Podcasts about party congress

Frances E. Lee is professor of politics and public affairs at Princeton University. In addition to In Covid's Wake: How Our Politics Failed Us, she is author or coauthor most recently of The Limits of Party: Congress and Lawmaking in a Polarized Era and Insecure Majorities: Congress and the Perpetual Campaign. Stephen Macedo is the Laurance S. Rockefeller Professor of Politics and the University Center for Human Values at Princeton University. His books, in addition to In Covid's Wake: How Our Politics Failed Us, include Just Married: Same-Sex Couples, Monogamy, and the Future of Marriage, and Diversity and Distrust: Civic Education in a Multicultural Democracy. In this week's conversation, Yascha Mounk, Frances Lee, and Stephen Macedo discuss school closures during COVID, why Republicans and Democrats reacted differently to the pandemic, why institutions failed, and why as a consequence institutions lost the public's trust. Podcast production by Mickey Freeland and Leonora Barclay. Connect with us! Spotify | Apple | Google X: @Yascha_Mounk & @JoinPersuasion YouTube: Yascha Mounk, Persuasion LinkedIn: Persuasion Community Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit andrewsullivan.substack.comFrances Lee is Professor of Politics and Public Affairs at Princeton, and her books include The Limits of Party: Congress and Lawmaking in a Polarized Age. Steve Macedo —an old friend from Harvard — is the Laurance S. Rockefeller Professor of Politics and the University Center for Human Values at Princeton, and his books include Just Married: Same-Sex Couples, Monogamy, and the Future of Marriage. The book they just co-wrote is called In Covid's Wake: How Our Politics Failed Us.For two clips of our convo — on the demonization of dissent during Covid, and where the right went wrong on the pandemic — head to our YouTube page.Other topics: Frances raised in the Deep South; Steve from a family of educators in Massachusetts; his Jesuit schooling as a gay Catholic; how both were natural contrarians; the pre-pandemic plans for Covid; their personal reactions to the outbreak; the emergency after 9/11; the Spanish flu; the cost/benefit of lockdowns; the different reactions in red and blue states; the Sweden model; the trillions of dollars in Covid relief; Fauci's appeal to authority; Partygate and Newsom's French Laundry; the remote work enjoyed by elites; how blue-collar workers bore the brunt; the generational injustice suffered by kids; Operation Warp Speed; the early myths of the vaccine; the Ptown vaccinated outbreak; censorship on social media; the moralizing of the MSM; the public-health hypocrisy on BLM protests; the mask mandates after the vaccines; how boosters weren't backed by good evidence; the Great Barrington Declaration; the Ebright testimony; the “Proximal Origin” paper; gain of function and the short-lived moratorium; the illiberal mistakes of Francis Collins; addressing his claims on lab leak; and the alarming current risks of viral escape.Browse the Dishcast archive for an episode you might enjoy (the first 102 are free in their entirety — subscribe to get everything else). Coming up: Byron York on Trump 2.0, Claire Lehmann on the woke right, Robert Merry on President McKinley, Sam Tanenhaus on Bill Buckley, Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson on the Biden years, and Paul Elie on his book The Last Supper: Art, Faith, Sex, and Controversy in the 1980s. Please send any guest recs, dissents, and other comments to dish@andrewsullivan.com.

