CCTV FOLLIES 4.7 HAPPY EVERY DAY!
China enjoys a blossoming economy under Xi -Holiday travel through the roof -Domestic news good, getting better -Foreign news grim: Gaza, Ukraine, etc -Iran vows revenge -US mall martini bar tragedy
Everyone’s investing in China. The ports are bustling. The future is bright. Bridges and mega factories are all the rage. Exports to the world abound. What’s the secret sauce? How is China not subject to the laws of economics that limit everyone else?
Who gets credit for all the good news on the economic front?
You got it!
But how is it possible that one man could have so much influence?
Ubiquity. Top story in the news every day. Re-runs of site visits.
If Xi goes somewhere, it’s important. If he looks at something, it’s important. If he points at it, it’s really important.
And if he talks about it, well, let’s just say it’s off the charts.
But don’t take the CCTV editors at their word for it. Just ask anyone. Put the microphone in front of anyone’s face (with careful prep before and careful editing afterward) and amazingly enough you will hear the resounding sound of unanimous praise for Xi Jinping and his brilliant guidance expressed at all points in nearly identical ways.
“As was specially emphasized by Secretary General Xi Jinping…”
But all the testimonials in the world don’t bear the scientific certainty of carefully coaxed, isolated and manipulated and statistics.
Who can argue with gold coins and red arrows?
Today’s news program does not betray a hint of concern about the economy because all indices are up. Percentages climbing, red arrows soaring and gold coins piling up in bigger and bigger stacks. Statistics speak for themselves.
Consumer spending is vigorous and the holiday bump is duly noted as people visit revolutionary museums and eat green foods.
The impact of Xi’s profound utterances on finance and investment and just about everything else have electrified the nation and have amply animated surges in production in both industry and agriculture.
A cynic might say China’s is somewhat worried about the economy when the self-praise is incessant, tone-deaf and deafening, but it’s really just a daily prod to more compliance with Xi’s high quality economic program on the New Journey for the New Era.
One subtle indication that China might perhaps be slightly worried about the vigor and health of the booming economy is when they start playing nice with the Americans.
China’s charm offensive, undiplomatically described by US diplomat Rahm Emmanuel as more “offensive” than “charming” is starting to look like a full court press. The key to the policy switch working is a short memory and greed for more trickle down trade.
Janet Yellen, United States Secretary of the Treasury, gets a respectful welcome from Premier Li Qiang. It is not known if she was again served magic mushrooms, as happened at the last banquet during her last visit, but she looks happy, if not giddy and elated.
Li Qiang channels Xi: “It is hoped that the United States will abide by the basic norms of market economy including fair competition and open cooperation, refrain from turning economic and trade issues into political or security issues, and view the issue of production capacity objectively and dialectically from a market-oriented and global perspective.”
Domestic travel revenue breaks a new record during the recent holiday. But it’s not about money, what really matters, as is deftly illustrated in the mob scenes below. What really matters is high quality green travel that thrusts China’s citizens in close touch with nature.
The Ministry of Transport said that an average of 246.8 million trips were made each day during the three-day period, up 53.5 percent year on year. Daily railway trips averaged at 16.56 million, up 75.1 percent; waterway trips averaged at 916,000, up 84.9 percent; and air trips averaged at about 1.68 million, up 21.9 percent, road trips totaled 682.92 million during the period, with a daily average of 227.64 million, up 52.3 percent year on year.
It’s edifying to see Chinese flock to the site of magnificent Buddhist art. Not only does it speak to a way of thinking and looking at the world that has nothing to do with CCP politics, but no one’s trampling the grass and stripping the flowering branches bare, either.
Huawei phones get a free plug from government news.
Nothing sums up the springy spring mood in China at this time than the flowers for sale under the logo “HAPPY EVERY DAY”
And now to foriegn news. Trigger warning. It’s grim.
Gaza continues to disintegrate under bombing and street fighting.
IDF and Palestine militant footage
CCTV has recorded some of the best pictures from the conflict because their camera crews wisely stay as far from the fighting as reasonably possible and instead focus on the human tragedy in the ruins.
Poignant image of a communal meal under a makeshift tent.
No, this is not a scene from Three-Body Problem. It’s not that countdown clock, it’s a reminder that 182 days have passed since the October 7 massacre.
The Israeli public is increasingly displeased with the Netanyahu government.