directly or indirectly related to Alibaba. Beyond this publicly available information, it is difficult to count the number of film and television, media, advertising and public relations companies that Alibaba actually owns, has a stake in and participates in. It has become a super media conglomerate, rivalling even the state media controlled by the Chinese Communist Party.

One example of Alibaba’s media influence is said to have shocked Xi Jinping. Last April, when then-Alibaba executive Jiang Fan cheated on his wife, Jiang's wife posted a warning to him on Weibo.

The incident was covered by several mainland media outlets and quickly became a hot topic on the Internet. But within a few minutes, all media reports and Weibo messages were deleted.

Alibaba owns about 30 percent of Weibo, making it the social media company’s second largest shareholder. Who in China is qualified to do this kind of massive online deletion on Weibo? Normally, such an order would only be given by the Chinese Cyberspace Administration, yet in this case, Weibo did it on its own, without state interven-

tion. Clearly, Alibab was pulling the strings. Xi Jinping could hardly have expected that a private company would be able to gain so much power under China’s authoritarian regime.

On March 18 2021, 11 Chinese companies, including Tencent, Alibaba, and Zigzag, were interviewed by the State Internet Information Office. The Cyberspace Administration has asked these companies to cooperate with it and do a better job of monitoring online information. Previously, Clubhouse, a U.S. voice chat social networking software, and Signal, an encrypted messaging application, were banned by the Chinese Communist Party. Big tech products from the West, like Google, Facebook, and Twitter, have long been restricted from the mainland Chinese market.

Media and public opinion has always been one of the CCP’s main tools for maintaining its power. For Jack Ma to wield so much influence over the media makes Beijing uncomfortable. Even though Alibaba would be unlikely to launch a coup or take similarly drastic action on its own, it could still pose a threat to Xi Jinping if Jack Ma were to cooperate with Xi’s rivals in the Chinese regime.

In a March 11 article, the Wall Street Journal quoted officials familiar with the concerns of the Party leaders. The sources said that Beijing was open to working with Alibaba to reserve the current plans for breaking the company up. The condition for this would be that Alibaba draws a clear line between itself and Jack Ma, and follows the Par-

ty’s instructions more closely. According to the officials, the CCP would prefer to leave Alibaba intact, because it is a tech giant that is popular with both Chinese households and global investors.

The Financial Times cited data from flighttracking firm Radarbox showing that Jack Ma is still free to travel around the country and can continue to use his Gulfstream jet, which confirms that Jack Ma is not completely out of the game. The fact is that the Jiang family is not the only one who helped Ma make his fortune, but other powerful families as well. Xi Jinping will need to tread carefully in handling Alibaba. But this does not mean that the future of Alibaba Group is optimistic.

Like the Big Tech companies in America, Alibaba is in essence a datacollection company. Its purpose is not to sell goods, but to obtain all the data of retail and manufacturing; to do logistics is not to deliver packages, but to combine these data together. Clearly, Jack Ma believes in the idea that data, not oil, will be the world’s key resource.

For the Chinese Communist Party, big data is also its most valued resource, as it helps it with its goal of absolute control. For a private enterprise to manage this data is unacceptable, unless that enterprise is under the full control of the CCP. On March 15, just after the Chinese government’s Two Sessions (subtitled: Two Sessions), Xi Jinping immediately convened a meeting of the Finance and Economics Committee (subs: Ninth meeting of the Central Finance and Economics Committee), where he stressed the

For the Chinese Communist Party, big data is also its most valued resource, as it helps it with its goal of absolute control.

For a private enterprise to manage this data is unacceptable, unless that enterprise is under the full control of the CCP. Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Jack Ma.

Getty Images

A7

Nasional, and the world's most prominent sovereign wealth funds such as the Canada Pension Plan, the Board of Trustees of the University of California, as well as pension and education investment funds; they also a large number of leading U.S. investment banks and their executives.

Foreign capital, including U.S. financial giants, provided approximately $14 billion in funding for Ant's Class C financing.

