John Ai

Ageing and a drastic decrease in employment, with minimal income, are a serious obstacle to the survival of the 'first generation' that has been building the big metropolises since the mid-1980s. A report highlights the lack of social assistance and situations of neglect. Beijing censors complaints and blacks out criticism on social media.

The new Social Work Department of the Chinese Communist Party has been launched with a low profile. It aims to strengthen control over private enterprises and other social organisations, as well as deal with the petition system. It is also believed to have the function of an intelligence agency. In the 1940s, a similarly named body hunted down the Kuomintang and participated in purges.

According to official media reports, the new model focuses on the ideology and dictates of the party. The rule also embraces overseas Chinese, Hong Kong and the inhabitants of "rebellious" Taiwan. It also includes specific clauses for religious figures and worshippers and Internet service providers.

Nothing is known of the whereabouts of Zhang Sheng, a young man who carried a sign at Peking University calling for an end to one-party rule. After last year’s crackdown, political signs are back in the Chinese capital. The missing man held his protest at the same site where students gathered to demand an end to zero-COVID policies.

Data from the National Bureau of Statistics for May have set off immediate alarm bells among international financial institutions. The gloomy post-COVID economic outlook is worrying a population still marked by lockdowns and protests. As youth unemployment tops 20 per cent, the government scrubs critical facts and charts based on official data.

The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank’s global communications chief, Canadian Bob Pickard, quit and fled to Tokyo fearing retaliation. On Twitter, he slammed the financial institution. Meanwhile, pending a probe, Canada has frozen all government-led activities involving the bank. Sino-Canadian relations hit rough waters.

The “Henley Private Wealth Migration Report 2023” shows that Chinese tycoons are leaving in droves, giving China top spot for net outflow of high net worth individuals. After an economic boom that lasted between 2000 and 2017, China’s high-tech sector faces uncertainties because of Xi Jinping's policies. Singapore is the preferred destination in Asia. The quest for freedom and rights is a major factor behind the exodus.

Washington announces measures against Chinese and foreign companies for training military pilots and contributing to weapons development. Recruitment of military retirees from NATO countries in use for more than a decade. On the eve of Secretary of State Blinken's trip, expected in Beijing June 18, White House concern over spy base in Cuba.

In Tonghai County, the authorities crack down hard on protests against plans to impose a Chinese-style dome to a local mosque. By imposing its symbols, China is tightening its control and censorship over religions. Communications have been cut while a search for "Najiaying Mosque" on Weibo is censored. Muslim shops have been forced to remove Arabic words on their signboards.

A joke about Xi Jinping's military motto has landed Li Haoshi in hot waters, possibly behind bars even though charges have not yet been laid. The production company he worked for has been fined almost two million dollars and has suspended its shows. China cracks the whip of censorship a bit harder around the anniversary of the start of the Cultural Revolution.

The influx of economic migrants into China's four largest metropolitan areas has stopped. The population decline represents an epochal turning point for the country. The birth rate is also plummeting. The 'first-tier' cities are becoming less and less attractive due to high costs and fewer job opportunities.

The former engineering development manager of ByteDancen in the US has filed a lawsuit against the company. In the complaint, TikTok is accused of stealing content from other platforms and of censorship. On Douyin, the Chinese version, the algorithm promotes anti-Japanese content and criticism of the Hong Kong protests. The company lobbies in the US and Europe against the adoption of regulatory measures.