(2020-08-15). [Correspondence] Interference in scientific research on COVID-19 in Turkey. thelancet.com Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), as it was later named, was first identified in Wuhan, China, on Jan 7, 2020.1 Over the following months, the virus rapidly spread throughout the world. The disease, COVID-19, was characterised as a pandemic by WHO on March 11, 2020. On the same day, the Turkish Ministry of Health reported the first case in Turkey.2 According to the Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data platform, which analyses the genomic epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2, the disease reached Turkey mainly through Iran, with whom Turkey has strong commercial and touristic ties, and…
(2020-08-14). The "Lesser-Evil" Syndrome: Noam Chomsky's Fall Into Self-Contradiction. dissidentvoice.org In a recent interview Noam Chomsky declared that there "was a big difference" between Hubert Humphrey and Richard Nixon in the 1968 presidential elections, a difference "you could count in several million corpses in Indochina." But, Chomsky added, "a lot of the young people on the left said, "I'm not going to vote for Humphrey. …
(2020-08-14). Trump Targets TikTok Social Media Platform, Escalates Trade War Between the U.S. and China. globalresearch.ca U.S. President Donald Trump has issued an executive order that could ban TikTok from the U.S. if it is not purchased by an American company. On August 6, Trump's executive order banned U.S. financial transactions with Chinese company ByteDance, owner …
(2020-08-14). China Calls to Reject US Interference in 5G Cooperation. telesurenglish.net China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Zhao Lijian, has called on the international community to reject U.S. hegemonic interference in other countries' 5G cooperation and uphold a fair, just, open, and non-discriminatory business environment. | RELATED: | The pronouncement came after the United States (U.S.) Secretary of State Mike Pompeo signed with the Slovenian foreign minister a joint declaration on 5G security durin…
(2020-08-14). Why 5G is the First Stage of a Tech War Between the U.S. and China. counterpunch.org The U.S. tech war on China continues, banning Chinese equipment from its network, and asking its Five Eyes partners and NATO allies to follow suit. It is a market and a technology denial regime that seeks to win back manufacturing that the U.S. and European countries have lost to China. International trade assumed that goods
(2020-08-14). Saturday 8/15: SF Chinatown Walkway Weekends. indybay.org Chinatown, Grant Avenue from California to Washington Streets…
(2020-08-14). US Space Force Faults Russia, China For 'Militarizing Space'. popularresistance.org US defense leaders have firmly pointed the finger at Russia and China as the raison d'etre for the US Space Force (USSF), claiming the nations have "militarized space," requiring the US to respond. However, what is really threatened is US space superiority, as the Pentagon has tested space weapons for decades. US Space Command has raised warning bells about the challenging of US superiority in space since at least its 1997 "Vision for 2020," but it was only in December 2019 that the USSF was formally created by US President Donald Trump. | In February 2020, Space Force Chief of Space Operations Gen. John W. "Jay"
(2020-08-14). US Formalizes Sale of 66 F-16 Jets to Taiwan Amid Heightened China Tensions. sputniknews.com Taiwan has formally signed an agreement to buy 66 of Lockheed Martin's latest F-16 jets, marking the first sale of advanced fighter jets to Taiwan since 1992, when then-US President George H.W. Bush approved the sale of 150 F-16s.
(2020-08-14). Sri Lankan prime minister admits US is behind Colombo Port deal with India. wsws.org The Colombo Port workers' struggle has demonstrated that the US and India want Sri Lanka tied to their strategic and military moves against nuclear-armed China.
(2020-08-13). US 'Satisfied' With China's Progress on Trade Deal, White House Adviser Says. sputniknews.com WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – The United States is satisfied with the progress made by China on the trade deal between the two countries, although Beijing's political actions were still a sore point for President Donald Trump, White House Adviser Larry Kudlow said.
(2020-08-13). China says US' Pompeo spreading 'political viruses'. yenisafak.com China on Thursday slammed top US diplomat Mike Pompeo for spreading "political viruses and disinformation" as tensions between the two economic powers show no signs of abating.At a news conference in Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said the US secretary of state's persistent criticism of China and the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) stemmed from "a Cold War mentality and selfishness.""Wherever Pompeo goes, he brings political viruses and disinformation," he was quoted as saying by the daily Global Times.The reaction was in response to Pompeo's remarks on‚ÄØWednesday that…
(2020-08-13). Who Gets to Tell the Story of Wuhan's Lockdown? thenation.com Who Gets to Tell the Story of Wuhan's Lockdown?
