Chilling Glimpse Inside A Ghost Town; China Airlines' Meal Scandal: 4 Steamed Buns + 1 Cabbage Leaf

Northeastern small town, a chilling glimpse of the future. For steamed buns and one cabbage leaf, China's southern wind and five new cases across 28 provinces in September. Nightmare again, mandatory COVID tests resurface at Beijing's Belt and Road Summit. Awkward, Chinese diplomat claims Shanghai once shelters nearly 20,000 Jewish refugees, faces backlash. Xi Jinping turns to a softer diplomacy amid domestic challenges. It's all covered in today's China Truths. Northeastern small town, a chilling glimpse of the future. Most people have left, and during the day, you can hardly see anyone on the streets. The streets are filled with empty houses, and the overall scene is desolate. Many shops have closed down, and you have to walk several miles to buy soy sauce. Public transportation has ceased. Kindergartens are struggling, and several elementary schools have had to merge to form even a single class in an academic year. In middle and high schools, there are only a few students left, and both high-achieving students and teachers have departed, resulting in a significant decline in academic performance. This is Heilongjiang, a place that once nurtured me. The information above was authored by an internet user hailing from Heilongjiang Province in northeastern China. They depict the current state of affairs in Boli County, a segment of Ketei City within Heilongjiang. This town is relatively obscure today, despite having once been a thriving county. According to the 2022 population statistics, the registered population exceeds 270,000, with a permanent population of 190,000. The average housing price is more than 4,000 yuan per square meter, and the average monthly salary is over 2,000 yuan. The busiest time of the year here is the end of the year, and the ten-plus days leading up to the New Year. The streets are teeming with people and traffic. Regardless of the type of business you're involved in, people are everywhere you look. However, starting from the third day of the Chinese New Year this year, people have been vanishing at a noticeable speed. The desolation that can be sensed in the streets and alleys has reverted to its typical state. Shopping malls, streets, and restaurants are all devoid of people. They are eerily empty. On a regular Monday to Friday, if you want to see a crowd, you can only go to the main road in front of the government building. That road, where government and administrative service personnel from various departments converge, is quite bustling. It's so lively that you can't even find a parking spot when you go there for your errands. The moment you step into the government office, you're greeted with a constant hum of activity and gazes from all around, making you feel as if you're not there to get things done but rather walking the red carpet at the Oscars. Over the past three years of the pandemic, on the main streets of this small town, business signs have changed multiple times, but the signs of party and government offices and banks have remained unchanged, looking both new and old. Furthermore, since 2022, there has been ongoing road work throughout the county, a cycle that has continued for two years. As a result, you often encounter ongoing construction on many main roads in the county, leading to traffic jams in the front and a temporary road covered with gravel in the middle. This has created disparities in road conditions between urban and rural areas. During the daily school commute, parents not only discuss their children's recent life and academic progress but also exchange ideas on how to navigate and avoid the congestion caused by ongoing construction. Over the past 15 years, the population of this small town has consistently dwindled due to emigration. The return of bustling traffic during the Chinese New Year serves as evidence of significant outward migration. In this area, there are no major mines or large corporations. According to last year's government report, the county's revenue in 2022 was 280 million yuan, while the budget expenditures amounted to 3.4 billion yuan. In other words, this small town relies on annual central government funding to operate, and it struggles to make ends meet. Last year, there were over 700 births and more than 1,400 deaths. If this trend continues, the young population in this small town will decline to almost zero in about a decade. A netizen expressed concerns, saying, this situation is somewhat common in rural towns across the country, but Heilongjiang appears to be facing a more severe version of it. It's a worrisome sign, and perhaps it foreshadows our future. For steamed buns and one cabbage leaf, China Southern Airlines' in-flight meal sparks discussion. On October 14, a self-proclaimed Hong Kong-based mainland Chinese Weibo travel and food blogger, Feng Ji's Journey to the Ends of the Earth, complained about the in-flight meal when traveling on a China Southern Airlines flight. He mentioned it was just four steamed buns and one piece of cabbage, with an additional small packet of pickled vegetables, stating, in all these years, it's the first time I've seen such a bizarre airline meal. On the morning of the 17th, China Southern Airlines' customer service responded to a journalist from Mainland China's Upstream News, stating that the meal offerings vary by different routes, and the mentioned meal is considered Chinese-style dim sum served on specific routes. As for the cabbage leaf, it is placed on top of the steamed buns during microwave heating to prevent them from getting burnt. This Weibo post sparked discussions among netizens, with some commented, this is how dire the situation has become, it's evident that no industry is doing well, they must be short on