There’s a big bunch of disturbing things going on geopolitically. All of which revolves around the United States. They have openly announced complete formal war with China and Russia simultaneously to be conducted via proxy. This simply cannot end well.
I am under the impression that the “leadership” are all delusional fools who somehow believe that they will not be personally affected by the wrath and rage that they will unleash.
Chechen leader, staunch Putin ally, threatens Poland over support for Ukraine
These Chechen fighters in Ukraine (fighting as part of the Russian forces) are pissed off that Poland has decided to fight alongside the Ukraine Nazi's. Here is their warning. If you read the "news article" you wouldn't be aware of this backstory. -MM
LONDON — Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, a staunch ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, threatened to attack Poland over its support for Ukraine.
Speaking in a video that was posted to social media on Wednesday, the warlord warned that Poland had “better take back” the weapons it supplied to its neighbor.
“The issue of Ukraine is closed,” said Kadyrov, via a translation from a BBC reporter. “I’m interested in Poland. Poland, what is it trying to achieve?”
He added: “After Ukraine, if we’re given the command, in six seconds we’ll show you what we’re capable of. You should better take back your weapons and your mercenaries and beg official forgiveness for what you did to our ambassador.”
Philippines president-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr says Manila and Beijing to expand relationship
From HERE
Philippines president-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr says his country’s ties with China will expand and “shift to a higher gear” when he takes power, signalling an intent to advance outgoing leader Rodrigo Duterte’s pro-Beijing agenda.
Key points:
- Mr Marcos said China and the Philippines should expand their relationship in the realms of diplomacy, trade, culture, education, knowledge and health
- He said the two countries’ current conflicts should not be allowed to “become historically important”
- The Chinese embassy in Manila said the phone conversation focused on bilateral ties and regional development
Mr Marcos, who won last week’s election by a landslide, said he held “very substantial” talks by phone on Wednesday with Chinese President Xi Jinping, who assured him of support for his “independent foreign policy”, and agreed to hold more comprehensive discussions.
The 64-year-old son and namesake of the notorious former Philippines dictator said Mr Xi also acknowledged his late father’s role in opening diplomatic relations between the two countries.
“The way forward is to expand our relationship not only diplomatic, not only trade, but also in culture, even in education, even in knowledge, even in health to address whatever minor disagreements that we have right now,” Mr Marcos said in a statement.
“I told him, we must not allow what conflicts or difficulties we have now between our two countries to become historically important.”
Mr Marcos has been in Melbourne this week, reportedly to help his youngest son settle into the University of Melbourne, where he is enrolled to study.
Several members of the Australian Filipino community on Tuesday protested outside the accommodation where Mr Marcos was believed to be staying.
A spokesman said the president-elect would fly back to Manila on Thursday.
What Filipino Australians say about the Marcos revival
This is what the Filipino community in Australia are saying about their future.
The Philippines and China have had a rocky relationship in recent years over Beijing’s vast territorial claims and actions of its coast guard and fishing fleets in the South China Sea, through which at least $4.84 trillion of annual trade passes.
Their phone conversation focused on bilateral ties and regional development, the Chinese embassy in Manila said in a separate statement.
“President Xi said the two countries should also grasp the general trend, write a grand story on the China-Philippines friendship in the new era and follow through the blueprint for bilateral friendly cooperation, so as to usher in an even brighter future for the bilateral ties,” the embassy said.
Mr Marcos won the presidency with nearly 59 per cent of the votes last week. He will take office late in June.
Many analysts expect Marcos to seek stronger ties with Beijing, but say maintaining close relations with defence ally Washington will be essential in keeping the military and the public onside in a country with historically strong links to the United States.
China was among the first to congratulate Marcos, who was the first to win a presidential election by an outright majority since a 1986 revolution that toppled his late father’s two-decade dictatorship.
Kurt Campbell, the White House coordinator for the Indo-Pacific, last week said the US would seek early engagement with the Marcos administration but said there were “historical considerations” that could pose challenges.
Mr Marcos said Mr Xi had expressed a desire to talk privately.
“We are both looking forward to having further dialogue,” Mr Marcos said.
“He said both of us should talk, without the others.”
REPORTS: Russia to Cut-Off Denmark from Natural Gas on Tuesday
Intel circuits are blazing as of 10:24 PM EDT Monday night, with reports that Russia has told Denmark all natural gas to that country will be CUT-OFF tomorrow (Tuesday, 31 May 2022) because Copenhagen refuses to pay for Russian gas in Rubles.
Denmark holds 0.57 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of proven gas reserves as of 2017, ranking 66th in the world and accounting for about 0.008% of the world’s total natural gas reserves of 6,923 Tcf.
Denmark has proven reserves equivalent to 5.1 times its annual consumption, but they can’t get it out of the ground fast enough because most of it comes from rigs in the North Sea. So Denmark must import about 12% of their annual natural gas usage.
Of course, Denmark is saying the Russia cut-off won’t matter much. Finland said the same thing just before they were cut-off. Here’s what’s actually taking place now in Finland as a direct result:
Gee, suddenly it doesn’t look like Finland is doing so well. No bread? No gas in commercial bakeries anywhere in the country to bake bread?????
HMMMMM. Seems like the politicians in Finland LIED.
Gee whiz. Ain’t that just too bad . . . .
Pay in Rubles and you can eat bread again!
Gai Pad Prik Gaeng Recipe (วิธีทำ ไก่ผัดพริกแกง)
If you love the flavor of the curry, but the stir fry cooking method, you’ll love this Thai recipe.