On January 12 of this year, RWR Consulting released a report revealing that the Chinese Communist Party is developing a military cloud computing system by combining companies such as Alibaba and Tencent with equipment suppliers and Chinese companies that develop high-tech weapons. Alibaba, Tencent and Baidu are among the largest cloud service providers in China.

From December 2020 to this January, the US government was embroiled in a debate over whether to expand the blacklist of "Chinese Communist military enterprises.”

Despite allegations that Alibaba, Tencent and Baidu, three Chinese technology giants, were working with the Chinese Communist Party's military and intelligence services, the U.S. Treasury Department strongly opposed adding them to the blacklist, fearing that sanctions would lead to a massive sell-off and other serious economic consequences. Alibaba and Tencent have a combined market capitalization of $1.3 trillion, and almost every major U.S. investment fund has a stake in them. UBS estimates that slightly more than onethird of Alibaba is owned

need to "strengthen the construction of a data property rights system and ensure responsibility of online platform enterprises for data security.”

Additionally, Xi said that the Party must "enhance the authority of supervision,” and that “all financial activity should be included in financial supervision.”

A regulatory storm is coming to China’s online platforms. For private Internet business owners, not only is it likely that data will be required to be fully handed over to the Party. Ownership of online businesses is also likely to change hands.

At a Foreign Ministry press conference on March 16, a reporter (Bloomberg) asked whether the Chinese government has asked Alibaba to sell its media assets, including the South China Morning Post in Hong Kong. The spokesman (Zhao Lijian) said he "didn't know" the situation, but didn't deny it outright. His words can be read as a subtle confirmation. In February, Tencent Vice President Zhang Feng was detained by Chinese officials. There is speculation that Tencent could be the next target of Chinese financial supervision, becoming the second Alibaba.

If the Chinese Communist Party goes after big tech compaAt US$37 nies like billion, Ant AlibGroup’s IPO would have aba and been the Tencent, biggest IPO what will in history. the consequences be for Getty Images Wall Street?

In 2014, Alibaba raised by U.S. investors, while $25 billion in a New York 12 percent of Tencent is IPO, and four of the six owned by U.S. investors. major investment banks in On January 14, the U.S. the IPO were Wall Street Department of Defense financial giants: Morgan officially announced the Stanley, JPMorgan Chase, latest expansion of its and Deutsche Bank, in "military-related blackaddition to Credit Suisse list." The list does not and Deutsche Bank in include Alibaba, Tencent Europe. Morgan Stanley, and Baidu. Wall Street JPMorgan Chase, GoldIn China's unique politiman Sachs and Citigroup. cal environment, no comAccording to Alibaba’s pany or individual has any 2014 IPO filing, Alibaba's real room for security or six lead underwriters, as growth, even one as large well as institutions that as Alibaba Group and as subscribed for Ali shares rich as Jack Ma. through the underwritOver the past few decers, could have earned ades, international capital an additional $9.2 billion has tasted the sweetness from the Ali IPO that day. of making a lot of money A planned IPO for Ant from Chinese compaGroup was called off in nies, but it has also grad2019. Documentation ually tied its fate more and from the IPO prospectus more tightly to the Chidisclosed that Ant issued nese Communist Party. approximately 1.839 bil- As Jack Ma walks on the lion Class C shares to 45 knife edge of China's red foreign investors in June politics, other compa2018. The foreign inves- nies, investors, and govtors holding Class C ernments need to conshares include Singapore's sider their future actions GIC and Temasek Hold- in China carefully as the ings, Malaysia's Khazanah political storms approach.

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SCIENCE

A8 | APR 9 - 15, 2021

www.VisionTimes.com Glaciers such as the Yakutat in Southeast Alaska have been melting since the end of the Little Ice Age, influencing earthquakes in the region.

Meltin g Glac

i e u te t Alask r o s an Ea rthq uake s Contr ib

By Troy Oakes

I

“

There are two components to the uplift.

