New book reveals Tiananmen square massacre, others fabricated by US
qwename @ qwename @lemmygrad.ml Posts 30Comments 61Joined 4 yr. ago
qwename @ qwename @lemmygrad.ml
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A few words from the article that stick in my mind after reading this: "truncated", "ceremonial", "absolutist".
Very appropriate adjectives for the article itself.
I remember this being brought up in the regular press conferences of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China for three days in a row, here are some Q&As related to cybersecurity:
AFP: The US cybersecurity firm Mandiant on Thursday published a statement related to a cyberattack. It says that suspected hackers backed by China have broken into the networks of hundreds of public and private sector organizations globally. Are you aware of this report and is it accurate?
Wang Wenbin: The cybersecurity firm that you mentioned has repeatedly sold disinformation on so-called Chinese hacking attacks. The stories are far-fetched and unprofessional. The Chinese cybersecurity agency published in April the “Review of Cyberattacks from US Intelligence Agencies”, which disclosed that US intelligence agencies have been intruding on, dividing and suppressing foreign cybersecurity vendors through the Project CAMBERDADA. You might have noted that nowadays, global cybersecurity vendors rarely disclose cases of cyberattacks by the US government, but by making up reports about so-called foreign cyberattacks, US cybersecurity vendors have become accomplices in the US government’s smearing campaigns against other countries.
Bloomberg: Last night or early this morning, Microsoft said it found a China-based group that was targeting government agencies in western Europe. Does China have any comment on this report and have you had any contact with governments in western Europe asking about this?
Wang Wenbin: We noted the reports saying that the spokesman for the White House National Security Council claimed that US officials found hackers linked to China took advantage of a security weakness in Microsoft’s cloud-computing to break into unclassified email accounts of the US, and the US has notified Microsoft about this. I would like to say that in the past, it was usually the world’s No.1 hacking group—the US National Security Agency, which also serves as the US Cyber Force Command, that released such kind of disinformation. This time, it was the US National Security Council that made a public statement. Whatever agency spoke, it does not change the fact that the US is the world’s biggest hacking empire and global cyber thief.
Since last year, cyber security institutions from China and elsewhere in the world have issued reports to reveal US government’s cyber attacks against China over the years, but the US has yet to make a response. It is high time that the US explained its cyber attack activities and stopped spreading disinformation to deflect public attention.
AFP: I have a question on the report by Microsoft this week, which said a China-based hacking group was targeting Western government data. Does the Chinese foreign ministry have any further details on the origin of these hacks?
Wang Wenbin: I have answered relevant questions yesterday. The US needs to give an explanation for its own cyber attacks as soon as possible, instead of spreading disinformation and deflecting attention.
CCTV: Yesterday, Director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs Wang Yi met with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken upon invitation in Jakarta, Indonesia. A US official said that the US side said at the meeting that the US government network was hacked and the US will hold the hackers accountable with proper measures. Do you have any comment?
Wang Wenbin: Director Wang Yi made clear China’s principled position on the issue of cyber security. The Chinese government agencies face numerous cyber attacks every day, most of which come from sources in the US. We’ve shared relevant facts with the international community on multiple occasions. China is the biggest victim of cyber attack. The US needs to stop slapping false labels on China.
Bloomberg: A US energy executive has told lawmakers in the US that China represents an increasing threat to the US power grid. The executive also called China’s activities regarding cyber hacking quite alarming. How does the foreign ministry respond?
Mao Ning: China is a victim of cyber attacks. We firmly oppose any form of cyber attacks. The US has carried out indiscriminate, large-scale cyber attacks against other countries over the years. The US Cyber Force Command blatantly declared last year that the critical infrastructure of other countries is a legitimate target for US cyber attacks. Such moves have raised concern.
Cyber security is a global challenge and requires joint response from the international community. Some in the US must not smear other countries with groundless narratives to serve their political agenda. The US needs to stop cyber attacks against other countries.
Dragon TV: According to reports, on July 20, CIA Director William Burns while attending the Aspen Security Forum said that progress has been made in rebuilding the US spy networks in China and they are working hard to build a very strong human intelligence capability to complement what they can acquire through other methods. What’s China’s comment?
Mao Ning: We’ve noted the reports. This is rather concerning. The US on the one hand keeps spreading disinformation on so-called “Chinese spying and cyber attacks”, and on the other hand tells the public about its large-scale intelligence activities targeting China. This in itself is quite revealing. China will take all measures necessary to safeguard national security.