(2020-08-13). Hong Kong Elections Postponed: And where aren't they? dissidentvoice.org Today, the Western press went absolutely mental again, radically schizophrenic. Hong Kong leader, Carrie Lam, declared that the September 6 elections in SAR would be postponed by one year. Right away, she offered a rational explanation: "We have 3 million voters going out in one day across Hong Kong, such flow of people would cause …
(2020-08-13). Freedom Rider: TikTok and the War on China. mronline.org 
Every charge that Trump and his minions make against Chinese companies is true for US corporations, which have been spying on Americans and the rest of the world for decades.
(2020-08-13). Xinjiang And Uyghurs — What You're Not Being Told. popularresistance.org Like a few other provinces, Xinjiang is an "autonomous" region, which means it is run by Uyghurs for the most part. For example, the current "governor" is Shohrat Zakir, an Uyghur man who's been in charge since 2014. | Also to remember are two nuggets of information: Xinjiang is a really vast region — it's four times as large as California(!); and Uyghurs make up only about 40% of Xinjiang's population. Overall, Uyghurs account for only 0.7% of China's population. That's about the same percentage as the Native American population in the U.S. now.
(2020-08-13). Until you've drifted a mile in their tiny dinghy, don't even think about criticising the Channel crossers. thecanary.co I can still remember the first bit of political graffiti I ever saw. It was in the 70s. I can't have been more than about four or five. Daubed scruffily on a bridge in Norwich were the words: "NO MORE BOAT PEOPLE". | Boat People: | Having no idea what on earth this meant, I asked my mum, who explained that it referred to people from countries such as Vietnam and Cambodia who were escaping war and trying to get into the UK. Well fair play to them I thought, dimly aware that those countries were somewhere near China and therefore a hell of a long way away. If they can make it all the way in a little boat (I…
(2020-08-12). Selective Maritime Rules: The United States, Diego Garcia and International Law. counterpunch.org There are few more righteous sights than the paunchy US Secretary of State savaging the People's Republic of China with his next volley on Chinese territorial aspirations. In July, Mike Pompeo released a statement putting any uncertain minds at ease on where Washington stood on the matter. "We are making clear: Beijing's claims to offshore
(2020-08-12). Beijing shuts tourist sites as precaution against heavy downpours. yenisafak.com A heavy rainstorm forecast in China's capital Beijing has forced authorities to shut parks and tourist sites, state-run media reported.The Beijing Gardening and Greening Bureau said the capital is expecting to receive "heaviest rainstorm" this summer, said Xinhua News Agency.Hence, authorities have closed parks, including the Summer Palace, Tiantan (Temple of Heaven) Park, and Beijing Zoo. The expected tourists who booked tickets are being given refunds.The bureau added that operations of almost all landscaping projects have been suspended, and workers shifted to safer places before the rainstorm hits the capital…
(2020-08-12). Using the COVID-19 to influenza ratio to estimate early pandemic spread in Wuhan, China and Seattle, US. thelancet.com The spread of COVID-19 in Wuhan and Seattle was far more extensive than initially reported. The virus likely spread for months in Wuhan before the lockdown. Given that COVID-19 appears to be overwhelmingly mild in children, our high estimate for symptomatic pediatric cases in Seattle suggests that there may have been thousands more mild cases at the time.
(2020-08-12). Lebanon should look East and abandon the West. thealtworld.com Post-blast Lebanon has everything to gain from rejecting the West's neoliberal demands and embracing China's Belt and Road | As much as Covid-19 has been instrumentalized by the 0.001% to social-engineer a Facing oh-so-timely color-revolution-style "protests," the current Lebanese government led by Prime Minister Hassan Diab has already resigned. | Even before the onshore portion of the port blew up, Beirut had requested a US$10 billion…
(2020-08-12). Coronavirus deaths rise to almost 19,000 in Iran. yenisafak.com As many as 188 new coronavirus-related fatalities have raised the death toll in Iran to 18,988, the Health Ministry said on Wednesday.A total of 2,510 people tested positive for COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, pushing the tally to 333,699, according to ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari.She said more than 290,244 patients have recovered so far, while 3,940 are hospitalized in critical condition.Since appearing in China last December, the virus has spread to at least 188 countries and regions, according to figures compiled by the US-based Johns Hopkins University's Coronavirus Resource Center.More than 20.3 mil…
(2020-08-12). Leaked documents reveal what TikTok shares with authorities — In the U.S. mronline.org 
A glimpse at what the social media platform does in the U.S. underscores that data privacy issues extend beyond China.