There’s what’s called the ‘elastic effect,’ which is when the earth instantly springs back up after an ice mass is removed.

Then there’s the prolonged effect from the mantle flowing back upwards under the vacated space.

In the study, researchers link the expanding movement of the mantle with large earthquakes across Southeast Alaska, where glaciers have been melting for over 200 years.

Part of the south shore of Lituya Bay showing the trimline, with bare rock below.

Millar D.J., United States Geological Survey

n 1958, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake triggered a rockslide into Southeast Alaska’s Lituya Bay, creating a tsunami that ran 1,700 feet up a mountainside before racing out to sea. Researchers now think the region’s widespread loss of glacier ice helped set the stage for the quake as well as other Alaskan earthquakes.

In a recently published research article, scientists with the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute found that ice loss near Glacier Bay National Park has influenced the timing and location of earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.0 or greater in the area during the past century. Scientists have known for decades that melting glaciers have caused earthquakes in otherwise tectonically stable regions, such as Canada’s interior and Scandinavia.

In Alaska, this pattern has been harder to detect, as earthquakes are common in the southern part of the state.

Alaska has some of the world’s largest glaciers, which can be thousands of feet thick and cover hundreds of square miles. The ice’s weight causes the land beneath it to sink, and, when a glacier melts, the ground springs back like a sponge.

Chris Rollins, the study’s lead author who conducted the research while at the Geophysical Institute, said:

More than 1,200 cubic miles of ice have been lost.

Southern Alaska sits at the boundary between the continental North American Plate and the Pacific Plate.

They grind past each other at about two inches per year — roughly twice the rate of the San Andreas fault in California — resulting in frequent earthquakes.

The disappearance of glaciers, however, has also caused Southeast Alaska’s land to rise at about 1.5

inches per year.

Rollins ran models of earth movement and ice loss since 1770, finding a subtle but unmistakable correlation between earthquakes and earth rebound.

When they combined their maps of ice loss and shear stress with seismic records back to 1920, they found that most large quakes correlated with the stress from long-term earth rebound.

Unexpectedly, the greatest amount of stress from ice loss occurred near the exact epicenter of the 1958 quake that caused the Lituya Bay tsunami.

While the melting of glaciers is not the direct cause of earthquakes, it likely modulates both the timing and severity of seismic events. When the earth rebounds following a glacier’s retreat, it does so much like bread rising in an oven, spreading in all directions.

This effectively unclamps strike-slip faults, such as the Fairweather in South-

east Alaska, and makes it easier for the two sides to slip past one another. In the case of the 1958 quake, the postglacial rebound torqued the crust around the fault in a way that increased stress near the epicenter as well. Both this and the unclamping effect brought the fault closer to failure. Rollins said: “The movement of plates is the main driver of seismicity, uplift, and deformation in the area. But postglacial rebound adds to it, sort of like the deicing on the cake. It makes it more likely for faults that are in the red zone to hit their stress limit and slip in an earthquake.”

Provided by: Jerald Pinson, University of Alaska Fairbanks [Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.]

”

D.J. Miller, United States Geological Survey — USGS

Damage from the 1958 Lituya Bay megatsunami can be seen in this oblique aerial photograph of Lituya Bay, Alaska, as the lighter areas at the shore where trees have been stripped away. The red arrow shows the location of the landslide, and the yellow arrow shows the location of the high point of the wave sweeping over the headland.

Unsplash

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MYSTERIES

www.VisionTimes.com

APR 9 - 15, 2021 |

A9

(wikimedia)

Fu Xi &

the Genesis of China

By Leo Timm Vision Times

T

he oldest archaeological evidence of Chinese civilization goes back around 5,000 years, with scholars debating whether or not the Neolithic relics discovered in the central part of the country correspond with the Xia Dynasty of ancient historical record. Signs of permanent human settlement in China goes back even further, with communities such as the Hongshan culture of the northeast creating intricate jade works as early as 7,000 years ago.