Along with chicken stir fried with holy basil, chicken stir fried in red curry paste, known as gai pad prik gaeng (ไก่ผัดพริกแกง) in Thai, is one of my favorite quick and easy Thai street food dishes.
The best thing about this dish is that it’s available at nearly every single Thai stir fry street food restaurant, and while it’s excellent on the streets, it’s even better when you make it at home using freshly made red curry paste.
This gai pad prik gaeng recipe (ไก่ผัดพริกแกง) is really easy to make, as long as you already have some Thai red curry paste (เครื่องแกงเผ็ด) available.
The Thai red curry paste forms the base of flavor for this gai pad prik gaeng (chicken fried with red curry paste ไก่ผัดพริกแกง).
Ingredients you’ll need:
- 300 grams, I used about 1.5 chicken breasts for this recipe
- 3 strands of Chinese long beans (or about ⅓ cup of chopped string beans)
- 3 – 5 kaffir lime leaves
- 3 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce (here’s the fish sauce I usually use)
- ½ teaspoon sugar (depending on your preference)
- 1 tablespoon oil for stir frying
Note: If you want to get straight to the directions of this recipe, you can scroll below to the recipe box, otherwise keep reading for a more thorough explanation of how to cook this Thai chicken stir fried curry recipe.
Note #2: Making your own red curry paste is the best option, but if you’re not able to, you can try using red curry paste in a jar, my recommendation is for Mae Ploy red curry paste, but you’ll have to alter the salt and other seasonings in the recipe depending on the flavor of the packaged curry paste.
Once you have your Thai red curry paste ready to go, either freshly made, or from a can or bottle (but fresh is of course going to taste better), you’ve just got to fry it up with some chicken and a few other ingredients, and you’re ready to go.
I used about 300 grams of chicken breast, which was 1.5 chicken breasts altogether.
First slice the chicken into small bite sizes pieces – I like to slice it pretty small because more flavor gets coated on each piece of chicken, plus it’s faster to fry.
Along with Thai red curry paste and chicken (ไก่), for this recipe I used Chinese long beans (ถั่วฝักยาว, but I think green beans will also work fine), and kaffir lime leaves.
I used about 3 strands of long beans, cut into 1 inch pieces, and it equaled out to about 1/3 of a cup of them. So if you use green beans, chop up enough for about 1/3 of a cup.
Since most of the amazing flavors are already taken care of the in red curry paste, you barely need any other seasoning.
Other than the paste, you’ll just need about 1 teaspoon of fish sauce (น้ำปลา taste it though, it depends on how salty your red curry paste is from the start), and normal Thais would add about 1 teaspoon of sugar, but when I make this recipe for myself I add just a pinch, if any, and that’s all.
Stir fry
Stir frying food is one of my favorite things to do in the world, it’s such a fast way to cook, and all the flavors remain in the pan and with the ingredients you fry.
For this gai pad prik gaeng recipe (ไก่ผัดพริกแกง), once all your ingredients are ready to go, turn on your stove to low heat.
Add about 1 tablespoon of oil (น้ำมัน) to your wok or pan, keeping it on low heat, and you can add in about 3 tablespoons of Thai red curry paste before the oil heats up too much.
If your pan is too hot the curry paste will burn, so keep it on low heat and just stir fry for about 30 seconds.
After your red curry paste is hot sizzling and fragrant, toss in your chicken, and season with a bit of fish sauce (red curry pastes can taste different and be of different saltiness, so make sure you taste test and see how it is before adding fish sauce), and a pinch of sugar, and fry until the chicken is all the way cooked.
Finally, at the end, toss in your long beans and kaffir lime leaves, stir fry for about 30 more seconds and your marvelous gai pad prik gaeng (ไก่ผัดพริกแกง) is ready.
You can either serve gai pad prik gaeng (ไก่ผัดพริกแกง) directly over a plate of rice, or you can put it all onto a communal plate accompanied by a separate plate of rice.
Either way tastes just as good.
In Thailand when you order a dish like gai pad prik gaeng (ไก่ผัดพริกแกง), or any other stir fry dish, you have the choice to get a fried egg on the side.
This is not a requirement, but a fried egg on top of your rice along with the red curry paste chicken sure tastes incredible.
Before we get started making this recipe, be sure to watch the video below for all the cooking instructions and details.
Gai pad prik gaeng recipe (วิธีทำ ไก่ผัดพริกแกง)
(Thai recipe for chicken stir fried with red curry paste)
Time: about 15 – 20 minutes (if you have the red curry paste already prepared)
Recipe size: 1 plate of stir fried chicken, 1 – 2 people
Cooking utensils: wok, stir fry
Flavors: salty and spicy
Eat it with: fresh steamed rice and a fried egg on the side if you’d like
To make your dish extra authentic, you can make a small bowl of prik nam pla, or fish sauce and chilies. Just dice up a few Thai chilies, and a clove of garlic, and add a couple tablespoons of fish sauce, and if you like, a squeeze of lime juice.
With each bite, you can scoop on a few pieces of chili and a drizzle of fish sauce – tastes especially wonderful on the egg.
Gai pad prik gaeng (ไก่ผัดพริกแกง) has such a wonderful fresh and pungent flavor. You’ll taste the dry chilies, garlic, shallots, and the lime zest from the kaffir limes leaves, and the kaffir lime peel in the paste.
It’s an extremely flavorful Thai dish.
Conclusion
Gai pad prik gaeng (ไก่ผัดพริกแกง) is a Thai dish that includes chicken stir fried in curry paste with long beans and kaffir lime leaves.
It’s one of my personal go-to Thai dishes in Bangkok, and so I’m excited to share with you this quick and simple recipe that tastes so incredibly delicious.
