CCTV FOLLIES 10.3 ON THE BELT AND ROAD

China doubles down on faltering Belt and Road -Let it serve to deliver Chinese exports to the world by rail and sea -Happiness is a strong country -Canada is burning, so why does it fuel the flames?

Today is another slow-news day. This is alarming in the sense that it’s low information enough to make one wonder what furious political battles are going on behind the scenes, but it makes for rather pleasant watching. None of the leaders are on display, which is of immense visual relief, but the footprint of the paramount one is so large it can be sensed even in its absence. There’s some lip service to the paramount one as well, mostly in vox populi quotes, but there’s also light-hearted holiday coverage. Without once revealing the main man, the program manages to keep a focus on his pet projects, ranging from Belt and Road, bridges and highways to his ill-conceived model city of Xiong’an and paeans to how things have gotten better and better in the last ten years (under his rule)