While the traditional histories credit the Yellow Emperor with the creation of the Chinese state and the most ancient Chinese writing, the birth of “Chinese” culture, identity, and civilization is closely tied to a legendary figure known as Fu Xi (伏羲).

Fu Xi’s main role was to bring order out of chaos. The goddess Nü Wa had created humanity, but people lived without forming families and had little understanding of the world they inhabited.

According to historian Sima Zhen of the Tang Dynasty, Fu Xi “looked up to observe the laws of the universe; then looked down to examine the laws of earth. He noted the birds and beasts, surveyed the terrain, took inspiration from near and far and started the eight trigrams to communicate the virtues of the divine.”

The Eight Trigrams

To create the trigrams, Fu Xi observed in his study of the sun and moon the principle of yin and yang, which represent the balance of dark and light forces in the universe. Yin and yang are represented in the trigrams as broken and unbroken lines, respectively. With each trigram containing three lines, there are eight possible combinations, which Fu Xi identified as corresponding to ny@visiontimes.com

The goddess Nü Wa had created humanity, but people lived without forming families and had little understanding of the world they inhabited.

In creating the trigrams, Fu Xi’s main intent was to show people how to emulate the laws of the earth, which in turn follow the principles of heaven.

the concepts of Heaven (all yang), Earth (all yin), Water, Fire, Wind, Thunder, Mountain, and Lake.

The Eight trigrams, or ba gua (八卦), are used in Chinese divination and philosophy, and correspond with the Five Elements (described on A7). These were later expanded to the 64 hexagrams of six lines each, described in the famous Yi Jing or Book of Changes.

Intriguingly, the hexagrams correspond to patterns in biological DNA. In creating the trigrams, Fu Xi’s main intent was to show people how to emulate the laws of the earth, which in turn follow the principles of heaven and ultimately the "Tao" itself. At the root of his philosophy was the harmony of the “three powers” — heaven, earth, and mankind.

With this wisdom, it became possible for Fu Xi to teach the people further. He imparted to them the ways of balanced hunting, fishing, and eventually agriculture.

People learned to cook their

food, observe the stars, and discern astronomical phenomena.

Creating marriage and social order

Fu Xi also started the customs of marriage and surnames, transforming society from matriarchal communities in which people did not know their fathers to a system in which individuals formed strong familial ties.

According to the Spring and Autumn Annals of the Lü Clan (呂氏春秋), it was said of the time before Fu Xi that there was no leadership and no hierarchy. People gathered in roughly defined groups, “not having words for brothers and sisters, husbands and wives, and there was no social distinction between male and female.”

To address the situation at that time, Fu Xi established the custom of marriage and family names. He implemented "the system of marriage and matchmaking to emphasize morality. People stopped promiscuity," as the Lü Clan annals put it. With

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the establishment of marriage, practices such as incest came to an end as well.

At the time, prehistoric China was divided into nine tribes, but following Fu Xi’s reform, people adopted family names. This reminded them to honor their ancestors and respect heaven, which has the characteristic of constancy and immutability. In this way, humanity would remember its origins and be able to sustain itself.

As told in another historical record, Fu Xi "set up human affairs that led to the enlightenment of the people, who came to know the kinship of father and son, the righteousness of ruler and subject, the way of husband and wife, and the order of elders and children. Then, the various officials were appointed, and the wisdom to rule the nation was born.”

Fu Xi’s symbol was the dragon, which would become the sign of imperial authority.

This arose because according to legend, each time Fu Xi appointed a capable min-

ister, one of the auspicious heavenly creatures would make an appearance. These men became known as the Dragon Officials.

Acting in line with the principles that Fu Xi observed, the Dragon Officials were able to perform their respective duties, so that society could become more civilized. People knew virtue and worshiped the gods of heaven and earth. The dragon also became a cultural symbol, and the Chinese people refer to themselves as the “heir to the dragons.”