https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/25/4/12/n14481193.htm

https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/25/4/12/n14481193.htm

https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/25/4/12/n14481193.htm

Last time we spoke about the Central Plains War. Chiang Kai-Shek faced a formidable anti-Chiang coalition led by Yan Xishan, Feng Yuxiang, and Li Zongren. Zhang Xueliang, initially absent, worked tirelessly from Mukden to prevent Northern warlords from joining the coalition. The conflict, exacerbated by severe famine in Shaanxi that fueled unrest, saw major battles as Chiang's forces clashed with the anti-Chiang fronts across multiple railways. Despite initial setbacks, Chiang's strategic maneuvers and alliances, including a pivotal deal with Zhang Xueliang, gradually turned the tide. The Young Marshal's entry into the fray and the subsequent defections from Feng Yuxiang's camp weakened the anti-Chiang forces. By October, the anti-Chiang leaders, overwhelmed and isolated, sought peace. The Central Plains War, a grueling seven-month struggle, ended with the anti-Chiang factions disbanding, leaving China's civil war landscape dramatically altered. Within the vacuum, the CCP was thriving, but now the Generalissimo could direct his full attention on the Red Menace.   #125 From the Jinggangshan Mountains to the Jiangxi Soviet Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. The last time we were talking about the CCP, they had performed the Nanchang uprising, Autumn Harvest Uprisings and the Guangzhou uprising. These all did not go very well and literally saw the surviving CCP forces fleeing for their lives into the mountains. Their experiences during these uprisings reinforced the idea they required a strong military force to push forward a new agrarian-based communist revolution. To develop such conditions favoring a revolution, Mao Zedong and Zhu De adapted the Red Army and CCP policies to the local conditions in order to recruit, sustain and retain loyal troops and build a relationship between the army, local populaces and party.  After the collapse of the Harvest Autumn Uprisings, the Red Army scattered into the rural parts of China. Mao Zedong himself narrowly escaped capture by the NRA, as he made his way to Sanwan of Jiangxi province. Countless were killed, arrested or deserted. Less than 1000 Red soldiers remained from the original uprising force. Moral was law, there lacked direction, there existed conflicting loyalties and many blamed Mao Zedong for the failings. In order to counteract this, Mao Zedong held a conference on September 29th of 1927 whereupon he implemented a series of radial policies to stave off an implosion. He began streamlining the command structure, instituted political representatives within each unit to instill revolutionary spirit within the troops. A political cell was established in each squad, a branch at company levels and a party committee at the battalion and regiment level. Next he established troop soviets within the units to provide a form of democratic centralism within the units. Additional he began spinning the narrative in his own favor, shifting blame for the failed uprisings to the collective poor understanding of the revolutionary course within China, rather than upon her leadership. Now initially a large part of the Red Army wanted to return to their hometown of Anyuan, but the local military presence was too strong there. Another option was needed and quickly as they had many sick and wounded amongst their ranks. They looked to the nearby Jinggang Mountain Area as a temporary fix. Many of Mao Zdong's former Peasant Movement Training students knew the area well. Jinggangshan meaning “well ridge mountain”, derived its name from the 5 villages around its main city of Ciping: Big Well, Middle Well, Little Well, Upper Well, and Lower Well. The mountain is situated in the Luoxian range, straddling the border between Jiangxi and Hunan. It also happens to be a place where 4 counties converge: Lingxian, Suichuan, Ninggang and Yongxin. Surrounding it were factional and political enemies, thus preventing most provincial forces from really coordinating efforts or massing against them. The terrain provided ample defensive obstacles. It also stood in the midpoint between Changsha, Nanchang and Guangdong, offering the Red Army flexibility to try and finish the uprisings they started in those locations. Given the weak state the Red Army was in, it would not be feasible to occupy Jinggangshan by force. Jinggangshan was controlled by two bandit leaders named Yuan Weicai and Wang Zuo. Mao Zedong was forced to negotiate with the two to come to an arrangement. The CCP was of course concerned about the trustworthiness of the two bandit leaders. At an early meeting in Gucheng, some CCP members of the front committee doubted the revolutionary character of Yuan and Wang, believing them to only be bandits at heart. Mao Zedong on the other hand argued the two leaders and their loyal followers were crucial to the communist movement. I would argue Mao Zedong was grasping at straws.  As for Yuan and Wang, their primary concerns were the impact of a new military force affecting the regional balance of power. In essence the mountain areas outside the major cities had a complex power dynamic. Bandits and local elites maintained the status quo, any change to that power dynamic could lead to problems. There was also an ethnicity issue. Jinggangshan was considered something of a Hakka ancestral land, and the Han settlers amongst them were more like guests. There always remained a Hakka-Han tension, and this prompted Hakka to vet any Hans coming in. Mao first convinced Yuan how a partnership would be mutually beneficial. In exchange for food, housing and local support the Red Army would provide weapons, training and support Yuan and Wang's operations. Mao presented Yuan with a gift of 100 rifles to sweeten him over. Mao then made a similar gesture to Wang, sending him 70 rifles. The two bandit leaders let the Red Army right in. Upon arriving, the Red Army began conducting guerilla operations and peasant mobilization. On October 7th, 1927 the began activity in Maoping and moved to Ciping. While marching they passed through Lingixan and Shuikou villages, attacking the local elites and their militias, freeing prisoners in jails and holding mass rallies to recruit. On the 22nd they reached Dafen, where they were ambushed by a local militia. Using their knowledge of the terrain the militia inflicted severe casualties, forcing the Red Army to retreat towards Wang Zuo for aid. Wang Zuo was wary of them, but Mao Zedong won him over by promising more weapons and training for his bandits. Mao also pledged to support him against his local rivals, one of whom was Xiao Jiabi. Wang's bandits and the Reds joined forces in Dajing and together seized Shimen. Then the Reds arrived in Ciping on October 15th. They quickly seized the city center and within a month's time established a base of operations. The CCP quickly expanded its influence in the surrounding area, preying upon local populations where government control was weak or in flux. By mid November the Red Army dispatched a battalion west to capture Chaling. This success allowed them to further expand into Suichang in January of 1928. In February the Red Army occupied its first major city, Xincheng in Ningang country. Within two months of action the Reds had nearly doubled their territory now occupying portions of 3 counties. For the most part Mao Zedong was left alone because of the political shakeup after the failed uprisings in the larger metropolitan areas. Contact with the provincial and regional CCP community still existed though. Zhou Lu, a member of the southern Hunan special committee heard about the CCP expansion in the mountain areas and came to inspect them. While at Jinggangshan he gave Mao Zedong orders to dispatch his unit to support Zhu De's forces in a uprising about to hit southern Hunan. After the failed Nanchang Uprising, Zhu De took the remnants of his forces and fled into southern Jiangxi and then Fujian where he linked up with a fellow Yunnanese NRA leader, Fan Shisheng. They stayed with Fan Sisheng's unit awhile, but once rumors spread he was harboring Reds they had to go. By January of 1928 they fled for southern Hunan to try and support urban uprisings. Upon arriving, Zhu De's force began augmenting the local peasantry forces and Zhou Lu said he would get Mao Zedong to lend his support. However the uprising never really got its legs. It began in late January, but the urban workers and local populace couldn't rise as expected. Instead local support turned against the communists. Likewise Mao Zedong's men never made it to southern Hunan, he had intentionally dragged his feet on the issue. Instead Mao Zedong focused his attention in central Hunan holding rallies and mobilizing local peasant groups. Thus Zhu De was pounced upon by local warlord groups in Guangdong and Hunan. Zhu De's Red Army engaged the warlord armies as they slowly retreated into Jinggangshan. Zhu De and Mao Zedong would meet in Maoping for a conference. On May 20th, 1928 they agreed to establish the Jinggangshan Special Committee, with Mao Zedong as its general secretary. Additionally the 4th Red Army was created and nicknamed the Ironsides Army. The 4th Red Army was roughly 12,000 men strong consisting of Zhu De's Nanchang uprising force, now designated the 28th regiment, Mao Zedongs Autumn Uprising force now designated the 31st regiment, Yuan Wencai and Wang Zuo's bandits, later designated the 32nd regiment and the Hunan uprising force now designed the 29th regiment. Zhu De's arrival also brought in a traditional military mindset, adding some more professionalism to the Red Army. Here Zhu De also made a famous quote “When the enemy advances, we retreat; when the enemy halts and encamps, we harass them; when the enemy seeks to avoid battle, we attack; and when the enemy retreats, we pursue”. This statement would guide much of the Red Army's actions going forward. The increase in communist numbers brought unwanted attention immediately from Jiangxi and Hunan forces. The first major military campaign against the Reds began in May of 1928 and was led by Zhu Peide wielding Jiangxi provincial military units. The campaign was based out of Yongxin with the Jiangxi government unleashing the 27th division. One regiment garrisoned at Yongxin was held as reserve while the division sent another regiment to attack the Red Army stronghold in Nanchang and another regiment flanked to the east. The Reds countered by stationing a regiment in the mountains to protect the base, another regiment to defend the mountain passes and 2 regiments to conduct spoiling attacks on the Jiangxi regiments flank. The Red Army was able to destroy the flanking unit, forcing them to retreat back to Yongxin. They pursued them to Yongxin, destroying its garrison regiment in the process. The Red Army then maneuvered to the rear of the Jiangxi division pushing them to pull back to Ji'an. Thus the Reds occupied Yongxin where they went to work establishing a worker-peasant government, expanding the Soviet across the county.  A second encirclement campaign was unleashed in late MAy, with the same Jiangxi 27th division leading the action. This time they were reinforced as they quickly recaptured Yongxin and began cautiously pursuing the Reds into the mountains. The Reds tried to exploit the terrain for guerilla warfare but was met with little success. The Red 28th regiment was soon forced to help distressed red forces at Chaling county. However the Jiangxi Division did not account for the Red Army's mobility. The Red 31st regiment quickly assumed the 28th regiments former defensive positions offering a stiff fight against the Jiangxi forces. When the 28th regiment returned to reinforce the 31st they hit the enemy's rear and advanced upon Yongxin again while the Jiangxi forces pulled back to Ji'an again.  Another encirclement campaign was unleashed the following June this time seeing Jiangxi and Hunanese forces work together against the Reds. The Jiangxi 9th division was deployed in combination with the remaining 2 regiment of the 27th Jiangxi division. The Jiangxi forces performed a frontal attack through the mountain passes using 3 regiments. Meanwhile the Red Army had to perform a feint attack in the east to occupy a Hunanese division. The Red Army deployed a battalion augmented by local guerilla groups along the western flank of the mountain passes. Guerilla attacks on the eastern flank of the Jiangxi forces caused the commander to maintain 2 regiments at Yongxin. Exploiting the mountain terrain the Red Army managed to destroy one regiment as they funneled up the passes. This small victory brought much needed arms and new soldiers who quickly recaptured Yongxin for a third time.  By the end of June, the Jinggangshan base had basically hit its apex in terms of size. They now controlled Ninggang, Yongxin, Lianhua counties and parts of Ji'an and Anfu. At this point Chiang Kai-Shek took notice of the Red gains and directed a new campaign against them. Another series of campaigns were unleashed seeing Hunanese and Jiangxi armies attack the 4th Red Army beginning in July 1928. The Hunan 8th Army began their attack from the west through Ninggang while the Jianxi army unleashed 11 regiments from the 3rd and 6th armies through Yongxin against the eastern border of Jinggangshan. To meet this threat the Reds kept 2 regiments to defend the bases while the 28th and 29th regiments advanced west to slip behind the Hunanese forces to conduct raids against their rear. Meanwhile local Red Army militia forces began a scorched earth strategy removing all food, poisoning water sources and evacuating villagers to deny their enemy. The Hunan 8th army was forced to retreat in the face of this, allowing the Reds to focus on the Jiangxi forces around Yongxin. The 28th and 29th regiments advanced west to support the attack against the Jiangxi forces, but then suddenly turned south towards southern Hunan, citing orders to assist the Southern Hunan Special Committee. Then these 2 regiments attacked the city of Chenzhou, roughly 200 kms away from the Jinggangshan mountains. There they defeated local forces. Afterwards the Red troops began strolling through the streets of Chenzhou as civilians, many of them had families in the area. Some began looting the area. They had made the egregious error of now pursuing their enemy further and gave them too much respite to reorganize themselves. The local forces counterattacked driving the 28th regiment to withdraw with little casualties. The 29th regiment fared much worse, being ambushed trying to retreat over the only bridge leading in Chengzhou. They suffered heavy casualties and many of their surviving forces simply joined the 28th regiment as a result. Meanwhile with the 2 regiments gone from the mountain, the NRA forces were emboldened. 3 Hunanese regiment joined 11 Jiangxi regiments to attack the Jinggangshan mountains. The remaining Reds employed every tactic they knew to survive. They began giving up terrain as the enemy penetrated closer to the mountain base. The 31st and 32nd regiments found themselves retreating to the protection of higher ground, where the established defensive positions along key routes to maximize casualties upon the invaders. Mao Zedong took a battalion from the 3st regiment south to escort the incoming 28th regiment, further weakening the lines. Meanwhile guerillas raided the flanks and rear of the advancing NRA forces heading up the mountain. After repeated failed attempts to get to the peaks of the mountains,the Jiangxi and Hunanese forces ultimately had to withdraw come September allowing the 28th regiment to safely get back to Jinggangshan. From there the Red Army contuined to fight and recapture lost territory. By October they retook Ninggang county and portions of Suichuang, Lixing and Yongxin, but were unable to reclaim everything they once had.  Another campaign coincided with an economic blockade and the arrival of General Peng Dehaui's 5th Army. The Jiangxi and Hunanese forces adopted blockade tactics, normally employed against bandits, to try and deprive the Reds from using markets in the lowlands. Starting in the fall of 1928, NRA and local militias established checkpoints along all routes and trails leading into the Jinggangshan mountains. Local private armies with troops familiar with the area conducted interdiction patrols to capture anyone trying to get past blockades. The blockade halted most local trade, meaning little medicine, clothing, food or salt was getting into Janggangshan. The Reds began subsisting on sweet potatoes and pumpkins, then Peng Dehuais 5th army arrived in December worsening the burden on the area. Simulteanously NRA forces from Fujian were added to the Jiangxi and Hunanese to fully surround the mountains in preparation for a offensive.  In the face of all of this the 4th Red Army's leadership convened a conference at Bailu. The attendees all were trying to figure out how to overcome the situation but their options were very limited. Many called for the same tactics that had been winning them the battles as before. Some called for withdrawing to a safer area momentarily and launch a counterattack when the enemy lightened up. The economic blockade exacerbated the civilian military relations in the mountains and it seemed the local populace was no longer willing to help the Reds. The last option many advocated for was to mount a defense of the mountain range, but this would not allow for any withdrawal route for the 6000 or so troops. Ultimately the adoptd a hybrid solution. The 4th army would break through the blockade to try and draw forces away from the mountains while also obtaining supplies. The 5th army who were pretty battered from their march would defend mountains and base. On January 14th of 1929 the 4th army led by Zhu De and Mao Zedong broke through the blockade and headed south into Jiangxi.  The 4th army at first was only meeting light resistance as they captured Suichuan and Shangyu. After this they headed for Dayu, but there found 3 Jiangxi regiments who ambushed them. The Reds were forced north into the Xingguo-Ji'an area. They marched 30 days, often 30 miles per day to avoid their pursuers, while taking casualties and losing equipment. They found themselves at Dabaidi village on February 10th where 2 regiments of the 15th NRA division fought them. The Reds routed the NRA forces and even captured the two regimental commanders alongside 800 soldiers and their equipment. This victory earned the 4th army a safe place to rest up for quite some time. As we saw in the former episodes, the Chiang-Gui and Central Plains War engulfed Chiang Kai-Sheks attention, giving the Reds some breathing space. During this period, Mao Zedong and Zhu De expanded that is referred to as the Jiangxi Soviet. They did so through a series of campaigns into western Fujian. In February 1929 the 4th army incorporated 2 independent guerilla regiments and used them to occupy Ji'an, Ningdu and Ruijin. In March they entered western Fujian and captured Tingzhou. At Tingzhou the Reds got 3000 NRA soldiers to defect. From Tingzhou they expanded the Jiangxi Soviet to encompass over 20 counties in Jiangxi and Fujian. In light of their major accomplishments, Mao Zedong dispatched word to the Central Committee proclaiming all they had done in Jiangxi and Fujian. In May the Red Army unleashed a second campaign into western Fujian, this time capturing Longyan and Yongding. With every successful campaign the Red Army recruits more soldiers, obtained more equipment, more territory and acquired further fundings sources.  The early days of the Jiangxi Soviet were quite chaotic. Despite the Red Army's expansion, in reality they were not a unified force. Numerous factions with their own ideologies existed. The Red Army was an amalgamation of different groups coming together less so of a common goal, more so out of survival. Many of the soldiers were former peasants, but there were also former NRA troops, warlord troops and bandits. The traditions of these different groups, coupled with a lack of education in the rural areas creating a boiling pot of bad behaviors and this hurt morale. To accommodate this the Red Army made itself extremely flexible in the early days. In the early days it was only about survival. Mao Zedong and Zhu De recognized the fact, in a conventional battle the Red Army stood no chance against even a Warlord Army, let alone the NRA. Thus the 4th army created a new political-military strategy within the rural areas to protect and grow the revolution. The first part of the strategy adopted by Mao Zedong was making alliances. It was a no brainer, increase numbers, gain more legitimacy, learn more about local areas, keep expanding. Yet the Central Committee frowned upon being too open to alliance, like with lets say, bandits? In 1928 a resolution from the CCP 6th Party Congress called for expelling bandits from the Red Army, but this obviously ran counter to everything going on in Jinggangshan. To remedy this, Mao Zedong simply did not comply and vetoed any plans made against the bandit leaders such as Yuan and Wang. The second strategy was adapting communist policies to local conditions. Contrary to the CCP guidance of attacking landlords and rich peasants, the Red Army tended to just attack those disliked by the local community. They often would avoid attacking popular landlords or rich peasants because it could endanger local support. Instead they would use propaganda and negotiations to win over such popular figures. Yet over time the strategies changed from survival to expansion. Mao Zedong described the CCP expansion to come in a series of waves. He believed a systematic development of rural Soviets was an effective way to encircle cities and create the conditions necessary for revolution.  To survive and expand the Red Army had to create a new way to fight their superior enemies. A famous slogan “the enemy advances, we retreat”, became doctrine quickly. The Red Army combined mobile warfare, guerilla warfare and propaganda against their rival the KMT. During the Jingangshan and Jiangxi Soviet period, guerilla warfare was the mainstay. It's purpose was not to gain victory, but to gain time, so the CCP could continue growing. The Red Army in Jinggangshan and Jiangxi focused on small-unit tactics, emphasizing scouting, patrolling, ambushing, mobility and so on. Most guerilla units were local militia units trained by Red Army officers, many of whom were also political leaders. They always sought to meet the enemy via ambush, during a raid, a feint attack or attacks to the rear and flank. Yet the Red Army did often find itself facing those like the NRA in conventional warfare. For these engagements it tended to be done only by the professional Red Army units. A major issue facing the Reds was logistics. They were guests in most of the areas they occupied and had to abide by the local customs. They also could not consume all the local resources in an area, it would hinder growth and foster resentment. Thus the Red Army had to make sure they gained as much as possible from battle. The capture of Tingzhou in 1929 was essentially an economic choice. There the Red Army captured 2 arsenals and a clothing factory. The Red Army also focused strongly on propaganda. Early on propaganda teams were created, each assigned 5 soldiers. These teams had one oratory section and one product section. The oratory section was responsible for spreading propaganda in village markets, centers and halls. The products section was responsible for creating propaganda products. They would go around towns placing up signs and banners to increase awareness. Typically in a month the propaganda teams would hold a large mass rally in the center part of town to vie for local support. They would try to tailor their messaging to meet the local needs. These efforts would help recruitment, elicit support and differentiate them from the run of the mill bandits. If the conditions became ripe and a local populace was sufficiently agitated by social inequalities, the Red Army leaders would make a call for action to topple the local government and push the people to create their own. The Red Army was very careful on who to replace in such situations as the local leadership typically proved useful at transitioning. The Red Army had a selective way of executing key leaders who would be the most troublesome towards their communist needs.  When a new local government sprung up, the CCP would entice everyone to join the Red Army. This saw people join different parts of the Red Army. For teenagers there was the communist youth organization which was basically a feeder unit into the Red Army. The Red Guard was a local militia group that protected the community and supplemented the Red Army when needed. Those who proved themselves capable could join the Red Army proper. The Red Army instituted a series of organizational changes to establish loyalty to the CCP and allow for a dispersion of forces. Initially the Red Army applied the Russian Soviet and NRA models, but changes were necessary to meet local conditions. When the 4th Red Army captured Sanwan, Mao Zedong established party rule over the army by using party representatives and soldier soviets. The party representatives and army leaders held equal footing, allowing for both to have greater oversight into the issues and concerns of the other. It was commonplace in Warlord armies and the NRA for soldiers to be abused. This quasi democratization allowed soldiers to have a greater voice. On June 22nd of 1929 the 4th Red Army held their 7th representative congress in Longyan. Mao Zedong spoke much of party control over the military, ruffling a lot of feathers and would contribute to his failure at becoming the Front Committee secretary General that year. In the wake of that loss, Mao Zedong departed for Fujian to assist the mass mobilization going on over there whence he became quite ill. During that period, Chen Yi representing the 4th Red Army in Shanghai reported to the Central Committee. Based on his reports they authorized political communist control over the Red Army units. At least vindicated that his ideas were accepted, Mao Zedong attended the 9th Representative Congress in Gutian county of Fujian. Here he would issue a famous statement “On the Rectification of Incorrect Ideas in the Party” . It outlined his views on the Red Army and what needed to be improved. That same conference gave a platform to Mao Zedong and Zhu De to push for further centralization of power within the Red Army. The Red Army had suffered numerous casualties, desertions and received numerous new recruits. Because of this Mao Zedong believed the military structure needed change. There was also the issue of factionalism within the Red Army. Mao Zedong believed more educated and centralized control would help maintain the unity of the armed forces.  In December of 1929 a conference was held in Gutian seeing more initiatives adopted to help consolidate military power under party control. The Red Army adopted the political commissariat system from the Soviet Red Army, placing greater control of the army into the hands of the political commissar. The political commissar had political training, but did not have the same power over political operations. The introduction of former KMT and NRA members into the Red Army increased a need for more political indoctrination. Alongside this the Gutian Conference reiterated the equality amongst soldiers and civilians. Mao Zedong and Zhu De understood the important role of military training for the Red Army. Two major groups of soldiers already had formal training, former NRA and graduates of the Peasant movement training institute. Many of these men were lost in the initial battles however leading the Red Army to be filled with peasants with little to any combat experience. Another issue was the Red Guards lacking any experience, requiring Red Officers to be pulled from front lines to help them out. By developing a competent and trained local force, this further allowed the Red Army to advance outside its borders and expand.  With a lack of discipline a lot of property damage became common. To combat this, Mao Zedong initially instituted three disciplines in 1927 (1) obey orders in all your actions; (2) don't take anything from the workers and peasants; and (3) when attacking the local bullies, turn over whatever you take from them. This was expanded further into 8 by 1930 (1) Put back the doors [you have taken down for bed boards]; (2) put back the straw [you have used for bedding]; (3) pay fairly for what you buy; (4) return everything you borrow; and (5) pay for anything you damage. Mao and Zhu later added two more points of attention: (7) defecate only in latrines, and (8) do not steal from captives. The purpose of such rules was two-fold, to curb reckless soldierly behavior and to not piss off local communities.  Yet discipline alone does not guarantee success in war. The 4th Army held many senior leaders who had trained at Baoding, Whampoa and the Yunnan military schools. But at the lower levels the military experience was quite uneven. The Red Army needed to create a universal standard. Mao Zedong established the first training unit, the 31st regiment training units in December of 1927 at the Longjiang academy in the Jingangshan mountains. Zhu De and Chen Yi would create similar units. Once in Jiangxi the Red Army established mobile schools that accompanied the forces to the front lines. The pressure from the KMT led encirclement campaigns made it impossible to implement a normal education system. While schools were important, for many soldiers the only way to learn was from doing. Sometimes conditions did not allow for the training, and the students were thrust into combat immediately. Mao stated “to learn warfare through warfare—this is our chief method.” However many of the new recruits and junior leaders never received formal education and found classes and training boring. To retain interest, practical exercises were used. By the beginning of 1930, the 4th Red Army had expanded from Jinggangshan to Jiangxi, Hunan and Fujian. Additionally 7 other Soviets were established in the interior of China, demonstrating the viability of the CCP model. For a large part it was the efforts of Mao Zedong and Zhu De that allowed the CCP to thrive. However major issues loomed externally and internally. I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. Mao Zedong had forged a seed in the Jinggangshan mountains the would grow into the base of a new 4th Red Army. Forming alliances with local groups and adopting new innovative strategies to survive allowed the 4th Red Army to expand and with it Mao Zedong's career. Yet externally and internally enemies lay everywhere.   