Eating gai pad prik gaeng (ไก่ผัดพริกแกง) is like having all the curry flavor coated onto pieces of chicken, and it’s absolutely delicious!
Chinese space centre finds jamming device weeks before launch of latest space station mission in first reported incident of its kind
GDP USA vs. China
America has become a malfunctioning pageant without feasible roles that children can realistically project themselves into….
The phoniest trope in American life goes like this: We must find the cause of X so that it never happens again.
Of course, it will happen again.
We only pretend that the cause is a mystery. Let’s count the ways that school massacres happen.
American schools are fantastically depressing places. They are designed to look like medium security prisons and insecticide factories. They send the message: Enter here and be psychologically brutalized. They are too big, overwhelmingly alienating, ugly, devoid of visible symbolism signaling the value of being human. The interiors of the schools are designed for the convenience of janitors, hard surfaces of tile and linoleum that can be hosed down easily like the quarters of zoo animals. Children act accordingly.
The “facilities,” as we call them, are deployed in the illegible landscape of a demolition derby, separated from all the other activities of daily life, which themselves have reached a culminating state of meaninglessness: big box shopping, national chain franchise food installations, strip malls of empty storefronts, parking lot wastelands, nothing that will excite a child’s imagination with emotions other than bewilderment, anxiety, and aversion.
The “teaching” that supposedly goes on in schools is a broken remnant of preparation for an economy that no longer exists. We’re no longer a society of people who do things, but rather a society of people to whom things are done, many of them harmful, humiliating, and arbitrary. America’s demoralized teaching corps is so unhinged by their own anomie that they resort to imposing sadistic fantasies on the children in their charge.
Thus, all the inappropriate curricula around adult preoccupations with sex, such as the Drag Queen Story Hour, for which mentally ill men are invited to act-out impersonations of women-as-monsters for young people who can’t possibly be expected to make sense of the spectacle. (I suspect that even six-year-olds, hard-wired to function as successful animals in this world, understand it as some kind of affront to reality.) Otherwise, American teachers are out of ideas, and are themselves damaged by the same forces in culture that they are now asked to direct.
America has become a malfunctioning pageant without feasible roles that children can realistically project themselves into. What ten-year-old longs to become the Burger King fry-o-later boss in a brown apron and an asinine cardboard crown? Rather, they are prompted to aspire to become sports star millionaires, of which there are perhaps fewer than 5,000 positions in a land of 340-million. By age twelve, they probably comprehend the unlikelihood of that outcome, or of becoming the next Kardashian… or Spiderman. (Superheroes are supplied by the entertainment cartels to occupy the imaginative realm of children because American culture is bereft of reality-based roles worth aspiring to.)
In this tumult of cultural impoverishment, psychotic grandiosity creeps in. Be big if you can’t be anything else. Hence, one achievable role for young persons in American life is mass murderer. It is a way of becoming important, of having an effect on other people and society in general. Your name may be forgotten, but the act itself will endure in the collective memory of a people. It will be some kind of a mark in history, even better remembered, perhaps, than whoever played third-base for the Atlanta Braves in 1994… or the woman who once capered down the red carpet at the Oscars in a dress fashioned on a slaughtered swan.
The mayhem unleashed in a school shooting is just the rectified essence of the manifold derangements in our national life. Everything is out-of-whack, including our perception of what’s going on and what it means.
There is almost nothing left of childhood in this land, in the way of young, unformed creatures assisted by adults who love them into a future worth being part of.
We have forgotten how to be grateful for coming into this world at all, leaving us unworthy of being here.
The quality of virtue, meaning that some things and some doings are recognizably better than others, was deceitfully replaced by the equity of nothing being allowed to be better than anything else.
Truth and beauty have gone outlaw. Bad faith and wickedness rule, led by a Party of Chaos.
So, really, what do you expect?
And what do you deserve?Verizon statement on Huawei litigation settlement
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Article One HERE
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Article Two HERE
The Best Live Perform Ever!!! Jeff Beck – A Day In The Life | HD
I had this album, and traded it for another back while in university. What was I thinking?
Australian Leader Dutton issues grim China warning in first appearance as Liberal leader
“The issue of China under President Xi is the biggest issue our country will face in our lifetimes. That's the reality,” he said. “I will support policies which help to defend our country, decisions made by the new government in relation to rolling out AUKUS … and other policies which will help keep us safe. “I don't want interference in our electoral outcomes, I don't want there to be threats on university campuses. “I want us to have a productive relationship with China. I want it to be restored but that is an issue for China.” During his time as defence minister Mr Dutton came under fire for his strong stance on China and his rhetoric around war in the Pacific. Last year, Mr Dutton said it would be “inconceivable” that Australia would not send troops in the event of US involvement in a war between China and Taiwan. He has also said Australians should “prepare for war” during an address on Anzac Day this year, which was lashed by Labor and also Western Australia Premier Mark McGowan.
Meet Elena Deligioz, Probably The Most Beautiful Female Cosplay Soldier In The World
Meet Elena Deligoiz from Russia. She is not really a soldier but her good looks and uncanny addiction to military equipment will make most men fall in love with her. Her followers believe that she could have been the most beautiful woman in the military had she joined the army. Elena Deligioz was dubbed the ‘world’s most famous soldier’ and she is currently breaking the internet.
Her photographs have gone viral in various social media websites around the world, making her extremely famous. Who knows maybe after this article she gets an offer from the military!
Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian’s Regular Press Conference on May 30, 2022
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Beijing Youth Daily: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken issued a statement on May 28, saying that the US is concerned about the conditions China imposed on the visit to China by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet and China’s efforts to restrict and manipulate the visit. What is China’s comment? Zhao Lijian: At the invitation of the Chinese government, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet visited China from May 23 to 28. China believes that this visit has enhanced understanding and cooperation, and clarified misinformation. After meetings and talks, conversations and field trips in Guangzhou and Xinjiang, the High Commissioner had a deeper understanding and recognition of China’s path for human rights development, and had first-hand experience of Xinjiang’s reality with social security and stability, sound and sustained development and people’s well-being. All lies and rumors related to Xinjiang have fallen apart in front of facts and truth. But as the saying goes, “You cannot wake up someone who is only pretending to be asleep.” Turning a blind eye and a deaf ear to the facts and truth about Xinjiang, the US rehashed the false claims that had already been debunked countless times in an attempt to smear and attack China. Ridiculously, this time they made up new lies that China has restricted and manipulated the visit. In fact, all the activities and arrangements of High Commissioner Bachelet during her stay in China were decided in accordance with her will and based on full consultation. The High Commissioner also said at the press conference that she had unsupervised and extensive meetings during the visit. Where is restriction and manipulation to speak of? Look no further than the US to find the one trying to manipulate this visit. It is the one and the same US that was most vocal about the High Commissioner’s visit to China at first, imposed various kinds of conditions for the agreed visit, and ultimately attacked and slandered the visit after it was made. This once again proves that the US does not care about human rights conditions whatsoever. What it really wants is to use human rights as a pretext to constantly denigrate China and hold it down. Such hypocrisy and political scheme of the US has long been seen through by the whole world. By contrast, the human rights conditions in the US are like “the emperor’s new clothes”. The recent mass shooting at a school in Texas is particularly heart-wrenching. The right to life of ordinary people, including children and teenagers, cannot be guaranteed. I’d like to share some figures with you. Since 2001, the US waged wars or conducted military operations in about 80 countries in the name of counterterrorism, which killed more than 800,000 people including about 300,000 civilians. The US set up black sites like the Guantanamo Bay prison across the world, where people are arbitrarily detained without trial for long periods of time and subject to torture and ill treatment. Racism in the US is deeply entrenched and racial minorities like African Americans and Asian Americans have to live with systemic racism. Shutting eyes to grave human rights violations at home, what rights does the US have to act like a patronizing judge and interfere in other countries’ affairs? We ask the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to conduct investigations into and submit reports on US’ human rights problems. Bloomberg: In relation to the press conference on Saturday evening, what’s the takeaway for China on this? There were some recommendations from the High Commissioner. For example, she talked about how anti-terrorism and deradicalization should not be in conflict with human rights. What’s your comment? Zhao Lijian: I briefed you on High Commissioner Bachelet’s visit to China just now. She also held a press conference on that. During High Commissioner Bachelet’s visit here, especially in Xinjiang, the authorities of the Autonomous Region has made comprehensive presentation on the measures and results of counter-terrorism and deradicalization. High Commissioner Bachelet toured an exhibition on counter-terrorism and de-radicalization, learning in detail the legal and policy frameworks, practices, and results of counter-terrorism and deradicalization in Xinjiang. Violence and terrorism have inflicted the greatest harm on the human rights of people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang, and counter-terrorism and de-radicalization is the greatest protection for the human rights of people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang. I can tell you that there has been no violent terrorist attack in Xinjiang for five consecutive years and the region has enjoyed security, stability, development, and prosperity. This is the best illustration of the effectiveness of Xinjiang’s counter-terrorism and deradicalization efforts. I believe that foreign people from all walks of life who have visited Xinjiang, like the High Commissioner herself, will be able to draw objective and fair conclusions. I also want to say that China attaches great importance to the UN human rights affairs and stands ready to contribute to advancing the international human rights cause. During the visit, the Chinese side and the OHCHR had thorough exchange on deepening cooperation and reached broad consensus. The two sides have agreed to establish an Annual Senior Strategic Meeting, to discuss national, regional and international human rights issues of common interest. And the two sides have agreed to establish a working group to facilitate human rights cooperation in such areas as development, business, poverty reduction, counter-terrorism, minority groups, digital space, and judicial safeguard. China is willing to provide greater support to the human rights work of the United Nations. Such concrete measures not only are conducive to the cooperation between China and the OHCHR, but also represent China’s new contribution to the international human rights cause. |
Shenzhen TV: In his recent speech on the US administration’s approach to China, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that China poses “the most serious long-term challenge to the international order” and that the US “must defend and reform the rules-based international order”. Do you have any comment?
Zhao Lijian: This speech misrepresents facts with a long list of lies. The attacks on China mirror exactly what the US has been doing. It is no other than the US that poses “the most serious long-term challenge to the international order”. The “rules-based international order” it touts is actually the “US rules-based international order”, a hegemonic order to dominate the world with the house rules of its clique. Last week my colleague already responded to the speech. Today I would like to take this opportunity to further reveal the hypocrisy of the US by debunking some of its lies and fallacies with facts and figures.
To start, the US has zero reverence for the international order underpinned by the UN Charter and international law. Throughout its over two-century-long history, the country has only witnessed 16 years free from war. It is the largest source of disruption threatening the international peace and stability and the greatest destabilizing element in the international order. The US claims that it will defend “concepts like self-determination, sovereignty, the peaceful settlement of disputes” enshrined in the UN Charter. However, it always says one thing and does another. As William Blum pointed out in his book America’s Deadliest Export: Democracy, since the end of World War II, the US has attempted to overthrow more than 50 foreign governments and grossly interfered in democratic elections in at least 30 countries. According to a report by the Brown University, since 2001, the US-waged wars and military operations in the name of counter-terrorism have claimed over 800,000 lives and turned more than 20 million people into refugees in countries including Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria alone.