The legendary character of the records surrounding Fu Xi speak to the deeply held religious and social values of the Chinese. The ideas and virtues attributed to this sage figure are reflected in the beliefs and customs of Daoism and Confucianism, which form two of China’s three traditional religions.

The third, Buddhism, was introduced around 2,000 years ago from India, further strengthening the spiritual heritage of China and the rest of East Asia.

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LIFESTYLE

A10 | APR 9 - 15, 2021

www.VisionTimes.com

6 Things

to Know About

Red Pandas

People across the world are familiar with the cute giant panda, but have you heard about the little red panda? Despite having the name “panda,” these two creatures are not related at all. Native to southwestern China and the eastern Himalayas, here are some facts about these animals.

4

3

Sugar addicts

2

Herbivore or carnivore

1

Red pandas and giant pandas

Unlike giant pandas, red pandas have reddish-brown and white fur. Giant pandas are also bigger, while the red ones are only about the size of a domestic cat. An average red panda measures about 20 to 26 inches from its head to its rump, with their tail adding an extra 10 to 20 inches.

They usually weigh around 10 to 20 pounds. Giant pandas tend to exclusively eat bamboo, while the diet of red pandas is more varied.

A similarity between the two creatures is that they both have a modified wrist bone that acts like a thumb. This helps them to grasp things with greater control.

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Red pandas are technically classified as carnivores since they are descended from ancestors with similar eating habits. However, these animals mostly feed upon bamboo or other plants. They also eat insects and other small animals every now and then.

As such, red pandas can be thought of as herbivores, though they technically aren’t.

Red pandas often eat the young leaves of the bamboo rather than the entire plant.

These creatures spend about 13 hours a day eating. During winter, red pandas can lose up to 15 percent of their body weight.

Red pandas have been observed to have quite a sweet tooth. In one study, researchers gave these animals several bowls of plain water, artificially sweetened water, and naturally sweetened water. The team found that the creatures had a huge preference for artificial sweeteners, especially aspartame, neotame, and sucralose. This makes red pandas the only non-primate creatures having the ability to taste aspartame, which was earlier believed to be a trait limited to apes, old world monkeys, and humans.

Aspartame is known by its popular trade name NutraSweet.

Mating and life expectancy

The animals generally lead solitary lives and only meet up for mating. “Females give birth in the spring and summer, typically to one to four young. Young red pandas remain in their nests for about 90 days, during which time their mother cares for them. (Males take little or no interest in their offspring),” according to National Geographic. Females give birth after a gestation period of only 114 to 145 days, and the newly-born pandas open their eyes after 18 days. They reach maturity in 18 to 20 months. Overall, red pandas live for about 10 years on average. In the wild, life expectancy declines to 8 years. In captivity, they can live for up to 14 years.

5

Internet browser

There is an Internet browser named after red pandas – Mozilla’s Firefox. Initially, the company wanted to go with the name of “Firebird.” However, after Mozilla found out that the name was already in use by another project, they went with “Firefox,” one of the names attributed to red pandas.

Mozilla even adopted two baby red pandas in 2010.

6

Threatened species

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classifies red pandas as an endangered species.

According to estimates, there are only about 10,000 of these creatures left in the wild. The numbers might even be lower given that it is difficult to get an accurate count on them.

The good thing is that red pandas live in a large area, with communities often isolated from each other. This safeguards the species from extinction due to poaching or infection.

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HEALTH

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APR 9 - 15, 2021 |

A11

ith

e h T

ity iv

W

Y e o d ur P a r g p rod U b r a e l Tea H uc 2 1 s se t

Turmeric

By Vision Times Staff

D

id you know that tea is better when it comes to focus, mood, and energy?

Get started with the following list of 12 herbal teas that actually work to help you get through the daily hustle and grind.

Asparagus

Why shouldn’t you upgrade your productivity by drinking some teas that actually work?

If you think coffee is the only solution to work for the grind, you might have to think again.

