China's Wealth Illusion; CCP’s Textbook Nudges Teens for Organ Donation Without Parental Consent

Shaanxi declares pollution emergency, vehicle restrictions, subway services paralyzed. Horror! CCP English textbooks encourage don't ask your parents, donate organs on your own. CCP statistics claim GDP was overstated by 500 billion last year. Chinese struggle to heat homes amid record-breaking cold, sky-high energy bills. China's middle class is a myth. It's all covered in today's China Truths. Shaanxi declares pollution emergency, vehicle restrictions, subway services paralyzed. Facing severe pollution, Shaanxi issued a red alert and imposed vehicle traffic restrictions, causing subway overcrowding. The Shaanxi Meteorological Station predicts that from December 26 to 29, the Guangzhou area will experience adverse weather conditions like high humidity and temperature inversion, leading to worsening air pollution. Consequently, five Shaanxi cities, including Xi'an, introduced an odd-even license plate traffic restriction system. Large cargo vehicles are banned in the city's restricted areas. After the restrictions started in Xi'an on December 27, citizens reported extreme difficulties using the subway, with packed stations and long queues. The congestion was so intense that boarding the subway became almost impossible on the second day. There were reports of enormous crowds at Xi'an's Metro Line 1 and extreme congestion at other stations. At one point, the Dianta station on Line 4 was so crowded that the safety doors couldn't close. Some citizens, overwhelmed by the situation, shouted in frustration, using a line from a TV drama. It's simply inhumane. The common people work hard all their lives, spending every penny they earn, and it takes a heartless person to do such shameless things. Living in the same era with such people is both a disgrace and a tragedy. Netizens called for authorities to address the impact of these policies by increasing public transport services to ease travel difficulties. Ms. Wang Xiaojin, a resident of Xinyang, expressed that the heavy pollution and vehicle restrictions aren't closely linked. She questioned why authorities aren't focusing on controlling emissions from polluting factories, suggesting a lack of common sense in government decision making. HORROR! CCP English textbooks encourage don't ask your parents, donate organs on your own. A large number of Chinese teenagers have been disappearing or dying under mysterious circumstances, raising suspicions of connections to organ harvesting. The CCP is now blatantly suggesting that organ donation can be carried out without the consent of parents. This has caused widespread horror among netizens. In more detail, a parent of a high school girl in mainland China posted that one night, her daughter suddenly asked if she could sign an organ donation agreement by herself once she turns 18 years old. She also said that this is what the English textbook says. The parent was shocked upon hearing this and looked through her daughter's English textbook, finding related content in it. This textbook is the 2023 new edition of the Selective Compulsory High School English Textbook, second volume, published by the Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press. In a section of the text, a Shanghai high school student recounts that he is just about to turn 18 years old before starting college, enabling him to make his own decision about organ donation. He is preparing to sign the organ donation agreement without seeking his parents' opinion, although he knows they would agree to it. Textbook screenshots circulated online have sparked fierce backlash among netizens against the CCP's devious and shameless actions. Investigations by the World Organization to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong over the years suggest that the CCP heavily relied on harvesting organs from Falun Gong practitioners to build an extensive organ transplant industry, complete with a national network of organ donors, essentially allowing them to kill on demand. The number of victims in this shadowy trade has been rising. The recent disappearance of Hu Xinyu, a middle schooler from Jiangxi, exposed the horrifying scale of young people vanishing nationwide. This led many parents to have their children boycott odd school blood tests and refuse to donate organs. Despite this, the CCP continues to aggressively push for organ donation in schools across the country, exploiting the naivety and purity of children. CCP statistics claim GDP was overstated by 500 billion last year. The Chinese Communist Party's National Bureau of Statistics, which had previously vowed to combat data manipulation, made a surprising revelation today that GDP for 2022 was overstated by half a trillion yuan. In more detail, on December 29, the Bureau's website disclosed that the GDP calculation involves two phases, preliminary and final verification. The final verification of 2022's GDP data showed a total nominal GDP of 120,472.4 billion yuan, which is 548.3 billion yuan, about 81.5 billion US dollars, lower than the initial estimate. However, the year-on-year growth rate remained at 3%, consistent with the early estimates. In Premier Li Keqiang's last government work report on March 5, 2022, the GDP was stated as 121 trillion yuan, approximately 18.4 trillion US dollars. On December 29, independent commentator Kai Xinkun pointed out that the CCP's main objective is to manipulate and improve economic growth data from previous years, often making periodic announcements with inflated or deflated figures as needed. This time, the official statement acknowledges an overreporting of over 500 billion yuan, marking the largest discrepancy in the past three years. Taiwanese economist Wu Jialong noted that this implies former Premier Li Keqiang might be held responsible, but data falsification is a systemic issue within the entire CCP regime, making it difficult to regain international trust. The consensus is that China's economic data is widely exaggerated, with American experts estimating that China's current GDP, when adjusted by a 60% discount, might be closer to reality. The Chinese government inflates these figures to boost its global image as a major power. However, the existence of problems like