money, they are probably trying to cut costs by eliminating in-flight meals from their expenses, and I flew with China Eastern Airlines twice this year, and they didn't serve meals during meal times. Netizens also shared their own experiences with different domestic airlines, highlighting similar issues. For instance, one traveler flying with Sichuan Airlines in July shared that they were served a morning flight meal consisting of plain porridge and a pack of pickled vegetables, stating that it wasn't much different from the above for steamed buns, especially considering their ticket cost of 1,400 yuan, approximately 191 US dollars and 53 cents. Over the past three years, due to the strict control policies implemented by the Chinese Communist Party during the pandemic, people have been confined, and mobility has nearly come to a halt. Mainland Chinese airlines have experienced a significant drop in revenue. In 2020, the Sohu website reported that the three major Chinese airlines, Air China, China Eastern Airlines, and China Southern Airlines, were facing serious financial difficulties, with financing needs reaching billions of yuan. Nightmare again, mandatory COVID tests resurface at Beijing's Belt and Road Summit. The Chinese government officially ended its zero-COVID policy on January 8 under heavy pressure, but compulsory nucleic acid testing, or antigen testing, has not withdrawn. The Belt and Road Summit in Beijing has just begun, and the participants are still required to take COVID tests and wear masks. China is hosting the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing from October 17 to 18. Taiwan's central news agency reported on October 17 that, on the first day of the forum, the COVID tests came again. According to the CNA report, those participating in the Belt and Road CEO Conference need to present a COVID test certificate effective within 24 hours. And those attending the opening ceremony on October 18 not only need to provide a COVID test certificate effective within four hours. In addition, the participants must undergo the rapid screening tests and wear blue medical masks when attending the events. Nowadays, there are no COVID testing booths on the streets of Beijing, and hospitals rarely perform nucleic acid testing. The COVID testing at the Belt and Road Summit Forum is arranged by the organizer. It remains unclear what the basis is for compulsory COVID testing at this summit, though the Chinese government has long ended its zero-COVID policy. On the streets of Beijing, no one was wearing a mask, but the reporters were seen rushing to the news center for COVID tests. Hong Kong media also confirmed that domestic and foreign reporters covering the summit need to produce a COVID testing certificate effective within 24 hours before they can enter the venue. The testing desks are located on the first floor of the National Convention Center, and more than a hundred reporters on site were queued up to wait for testing. Experts joke that it seems like China is going back to the zero-COVID period. As early as last month, there were online reports that Beijing's One Belt, One Road Summit Forum began to welcome the officials from various countries, and they must have COVID tests and wear masks before participating in related activities. Some netizens said that COVID testing is now mandatory for foreign affairs activities. In April this year, the third China International Consumer Products Expo was held in Haikou City, Hainan Province. The Chinese officials promised at a press conference that the expo would no longer require nucleic acid testing and only require masks to be worn. Awkward! Chinese diplomat claims Shanghai wants shelters nearly 20,000 Jewish refugees, faces backlash. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has caused more than 4,000 deaths and more than 14,000 injuries. The Chinese Communist Party government has so far not condemned Hamas, a Palestinian Islamist militant organization that triggered the conflict, and has only repeatedly emphasized its opposition to harm to civilians. Hua Chunying is the spokesperson of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. On October 15, she posted in Arabic and English on Twitter, the Chinese people provided shelters to 20,000 Jewish refugees in Shanghai during World War II. We believe in do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Tragedies of the past should not happen to anyone today. Every life is precious, regardless of his or her faith or ethnicity. China condemns and opposes all acts that harm civilians. We hope to see ceasefire and de-escalation of the Palestine-Israel situation ASAP. All sides should observe international law, ESP International Humanitarian Law. The sentence don't do it to others is obviously a criticism of Israel's counterattack against Hamas. Then the Chinese diplomat was slapped in the face by netizens, who said that ITT was the Republic of China that provided asylum to 20,000 Jewish refugees and had nothing to do with the Chinese Communist Party. The Republic of China was a sovereign state based in mainland China from 1912 to 1949 prior to its move to Taiwan. Netizens left messages on social media, saying, "-Hua Chunying is really shameless. The CCP is extremely shameless. The one that provides asylum to 20,000 Jewish refugees is the Republic of China in Taiwan. "-That happened during the Republic of China. "-It was the Republic of China at that time. What does it have to do with the People's Republic of China now? "-During World War II, the Republic of China hosted nearly 20,000 Jewish refugees in Shanghai. In 2023, the government of the People's Republic of China repatriated as many as 2,600 North Korean defectors. In modern history, after the Chinese Communist Party usurped power, Israel and China have good relations. In 2015, the Israeli consulate general in Shanghai filmed and produced a public service video Thank You Shanghai on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War to express the Israeli people's most sincere gratitude to the Chinese people. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu appeared in the video to express his gratitude, saying, "-I will never forget this history. Thank you." After Western countries led by the United States launched a technological containment against China, Israel provided a large amount of high-tech and military technology to Beijing. However, after the recent outbreak of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the Chinese Communist regime's attitude has caused the relationship between the two countries to take a sharp turn. Not only did the Chinese authorities fail to condemn Hamas for provoking the war, it also claimed that the conflict broke out because it owed the Palestinian people justice, and that Israel's counterattack exceeded the scope of self-defense. Those statements from Beijing triggered Israel to publicly express dissatisfaction. In a rare move, the Israel office in Taipei, Taiwan, called Tsai Ing-wen directly Taiwan president to express its gratitude to her and the people of Taiwan for their support. Xi Jinping turns to a softer diplomacy amid domestic challenges. China has recently adopted a softer tone in dealing with the world, as the Chinese leader Xi Jinping faces his most significant domestic economic problems in years. According to Reuters, China has recently demonstrated its conciliatory approach towards rivals and partners in the developing countries. It released an Australian journalist from prison, invited the U.S. to join a defense forum, and reached a $4.2 billion debt restructuring agreement with Sri Lanka. Reuters cited analysts as saying that while China's softer diplomacy is welcomed by the United States as it focuses on the Israeli-Hamas conflict, it may not represent a lasting change and old tensions could soon resurface. For now, China has been suffering severe economic problems, so its government wants to reassure the world that it is business as usual when it comes to trade. Noah Barkin, an analyst at the Rodin Group and an expert on Chinese diplomacy, said that Chinese leaders are eager to reassure foreign investors that tensions with the United States and its allies in Asia and Europe will not escalate forever. China has been inviting the United States to an upcoming defense forum in Beijing, signaling a thaw in military exchanges. And last week, Xi Jinping expressed goodwill to a U.S. delegation led by Sen. Chuck Schumer. Last week, Beijing also released Australian news anchor Cheng Lei, who had been detained for three years on national security grounds. This is the latest step in warming ties with Australia and paving the way for a visit by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. And as China is holding a forum this week to mark the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative, Beijing has reached an agreement with Sri Lanka to restructure more than $4 billion of its debt and signed a memorandum of understanding to restructure Zambia's debt. Zambia became the first African country to default on its debt amid the COVID-19 pandemic. A spokesperson for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that Beijing hopes that it and the United States can jointly promote a return to the path of healthy and stable development in their relations, and that China attaches great importance to cooperation with developing countries. China's shift in diplomatic tone comes as the country faces pressures from All of these problems are exacerbating the economic downturn. Willie Lam, a senior fellow at the American think tank Jamestown Foundation, said, Xi Jinping is making nice with the Western powers in order to reduce the pace of multinationals leaving China, to counter China being cut off from the global supply chain. On one hand, Beijing has not changed its position on every issue. It has not backed away from escalating maritime confrontation with the Philippines and the South China Sea. On the other hand, the Chinese government wants to strengthen political and trade ties with developing countries, both for economic reasons and as part of Xi Jinping's push for a multipolar world order that includes the Southern Hemisphere countries. China wants to resist the perception that its Belt and Road Initiative is seen as debt-trap diplomacy by The concessions to Sri Lanka and Zambia on debt could help. In order to stabilize the relationship with the United States, a meeting between Xi Jinping and U.S. President Joe Biden at an upcoming Asia-Pacific summit could give China breathing room. However, the disappearances of Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang and Defense Minister Li Shangfu is complicating China's foreign policy in its efforts to deal with a growing rivalry with the United States. Given the U.S. elections next year and the possible return to the presidency of Donald Trump, some believe Biden is unlikely to make many concessions, especially on core issues with China, including U.S. curbs on semiconductor exports and trade tariffs. In addition, any Chinese military drills ahead of Taiwan's January elections would also create friction with the West. Zack Cooper, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington and an expert on U.S.-China relations, said, The fundamental tensions in the relationship remain, and this is a temporary uptick in engagement, which is likely to be followed almost immediately by another downturn. Don't forget to leave a comment in the section below to share your opinions on today's topic with us. Make sure to like and subscribe to see more interesting topics from China Truths.