1

Well, it doesn’t sound like it would be your favorite tea, but it is what you need to stay on track with your daily grind for its ability to boost your energy and motivation levels. It is also relaxing and will keep stress at bay, especially when you need to focus and prevent distractions. Make it a bit more exciting with a teaspoon of honey or agave.

Jasmine green

10

Passion flower

4

You’ll love this tea if you want to increase your energy and feel good. It is great whether hot or cold.

This tea contains bioactive compounds that promote a calming effect.

Some of these include passiflorine and flavonoids.

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Honey lavender

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This tea contains energy and productivity-boosting chemicals, including L-theanine, which has a calming effect, and Theobromine, which has focusboosting effects. What’s more is that the tea also contains loads of antioxidants that can reduce inflammation and stress. When combined, all these properties can make you more productive with reduced stress levels. This tea is also less bitter than other nonherbal teas and Yerba Mate.

St. John’s Wort

This tea is ideal if you are suffering from depression, which can hinder your productivity and motivation. With it, you can also boost long-term memory and reduce stress levels.

Stress is inevitable, but you can do something about it with this calming and refreshing herbal tea. With it, you can achieve focus, be able to set your priorities, and get the job done without much distraction. The soothing tea can also help you clear up your tasks easier because it can make you feel less stressed no matter the challenges you’ll face on a given day.

You’ll love this tea if you’re looking to up your energy levels to deal with a challenging and tough day. It will give you a kick to deal with your challenges with loads of vigor and energy for that productive day. Make it more exciting with some honey and almond milk.

Guayusa

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Who hasn’t heard of the refreshing and invigorating tea that can keep your mind active and alert all day? Instead of coffee, you should drink up a cup of turmeric tea, which can help you keep up with the grind.

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By drinking herbal teas, you can improve productivity and energy levels in the most natural way! Try any of the teas featured above and notice a big difference in how you are able to deal with your daily grind easier and with a better mood and focus.

Yerba mate

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This energy-giving tea is a favorite among those who want to stay on track with their to-do lists and accomplish those with sustained energy levels. This popular drink, especially in Brazil, can relieve physical and mental fatigue, improve mood, and reduce inflammation as well. Get your job done with this energizing South American tea.

Chi

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You’ll never go wrong with a cup of Chi tea, which will keep your energy level up to get your tasks done. So when looking to add something to your productivity kit, you should definitely add Chi tea, which can keep your mind and body alert throughout the day.

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Ginger turmeric

It is one of the most helpful teas regarding productivity boost because it can improve your energy and concentration.

So no matter how heavy your workload is, you can stay calm and focused by drinking this invigorating and mind-boosting tea.

Ginseng

For energy drinkers, this tea is a popular choice. Ginseng is native to Eastern Asia and North America and is known to improve mental focus and speed up metabolism. If you would like to boost your immune system and prevent colds and flu in the winter, you might also want to consider ginseng tea.

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Black and white

This tea is a great alternative for herbal teas if you’re looking for one that can increase your productivity levels. Black tea, in particular, is helpful for individuals trying to skip coffee or any other highly caffeinated drinks. For those sensitive to caffeine, they opt for white tea, which contains lower caffeine versus black tea, which is also more bitter and stronger than white tea.

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FIGURE

A12 | APR 9 - 15, 2021

In

2002, the BBC conducted a nationwide poll of the British people to determine the greatest Briton in history.

It was no surprise that Winston Churchill came out on top and won the highest number of votes. Churchill was the United Kingdom’s prime minister twice, from 1940-1945 during World War II and again from 1951-1955.

Since the 17th century, the small island of Great Britain had driven the world forward like a locomotive. For hundreds of years, countless great men have been born on the British Isles. In the BBC poll, Churchill surpassed Shakespeare (5th place), Isaac Newton (6th place), John Lennon (8th place), and other notable literary figures and scientists who had profoundly influenced human society to become the top greatest Briton in the eyes of the British people.

The legendary wit and wisdom of Winston Churchill, the great British icon

While the world has always had lots to say about Churchill’s vision and political wisdom, from great admiration to criticism, some admired his wit and humor more.