The latest developments from the European People's Party Congress in Bucharest with Nina dos Santos. Plus: can Venezuela's opposition navigate the presidential election's tight deadlines? Adam Hancock reports from Kuala Lumpur ahead of the 10-year anniversary of the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“The Joke that was the Fight against COVID” “The Danger of Flipper Zero” “The Expulsion of Santos the Drama of Congress” “Are you a Good Parent?” 

On February 25th, 1956, then-Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev issued what was called his "Secret Speech" titled: “On the Cult of Personality and Its Consequences," in a four hour session at the end of the USSR Communists' 20th Party Congress. It was considered a ground-breaking speech as the media heralded Khrushchev's denunciation of Josef Stalin. Anyone who has read anything other than Walter Duranty's glowing reviews of Stalin know about the dictator's human rights abuses and crimes against humanity, but the speech goes much deeper as Mao Zedong was not too happy about this, seeing the Soviet leader's words as an affront to Communism as a whole and his own Cultural Revolution. Also, what were the true political motivations of Khrushchev when delivering the Secret Speech?Dr. Jerome Corsi takes a deep dive into the oration, its place in history, what was behind it and its worldwide ripple effects on The Truth CentralVisit The Truth Central website: https://www.thetruthcentral.comOUT NOW: Dr. Corsi's new book: The Truth About Neo-Marxism, Cultural Maoism and Anarchy. Pick up your copy today on Amazon: https://www.thetruthcentral.com/the-truth-about-neo-marxism-cultural-maoism-and-anarchy-exposing-woke-insanity-in-the-age-of-disinformation/ Get your FREE copy of Dr. Corsi's new book with Swiss America CEO Dean Heskin, How the Coming Global Crash Will Create a Historic Gold Rush by calling: 800-519-6268Follow Dr. Jerome Corsi on Twitter: @corsijerome1Our link to where to get the Marco Polo 650-Page Book on the Hunter Biden laptop & Biden family crimes free online: https://www.thetruthcentral.com/marco-polo-publishes-650-page-book-on-hunter-biden-laptop-biden-family-crimes-available-free-online/Our Sponsors:MyVital https://www.thetruthcentral.com/myvitalc-ess60-in-organic-olive-oil/ Swiss America: https://www.swissamerica.com/offer/CorsiRMP.php The MacMillan Agency: https://www.thetruthcentral.com/the-macmillan-agency/ Pro Rapid Review: https://prorrt.com/thetruthcentralmembers/Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-truth-central-with-dr-jerome-corsi--5810661/support.

Last weekend, the Chinese Communist Party concluded a two-day National Ideological and Cultural Work Conference. The big outcome of this was the establishment of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture. In this episode, Anushka Saxena and Manoj Kewalramani discuss why the canonisation of such ideas as thoughts matters in Chinese politics and what are the implications of this new thought. Do check out Takshashila's public policy courses: https://school.takshashila.org.in/courses We are @‌IVMPodcasts on Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram. https://twitter.com/IVMPodcasts https://www.instagram.com/ivmpodcasts/?hl=en https://www.facebook.com/ivmpodcasts/ You can check out our website at https://shows.ivmpodcasts.com/featured Follow the show across platforms: Spotify, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Gaana, Amazon Music Do share the word with your folksSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We wrap up our discussion of the Sixth Congress with a discussion of the political line coming out of the congress, and some related issues.Further reading:Tony Saich, The Rise to Power of the Chinese Communist PartyChang Kuo-t'ao [Zhang Guotao], The Rise of the Chinese Communist Party (2 volumes)Daniel Kwan, Marxist Intellectuals and the Chinese Labor Movement: A Study of Deng Zhongxia, 1894-1933Various 6th Party Congress documents in Chinese Studies in History vol. 3, #4 through vol. 5, #1Yueh Sheng, Sun Yat-sen University in Moscow and the Chinese Revolution: A Personal AccountA Basic Understanding of the Communist Party of ChinaSome names from this episode:Nikolai Bukharin, general secretary of the executive committee of the CominternQu Qiubai, Named head of provisional politburo at August 7, 1927 Emergency ConferenceZhang Guotao, Leading CommunistPavel Mif, Top Comintern China specialistLi Lisan, Leading CommunistZhou Enlai, Leading CommunistXiang Zhongfa, Trade unionist and new general secretary of the CPXiang Ying, Leading CommunistSupport the show

Qu Qiubai's report and proposal are disputed, and the Comintern intervenes to restore order.Further reading:Tony Saich, The Rise to Power of the Chinese Communist PartyChang Kuo-t'ao [Zhang Guotao], The Rise of the Chinese Communist Party (2 volumes)Daniel Kwan, Marxist Intellectuals and the Chinese Labor Movement: A Study of Deng Zhongxia, 1894-1933Qu Qiubai, “The Past and Future of the Chinese Communist Party”Various 6th Party Congress documents in Chinese Studies in History vol. 3, #4 through vol. 5, #1Some names from this episode:Nikolai Bukharin, general secretary of the executive committee of the CominternQu Qiubai, Named head of provisional politburo at August 7, 1927 Emergency ConferenceChen Duxiu, Co-founder and first general secretary of the Communist PartyZhang Guotao, Leading CommunistPavel Mif, Top Comintern China specialistChen Shaoyu, Protégé of Mif (better known as Wang Ming)Shen Zemin, Sun Yat-sen University student who translated at the 6th party congressSupport the show