Second, the US is the top saboteur of the international order, who sticks to US centrism and exceptionalism and wantonly withdraws from treaties and organizations. It refuses to sign or ratify the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, voted against the Global Compact for Migration and the Global Compact on Refugees, and remains the sole party obstructing negotiations for a verification protocol to the Biological Weapons Convention. Since the 1980s, the US has withdrawn from 17 international organizations or treaties, including the UN Human Rights Council, the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the Paris Agreement, the Iran nuclear deal, the Arms Trade Treaty, the INF Treaty, the Open Skies Treaty, among others with flip-flops regarding some of them. Such a country now shamelessly disguises itself as a referee of international rules, shining a spotlight on where others come short while turning a blind eye to its outright violations. When American politicians eloquently cite the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to criticize other countries, are they aware of the fact that the US is not even a state party to the Convention?
Third, the US is in no position whatsoever to talk about rules. In the eyes of the US, international rules must be subordinate to and serve its interests. When international rules happen to be consistent with US interests, they are cited as authority. Otherwise they are simply ignored. Here are some questions for the US to answer: when the US flagrantly waged wars on sovereign nations and instigated color revolutions, was it following rules? When the US grossly slapped illegal unilateral sanctions, plunging people in the affected countries into disaster, was it following rules? When the US refuses to pay its long overdue $1 billion assessed contributions to the UN regular budget and $1.4 billion peacekeeping assessments, is it following rules? When the US strengthens AUKUS and Quad, and attempts to build an Indo-Pacific version of NATO to mess up the Asia-Pacific and undermine the international nuclear non-proliferation system, is it following rules? When the US hosted the so-called Summit for Democracy, which divided the world into two camps by inviting half and excluding the other half, was it following rules? When the US refused to implement the WTO ruling that its tariff war against China violates global trade rules, and blocked the appointment of new judges to the WTO’s Appellate Body, was it following rules?
The US places its domestic law above international law and international rules and willfully resorts to illegal unilateral sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, Venezuela, Syria and Iran have been grappling with severe difficulties with a struggling economy and strained medical resources due to prolonged US sanctions. Under such circumstances, the US, rather than halting those sanctions, redoubled them, making things even worse for these countries. The international community sees with increasing clarity that the US only complies with the market competition principle and international trade rules it claims to champion when it suits US interests. While talking about a level playing field and free trade, US politicians actually believe in “America first” and wield a big stick of sanctions.
I also want to stress that over the 70-plus years since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, we have not initiated any war or taken an inch of land from other countries. We call for resolving disputes through dialogue and negotiation, and has completely resolved all land boundary issues with 12 out of the 14 neighbors. As the second largest economy in the world, China has been contributing to over 30% to the world economic growth, ranking the top for 15 years running. China is now the second largest contributor to UN regular budget and peacekeeping assessments, actively participated in the building and reform of the global governance system, and taken real actions to honor the spirit of the UN Charter and the authority of the UN. It is fair to say that China remains a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development and a guardian of international order. We will always stand in solidarity with all peace-loving and justice-pursing countries under the UN flag, uphold real multilateralism, and continuously contribute confidence, wisdom and strength to universal prosperity of the world and common progress of the humanity.
Al Jazeera: Yesterday, Israeli extremists, protected by police, attacked Palestinians in East Jerusalem and prevented them from entering the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Israeli Prime Minister Bennett said that the whole of Jerusalem is the capital of Israel. China has always supported the two-state solution and East Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine. May I ask if you condemn the Israeli Prime Minister’s remarks? Now that the Palestinian-Israeli situation is gradually deteriorating. If Israeli atrocities are not stopped in time, a serious humanitarian disaster is inevitable. Is China considering taking substantive action to protect the Palestinians and protect regional peace and stability?
Zhao Lijian: Lately there has been ongoing tension between Palestine and Israel, particularly in Jerusalem. China is deeply concerned over this. Parties concerned should act in accordance with relevant UN resolutions, respect and maintain the historical status quo of the holy sites in Jerusalem, and avoid taking any unilateral and provocative actions that change the historical status quo of the holy sites in Jerusalem. China has stressed many times that the underlying reason for the recurring conflicts between Israel and Palestine is the absence of the implementation of the “two-state solution” and long denial of the Palestinian people’s legitimate appeal of establishing an independent state. The international community should have a greater sense of urgency and work for the early resumption of peace talks between Palestine and Israel on the basis of the two-state solution, so as to achieve the comprehensive, just and lasting resolution of the Palestine question at an early date.
Hubei Media Group: May 29, 2022 was the 20th International Day of UN Peacekeepers. Could you talk about China’s participation in UN peacekeeping missions?
Zhao Lijian: UN peacekeeping missions are important means to advance international peace and security. Over the past seven decades or so, the UN has conducted over 70 missions, rallying more than one million peacekeepers under the UN flag and making outstanding contributions to safeguarding and restoring regional peace and assisting in the resolution of regional conflicts. The Blue Helmets have become a symbol of peace and hope, winning wide acclaim from the international community.
