The world’s opinion of China got even worse
The China Letter: October 13, 2020
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What the numbers say
Pew Research Center surveyed people in 14 countries to conclude that opinions of China have soured in the past year, with a notable rise of animosity in Australia. The coronavirus contributed to the feelings—more so with older respondents—while at least seven out of ten people in every nation polled by Pew disapprove of President Xi.
China goes on vacation
Pictures from the National Day holiday week showed people travelling like the pandemic is in the past, as the masked and unmasked alike gathered at sites such as the Great Wall of China. But a different trend was evident in Hong Kong, where traditional visitors from mainland China were conspicuously absent:
Hong Kong’s police presence on National Day resulted in 86 arrests of protesters, but the new security law deterred a reprise of the “day of mourning” one year earlier, which drew attention to Beijing’s heavier hand. Nonetheless, the news stories still surface about incidents like a teacher losing their licence for promoting independence.
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Flames fanned in London
National Day was marked in the U.K. with protests that included a flag burning outside the Chinese embassy in London, which led Beijing to call for the protesters to be imprisoned. But subsequently, 39 countries at the United Nations issued a statement condemning China, expressing “grave concerns” over its human rights abuses.
A questionable opinion
While many recent actions of China would presumably clash with the editorial polices of a liberal newspaper, the New York Times published a piece by a Hong Kong legislator with Beijing ties: Regina Ip argued that the security law and related crackdowns were a necessary measure, an argument that led to backlash across the U.S. political spectrum.
China’s latest attempt at retaliation against the U.S. reportedly involves reviewing Google based on allegations that it used the Android operating system to stifle competition—a year after domestic rival Huawei filed a complaint along these lines. Meanwhile, the White House’s attempt to block TikTok and WeChat remains in limbo.
The last words, for now
Chinese firm Qiui developed a device called the Cellmate Chastity Cage, which was designed to let men give a partner internet-enabled access to lock and unlock their genitals. But it acquired international notoriety for a different reason once it was discovered that a hacker could permanently lock in the private parts of any cage-wearer:
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