Emanuele Scimia

The legal scholar was arrested for soliciting prostitutes. For his friends and colleagues, he is the victim of trumped up charges, brought against him because of his criticisms of the regime. Meanwhile, the authorities continue to crack down on dissent with sham trials. Human rights lawyer Wang Quanzhang is appealing his conviction.

The democratic opposition has chosen candidates for the September elections for the renewal of the local Parliament. Organizers: The high turnout represents a rejection of Beijing's security law. Benny Tai: the pro-democracy front can win more than 45 seats. If disqualified by the authorities, the primary winners will appoint their replacement.

My comments (in Italian) on the Gospel, 15th Sunday of year (Matthew 13:1-23)

The proposed mine is in a protected national forest some 90 km from the capital. China is financing the US$ 2 billion, project building roads and bridges in exchange for access to bauxite. Environmental groups warn that rare species and water supply for millions of people are at risk. Increasingly, activists are turning to the courts to stop polluting activities in Africa.

Xi Jinping unveiled a three-year plan to support state-owned companies. The US and the EU want equal treatment for their companies. Some within China's power structure want to privatise the country’s 130,000 state-owned enterprises. Ursula von der Leyen calls more balanced relations with Beijing. For US Treasury Secretary, without Chinese reforms, decoupling will be inevitable.

Premier Lee Hsien Loong has announced that he will leave office once the coronavirus emergency ends. Battle against the pandemic and the economic crisis are the main themes of the election campaign. The country is in recession. The prime minister's brother sides with the opposition.

The grandfather of current leader Kim Jong-un was a trusted Soviet ally. Historians have doubts about his role in the anti-Japanese resistance. He founded the first communist dynasty in history. After his death, the country entered a period of crisis.

They must swear allegiance to institutions and the Basic Law in writing. Democracy activists: They want to align state officials with government positions. Students will no longer be able to sing the anthem of the democracy movement.

Microsoft, Zoom, Facebook, Google and Twitter are vetting the implications of the new law for their users. The legislation requires them to work with investigations. For analysts, tech giants are taking their time, but in the past, they have worked with China. This might change if the Trump administration intervenes.

Under Beijing’s control the office is in charge of executing the legislation that bans criticism of the regime. Homeland security forces have settled in the city. The Office will be headed by Zheng Yanxiong, considered a "hawk" of the regime.

Following an initial boom at the beginning of the pandemic, many factories in the sector have closed their doors. With over 200 million masks produced per day, excess production has closed factories down. Left without a job, workers protest over unpaid arrears. About 350 euros per month to produce 3 thousand sanitary masks.

The academician was charged with "soliciting prostitution ". He was suspended from teaching for an article against Xi's lifetime presidency. He was also critical of the regime’s pandemic management. The Communist Party is leveraging the fight against coronavirus to crack down on dissident intellectuals.