There are numerous stories about his razor-sharp wit, both in Parliament and out.

Skirmishes between Churchill and the great playwright George Bernard Shaw Once when Shaw’s new play was about to open, he sent Churchill two tickets with a note: “Here are two tickets for the opening of my new play. Keep one for yourself and bring along a friend — if you have one.”

Churchill knew that Shaw was insinuating that he had made too many enemies, so he returned the tickets with a nice little note: “I’m sorry that a previous engagement precludes my attending your opening night,” he said. “I shall be happy to come the second night — if there is one.”

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Once, a British woman asked Churchill: “Every time you gave a speech, you always attracted a large crowd.

Didn’t you feel excited?”

Churchill replied: “Thank you for your compliment, but whenever I feel this way, I always remember one thing; if I were not giving a speech but hung, I am afraid that the crowd would be doubled.”

Churchill disliked his sonin-law so much Once, he and his son-inlaw attended the same gathering, and someone asked Churchill who he admired most. In front of his son-inlaw, Churchill replied: “Mussolini, because he dared to shoot his son-in-law, but I couldn’t do it.”

On May 7, 1945, Germany surrendered to the Allies led by Great Britain Churchill, as the Prime Minister, led Britain to victory and received great credit. Still, unexpectedly, during the July 1945 United Kingdom general election, Churchill lost the election and was ousted by the British people.

When Churchill received news of the election results, he was bathing. He calmly said to the person who brought the news to him: “The people have every right to oust me. This is democracy in action, and it is what we have been fighting for.”

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All the greatest things are simple, and many can be expressed in a single word: freedom; justice; honour; duty; mercy; hope.

Churchill once said

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British nation into a passive mode. After Churchill took over as Prime Minister, he led Britain in fighting fearlessly against the Axis powers and finally won the war that changed human history.

Churchill delivered many famous speeches and left behind countless inspiring quotes, showing his tenacity and courage.

“If you’re going through hell, keep going.”

“Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.”

“You have enemies? Good.

It means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.”

“Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.”

“A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.”

In 1941, he delivered a speech at his alma mater,

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British lion: exemplified by his boldness, bravery and conviction

Harrow School. His words of wisdom later became his most quoted and famous words that are: “Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never — in nothing, great or small, large or petty — never give in, except to convictions of honour and good sense.”

Churchill had two loves in his life; one was cigars and it is said that he smoked 250,000 cigars by the time he died at the age of 90, and the other was a Willys MB jeep that he often rode around in during World War II. During World War II, more than 600,000 units of Willys MB jeeps were built.

They became the primary light-wheeled transport vehicle used by the Allies. This vehicle could adapt to all kinds of harsh field conditions during the war and the hope for countless soldiers to survive.

The jeep was regarded as one of the most important pieces of equipment used to win the war. That was why Churchill loved it. In a sense, the jeep represents freedom, justice, and courage.

Churchill once said: “All the greatest things are simple, and many can be expressed in a single word: freedom; justice; honour; duty; mercy; hope.”

What made Winston Churchill shine in history was his boldness, bravery, and conviction in his leadership during World War II. He was known for facing problems head-on and for “never giving up.” At that time, Hitler had started the invasion of Europe.

Churchill’s predecessor, Prime Minister Chamberlain, adopted a policy of appeasement that put the

Churchill in childhood (first from the right) with his mother.

Churchill in childhood.

Churchill at the age 21.

A young Winston Churchill and fiancée Clementine Hozier before their marriage in 1908.

Churchill The Greatest Man in British History

By Michael Segarty

Churchill, Roosevelt, and Stalin at Winston Churchill (second from the the Yalda Conference, known as the right) inspecting the frontline arma"Big Three". ment at a beach.

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Churchill greeting to soldiers who were in the in the Battle of Normandy.

Churchill waving the Victory sign to the crowd in Whitehall on the day he broadcast to the nation that the war had been won, 8 May 1945.

(wikimedia)

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