In 1990, China sent military observers to the UN, which marked the beginning of its participation in UN peacekeeping operations (UNPKOs). In 1992, China dispatched its first formed military unit of Blue Helmets to participate in UNPKOs. Over the past three decades, China has sent nearly 50,000 peacekeepers to participate in UNPKOs in more than 20 countries and regions. A total of 16 Chinese peacekeepers have made the ultimate sacrifice serving under the UN flag. China is the second largest contributor to UN peacekeeping assessments and the largest troop contributor to peacekeeping operations among the five permanent members of the Security Council. As we speak, more than 2,200 Chinese officers are working in eight peacekeeping mission areas. Chinese Blue Helmets have become a key force in the UN’s peacekeeping efforts. Chinese peacekeepers adhere to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, act in strict accordance with their mandate, and faithfully fulfill peacekeeping missions, making important contributions to safeguarding world peace and promoting common development.
Against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic overlapping with a host of threats including regional hotspot issues, ethnic strife and terrorism, the role and significance of UNPKOs have become more prominent. China will continue to work in close cooperation with the international community to increase the efficacy and efficiency of UNPKOs so that they can play a bigger role in safeguarding international peace and security. At the same time, UNPKOs rely on the support of all member states. We hope a certain country will pay its overdue $1.4 billion peacekeeping assessments in full without further delay and avoid hindering the normal operation of UNPKOs for selfish interests.
Associated Press of Pakistan: On May 27, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif visited Karot Hydropower project, being completed under China Pakistan Economic Corridor. Talking to engineers and workers there, he said this project will generate cheap electricity and also promote green development in Pakistan. Do you have any comment on that?
Zhao Lijian: The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a key pilot project under the Belt and Road Initiative and an important platform for all-round practical cooperation between the two countries. It is guided by the concept of green, open and clean development and committed to realizing sustainable, livelihood-oriented and high-standard growth. Since its launch, CPEC has delivered fruitful outcomes in energy cooperation, which helps Pakistan to effectively tackle energy shortage and provides reliable energy supply for its economic and industrial development.
The Karot hydropower plant is a major energy cooperation project under CPEC between China and Pakistan. Once installed and put into operation, it will not only generate steady and affordable energy supply, meet the electricity needs of approximately five million local residents, and further improve Pakistan’s energy structure, but also boost the country’s sustainable development as well as global efforts towards carbon neutrality by reducing an estimated amount of 3.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide annually, thus contributing to the global response to climate change. We are looking forward to the completion of the hydropower plant and hope that it can be put into use at an early date.
Bloomberg: A question about a joint document between China and the Pacific nations, which according to news reports was not adopted. Do you have any comment?
Zhao Lijian: You’ve been closely following the situation. In fact, I just got some relevant information and would like to share with you some information briefly.
The second China-Pacific Island Countries Foreign Ministers’ Meeting was successfully held. The parties had an in-depth discussion about how to deepen cooperation between the two sides in a united and friendly manner, and reached wide new consensus. After the meeting, China will release a position paper on cooperation between China and the Pacific Island countries in response to the expectations of the latter. Please stay tuned to the relevant press release from China.
As for the joint document you mentioned, it involves an ongoing process of discussion. Not every meeting has to issue a joint document. At the foreign Ministers’ meeting this time, all parties reached new consensus on this, making an important step towards reaching the final agreement. The parties agreed to continue to engage in active and practical discussions in order to build more consensus.
CCTV: The Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America-People’s Trade Agreement (ALBA-TCP), held its 21st Summit in Havana, Cuba on May 27, 2022. The Final Declaration adopted by the alliance’s member states denounces the exclusionary and discriminatory treatment by the United States as the host country of the so-called Summit of the Americas against some countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, rejects the imposition of coercive unilateral measures against Venezuela and Nicaragua, and the economic, commercial, and financial blockade against Cuba and calls on the genuine regional integration led by the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC). Do you have any comment?
Zhao Lijian: The Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America-People’s Trade Agreement (ALBA-TCP) represents a useful exploration by countries in Latin America and the Caribbean for promoting regional integration. Since its founding, the organization has been committed to seeking development through solidarity among regional countries and encouraging its member states to follow a path of independent development.
Since its founding, CELAC has been committed to multilateralism and played an important role in upholding multilateralism, safeguarding regional peace and stability, promoting economic and social development and protecting the rights and interests of developing countries. China appreciates this and supports countries in the region in actively seeking a development model suited to the region and their efforts to promote integration.
Under the pretext of so-called democracy and human rights, the US has been ganging up to suppress countries that have different opinions, wantonly abused unilateral sanctions and interfered in and manipulated the internal affairs of countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. This is typical hegemony that gravely violates the purposes of the UN Charter and the basic norms governing international relations, and seriously contravenes the sovereignty and dignity of countries in the region. China firmly rejects this. I would like to stress that Latin America is by no means a front court or backyard of a certain country, and the Summit of the Americas is not a “Summit of the United States of America”. The US scheme to interfere in regional affairs by taking advantage of its capacity as the host of the Summit of the Americas is doomed to fail.
China Daily: According to media reports, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, commenting on some negative remarks by the US side on Taiwan, stressed that Taiwan is a Chinese province and an inalienable part of China’s territory and that pushing Taiwan to declare independence is a dangerous adventure. He called on all sides to respect China’s sovereignty and avoid adding fuel to the flame. Do you have any comment?
Zhao Lijian: China highly appreciates Prime Minister Hun Sen’s remarks on Taiwan. There is but one China in the world, Taiwan is part of China, and the government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China. This is a consensus of the international community. The Taiwan question is purely China’s domestic affair and brooks no foreign interference. The Chinese side’s just cause of safeguarding sovereignty and territorial integrity, opposing secession, and realizing national reunification has received and will surely continue to receive understanding and support from Cambodia and the rest of the international community.
Reuters: The World Health Organization recently organized the World Health Assembly meeting and they reached agreement on reforming global health emergency rules. Did China take part and did China also agree to this reform?