It's Tuesday, July 18th, A.D. 2023. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Kevin Swanson Chinese Communists are rewriting the Bible Republican Congressman Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin wrote a Fox News column in which he announced yesterday that the Communist Chinese Party is rewriting the Bible. And, across one province, “local CCP officials forced Protestant churches to replace the Ten Commandments with Xi Jinping quotes. "Thou shalt have no other gods before Me" became "Resolutely guard against the infiltration of Western ideology."   This comes as Party Chair Xi declared at the 19th Party Congress this year, "We will… insist on the sinicization of Chinese religions, and provide active guidance for religion and socialism to co-exist."  “Conservative” denominations which welcome female leadershi The Christian Post has issued a list of what they call “theologically conservative” denominations which have incorporated women into leadership as pastors, priests and elders. They include: The Christian and Missionary Alliance Church, the Anglican Church of North America, the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, the Reformed Church in America, the Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians, the Wesleyan Church, Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches, the Canadian Reformed Church, the Christian Reformed Church in North America, and the Four Square Church.   The Christian Post also continues publishing opinions in support of bringing more women into church leadership.  Sound of Freedom trouncing new Mission Impossible film Sound of Freedom, the recently released film which addresses child kidnapping and trafficking, has outsold Tom Cruise's Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning, Part One.  Sound of Freedom has made $85 million in box office receipts, and the film collected another $27 million over the weekend. That's a 37% increase from the previous weekend sales. The production company for the film, Angel Studios, reports over 7 million in ticket sales, far exceeding their initial 2 million-ticket goal.  Watch the trailer and get tickets through a special link in our transcript today at www.TheWorldview.com. The teen porn pandemic Yet, more concerning, is a recent survey that found that pornography viewing among underaged kids, below the age 17, now stands at 75%, up from 42% in 2014. While about 300-400 children are kidnapped in this nation each year, 25,000,000 children are introduced to pornography between the ages of 10 and 17, with 12 being the average age of first exposure.  Ezekiel 5:6 describes our nation. “She has rebelled against My ordinances more wickedly than the nations and against My statutes more than the lands which surround her; for they have rejected My ordinances and have not walked in My statutes.” Russia and Belarus barred from 2024 Olympic Games The Olympics have entered the realm of international politics with a new recommendation just out last week.   Russia and Belarus are barred from the 2024 games — for their involvement in the Ukrainian war, reports NPR.   Historically, the U.S. boycotted the Moscow Olympics in 1980 upon the USSR's invasion of Afghanistan.  And South Africa was banned from the Olympics in 1964 — for its apartheid policies.  Canada greenlights euthanasia for mentally ill Canada is expanding its euthanasia program, or Medical Assistance in Dying, to the mentally ill beginning in March of 2024, reports The Messenger. The killing is increasing at a rate of 30% per year.  Canadian doctors killed 10,064 people in 2021, not counting babies. That's up from 6,700 in 2020, and 3,100 in 2018.  The program kicked off in 2015.  New Iowan law bans abortion after 6 weeks Iowan Republican Governor Kim Reynolds has signed a 6-week abortion ban into law. The law allows exceptions for rape and incest, as well as miscarriages and fatal fetal abnormalities.  Plus, it allows for the child to be aborted for any reason prior to the detection of a fetal heartbeat. Immediately upon the bill passing into law, pro-abortion forces jumped into action. State Judge Joseph Seidlin issued a court order to block enforcement.  Iowa has seen a shift to a more conservative red in voting patterns as 58% of the gubernatorial vote went Republican in the 2022 elections. That was 44% in 2002 and 2006. Suspected serial killer just arrested for decades-old murders Numbers 32:33 warns, “Be sure your sin will find you out.” Police have arrested a suspected serial killer concerning murders taking place between 1996 and 2011 in Long Island, New York, reports Fox News. That's 12-26 years ago. An architect named Rex Heuermann is in police custody.   About half of murders go unsolved in America which is about the lowest among industrialized nations.  God's heat wave In God's providence, a major heat wave across the southern part of the U.S. is producing record-breaking temperatures. Phoenix, Arizona just tied a record. Temperatures there rose above 110 degrees Fahrenheit for 18 days straight. And the current 7-day forecast is looking like a 25-day run. The hottest place on Earth — Death Valley, California -- hit a temperature of 128 degrees Fahrenheit on Sunday.  That's just six degrees shy of the world record. What Jeff in Tennessee told me On Monday, I announced that Shannan in Alexandria, Minnesota generously offered to match, dollar for dollar, the first 10 people who gave a one-time gift of $600 or pledged $50/month for 12 months to help fund this newscast for another year. Jeff in Sevierville, Tennessee was one of the first four Worldview listeners to accept that challenge. When I called him up yesterday evening, this is what he told me. JEFF: “You may not know it, but you have coffee with me most mornings about sunrise. I really appreciate your broadcast. I've supported you for two or three years now. And I also knew that I needed to change the amount of my giving. So, I'm kind of calculating, and I keep coming up with this number, you know.  “When I heard that Shannon from Alexandria, Minnesota had made a challenge to people, up to $600 amount, I knew then that that was the number that the Lord had given me to give to your ministry. So, that's what I did.  I'm a steward and it's the Lord that's sown into your work.” 12 Worldview listeners gave $6,687.75 Through God's provision, 12 Worldview listeners donated toward our $80,000 goal by Monday, July 31st to keep this unique Christian newscast on the air. Our thanks to Christina in Gibsonia, Pennsylvania who gave $25, Ben in Wall, Texas and Eric in Burnet, Texas – both of whom gave $100, and Nancy in Ketchikan, Alaska who gave $180. We thank God for The Dreyer Family including Elijah, age 15, Malachi, age 12, and Samuel, age 8 in Greencastle, Indiana who collectively gave $232.75, Leann from Zeeland, North Dakota who gave $300, Ed in Wellsburg, Iowa who pledged $25/month for 12 months for a total gift of $300, and Julie in White Hall, Maryland who gave $350. We were touched by the kindness of Zephaniah in Lomax, Illinois, Jeff in Sevierville, Tennessee, and Caleb in Boiling Springs, Pennsylvania – each of whom gave $600 as well as James in Lenoir, North Carolina who pledged $75/month for 12 months for a total gift of $900. As promised, Shannan in Alexandria, Minnesota will match those last four donations with a gift of $2,400.  If you are one of the next six Worldview listeners to pledge $50/month for 12 months or give a one-time gift of $600, she will match you as well. Those 12 new donations add up to $6,687.75.  Ready for our new grand total? Drum roll please. (Drum roll sound effect) $32,981.16 (Crowd cheering sound effect) In order to hit our $60,000 immediate goal by this Friday, July 21st, we need to raise $27,018.84. After the next six people give $600 or pledge $50/month, we will need to raise $19,818.84. That would mean 16 more people to pledge $50/month and 32 more to pledge $25/month. Just go to TheWorldview.com and click on “Give” at the top right to give what the Lord is prompting you to donate.  Make sure to select the “Recurring” tab if that's your wish. And, by the way, I'm still looking for 2-4 sentence long emails from listeners across the nation and around the world. What does the newscast meant to you. I'm especially interested in hearing from listeners outside America and Canada. Make sure to include your full name, city and state, and if outside America, your country.  Send that to Adam@TheWorldview.com. Close And that's The Worldview in 5 Minutes on this Tuesday, July 18th in the year of our Lord 2023. Subscribe by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com. Or get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

Bukharin articulates a vision of the Chinese Revolution at the 6th Party Congress which is highly colored by the non-revolutionary Marxism of the 2nd International.Further reading:Nikolai Bukharin, “On the International Situation and the Tasks of the Chinese Communist Party”Andre Gunder Frank, World Accumulation, 1492–1789Immanuel Wallerstein, The Modern World-System, vol. I: Capitalist Agriculture and the Origins of the European World-Economy in the Sixteenth Century Mao Zedong, “The Chinese Revolution and the Chinese Communist Party”Vladimir Lenin, “Two Tactics of Social-Democracy in the Democratic Revolution”Vladimir Lenin, “Once Again on The Trade Unions: The Current Situation and the Mistakes of Trotsky and Bukharin”Hung Hsueh-ping, “The Essence of ‘Theory of Productive Forces' is to oppose Proletarian Revolution”Some names from this episode:Nikolai Bukharin, general secretary of the executive committee of the CominternChen Duxiu, Co-founder and first general secretary of the Communist PartyMikhail Borodin, Comintern agent and head of Soviet mission to aid the Guomindang during the period of the first united frontSupport the show

The decision to hold the Sixth Party Congress in Moscow, and some of the political debate inside the Communist Party of China leading up to that Congress.Further reading:Stuart Schram, ed., Mao's Road to Power, vol. 3: From the Jinggangshan to the Establishment of the Jiangxi Soviets, July 1927-December 1930Tony Saich, The Rise to Power of the Chinese Communist PartyPatricia Stranahan, Underground: The Shanghai Communist Party and the Politics of Survival, 1927-1937Daniel Kwan, Marxist Intellectuals and the Chinese Labor Movement: A Study of Deng Zhongxia, 1894-1933Chang Kuo-t'ao [Zhang Guotao], The Rise of the Chinese Communist Party (2 volumes)E. H. Carr, Foundations of a Planned Economy, vol. 3Organization of Communist Revolutionaries, “The CP, the Sixties, the RCP, and the Crying Need for a Communist Vanguard Party Today: Summing up a century of communist leadership, organization, strategy, and practice in the United States so that we can rise to the challenges before us”Some names from this episode:Qu Qiubai, Top leader of the Chinese Communist Party from the August 7, 1927 emergency meeting until the 6th Party CongressZhang Guotao, Leading CommunistChen Duxiu, General Secretary of the Communist Party until summer 1927Zhou Enlai, Leading CommunistSupport the show