unemployment, debt, fiscal challenges, and financial issues contradicts claims of significant economic growth. Consequently, discussing China's economy is currently unreliable due to the lack of accurate and credible data for analysis. People must rely on indirect indicators such as bank loan volumes, port container traffic, and youth employment rates. It's noteworthy that in July of this year, the youth unemployment rate surged to a historic high of 21.3%. However, the Chinese National Bureau of Statistics decided not to disclose youth unemployment rates starting from August. Wu Jialong believes that, given China's economic situation over the past year, even if the CCP admits to a 500 billion yuan overestimation, it won't convince the outside world. He remarked that the impact has waned, the United States has seen through the CCP's tactics and is determined. He speculates that the US strategy for dealing with China resembles strategies used against militaristic Japan and Nazi Germany in the past. The goal is to dismantle the CCP system, establish a democratic China, and then rebuild the nation. After Li Cheng assumed office as premier in March, he promptly initiated a new round of data accuracy checks, reviewing data back to the entire year of 2022 and even as far back as October 2017, falling within Li Keqiang's second term. Recently, the CCP's National Bureau of Statistics has raised concerns about data manipulation and inaccuracies in five provinces, Guizhou, Shaanxi, Hunan, Hunan, and Hebei. An article in the Taiwanese media outlet Xiangbao once suggested that Li Cheng's investigation might signify an effort to distance himself from past issues and potentially harboring tensions against Li Keqiang. On October 27, an official announcement stated that Li Keqiang had suffered a sudden heart attack and died unexpectedly while on a period of rest in Shanghai. The mystery surrounding his non-natural death remains unresolved. Some analysts suggest that, in the face of a comprehensive economic collapse in China and a massive debt crisis, Xi Jinping may need a scapegoat for accountability, potentially planning to assign blame to Li Keqiang. It is highly likely that Li Keqiang's death was triggered by stress and pressure, leading to a heart attack. Chinese struggle to heat homes amid record-breaking cold, sky-high energy bills. As extreme cold blankets China, authorities are struggling with an energy shortage, and electricity bills are skyrocketing. Netizens are complaining about insufficient indoor heating and excessive energy bills. A discrepancy in official numbers reveals billions in hidden charges. This winter's record-breaking frigid temperatures have brought snow even to China's subtropical southern provinces. Heating shortage problems are plaguing the populous northern cities and northwest provinces areas like Shaanxi, Gansu, Qinghai, Ningxia, and Xinjiang. Reuters reported on December 24 that Beijing had broken a seven-decade cold weather record. On December 24, an anonymous netizen posted a message on social media calling attention to the suffering caused by heating issues in northern China after a recent snowfall. The netizen, without specifying their location, said that temperatures had dropped to minus 15 degrees Fahrenheit, but the indoor temperature of many residents' homes is around 10 to 15 degrees. The post said elderly people and children wear thick cotton coats at home and still catch cold and fall sick, adding that residents have complained to authorities without response. The government service hotline 12345 is just a show. The so-called customer service promoted by the heating company is useless. Another netizen, from Tianjin, a major city in northern China, complained on December 23 that during the first few days of the cold wave, their indoor temperature was 14 degrees Fahrenheit. China has experienced notable power shortages in recent years. In the summer, air conditioning use is at a minimum and factories stagger operating schedules due to energy grid problems. Liu Xian, a pseudonym, a resident of Hefei, in eastern China's Anhui Province, said it's not uncommon for residential neighborhoods to encounter blackouts during both hot summers and cold winters. According to Mr. Liu, adding to the suffering are sky-high electricity bills. This winter, the lights in some buildings are dark, and some streets in his city are unlighted. Inaccurate Chinese smart meters In recent years, many residential areas in China have replaced traditional meters with smart meters. After replacing their meters, many residents complained that they paid more for electricity even though they had not changed their electricity consumption. Public speculation over electricity meters being rigged has persisted for decades despite repeated denials from state media. In early 2018, an article on Chinese blogging app Jianxu claimed that 75 percent of China's meters are deliberately accelerated, with the largest deviation being 28 percent faster. The article alleged that the meters are accelerated because some power companies privately request producers to speed up the readings in meters. The article, which was reprinted by Chinese state media people's Daily Online, made Chinese smart meters a hot topic that year. In August 2021, an online analysis of the issue stated that smart meters inherently consume a certain amount of electricity simply to function, a cost that is then passed on to the user. Billions in hidden energy charges On December 22, an article on Chinese news portal NetEase asked, Is it a secret that the meter turns fast? The article cited an example in which a netizen was charged for the 135 electrical degrees that his meter displayed, although the actual consumption in the home was 100 degrees. The article estimated that China's state-owned electric utility had purchased 10 billion kilowatt hours of electricity but sold 13.5 billion kilowatt hours. The NetEase article also compared two sets of official data released on December 15 for the first 11 months of 2023, one for electricity generation and the other for electricity consumption. Data from China's Bureau of Statistics showed that the country's total electricity generation from January to November was 8,073.2 billion kWh, an increase of 4.8% year-on-year. Meanwhile, China's