Zhao Lijian: I’m not aware of what you mentioned.
The Paper: Last week, the fourth regional security dialogue on Afghanistan was hosted by Tajikistan and the Dushanbe Statement was released. We learned that a Chinese representative attended the meeting. Can you share more information?
Zhao Lijian: The fourth regional security dialogue on Afghanistan was held in Dushanbe, capital of Tajikistan, on May 27. Senior representatives from China, Russia, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan attended the meeting. Cheng Guoping, External Security Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, represented China at the meeting.
Commissioner Cheng said, Afghanistan is the “Heart of Asia”. The development of the situation in Afghanistan, especially its security situation, has a major impact on regional security and stability. The Global Security Initiative, put forward by President Xi Jinping not long ago, stressed the importance of upholding the new vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, and jointly upholding world peace and security. China is ready to honor this spirit, work in concert with regional countries and support the whole system of Afghanistan in well responding to challenges.
The Dushanbe Statement released at the meeting welcomes the Tunxi Initiative of the Neighboring Countries of Afghanistan on Supporting Economic Reconstruction in and Practical Cooperation with Afghanistan adopted at the Third Foreign Ministers’ Meeting Among the Neighboring Countries of Afghanistan in late March, calls on all parties to provide more support for Afghanistan in economy, humanitarian assistance, connectivity, trade and internal capacity building. It reiterates non-interference in Afghanistan’s internal affairs and the “Afghan-led, Afghan-owned” principle, urges countries bearing responsibilities for Afghanistan to seriously fulfill the commitment of economic reconstruction and future development of Afghanistan, and opposes politicization of humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan. The statement particularly pointed out that international terrorist organizations should never be allowed to use the Afghan territory to hide, train, plot and sponsor any terrorist activities targeting any country in the region to make sure that Afghanistan will not become a hotbed, harbor or source of terrorist forces.
Afghanistan is now at a critical stage from chaos to stability. Security is the prerequisite for development. China is ready to continue to work with regional countries to strengthen communication and coordination, build consensus and form synergy, and make relentless efforts to help Afghanistan achieve lasting peace and stability.
Bloomberg: Do you have any more details on the agreements that were signed between China and Kiribati and Samoa? Is there anything you could offer on those agreements?
Zhao Lijian: Our delegation is there on their trip. Relevant information has been released, and you can check it out.
Dragon TV: Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said at the 27th “International Conference on the Future of Asia” that the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) is not an economic but a political grouping that is intended to isolate and exclude China. China has contributed to other countries’ economic growth but has been left out in the IPEF. Economic development requires stability and no conflict. The United States seems enthusiastic about shutting out China and is sending ships to the South China Sea. This may one day cause an accident, resulting in violence or war, which is not good for the economic development of ASEAN countries. It’s necessary to avoid intensifying conflict between the United States and China and maintain regional stability. Do you have any comment?
Zhao Lijian: That’s very well put. Former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad spoke the thoughts of the vast majority of countries in the region and clearly indicated what they care most about and want most. That is peace, stability and economic development in the region. It represents the overriding trend and people’s aspiration. However, the US has deviated from this direction and politicized economic issues for its own selfish ends, even at the cost of the interests of other countries and the region at large. It wins support and is doomed to fail. The key to success in the Asia-Pacific is win-win cooperation, not zero-sum confrontation. China is ready to work with other countries in the region to practice true multilateralism, build an open regional economy and make the Asia-Pacific our better home.
Reuters: According to reports in Swiss media, efforts by the Swiss government to update its free trade agreement with China have stalled as Switzerland is taking a more critical view of China’s human rights record. What’s China’s comment?
Zhao Lijian: Since its implementation in 2014, the China-Switzerland free trade agreement has brought enormous tangible benefits to both countries and peoples. To upgrade the agreement will help both sides to further tap into the potential for economic and trade cooperation and revitalize and grow the economy amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
I would like to stress that the free trade agreement is a mutually-beneficial arrangement, not a favor bestowed by either side. The two sides have maintained close communication and active negotiation in the spirit of mutual respect and equality regarding the upgrading of the agreement. China will be delighted to have the agreement upgraded and hopes that the Swiss side could stay clear of disruptive elements and meet China halfway.
Bloomberg: Just to go back to my earlier question, I want to make sure that I was clear. Basically I was asking about agreements with Kiribati, but also with Samoa. So I was asking on the two countries. Could you give us more details on China’s agreements with the two countries?
Zhao Lijian: As I said just now, the Chinese side has issue the press release on the visit. Just before the press conference, we released information about the talks between Fijian Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Frank Bainimarama and State Councilor Wang Yi. The press release can be found on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. China will soon release relevant information on the China-Pacific Island Countries Foreign Ministers’ Meeting. Please stay tuned.
Reuters: Recently, the WHO held its first in-person since the COVID-19 outbreak. Did China attend the meeting? Does China support any reform measures mentioned at this conference?
Zhao Lijian: As I just said, I am not aware of relevant situation. I may come back to you after I learn more about it. According to my initial information, China participated in relevant discussions, but I am not aware of the details.
And yet more pictures from the past
Miniature UFO Wreckage Discovered in Science Museum Archive?
From HERE
Wreckage from a “miniature” UFO crash in North Yorkshire sixty years ago has been rediscovered in the archives of the Science Museum in London.
Or has it?
Known as Britain’s “answer to America’s Roswell incident,” the Silpho Saucer story broke on December 9, 1957 in The Yorkshire Post when ‘a mystery’ disc was found on Yorkshire moor. Scarborough businessman Frank Dickenson and two friends were driving up Reasty Hill, near the village of Silpho, and their car stalled as ‘a glowing object in the sky’ landed in Borax Forest.