It's been one year now since Vladimir Putin launched his assault on Ukraine, and China has sought to maintain the same difficult, awkward straddle across a difficult year. Did Beijing's efforts to project the impression that it had distanced itself from Russia in the wake of the Party Congress mean anything? And how should the U.S. manage its expectations of what China can or will do? Evan Feigenbaum, vice president for studies at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, joins us again as he did a year ago. We're also joined by his colleague Alexander (Sasha) Gabuev, who is a senior fellow at Carnegie, who headed the Carnegie Moscow Center until recently.4:37 – Are Beijing's actions surprising?7:34 – The nature of China-Russia relations15:45 – How has Beijing concretely supported Russia?22:07 – Did Beijing know Putin was going to invade?29:48 – European perspectives on the No Limits partnership37:02 – Beijing's assessment of Russia's military performance39:07 – What Beijing has learned from Russia's invasion46:47 – What carrots can the United States offer China?A complete transcript of this podcast is available at TheChinaProject.com.Recommendations:Sasha: Writing From Ukraine: Fiction, Poetry and Essays since 1965 by Mark AndryczykEvan: The Road Less Traveled: The Secret Battle to End the Great War,1916-1917 by Philip ZelikowKaiser: Jessica Chen Weiss on The Ezra Klein Show and The Problem With Jon Stewart; "Avoiding Catastrophe Will Be the True Test of Fractious U.S.-China Relations," an op-ed in the Financial Times by Jude BlanchetteSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily Newsbrief for Friday, February 17th, 2023. I hope you all have had a fantastic week as we’ve reached Friday! Trinity Church is hosting a Men’s Conference, Friday night and Saturday morning, 2/24-2/25. The title is Taking Dominion. God has given mankind the commission to take dominion over His creation for the purpose of making it more fruitful, beneficial, and enjoyable, and all to the glory of God. Men are the tip of the spear as we lead our households in the pursuit of this dominion. Pastor Dave Hatcher, Pastor Jerry Owen, and Andrew Crappuchettes (CEO RedBalloon) will be speaking about fulfilling this mandate in our selves, our houses, and the other opportunities God gives us. Visit www.trinitykirk.org/2023-mens-conference https://www.foxnews.com/us/train-derails-outside-detroit-michigan-one-car-hazardous-materials Train derails outside Detroit, Michigan, with one car carrying hazardous materials A train containing one car of hazardous materials has derailed Thursday in Van Buren Township outside Detroit, Michigan, reports say. The cause of the derailment was not immediately clear. Police told Fox2 Detroit that there were no injuries and the area is not a hazmat situation. Officials that spoke to WXYZ, which reported that at least six cars were seen off the track, said one of them was carrying hazardous materials. The derailment comes less than two weeks after a train carrying toxic chemicals derailed in East Palestine, Ohio. Police told Fox2 Detroit that roads will be closed in the area while an investigation is ongoing. The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy also said it is "aware of the train derailment in Van Buren Township, Wayne County, where initial reports indicate no threat to the public from the derailment. "EGLE personnel are on their way to the scene to assist in assessing the situation," it added. https://www.foxnews.com/politics/biden-admin-turns-down-ohios-request-disaster-assistance-toxic-derailment Biden admin turns down Ohio's request for disaster assistance after toxic derailment The Biden administration turned down a request for federal disaster assistance from Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine in the aftermath of the train derailment in the state earlier this month that led to a large release of toxic chemicals. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) told Ohio's state government that it was not eligible for disaster assistance to help the community recover from the toxic spill, Dan Tierney, a spokesperson for DeWine, told Fox News Digital on Thursday. Tierney explained that FEMA believed the incident didn't qualify as a traditional disaster, such as a tornado or hurricane, for which it usually provides assistance. "The DeWine Administration has been in daily contact with FEMA to discuss the need for federal support, however FEMA continues to tell Governor DeWine that Ohio is not eligible for assistance at this time," DeWine's office said in a statement earlier in the day. "Governor DeWine will continue working with FEMA to determine what assistance can be provided." FEMA said that its team is in constant communication with DeWine's office, but didn't comment on the request for federal relief. Tierney noted, though, that the governor was able to secure some health assistance from the Department of Health and Human Services that will go towards helping local residents with any medical care costs that stem from the incident. Norfolk Southern has offered financial compensation to locals who were displaced and has worked with the Environmental Protection Agency and state officials to conduct air safety tests. Health officials have assured the public that tests have shown the area is safe. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/bruce-willis-diagnosed-frontotemporal-dementia-demi-moore-says_n_63ee887ae4b0808b91c5a71e Bruce Willis Diagnosed With Frontotemporal Dementia, Family Says Actor Bruce Willis has been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia, his family said in a statement Thursday. The 67-year-old “Die Hard” star was diagnosed with the disease, also known as FTD, after his prior diagnosis of aphasia progressed, his family said. The disease’s progression varies from two to more than 20 years and the average life expectancy after the start of symptoms is seven to 13 years. There is no cure or treatment currently available, according to the AFTD’s website. Willis’ family said that by sharing his story they hope they can bring more awareness to the disease and push for research toward finding treatments. Willis retired from acting in 2022 after his aphasia diagnosis. Aphasia typically occurs suddenly after a stroke, head injury or sometimes a slow-growing tumor. It can affect a person’s ability to speak, write and understand language, both verbal and written, according to the Mayo Clinic. The actor’s former co-workers told the Los Angeles Times last year that he had been struggling for years on set. In the Biden administrations’ zeal for shooting down balloons, they may have overreacted with this one… https://aviationweek.com/defense-space/aircraft-propulsion/hobby-clubs-missing-balloon-feared-shot-down-usaf Hobby Club’s Missing Balloon Feared Shot Down By USAF A small, globe-trotting balloon declared “missing in action” by an Illinois-based hobbyist club on Feb. 15 has emerged as a candidate to explain one of the three mystery objects shot down by four heat-seeking missiles launched by U.S. Air Force fighters since Feb. 10. The club—the Northern Illinois Bottlecap Balloon Brigade (NIBBB)—is not pointing fingers yet. But the circumstantial evidence is at least intriguing. The club’s silver-coated, party-style, “pico balloon” reported its last position on Feb. 10 at 38,910 ft. off the west coast of Alaska, and a popular forecasting tool—the HYSPLIT model provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)—projected the cylindrically shaped object would be floating high over the central part of the Yukon Territory on Feb. 11. That is the same day a Lockheed Martin F-22 shot down an unidentified object of a similar description and altitude in the same general area. There are suspicions among other prominent members of the small, pico-ballooning enthusiasts’ community, which combines ham radio and high-altitude ballooning into a single, relatively affordable hobby. https://www.theblaze.com/news/eu-2035-gas-car-ban European Union approves effective ban on sales of gas cars by 2035, requiring 100% reduction in CO2 European Parliament has formally approved a law that will effectively end the sale of gas- and diesel-powered vehicles in the European Union by 2035, calling for a 100% reduction in CO2 emissions for any new cars sold, according to Reuters. The 27-nation union agreed to the changes in October 2022, but has now formalized the deal, which enforces a 55% reduction in emissions for vehicles by 2030. Levels for CO2 for 2021 were set at a target of 37.5%. Vans will get a slight advantage in the market, requiring a a 50% cut by 2030, compared with 2021 levels. Just a few months before the announcement in May 2022, car makers such as Ford and Volvo even signed a joint letter with 26 other companies asking the European Union to implement such a plan. The target of 2035 has been justified by the EU based on what officials say is an average vehicle lifespan of 15 years, which would allow the EU to reach net zero emissions by 2050. Companies that make less than 10,000 cars per year will be able to negotiate lower targets until 2036, however some companies are happily ready to enforce the change. Volkswagen vowed in October 2022 to produce only electric cars in Europe beginning in 2033, committing to the earliest possible time frame after previously stating it would aim for a 2033-2035 range. However, in June 2022, five countries were looking to delay the shift to electric-only vehicles by at least five years to 2040. Bulgaria, Italy, Portugal, Romania, and Slovakia called for a 90% cut of CO2 by 2035, extending the 100% target to 2040, with light commercial vehicles meeting 80% for 2035 before also needing the full cut by 2040. A Bulgarian official had said that the EU needed to reconsider the economic costs of switching to electric and the effect that would have on poorer nations in the union. Laws enforcing electric vehicle chargers are currently in negotiation in the union. https://dailycaller.com/2023/02/15/china-ccp-christian-chinaaid-jonathan-dingler-pastor-bob-fu-xi-jinping/ Communist China Cracked Down On Christians In 2022 The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) censored, fined, politically indoctrinated and forcibly disappeared Chinese Christians in 2022, according to a new report from the nonprofit ChinaAid Tuesday. The People’s Republic of China (PRC) reportedly employed a range of new methods to persecute Chinese Christians in 2022 including fabricating charges of fraud as well as criminalizing the legal international travel of church leaders, the report states. China’s crackdown on Christianity reportedly intensified in the run-up to the CCP’s 20th Party Congress in October 2022, during which time General Secretary Xi Jinping secured a third term as the communist nation’s supreme leader, according to ChinaAid. “Xi Jinping and the Communist Party did all they could to silence Christians leading up to the 20th National Congress,” Jonathan Dingler, a spokesman for ChinaAid who worked on the report, told the Daily Caller News Foundation. Christians account for approximately 5% of China’s religious community, according to the CIA World Factbook. While Catholics number around 10 million, Protestants account for the majority of China’s Christian community, with approximately 38 million followers as of 2020, The Economist reported. Dingler told the DCNF that after the CCP’s crackdown leading up to the 20th Party Congress “the tone shifted” within the state-sanctioned churches which then began treating Xi “as if he were the leader of the church.” ChinaAid identified a March 2022 paper entitled “Adhering to the Sinicization of Religion in China” published by the United Front Work Department (UFWD) as the political motivation behind the CCP’s 2022 crackdown on Christianity. The UFWD is a “Chinese government entity charged with extending the CCP’s influence and control over non-Party organizations both domestically and abroad to advance CCP policy objectives,” according to a 2021 report by the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC). Moreover, the USCC also identified the UFWD as a “Chinese intelligence service” in 2016. The UFWD’s March 2022 paper reportedly emphasized “promoting the Sinicization of religion, adhering to the orientation of the core socialist values and submerging all religious beliefs in Chinese culture to better adapt religion to China’s socialist society and the New Era of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics,” according to ChinaAid. China’s state-sanctioned churches must now actively promote Xi’s thoughts “from the pulpit,” which in practice means that churches which don’t “flat-out fall at Xi’s feet and worship him are considered ‘inciting subversion of state power,'” Dingler told the DCNF. Churches were reportedly even converted into political propaganda centers in order to broadcast Xi’s speech during the 20th Party Congress in October 2022, according to ChinaAid’s report. Likewise, churches in other provinces were also reportedly repurposed to hold “study” sessions on CCP policies such as “Reinforcing Management of Religion on All Fronts: 10 Prohibitions and 10 Mustn’ts.” The Chinese government also increasingly persecuted Christians online in 2022, censoring words like “Jesus,” “Savior” and “Amen” on the Chinese social media platform WeChat, according to ChinaAid’s report. At the same time, the Chinese government also shut down church websites and Christians’ social media accounts. “Congregants can’t even give to their churches online anymore, thanks to new regulations,” Dingler said. “They want to break down house churches even further, hoping they will finally give in and submit.” The Chinese Embassy did not respond to the DCNF’s request for comment.