Global Times: Today, the Wuhan Municipal Emergency Management Bureau issued a public statement and the Wuhan Public Security Bureau put up a bulletin. According to them, the Wuhan Earthquake Monitoring Center suffered a cyberattack, which was detected by China’s National Computer Virus Emergency Response Center and Chinese company 360. Global Times reported that preliminary evidence indicates that the cyberattack had come from the US. What is your comment?
Mao Ning: According to the statements from relevant Chinese agencies, a hacker group with overseas government background launched a cyberattack on the Wuhan Earthquake Monitoring Center, which is a serious threat to China’s national security.
We condemn the irresponsible attack. China will do what is necessary to safeguard our cybersecurity.
China Daily: Lately, US officials, including National Security Advisor, Secretary of State, Secretary of Commerce and spokesperson for the White House National Security Council have commented on the so-called “Chinese cyberattacks against the US.” Officials from the US National Security Agency even said that espionage is what nation-states do. Are the statements released today by relevant Chinese agencies a response to US remarks?
Mao Ning: The statements from China are objective and professional. They simply stated a fact. This is inherently different from the accusation and smear against China from the US. The US government is engaged in malicious cyber operations against not just China but countries around the world, while blaming China for so-called “hacking attacks.” This is textbook double standards and political manipulation.
Cybersecurity is a common challenge. By politicizing and weaponizing cybersecurity issues, the US is disrupting the global effort of jointly addressing the challenge through dialogue and cooperation and hampering the mutual trust among countries. The US needs to immediately stop its wrongdoing and work with the rest of the world to make common rules through dialogue and cooperation and abide by these rules, and safeguard peace, security and stability in cyberspace with a constructive and pragmatic attitude.
There's a famous book that goes into the details of this process, you may have even heard of it, Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell.
Haven't heard that one, but here's an example, on the left is BBC's Chinese version, on the left is the English version:
Original article: BBC sparks uproar in China for 'underworld filter' on Wuhan video https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202102/1215710.shtml
There are plenty of liberal Chinese both within China and overseas who will use anything negative to paint China, CPC and socialism in a bad light, mostly non-politcal issues.
I'm not sure which videos have this, but when I see this I expect to see cynical content that may be used to defame China.
It's like saying "I don't mean to be disrespectful, but says something disrespectful".
By "democratic capitalism" they actually mean bourgeois democratic dictatorship, as opposed to people's/proletariat democratic dictatorship.
We call it the "BBC/nether filter", referring to how BBC turns all pictures and videos of China darker than original.
First of all, I think it's important to realize that people who have lived through the Mao-era, the pre-PRC era (before 1949), and even pre-CPC era (before 1921) are still living and breathing in China.
Here are some relevant population statistics from China's Seventh National Population Census conducted in 2020 (71 years since the founding of the PRC in 1949, 99 years since the founding of the CPC in 1921):
- 70 to 74 years old: 15,504,914
- 75 to 79 years old: 9,606,840
- 80 to 84 years old: 6,800,356
- 85 to 89 years old: 3,687,435
- 90 to 94 years old: 1,252,811
- 95 to 99 years old: 279,430
- 100 years old or more: 40,382
- Total for the above age groups: 37,172,168.
I looked up the current population of different countries in the world, and Canada has around 38 milllion people, so the number of people over 70 years old in China in 2020 rivals that of Canada's entire population.
Now back to the topic of "Maoism vs Dengism". There are definitely self-proclaimed Maoists in China and within the CPC who genuinely hate Reform and Opening Up and rampant liberal/capitalist views shared by a sizable amount of people since then. But going further as to pit one leader against another is not something that people who support a united China would do.
Anyone who tries to pit one Chinese leader against another is trying to split the CPC into factions and create sectarian infighting, which would sow discord and create confusion both within the party and across the country. China will not replicate the downfall of the Soviet Union by allowing such damage to unity/cohesion to occur. It's not just "Mao vs Deng", any combination of "X vs Y" can be created as long as there is a need for such topics, but "Mao vs Deng" is definitely a hot favourite due to their profound impact on China.
If "Maoists" are worried that the top CPC leaders are actually capitalists who sneaked into the party pretending to be Marxists, I would ask how they can "prove" to anyone that they are "genuine Maoists". Trying to "prove" anyone's belief isn't going to work by debate, nor is there any widely-available mind-reading technology yet. It all comes down to what someone says and does, but more emphasis should be given to what they've done, while also keeping in mind what they've said.
"Maoists" followed Mao when he was still living, there's not much to complain about there other than possible lack of critical thinking. After Mao's death and since Reform and Opening Up, it's understandable that they worry about building up local capital and inviting foreign investment, so far so good. But it's currently 2023, and "Maoists" who still question the integrity of the CPC today are actually helping western capitalists by questioning the strongest socialist competitor to capitalism that exists today.