Mr. Dickenson found the metallic saucer in a patch of bracken, but when he returned with his friend the object was gone, so he placed a classified advert in the Scarborough newspaper and eventually bought it for £10. When the artifact was cut open a tiny book was found made of “17 thin copper sheets” covered in 2000 hieroglyphs.” Scarborough café owner, Philip Longbottom studied the disc and claimed it been sent to Earth by an alien called “Ullo” and the message warned: ‘You will improve or disappear’. Hieroglyphics were also found on the wreckage of the UFO that allegedly crashed at Roswell, New Mexico, in June 1947.
Measuring 45 cm (17.72 inches) in diameter and weighing 15 kg (33.07 lbs.), for half a century, UFO enthusiasts have speculated as to the destiny of this missing artifact. Now, parts of the “wreckage” have been rediscovered inside a tin cigarette box at the Science Museum Group ’s archive.
The remains of the ‘Silpho Moor Object’ were sent to London for examination in 1963 and included a “fused section of the metal and plastic from the outer casing, a length of hollow copper tubing and pieces from the copper booklet discovered inside.” Gordon Claringbull of the Natural History Museum, who specialized in meteorites and explosives said in a memo to the Science Museum that he was ‘prepared to wager anything’ that the pieces of metal were made on Earth, reported the Yorkshire Post.
A BBC report this week revealed how tests carried out at the time in Manchester University found the object’s shell “contained lead and the copper parts […] of unusual high purity.” This raised expectations in the UFO community, but a metallurgist soon concluded that because the disc had not been exposed to high temperatures it “could not have come from space.”
According to the Yorkshire Post , UFO expert Jenny Randles believes this metallic disc ‘is the most costly and well organized hoax that has ever taken place in Britain.”
Although the scientific community was skeptical, Air Chief Marshall Lord Dowding, who led the RAF during the Battle of Britain during WW2, examined the Silpho Saucer in 1958 and believed it was “genuine.” Describing it as a ‘a miniature pilot flying saucer’ – Lord Dowding was openly convinced it was “a genuine artefact from space,” according to the report in the Yorkshire Post.
Since the discovery, skeptics have claimed the ‘saucer’ was made from a “domestic hot water cylinder in a back-street garage and planted on the moor as an elaborate hoax.” And this wouldn’t be the first time that a shiny part from a water cylinder has grabbed the world’s headlines – in 1974 another UFO part ‘allegedly’ crashed in Florida. Antoine and Jerri Betz, accompanied by their 21-year-old son Terry, discovered ‘’a bright metal globe, about the size of a bowling ball, just sitting there in the grass.”
When Terry played his guitar the ball “strangely resonated the music” and began to “move around, all on its own.” The media stir eventually caused scientists from NASA to inspect the Betz Sphere, and even some of them were convinced it had “otherworldly” origins. However, similarly to the Silpho Saucer story, the skeptics’ evidence was much stronger and came in the form of the “sphere’s owner.”
A skeptiod.com article tells that after the story broke, artist James Durling-Jones in Taos, New Mexico came forward claiming that he had used similar spheres in several sculptures. He had made a trip in his Volkswagen bus collecting scrap “industrial ball valves” in two sizes: 10-inch (25.4 cm) balls weighing about 70 pounds (31.75 kg) and 8-inch (20.32 cm) balls weighing about 22 pounds (9.98 kg), exactly the same weight and dimensions as the Betz Sphere. Durling-Jones had strapped the metal balls on his luggage rack and drove through Jacksonville around Easter of 1971 when “a few of the balls rolled off the luggage rack and were lost,” until three years later when the Betzes came along.
It can be concluded that the Silpho Saucer and the Beta Sphere are unquestionably two of most famous INFOs (identified non-flying objects) in the world.
U.S. bill would bar Google, Apple from hosting apps that accept China’s digital yuan
Such insane self-defeating behavior!
Republican senators want to bar U.S. app stores including Apple and Google from hosting apps that allow payments to be made with China's digital currency, amid fears the payment system could allow Beijing to spy on Americans. The bill, unveiled Thursday and first reported by Reuters, states that companies that own or control app stores "shall not carry or support any app in [their] app store(s) within the United States that supports or enables transactions in e-CNY." It is sponsored by Senators Tom Cotton, Marco Rubio and Mike Braun. According to Cotton's office, digital yuan could provide the Chinese government with "real-time visibility into all transactions on the network, posing privacy and security concerns for American persons who join this network." The Center for a New American Security, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank, said in a January 2021 report that China's digital currency and electronic payments system was "likely to be a boon for CCP surveillance in the economy and for government interference in the lives of Chinese citizens," noting that "transactions will contain precise data about users and their financial activity."
A Winter Tour of the Hidden Corners of a Little Town in Upstate NY
“I moved here in November and have been exploring it through this weird, snowless winter of 2012.”
A look at what rural America is. This is the real deal. I can name countless towns throughout the United States that resembles this... -MM
This is what MOST of rural and small-town America looks like. I can confirm that this is exactly how parts of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Mississippi looked ten years ago.
Couple that with what the cities look like today. The United States is a nation in Crisis. So, given that, can you actually believe that the leadership are so delusional that they want to take on Russia and China simultaneously?
The Prisoner 16 Once Upon a Time
I do hope that you all enjoy this episode.
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“There is almost nothing left of childhood in this land, in the way of young, unformed creatures assisted by adults who love them into a future worth being part of.”
Horribly true.