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily Newsbrief for Friday, February 17th, 2023. I hope you all have had a fantastic week as we’ve reached Friday! Trinity Church is hosting a Men’s Conference, Friday night and Saturday morning, 2/24-2/25. The title is Taking Dominion. God has given mankind the commission to take dominion over His creation for the purpose of making it more fruitful, beneficial, and enjoyable, and all to the glory of God. Men are the tip of the spear as we lead our households in the pursuit of this dominion. Pastor Dave Hatcher, Pastor Jerry Owen, and Andrew Crappuchettes (CEO RedBalloon) will be speaking about fulfilling this mandate in our selves, our houses, and the other opportunities God gives us. Visit www.trinitykirk.org/2023-mens-conference https://www.foxnews.com/us/train-derails-outside-detroit-michigan-one-car-hazardous-materials Train derails outside Detroit, Michigan, with one car carrying hazardous materials A train containing one car of hazardous materials has derailed Thursday in Van Buren Township outside Detroit, Michigan, reports say. The cause of the derailment was not immediately clear. Police told Fox2 Detroit that there were no injuries and the area is not a hazmat situation. Officials that spoke to WXYZ, which reported that at least six cars were seen off the track, said one of them was carrying hazardous materials. The derailment comes less than two weeks after a train carrying toxic chemicals derailed in East Palestine, Ohio. Police told Fox2 Detroit that roads will be closed in the area while an investigation is ongoing. The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy also said it is "aware of the train derailment in Van Buren Township, Wayne County, where initial reports indicate no threat to the public from the derailment. "EGLE personnel are on their way to the scene to assist in assessing the situation," it added. https://www.foxnews.com/politics/biden-admin-turns-down-ohios-request-disaster-assistance-toxic-derailment Biden admin turns down Ohio's request for disaster assistance after toxic derailment The Biden administration turned down a request for federal disaster assistance from Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine in the aftermath of the train derailment in the state earlier this month that led to a large release of toxic chemicals. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) told Ohio's state government that it was not eligible for disaster assistance to help the community recover from the toxic spill, Dan Tierney, a spokesperson for DeWine, told Fox News Digital on Thursday. Tierney explained that FEMA believed the incident didn't qualify as a traditional disaster, such as a tornado or hurricane, for which it usually provides assistance. "The DeWine Administration has been in daily contact with FEMA to discuss the need for federal support, however FEMA continues to tell Governor DeWine that Ohio is not eligible for assistance at this time," DeWine's office said in a statement earlier in the day. "Governor DeWine will continue working with FEMA to determine what assistance can be provided." FEMA said that its team is in constant communication with DeWine's office, but didn't comment on the request for federal relief. Tierney noted, though, that the governor was able to secure some health assistance from the Department of Health and Human Services that will go towards helping local residents with any medical care costs that stem from the incident. Norfolk Southern has offered financial compensation to locals who were displaced and has worked with the Environmental Protection Agency and state officials to conduct air safety tests. Health officials have assured the public that tests have shown the area is safe. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/bruce-willis-diagnosed-frontotemporal-dementia-demi-moore-says_n_63ee887ae4b0808b91c5a71e Bruce Willis Diagnosed With Frontotemporal Dementia, Family Says Actor Bruce Willis has been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia, his family said in a statement Thursday. The 67-year-old “Die Hard” star was diagnosed with the disease, also known as FTD, after his prior diagnosis of aphasia progressed, his family said. The disease’s progression varies from two to more than 20 years and the average life expectancy after the start of symptoms is seven to 13 years. There is no cure or treatment currently available, according to the AFTD’s website. Willis’ family said that by sharing his story they hope they can bring more awareness to the disease and push for research toward finding treatments. Willis retired from acting in 2022 after his aphasia diagnosis. Aphasia typically occurs suddenly after a stroke, head injury or sometimes a slow-growing tumor. It can affect a person’s ability to speak, write and understand language, both verbal and written, according to the Mayo Clinic. The actor’s former co-workers told the Los Angeles Times last year that he had been struggling for years on set. In the Biden administrations’ zeal for shooting down balloons, they may have overreacted with this one… https://aviationweek.com/defense-space/aircraft-propulsion/hobby-clubs-missing-balloon-feared-shot-down-usaf Hobby Club’s Missing Balloon Feared Shot Down By USAF A small, globe-trotting balloon declared “missing in action” by an Illinois-based hobbyist club on Feb. 15 has emerged as a candidate to explain one of the three mystery objects shot down by four heat-seeking missiles launched by U.S. Air Force fighters since Feb. 10. The club—the Northern Illinois Bottlecap Balloon Brigade (NIBBB)—is not pointing fingers yet. But the circumstantial evidence is at least intriguing. The club’s silver-coated, party-style, “pico balloon” reported its last position on Feb. 10 at 38,910 ft. off the west coast of Alaska, and a popular forecasting tool—the HYSPLIT model provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)—projected the cylindrically shaped object would be floating high over the central part of the Yukon Territory on Feb. 11. That is the same day a Lockheed Martin F-22 shot down an unidentified object of a similar description and altitude in the same general area. There are suspicions among other prominent members of the small, pico-ballooning enthusiasts’ community, which combines ham radio and high-altitude ballooning into a single, relatively affordable hobby. https://www.theblaze.com/news/eu-2035-gas-car-ban European Union approves effective ban on sales of gas cars by 2035, requiring 100% reduction in CO2 European Parliament has formally approved a law that will effectively end the sale of gas- and diesel-powered vehicles in the European Union by 2035, calling for a 100% reduction in CO2 emissions for any new cars sold, according to Reuters. The 27-nation union agreed to the changes in October 2022, but has now formalized the deal, which enforces a 55% reduction in emissions for vehicles by 2030. Levels for CO2 for 2021 were set at a target of 37.5%. Vans will get a slight advantage in the market, requiring a a 50% cut by 2030, compared with 2021 levels. Just a few months before the announcement in May 2022, car makers such as Ford and Volvo even signed a joint letter with 26 other companies asking the European Union to implement such a plan. The target of 2035 has been justified by the EU based on what officials say is an average vehicle lifespan of 15 years, which would allow the EU to reach net zero emissions by 2050. Companies that make less than 10,000 cars per year will be able to negotiate lower targets until 2036, however some companies are happily ready to enforce the change. Volkswagen vowed in October 2022 to produce only electric cars in Europe beginning in 2033, committing to the earliest possible time frame after previously stating it would aim for a 2033-2035 range. However, in June 2022, five countries were looking to delay the shift to electric-only vehicles by at least five years to 2040. Bulgaria, Italy, Portugal, Romania, and Slovakia called for a 90% cut of CO2 by 2035, extending the 100% target to 2040, with light commercial vehicles meeting 80% for 2035 before also needing the full cut by 2040. A Bulgarian official had said that the EU needed to reconsider the economic costs of switching to electric and the effect that would have on poorer nations in the union. Laws enforcing electric vehicle chargers are currently in negotiation in the union. https://dailycaller.com/2023/02/15/china-ccp-christian-chinaaid-jonathan-dingler-pastor-bob-fu-xi-jinping/ Communist China Cracked Down On Christians In 2022 The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) censored, fined, politically indoctrinated and forcibly disappeared Chinese Christians in 2022, according to a new report from the nonprofit ChinaAid Tuesday. The People’s Republic of China (PRC) reportedly employed a range of new methods to persecute Chinese Christians in 2022 including fabricating charges of fraud as well as criminalizing the legal international travel of church leaders, the report states. China’s crackdown on Christianity reportedly intensified in the run-up to the CCP’s 20th Party Congress in October 2022, during which time General Secretary Xi Jinping secured a third term as the communist nation’s supreme leader, according to ChinaAid. “Xi Jinping and the Communist Party did all they could to silence Christians leading up to the 20th National Congress,” Jonathan Dingler, a spokesman for ChinaAid who worked on the report, told the Daily Caller News Foundation. Christians account for approximately 5% of China’s religious community, according to the CIA World Factbook. While Catholics number around 10 million, Protestants account for the majority of China’s Christian community, with approximately 38 million followers as of 2020, The Economist reported. Dingler told the DCNF that after the CCP’s crackdown leading up to the 20th Party Congress “the tone shifted” within the state-sanctioned churches which then began treating Xi “as if he were the leader of the church.” ChinaAid identified a March 2022 paper entitled “Adhering to the Sinicization of Religion in China” published by the United Front Work Department (UFWD) as the political motivation behind the CCP’s 2022 crackdown on Christianity. The UFWD is a “Chinese government entity charged with extending the CCP’s influence and control over non-Party organizations both domestically and abroad to advance CCP policy objectives,” according to a 2021 report by the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC). Moreover, the USCC also identified the UFWD as a “Chinese intelligence service” in 2016. The UFWD’s March 2022 paper reportedly emphasized “promoting the Sinicization of religion, adhering to the orientation of the core socialist values and submerging all religious beliefs in Chinese culture to better adapt religion to China’s socialist society and the New Era of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics,” according to ChinaAid. China’s state-sanctioned churches must now actively promote Xi’s thoughts “from the pulpit,” which in practice means that churches which don’t “flat-out fall at Xi’s feet and worship him are considered ‘inciting subversion of state power,'” Dingler told the DCNF. Churches were reportedly even converted into political propaganda centers in order to broadcast Xi’s speech during the 20th Party Congress in October 2022, according to ChinaAid’s report. Likewise, churches in other provinces were also reportedly repurposed to hold “study” sessions on CCP policies such as “Reinforcing Management of Religion on All Fronts: 10 Prohibitions and 10 Mustn’ts.” The Chinese government also increasingly persecuted Christians online in 2022, censoring words like “Jesus,” “Savior” and “Amen” on the Chinese social media platform WeChat, according to ChinaAid’s report. At the same time, the Chinese government also shut down church websites and Christians’ social media accounts. “Congregants can’t even give to their churches online anymore, thanks to new regulations,” Dingler said. “They want to break down house churches even further, hoping they will finally give in and submit.” The Chinese Embassy did not respond to the DCNF’s request for comment.

Potentially explosive guidance arrives in the Jinggangshan from the 6th Party Congress of the Communist Party, and plans are laid to break out of the enemy encirclement.Further reading:Stephen Averill, Revolution in the Highlands: China's Jinggangshan Base AreaStuart Schram, ed., Mao's Road to Power, vol. 3: From the Jinggangshan to the Establishment of the Jiangxi Soviets, July 1927-December 1930Pang Xianzhi and Jin Chongji, Mao Zedong: A Biography, vol. 1: 1893-1949Tony Saich, The Rise to Power of the Chinese Communist PartyMao Zedong, “Combat Liberalism”Some names from this episode:Peng Dehuai, Guomindang colonel who was secretly a Communist and who launched an uprising in July 1928Wang Zuo, Bandit leader who joined with Mao ZedongYuan Wencai, Bandit leader who joined with Mao ZedongWang Shouhua, President of the General Labor UnionChen Yi, Political commissar for the 28th regiment of the Fourth Red ArmyLong Chaoqing, secretary of the Ninggang County Committee of the Communist PartyWang Huai, secretary of the Yongxin County Committee of the Communist PartyHe Changgong, important Fourth Red Army cadreSupport the show

Note: As current events regarding Covid are rapidly changing, we want to acknowledge that this episode was recorded in early January 2023. In this first episode of our 2023 season, Dr. Jennifer Bouey, an expert on global health equity and security, is here to make sense of zero-Covid's sudden end in China. Following the 20th Party Congress last fall, the signal from the top seemed to suggest that China would continue to stay the course on zero-Covid. Few could have imagined the sudden dismantling of the policy.Days before the Lunar New Year, China reported nearly 60,000 Covid-related hospital deaths for the first five weeks of the current outbreak. But many experts believe that number is still low. As physicians in China told Reuters, they are discouraged from citing Covid on death certificates. Relatives of those whose deaths were related to Covid say the disease did not appear as a cause of death on official documents.The number of deaths is also a lagging figure; one infectious disease model reported in the journal Nature suggests that the current wave peaked ahead of Chinese New Year in many parts of China, which means the number of deaths could surge over the holidays and beyond.

Hank Paulson welcomes Nicholas Stern (Chair of the Grantham Research Institute, Chair of the Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy, and IG Patel Professor of Economics and Government at the LSE) to the podcast. They discuss takeaways from COP 27, carbon markets, and the opportunity for the US and China to work together to address climate change. Stern shares insights into the intersection of economics and climate change, his transition from economics and academia to public service and climate policy, resolving tensions over who sets global climate standards, and implications for Europe-China relations after the 20th Party Congress. Nicholas Stern: https://www.lse.ac.uk/granthaminstitute/profile/nicholas-stern/

Photo: No known restrictions on publication. 13th Party Congress 1924 @Batchelorshow 3/8: Stalin's Library: A Dictator and his Books Hardcover –by  Geoffrey Roberts  (Author)  https://www.amazon.com/Stalins-Library-Dictator-his-Books/dp/0300179049/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= Stalin, an avid reader from an early age, amassed a surprisingly diverse personal collection of thousands of books, many of which he marked and annotated revealing his intimate thoughts, feelings, and beliefs. Based on his wide-ranging research in Russian archives, Roberts tells the story of the creation, fragmentation, and resurrection of Stalin's personal library. As a true believer in communist ideology, Stalin was a fanatical idealist who hated his enemies—the bourgeoisie, kulaks, capitalists, imperialists, reactionaries, counter-revolutionaries, traitors—but detested their ideas even more.

Miles and Wilson discuss one of the most consequential periods of General Secretary Xi Jinping's tenure as the head of the Chinese Communist Party. From the 20th Party Congress, to popular protests over repression and Zero-Covid, to Xi's reentry into global forums like the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and his upcoming trip to Saudi Arabia, there's a lot going on in China. In the first episode of China Insider, Miles explains the history behind the headlines, and what to make of the last few weeks in China.Read Miles' recent article for The New York Post titled "Chinese Protests Aren't About COVID - They're About Dictatorship" -- https://www.hudson.org/democracy/chinese-protests-arent-about-covid-theyre-about-dictatorshipFollow the China Center's work at https://www.hudson.org/china-center