(2020-08-12). AEP 59: The American Trap sprung on Tiktok and Huawei, with Carl Zha. mronline.org 
Back with Carl Zha of Silk & Steel podcast, who we last saw in our episode on the India-China border conflict.
(2020-08-12). New Report Reveals U.S. Special Forces Active in 22 African Countries. strategic-culture.org 
While there is much talk, (or more accurately, condemnation) in Western media of China's imperialist motives in Africa, there is less discussion of the U.S.' continuing role. While China operates one base in the Horn of Africa and has greatly increased its economic role on the continent, the thousands of American troops operating in dozens of countries are overlooked.
(2020-08-12). Exposing US Color Revolution in Thailand Aimed at China. globalresearch.ca Western media — after claiming recent protests in Thailand were "leaderless" and comprised of "students," decries arrest of US-funded lawyer leading them — never mentions US funding. | *** | The Western media was quick to decry the arrest of 34 year-old …
(2020-08-12). MSM Smear Merchants Target Critics Of Establishment China Narratives. thealtworld.com slow-motion third world war against unabsorbed governments continues to accelerate, narrative management campaigns are getting more and more frenzied. We see this exemplified in two recent smear pieces published by imperial spinmeisters about critics of the establishment-authorized narratives about what's happening in China. | The oligarch-funded Axios has published a new article titled " The American blo…
(2020-08-12). Iran to set up pavilion at Chinese high-tech. fair. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 13 (MNA) — Iranian knowledge-based companies are planning to set up a pavilion at 22nd edition of China Hi-Tech Fair (CHTF), which is going to be held on November 11 to 15 at Shenzhen Convention & Exhibition Center, Shenzhen, China.
(2020-08-12). Arkansas Man Planted 'Mysterious China Seeds', Drawing Concerns From USDA. sputniknews.com The United States Department of Agriculture has issued a warning against "questionable" foreign seeds, advising Americans not to plant them. The warning came after multiple reports emerged of US citizens receiving unsolicited packages from China and other Asian countries containing the seeds.
(2020-08-11). China extends Hong Kong legislature for a year. rt.com 
The top legislature in Beijing has extended the mandate for the current group of Hong Kong lawmakers for a year from its expiry date of September 30, after a scheduled election was delayed. | The decision by China's legislature means Hong Kong's 70-member Legislative Council, or LegCo, will continue to perform its duties for "no less than a year" and until the next LegCo starts its four-year term, the Xinhua news agency reported on Tuesday. | Critics say the decision to postpone the election was political and came after China adopted new national security laws in late June that affect the city, Reuters said.
(2020-08-11). Trump and Biden, Two Ignoble Minds Here O'erthrown. counterpunch.org 
At the presidential level and perhaps down-ticket too, this year's electoral circus will be a spectacle well calculated to cause disgust and despair — thanks mainly to Donald Trump's unprecedented machinations, but also because, at least in the presidential contest, the main contenders, both of them, are embarrassingly unfit to serve. For kindness sake, one
(2020-08-11). U.S. and China Will Not Go to War Before the Presidential Elections as Some Speculate. globalresearch.ca Wang Yunfei, a recently retired Chinese naval officer announced online that U.S. President Donald Trump could launch a "controlled" military conflict with China in the South China Sea to increase his chances in the upcoming presidential election. Some analysts …
(2020-08-11). Philippines not to join wargames in the South China Sea. wsws.org Duterte's announcement that the Philippines will not participate in US naval exercises in the disputed waters comes amid a dramatic escalation of Washington's preparations for war with China.
(2020-08-11). Trump, Kushner promised money by MBS: Prof. Askari. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 10 (MNA) — Professor Hossein Askari, an expert on Saudi Arabia, believes that the US will be reducing its footprint in the Middle East and China will be poised to fill the vacuum.
(2020-08-11). The Debate That's Needed on How to Engage With China—Before It's Too Late. thenation.com The Debate That's Needed on How to Engage With China—Before It's Too Late…