Seems like some people are overly optimistic with when the state should be abolished.
Socialist transition to communism will last for a long time, that's because socialists are not tyrannical bastards like capitalists, and the material conditions required for communism isn't going to be reached in the foreseeable future.
A good timeline to follow is the second centenary goal of China, that is to "build a modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced and harmonious by 2049".
I'm saying this also as a reminder that capitalists will allow anti-capitalist ideology to exist, to a certain degree, because anti-capitalist can mean anything from Marxism to anarchism or worse. More time spent on debating the right path is less time spent on putting theory into practice, which is more time for capitalism to live on.
Division is what capitalists employ to break the unity of the proletariat, which is why they emphasize individualism and demonize collectivism. Capitalists want a monopoly on unity and democracy, a dictatorship of the bourgeoisie rather than the proletariat.
This is not to say that we should all forget the wrongdoings of certain people and groups and join up in fake-unity, but instead hold on to those thoughts, and keep in mind the fundamental enemy that is capitalism.
Shifting the topic from anti-capitalism to anti-"insert gender/race/colour/nationality/other biological/natural-born traits here" is just helping the capitalists.
Capitalists are happy to incite division based on anything, even ideology, this helps to keep the exploited divided and not a threat to their rule, which is what happens if people keep bickering about issues like the ones in question.
Anti-authoritarians have no future, one either supports an existing authority or tries to become a new authority. Everyone can have a say in a democracy, but when it comes down to decision, whether through majority vote or expert opinion or other methods, the decision then becomes authority.
Even if someone claims to hate all forms of authority, this person will become the authority on "hating authority" if a following is gained. That's how anarchists are doomed for failure.
I have no clue either, so I started with the CCAMLR's website, they have all the reports of meetings since 1982. However, the report for the meeting mentioned in the news (June 19-23) isn't available yet.
If you look through the reports from previous years, the relevant information is under the title "Spatial Management">"Review of proposals for new MPAs", or "Marine Protected Areas" for earlier reports. If you want to see what the representatives from each country said, search for "COUNTRY made the following statement".
This is a lot of material to go through, might come back to comment again if I get around to finding out why.
allowing members of the bourgeoisie to hold political power is pretty much the definition of revisionism
I'm also curious as to where this is defined.
Note that out of the 96.7 million CPC members (as of 2021), there are
- 25.9 million farmers/herdsmen/fishermen
- 15.5 million technical personnel
- 10.9 million in management positions
- 7.8 million party/government workers
- 6.6 million skilled workers
- 3.1 million students
- 7.5 million in other professions
- 19.4 million retired personnel
Not saying that private entrepreneurs don't have any voice, but they are a very small minority in both political representation and political power.
The amendment to the constitution of the CPC in 2002 allowed "any advanced element of other social strata" to join the party, this was and still is controversial even among party members.
Private entrepreneurs do not equate to capitalists, though they do attract the same negative sentiments due to capitalistic tendencies. There are national laws and party rules/regulations that prevent both civil servants and party-member leading cadres from holding posts in private enterprises. So private entrepreneurs can join the party, but cannot hold government or party posts unless they stop participating in private businesses.
From Law of the People’s Republic of China on Civil Servants:
Article 59 Civil servants shall abide by disciplinary rules and laws. They shall not commit any of the following acts:
(16) Engaging or participating in for-profit activities and concurrently holding a post in enterprises or other for-profit organizations in violation of relevant regulations;
Not sure how rampant fake news is in other non-English speaking countries, but the Chinese Internet is riddled with sensational stories that are hard for individuals to verify, but easily forwarded to friends and family.
Now with ChatGPT/Deepfake and the like more readily available, the situation will be even worse. To combat this kind of disinformation, an actual "Ministry of Truth" will be required, based on a database of verified information and using logic to verify new stories and claims. Things like Wikipedia or Baidu百科 won't cut it.
It's in China, but as all "shocking" news go, the original story depends on where you look, because anti-China sources (like Falungong) will tell a different story. There's a question on Zhihu discussing what the actual case behind this photo was: https://www.zhihu.com/question/35185664. Also, this was during a period of "严打"(crackdown on crimes, severe punishment etc.) in the 90s.
"June 4th incident" or "counter-revolutionary riot/rebellion" is part of a larger topic called "1989 Political Disturbance/Turmoil", those who are interested can try searching with these terms.
BTW, in China "Tiananmen incident" refers to the 1976 incident, both incidents began from the mournings of Chinese leaders (Zhou Enlai in 1976 and Hu Yaobang in 1989).