At the recent 20th Party Congress in China, policy makers made economic growth a top priority, but what are the roadblocks that may be of concern to global investors?----- Transcript -----Welcome to Thoughts on the Market. I'm Robin Xing, Morgan Stanley's Chief China Economist. Along with my colleagues, bringing you a variety of perspectives, today I will discuss the outlook for China after the 20th Party Congress. It's Friday, November 18th, at 8 a.m. in Hong Kong. China's Communist Party convenes a national Congress every five years to unveil mid to long term policy agenda and reshuffle its leadership. The one concluded two weeks ago marks the 20th Congress since the party's founding in 1921. One of the key takeaways is that economic growth remains the Chinese government's top priority, even as national security and the supply chain self-sufficiency have gained more importance. The top leadership's goal is to grow China to an income level on par with medium developed country by 2035. We think this suggests a per capita GDP target of $20,000, up from $12,000 today, and it would require close to 4% average growth in GDP in the coming decade. Well, this growth target is achievable, but only with continued policy focus on growth. While China's economy has grown 6.7% a year over the last decade, its potential growth has likely entered a downward trajectory, trending toward 3% at the end of this decade, there is aging of the Chinese population, which is a main structure headwind. That could reduce labor input and the pace of capital accumulation. Meanwhile, productivity growth might also slow as geopolitical tensions increase the trend towards what Morgan Stanley terms slowbalization. The result of which is reduced foreign direct investment, particularly among sectors considered sensitive to national security. In this context, we believe Beijing will remain pragmatic in dealing with geopolitical tensions because of its reliance on key commodities and the fact exports account for a quarter of Chinese employment. So China is very intertwined with global economy and it relies a lot on the access to global market. Another issue of concern to global investors is China's regulatory reset since 2020 and its impact on the private sector. It seems to have entered a more stable stage. We don't expect major regulatory surprises from here considering that the party Congress didn't identify any new areas with major challenges domestically, except for population aging and the self-sufficiency of supply chain. As investors adopt a "seeing is believing" mentality towards their long term concerns around China's growth, policy, geopolitics, the more pressing near-term risk remains COVID zero. This is likely the biggest overhang on Chinese economic growth and the news flow around reopening have tended to trigger market volatility. We see rising urgency for an exit from COVID zero in the context of its economic cost, including lower income growth, elevated youth unemployment and even fiscal sustainability risks. We think Beijing will likely aim for a calibrated COVID exit, and the three key signposts are necessary to facilitate a smooth reopening, elderly vaccination, availability of domestic COVID treatment pills and facilities, and continued effort to steer public opinion away from fear of the virus. Considering it could take 3 to 6 months for the key signposts to play out, we expect a full reopening next spring at the earliest. This underpins our forecast of a modest recovery starting in the second quarter of 2023, led by private consumption. Before a full reopening, we see growth continue to muddle through at the subpar level, sustained mainly by public CapEx. Thanks for listening. If you enjoy the show, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and share Thoughts on the Market with a friend or colleague today.

  For the Western press, the 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party offered a number of signals which—if read in good faith—could have been perceived as reassuring. Instead, establishment outlets reverted to familiar narratives regarding China's Covid mitigation strategy and tied these into renewed predictions of a long-prophesied economic disaster—one that would inevitably […] The post US Media Searched for Crisis at China Party Congress appeared first on FAIR.

The dust has settled on China's latest Party Congress. The country's Communist Party holds the gathering every five years, and it's the political event to watch. That's also the case in the United States, where politicians from both major parties are bringing up China ahead of the country's midterm elections. In this episode, we look at what the latest from the party congress could mean for people within China, and for the country's relationship with the United States.  In this episode:  Yangyang Cheng, (@yangyang_cheng), research scholar at Yale Law School Paul Tsai China Center Isaac Stone Fish (@isaacstonefish) CEO, Strategy Risks Episode credits: This episode was produced by Negin Owliaei and our host, Halla Moheiddeen. Ruby Zaman fact-checked this episode. Our production team includes Chloe K. Li, Alexandra Locke, Ashish Malhotra, Negin Owliaei, Amy Walters, and Ruby Zaman.  Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Aya Elmileik and Adam Abou Gad are our engagement producers. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera's head of audio. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

This week on Sinica, our friends at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs invited us for a live show taping before a small group. Kaiser is joined by Lizzi Lee, MIT-trained economist-turned-reporter who hosts the Chinese-language show "Wall Street Today" as well as The China Project's "Live with Lizzi Lee," both on Youtube; and by Damien Ma, who heads the Paulson Institute's in-house think tank MacroPolo. These two top-shelf analysts of Chinese politics break down what was important — and what was just a sideshow — at the 20th Party Congress, and offer their knowledgeable perspectives on the individuals named to key posts and what this likely means for China's direction. Don't miss this one!2:40 – Findings from MacroPolo's “fantasy PBSC” experiment 8:18 – Did China watchers overemphasize Xi Jinping's political constraints? 12:31 – Support for Li Qiang across different political factions17:23 – The changing factional composition of Chinese elite politics20:20 – Return of the technocrats23:27 – “Generation-skipping” in China's recent political promotions28:26 – The selection of Cai Qi32:46 – Li Shulei as a successor to Wang Huning 37:07 – The future of China's economic leadership39:52 – Selection of the vice premiers 41:18 – The future of China's diplomatic core45:28 – The Hu Jintao episode49:22 – Revising the “Zero-COVID” policy51:17 – Reassessing China's intentions vis-à-vis Taiwan A transcript of this podcast is available at TheChinaProject.com.Recommendations: Lizzi: Prestige, Manipulation, and Coercion: Elite Power Struggles in the Soviet Union and China after Stalin and Mao by Joseph TorigianDamien: Slouching Towards Utopia by Brad DeLongKaiser: "Taiwan, the World-Class Puzzle," a Radio Open Source podcast hosted by Christopher LydonSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Host Sue-Lin Wong dissects the unexpected and the foreseen from the Chinese Communist Party's five-yearly meeting, with The Economist's Beijing bureau chief David Rennie, who was there. How did Xi Jinping use the event to tighten his grip on power? Listen to The Economist's new weekly China podcast Drum Tower hereSubscribe to The Economist with the best offer at economist.com/chinapod. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Host Sue-Lin Wong dissects the unexpected and the foreseen from the Chinese Communist Party's five-yearly meeting, with The Economist's Beijing bureau chief David Rennie, who was there. How did Xi Jinping use the event to tighten his grip on power? Listen to The Economist's new weekly China podcast Drum Tower hereSubscribe to The Economist with the best offer at economist.com/chinapod. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As Xi Jinping concludes the 20th Party Congress and becomes the first Chinese leader to secure a third term, there is arguably no one in a position quite so powerful and influential in global politics. But who is Xi Jinping and what does he really want?  This is the question tackled by two veteran German journalists, Stefan Aust and Adrian Geiges in their terrific new book, "Xi Jinping: The Most Powerful Man in the World." With clear-eyed analysis which avoids some of the usual pitfalls found in US approaches to China, Aust and Geiges draw a deeply detailed portrait of Xi's rise and the foundations of his ideological drive. In this conversation with Robert Amsterdam, the two co-authors discuss the level of risk Xi has encountered by pushing China's growth into a more aggressive, confrontational posture, and debate the various scenarios we can see coming in the new several years as the third term gets underway.  

Photo: No known restrictions on publication. @Batchelorshow #PRC: #Taiwan: After the 20th Party Congress and the major war warning in East Asia. Stephen Yates, chair of the America First Policy Institute's new China Policy Initiative: @GordonGChang, Gatestone, Newsweek, The Hill https://www.marketwatch.com/story/it-looks-like-chinas-xi-installed-a-war-cabinet-and-removed-the-reformers-says-kyle-bass-11666724569

Photo: No known restrictions on publication. @Batchelorshow #PRC: Trade after the 20th Party Congress threats: Alan Tonelson, independent economic policy analyst who blogs at RealityChek and tweets at @AlanTonelson: @GordonGChang, Gatestone, Newsweek, The Hill https://alantonelson.wordpress.com/2022/10/24/our-so-called-foreign-policy-for-banning-all-u-s-high-tech-sales-to-china/ 

China's 20th Party Congress demonstrated that none of Beijing's recent troubles, from public anger over COVID lockdowns to economic slowdowns and rising international tensions, have dented President Xi Jinping's grip on power, says Patricia Kim. In this episode, Kim examines what leadership personnel changes and Xi's domestic focus on national security mean for China's near-term trajectory. Show notes: https://brook.gs/3Tw0ttk  Follow Brookings podcasts on Apple or Google podcasts, or on Spotify. Send feedback email to podcasts@brookings.edu and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Current is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

Both the United States and China have restructured their respective foreign policy establishments in recent years to be better poised to confront each other.In the just concluded 20th Party Congress in Beijing, Chinese President Xi Jinping clearly telegraphed a more aggressive stance towards his U.S. rivals. The U.S. articulated much the same in its latest National Security Strategy released in October that clearly named China as its "most consequential geopolitical challenge.”Jake Werner, a research fellow in the East Asia program at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft in Washington, D.C., joins Eric & Cobus to discuss how this rivalry is playing out in the developing world where a battle for ideas is now underway.SHOW NOTES:Sinification: Chinese experts react to the U.S.'s National Security Strategy by Thomas des Garets Geddes: https://bit.ly/3VWRt23Politico: ‘Frustrated and powerless': In fight with China for global influence, diplomacy is America's biggest weakness bu Nahal Toosi: https://politi.co/3TTlIVWJOIN THE DISCUSSION:Twitter: @ChinaGSProject| @stadenesque | @eric_olander | @jwdwernerFacebook: www.facebook.com/ChinaAfricaProjectFOLLOW CAP IN FRENCH AND ARABIC:Français: www.projetafriquechine.com | @AfrikChineعربي: www.akhbaralsin-africia.com | @AkhbarAlSinAfrJOIN US ON PATREON!Become a CAP Patreon member and get all sorts of cool stuff, including our Week in Review report, an invitation to join monthly Zoom calls with Eric & Cobus, and even an awesome new CAP Podcast mug!www.patreon.com/chinaafricaprojectSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Chinese President Xi Jinping outlined a more assertive foreign policy vision during his closely-followed address at the 20th Party Congress in Beijing last Sunday. He made it clear that China's new foreign policy priorities will focus primarily on competition with the U.S., Taiwan reunification along with strengthening the country's technological and military capabilities.Notably, the President didn't once mention the BRI or devote any significant time in the two-hour speech to Global South issues, which isn't a huge surprise given this speech is largely focused on domestic issues.CGSP Francophone Editor Geraud Neema joins Eric & Cobus to discuss the speech and what an apparent shift in Chinese foreign policy means for Africa and other developing regions around the world.JOIN THE DISCUSSION:Twitter: @ChinaGSProject| @stadenesque | @eric_olander | @christiangeraudFacebook: www.facebook.com/ChinaAfricaProjectFOLLOW CAP IN FRENCH AND ARABIC:Français: www.projetafriquechine.com | @AfrikChineعربي: www.akhbaralsin-africia.com | @AkhbarAlSinAfrJOIN US ON PATREON!Become a CAP Patreon member and get all sorts of cool stuff, including our Week in Review report, an invitation to join monthly Zoom calls with Eric & Cobus, and even an awesome new CAP Podcast mug!www.patreon.com/chinaafricaprojectSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Chinese Communist Party Congress is always a key moment on the Chinese political calendar. Every five years, party delegates select party leadership. This includes the selection of the top most ranks of the Chinese Communist Party, including its General Secretary. Being a one party state, the head of the Chinese Communist Party is also the President of China.  Over the last several decades, General Secretaries of the Chinese Community Party serve at most two consecutive five year terms, but Xi Jinping is bucking this trend. He is widely expected to be installed for a third term -- demonstrating that he is the most powerful individual leader in China since the time of Chairman Mao.  In this episode, we are joined by Jessica Chen Weiss, professor of China and Asia-Pacific studies at Cornell University to talk about the significance of this Party Congress, and to shed some light on what a more ensconced and more powerful Xi Jinping might mean for China and its relationship with the rest of the world, including the United States, as well as discuss the significance of this Party Congress.

The 20th Party Congress of the Chinese Communist Party, which kicked off on Sunday, promises to be one of the most significant events for China in modern history, not only because President Xi Jinping is widely expected to secure an unprecedented third term, but also because it comes amid the country's slowest pace of growth in decades. So, whether the Congress marks an inflection point for economic policy is Top of Mind. In the latest episode of Exchanges at Goldman Sachs, Susan Shirk, chair of the 21st Century China Center at UC San Diego, David Li, professor at Tsinghua University, and Hui Shan, Goldman Sachs Research' chief China economist, discuss what to watch for that could presage a policy inflection, what that inflection may look like, and what it could mean for growth. This episode is based on GIR's Allison Nathan's latest Top of Mind report.