Energy Administration indicated that total electricity consumption from January to November was 8,367.8 billion kWh, up 6.3% year-on-year. Notably, official figures showed that China's electricity reported as used exceeded the amount that was actually generated by 294.6 billion kWh. If calculated at 0.5 yuan, about 7 cents, a unit, the disparity would amount to about 147.3 billion yuan, about $20.6 billion, a whopping overcharge on Chinese power bills. The NetEase article concluded that the only explanation for this illogical phenomenon is that the meters of many Chinese, including industrial users, are faulty. The resultant massive overcharge amounts to a hidden energy tariff, burdening already struggling Chinese taxpayers with billions in additional taxes. The article was later censored. China's Middle Class is a Myth China asserts itself as home to the world's largest middle class. But is this claim supported by the facts? In an article titled China's Middle Class is a Myth, published on December 29, Mr. Antonio Grassofo, a China economic analyst with over two decades of experience in Asia, provides an analysis of this crucial demographic in China. According to Mr. Grassofo, China is the world's second richest country, yet its citizens rank only 72nd among the world's wealthiest people. A nation's wealth is gauged by its gross domestic product, GDP, the total value of all finished goods and services produced in a country during a given period. The United States boasts the world's highest GDP at $25.462 trillion, with China in second place at $17.963 trillion. However, simply looking at GDP doesn't provide a clear picture of the average citizen's quality of life. To gauge this, we divide the GDP by the population to derive the GDP per capita, offering a broad approximation of the average person's income. The United States holds the 8th position, boasting a GDP per capita of $75,269, whereas China ranks 72nd, with a per capita GDP of only $12,598. This places China significantly behind developed nations like Singapore and Japan and even lags behind countries such as Lithuania, Estonia, and Spain, all with a per capita GDP more than twice that of China. Some argue for a measure called Purchasing Power Parity, PPP, which suggests that lower prices in China amplify the buying power of its citizens, making them better off despite having lower nominal salaries. While there's some validity to this argument, it doesn't account for certain factors. For instance, the rent-to-income ratio in New York is 68.5%, indicating that the average rent consumes a substantial portion of the average salary. In Shanghai, this ratio is even higher at 90%. So, while nominal prices might be higher in New York, the cost relative to income is lower. This contrast becomes starker when purchasing a home, where the average home price in Shanghai is 50 times the average salary, whereas in New York, it's only 10.5 times. Education represents a significant expense for Chinese families. In the United States, only around 9% of children attend private schools, and a smaller percentage receive paid tutors or supplemental education, typically for a limited time. In contrast, in China, most children attend supplemental lessons, with 30% of parents reporting monthly costs ranging from $140 to $400. Another area where PPP measures fall short is in imported goods and raw materials, which are priced in nominal U.S. dollars, making them more affordable for the average American. For example, Chinese consumers have a penchant for American cars. However, even excluding import duties and taxes, the average American car costs almost four years' worth of income for a Chinese consumer while representing just over half a year's salary for the average American. Furthermore, the contrast extends to education. Most Americans do not feel the need to send their children abroad for education, whereas the United States has been the primary destination for Chinese families. Foreign students pay up to triple the tuition, plus living expenses in the United States, amounting to an average of $100,000 per year. In addition to the fact that many necessities cost proportionately more than the average income in China, the average person does not earn the average income. The Gini coefficient measures income disparity in a country on a scale of 1 to 100, where 1 would signify complete equality. In 2022, China scored 46.7, making it more unequal than most of Western Europe or Japan. According to data from China's National Bureau of Statistics, in 2015, the top 20 percent of earners made 5.3 times more than the bottom 20 percent. However, by 2022, this gap had widened, with the richest 20 percent of urban households earning 6.3 times that of the poorest 20 percent. In rural areas, the gap was even greater at 9.2 times. Nationwide, the wealthiest 1 percent of the population holds more than 31 percent of the country's household wealth. China claims the title of the world's largest middle class, with nearly half a billion members. However, the majority of China's middle class is not as affluent as that in developed countries, as 75 percent of them earn $10 to $20 a day. Approximately 60 percent of the Chinese population lives on $2 to $10 per day. CCP leader Xi Jinping in Beijing often take credit for lifting 800 million Chinese out of poverty. However, 1 must question why China initially had such a large number of people living in poverty. Instead, the CCP could have relinquished control over society and the economy, allowing living standards to naturally rise through free markets, as seen in the United States and other developed countries. Furthermore, the achievement of lifting people out of poverty needs to be considered in the context of nominal income and wealth disparity, raising the question of whether Beijing has, in essence, lifted people out of poverty only to make them poor. Don't forget to comment in the section below to share your opinions on today's topic with us. If you find the information helpful, please share this video with a friend to watch together. This will be a great source of motivation for our team to produce more and more quality and reliable videos. And also don't forget to like and subscribe to see more interesting topics from China Truths. Thank you for tuning in.