Ryan and Emily fill in for Krystal and Saagar, covering the Russian drone attacks, China's party congress, Happiness in America, Trump's anti-semitism, Dem dark money, Pfizer censorship pressure, & turmoil in Haiti! To become a Breaking Points Premium Member and watch/listen to the show uncut and 1 hour early visit: https://breakingpoints.supercast.com/ To listen to Breaking Points as a podcast, check them out on Apple and Spotify Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/breaking-points-with-krystal-and-saagar/id1570045623  Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Kbsy61zJSzPxNZZ3PKbXl  Merch: https://breaking-points.myshopify.com/ Ryan Grim: https://theintercept.com/podcasts/deconstructed/  Emily Jashinsky: https://thefederalist.com/author/emilyjashinsky/  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ryan and Emily fill in for Krystal and Saagar, covering the Russian drone attacks, China's party congress, Happiness in America, Trump's anti-semitism, Dem dark money, Pfizer censorship pressure, & turmoil in Haiti!To become a Breaking Points Premium Member and watch/listen to the show uncut and 1 hour early visit: https://breakingpoints.supercast.com/To listen to Breaking Points as a podcast, check them out on Apple and SpotifyApple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/breaking-points-with-krystal-and-saagar/id1570045623 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Kbsy61zJSzPxNZZ3PKbXl Merch: https://breaking-points.myshopify.com/Ryan Grim: https://theintercept.com/podcasts/deconstructed/ Emily Jashinsky: https://thefederalist.com/author/emilyjashinsky/  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ahead of a meeting of Chinese Communist Party leaders, China flooded the airwaves with propaganda about Chinese leader Xi Jinping. The over-the-top projection of Xi as a man of the people could not have been more ironic. In this just us episode of China Unscripted, we talk about security, protests and propaganda in the lead-up to the 20th Party Congress, the US cutting China off from its semiconductor technology, and Elon Musk's solution for the China-Taiwan conflict.

The Chinese government's biggest political gathering comes at a time of numerous challenges.Next week will see a major gathering of China's top officials known as the National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party. This event only happens twice every decade, and this particular Congress is happening at an extraordinary time for both the Chinese government and the country. Not only are officials grappling with the impact of strict pandemic-related restrictions known as Covid Zero, but they're also facing turmoil in the economy and the real estate sector. At the same time, external pressures are picking up, with the US recently imposing sweeping curbs on the way semiconductor companies do business with China. So what's on the agenda for this major political event and what can it tell us about the future direction of the Chinese economy? Dan Wang, China technology analyst at Gavekal Dragonomics, joins us to discuss.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on Sinica, Kaiser and Jeremy are joined by Sue-Lin Wong, who until recently covered China for The Economist and hosted an eight-part podcast series all about Xi Jinping called The Prince. The podcast features interviews with a wide range of China-watchers, peers of Xi, dissidents, and many others who offer insights into what makes Xi tick.3:38 – Reason behind naming the podcast “the Prince”5:53 – Differences between traditional journalism and podcasting9:52 – The role of Sue-Lin's mother in the podcast13:37 – How corruption influenced Xi's leadership style19:29 – Identifying Xi's greatest anxieties: party in-fighting, the collapse of the USSR22:48 – Early signs of Xi's ideological underpinnings most China watchers missed 29:33 – Did the CCP's internal crisis make Xi's rise inevitable?32:57 – Is Xi Jinping the most powerful man in the world?37:12 – Reframing the engagement debate after Xi's administration41:51 – David Rennie's view on China: “a giant utilitarian experiment”46:45 – Key insights on Xi that listeners of the Prince should walk away with52:16 – How Sue-Lin would brief an American policymaker on Xi Jinping's main motivationsA transcript of this episode is available at TheChinaProject.com.Recommendations:Jeremy – A Matter of Perspective: Parsing Insider Accounts of Xi Jinping Ahead of the 20th Party Congress, an article on The China Story written by Neil Thomas Sue-Lin – Race to the Galaxy, a two-player board game Kaiser – Interview with the Vampire, a new AMC TV seriesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Iraqi parliament meets to choose a new president; Xi Jinping is expected to consolidate power at the Twentieth National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party; and Israel and Lebanon prepare to finalize a historic agreement on a disputed maritime border.    Mentioned on the Podcast   Richard Haass, A World in Disarray: American Foreign Policy and the Crisis of the Old Order  

Ian Johnson, Stephen A. Schwarzman senior fellow for China studies at CFR, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss what the Chinese Communist Party's upcoming 20th National Congress means for China and its approach to the world.   Mentioned on the Podcast “China's Domestic Challenges, With Ian Johnson,” The President's Inbox Ian Johnson, “How Xi Will Consolidate Power at China's Twentieth Party Congress,” CFR.org Ian Johnson, The Souls of China: The Return of Religion After Mao Ian Johnson, Wild Grass: Three Stories of Change in Modern China The Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council and the State Council Information Office of the People's Republic of China, “The Taiwan Question and China's Reunification in the New Era”

CHUCK DEVORE, Vice President of Public Policy, Texas Public Policy Foundation, Senior Contributor, The Federalist, Intelligence Officer, U.S. Army (Ret.), @ChuckDeVore Assessing the state of the U.S. military What branch of the military is keeping up with their recruitment numbers? Demoralization of U.S. border patrol CHRISTINE DOUGLASS-WILLIAMS, Nine-time international award-winning journalist and television producer, Former federally appointed Director, Canadian Race Relations Foundation, Former Appointee, Office of Religious Freedom in Foreign Affairs, Author, “The Challenge of Modernizing Islam” The CCP's continued attempts to control their citizens, even outside of China Justin Trudeau's admiration of China Does Canada have a strong relationship with Turkey? BRADLEY THAYER, Director of China Policy, Center for Security Policy, Author, How China Sees the World  The importance of the upcoming 20th Party Congress in China Will Xi Jinping become more powerful after this meeting? China's targeting of dissidents around the world

This week on Sinica, Kaiser chats with Minister Xu Xueyuan, Deputy Chief of Mission at the PRC Embassy in Washington, D.C.A few words about the process, in the interest of transparency:Minister Xu's team did request questions in advance, and they were all accepted without alteration except to suggest that two questions, both related to public diplomacy efforts, be combined. Questions on subjects like Taiwan, Xinjiang, and China's Zero-COVID policy were all accepted without even any suggestions on changes of wording. Kaiser was also able to follow up on questions without any objection at all.Where Minister Xu cited numbers and made factual claims, we made a good faith effort to check them — for example, on the number of acres in the recent offshore oil lease approvals made by the Biden administration. Doubtless, there will be listeners who will wish that Kaiser had been more forceful, and there may be some who believe I was perhaps too forceful. Sinica is not a “gotcha” show and never has been, and we believe there is value in hearing the perspectives of a ranking Chinese diplomat, and we hope you agree that the interview is very much worth listening to.The interview has only been edited only for clarity and concision — taking out filler or hesitation words and pick-ups. 2:56 – Does the Biden administration's China policy diverge from Trump's? 8:29 – China's role in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization15:09 – China's position on the Ukraine war 19:21 – How the Ukraine conflict factors into Beijing's decision-making on Taiwan 23:11 – The diminishing appeal of “one country, two systems”29:56 – Beijing's suspension of climate talks after the Pelosi visit38:20 – U.S.-China coordination on alleviating global economic issues46:37 – The possibility of diplomatic concessions to improve relations52:29 –The decline in people-to-people exchange between China and the U.S.1:00:27 – China's Dynamic Zero-COVID policy1:08:16 – The 20th Party Congress' impact on U.S.-China relations1:10:51 – Considering the Xinjiang issue from the American perspective1:20:10 – The unintended consequences of wolf-warrior diplomacy1:24:45 – Differing views on China in the Global South vs. Global NorthA full transcript of this interview is available at thechinaproject.com.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

As the global economic outlook turns toward a slowdown in growth, some investors may look to China for stability, but, when they do, what will they find?----- Transcript -----Welcome to Thoughts on the Market. I'm Robin Xing, Morgan Stanley's Chief China Economist. Along with my colleagues, bringing you a variety of perspectives, today I will discuss whether China can stabilize global growth amid recession fears. It's Tuesday, September 20th at 9 AM in Hong Kong. The global economic outlook is dimming, and my colleagues have already discussed their expectations for slowdown in developed market economies driven by surging prices and aggressive monetary policy tightening. In this context, investors are likely to turn their attention to China, perhaps hoping it can once again stabilize global growth as it did after the 2008 global financial crisis. China's economy, however, appears to be fragile. While it has bottomed after the contraction due to Shanghai lockdown in the second quarter, it is still modeling not yet through. And we forecast a below consensus 2.8% GDP growth this year, and only a modest rebound to slightly above 5% in 2023. To date, China has deployed the monetary policy easing and the infrastructure investment spending. But these steps have not got a lot of traction because of two key hurdles; continuing COVID restrictions and the trouble in its housing market. We see growth rebounding in next year, but that recovery depends heavily on policy addressing these two key hurdles. Hence, we look for a more concerted policy response in the housing market, and a clearer path towards reopening post the upcoming 20th Party Congress in October. First, to limit the fallout from the housing sector, Beijing will likely ramp up policy support. It is true that China's aging population has pushed the housing market into a structural downward trajectory, but the pace of the recent collapse vastly exceeds that trend. The choke point is homebuyers lack of confidence in developers ability to deliver the pre-sold house, which shrinks new home sales and puts more stress on developers liquidity. We think that Beijing will provide additional funding and intervention to ensure contracted home construction is completed. This, combined with more home purchases, stimulus and the liquidity support to surviving developers could break the negative feedback loop. Second, we expect a gradual exit from COVID-zero next spring. With the more transmissive Omicron, the rolling lockdowns in China are taking their toll on consumption and even posing challenges to supply chains. The renewed lockdowns in several major cities and the recent slowdown in vaccination progress suggest that COVID-zero would not end swiftly after the Party Congress in October. But the key metrics to watch by then will be, first, the pace of vaccination, second, wider adoption of domestic covid treatment and finally shift in public opinion from fearing the virus to a more balanced assessment. Provided that policy can address these two hurdles I just described, China's economic recovery should firm up from second quarter 2023 onwards, with growth of slightly above 5% for next year are our numbers. But even with this rebound, the positives spill over to the rest of the world is unlikely to be on par with history. Construction activities might improve with the stabilizing property sector, which is a familiar driver of Chinese imports. But the key driver will be a turnaround in domestic private consumption, particularly of services, so that demand pull from other economies will be somewhat muted. Thus, while we doubt that China would tip the global economy into recession, neither do we see China at its salvation. Thanks for listening. If you enjoy the show, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and share Thoughts on the Market with a friend or colleague today.

In this episode of Intelligence Matters, host Michael Morell speaks with former senior CIA China analyst Chris Johnson, now President and CEO of the China Strategies Group, about the state of play in the U.S.-China relationship and how China's approach to Russia, its COVID lockdowns and economic policies are affecting the bilateral and global dynamic. Johnson and Morell discuss President Xi Jinping's political objectives ahead of the 20th Party Congress this fall, including whether there exists a timeline for 'reunification' with Taiwan. Johnson also offers views on the Biden administration's recently announced China strategy. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Photo: #PRC: Will there be a 20th Party Congress in the fall? @GordonGChang, Gatestone, Newsweek, The Hill.   Charles Burton, senior Fellow at the Centre for Advancing Canada's Interests Abroad at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute. https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3177487/chinas-communist-party-congress-all-praise-xi-jinping-draw-line Charles Burton @cburton001  Senior Fellow at the Centre for Advancing Canada's Interests Abroad at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute; associate professor of Political Science at Brock University.  Charles Burton and Associates consults to governments, educational institutions and businesses to support their programs in China.