NYT: "Shou Chew, TikTok’s chief executive, explicitly said at the House hearing that ByteDance was 'not owned or controlled by the Chinese government.' China’s information push, however, showed just how deeply invested Beijing was in the company’s fate."https://t.co/4sXkuhKJA4
NYT: "Shou Chew, TikTok’s chief executive, explicitly said at the House hearing that ByteDance was 'not owned or controlled by the Chinese government.' China’s information push, however, showed just how deeply invested Beijing was in the company’s fate."https://t.co/4sXkuhKJA4
When members of Congress grilled TikTok’s chief executive last month on Capitol Hill, the app’s supporters sprang to its defense online.
The lawmakers were “old, tech-illiterate,” one said. “Out of touch, paranoid and self-righteous,” said another. The hourslong hearing “destroyed the illusion that US leads in cyber era,” read another post.
These particular barbs did not come from TikTok’s users — 150 million and counting in the United States — but from representatives of China’s government.
In an information campaign primarily run on Twitter, Chinese officials and state media organizations widely mocked the United States in the days before and after the hearing, accusing lawmakers of hypocrisy and even xenophobia for targeting the popular app, according to a report released on Thursday by the Alliance for Securing Democracy, a nonpartisan initiative from the German Marshall Fund.
TikTok, which is owned by the Chinese technology company ByteDance, has sought to assure American lawmakers that it is independent from China’s influence, and that it has extensive plans for securing Americans’ data and providing oversight of its content recommendations. Shou Chew, TikTok’s chief executive, explicitly said at the House hearing that ByteDance was “not owned or controlled by the Chinese government.”
China’s information push, however, showed just how deeply invested Beijing was in the company’s fate. Just hours before Mr. Chew’s testimony last month, China’s Commerce Ministry said it opposed a sale of TikTok in a direct rebuke of the Biden administration, which is pushing a sale.
Chinese officials “clearly feel a stake in it,” said Michael H. Posner, a former assistant secretary of state and now director of the Center for Business and Human Rights at the Stern School of Business at New York University.
The report from the Alliance for Securing Democracy found that Twitter accounts from Chinese diplomats and state media outlets posted nearly 200 tweets about TikTok in the week around the congressional hearing on March 23. That compared with fewer than 150 posts in all of January and February.
“China is careful not to interfere with other countries’ internal affairs or internal politics, so to have them weigh in so openly to encourage voters to riot — it’s outside the ordinary,” said Etienne Soula of the Alliance for Securing Democracy.https://t.co/76lixtznyX
Short abstract Silkworm pupae have high nutritional value and varied biological activities. Silkworm pupae are a valuable insect source for healthcare products, medicine, food additives, and feed. Allergic reactions induced by silkworm pupae need attention and further research. (‘Nutritional, functional, and allergenic properties of silkworm pupae’.
Why is it called Good Friday instead of Bad Friday?
“That terrible Friday has been called Good Friday because it led to the Resurrection of Jesus and his victory over death and sin and the celebration of Easter, the very pinnacle of Christian celebrations,” the Huffington Post reported.
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The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
By Fiza Pirani Updated April 3, 2023
Why is it called Good Friday and what’s so good about it?
Christians believe Jesus was mocked publicly and crucified on a solemn Friday two thousand years ago. Today, the calamitous day is celebrated as Good Friday.
But what’s so good about that?
One answer is that at the time of Jesus’ crucifixion, “good” may have referred to “holy” in Old English, a linguistic theory supported by many language experts.
According to Slate, the Oxford English Dictionary notes the Wednesday before Easter was once called “Good Wednesday.” Today, it’s more commonly known as Holy Wednesday.
And Anatoly Liberman, a University of Minnesota professor who studies the origins of English words, told Slate if we consider the alternative names for Good Friday, such as “Sacred Friday” (romance languages) or “Passion Friday” (Russian), this theory makes a lot of sense.
Another possible reason for its moniker — a theory supported by both linguists and historical evidence — refers to the holiday’s ties to Easter Sunday, which celebrates the resurrection of Christ.
Because Jesus couldn’t have been resurrected without dying, the day of his death is, in a sense, “good.”
“That terrible Friday has been called Good Friday because it led to the Resurrection of Jesus and his victory over death and sin and the celebration of Easter, the very pinnacle of Christian celebrations,” the Huffington Post reported.
A third answer, some believe, is that the “good” in Good Friday was derived from “God” or “God’s Friday” — the way the term “goodbye” comes from a contraction of the phrase “God Be With You.”
The revelation by law and institutional reform minister Azalina Othman Said of a letter purported to have been written by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat recommending disciplinary action against Justice Nazlan Ghazali for breaches of the Judges’ Code of Ethics raises many disturbing questions.
Firstly, the role and function of MACC.
The question that springs to mind is, has MACC the authority to investigate alleged breaches of the Judges’ Code of Ethics, and make recommendations to the chief justice for disciplinary action to be taken.
In the course of making the recommendation, MACC had taken upon itself the power and authority to interpret the relevant provisions of the code for it to come to the conclusion that Nazlan was conflicted when he presided over Najib Razak’s SRC case.
The question that follows is whether MACC is empowered to do so.
Earlier, MACC had publicly stated that its report had been handed over to the attorney-general (AG) for further action.
Having submitted the report to the AG, why then did MACC send the purported letter to the chief justice? This action by MACC raises questions as to the motive. .
It is highly alarming that classified documents are easily accessible from MACC. The integrity of MACC has clearly been compromised.
An investigation must be conducted to prevent further occurrences.
There is no doubt there are hidden hands in MACC without which such leakages could not have occurred.
The situation is aggravated by the many rumours and speculation swirling about.
Something must be done to put an end to all of this, and it is incumbent upon the AG to issue a clarification.
Zainur Zakaria is a former Malaysian Bar president and an FMT reader.
The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.
— simonthong aka kitty poo (@KittyPo80176717) April 6, 2023
The Case of Christ and the Chinese Emperor
Author Bleaux 4 years ago
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Emperor Guang Wu reigned during the time of Christ’s death and resurrection. The fact that he and astronomers knew Christ was God is shown in Chinese historical records dated around A.D 31.
“Yin and Yang have mistakenly switched, and the sun and moon were eclipsed. The sins of all the people are now on one man. Pardon is proclaimed to all under heaven.” History of Latter Han Dynasty, Volume 1, Chronicles of Emperor Guang Wu, 7th year.
“In the day of Gui Hai, the last day of the month, there was a solar eclipse. [The emperor] avoided the Throne Room, suspended all military activities and did not handle official business for five days.” History of Latter Han Dynasty, Vol. 1, Chronicles of Emperor Guang Wu, 7th year”.
Another historical record says:
“Eclipse on the day of Gui Hai, Man from Heaven died”. History of Latter Han, Annals, No. 18, Gui Hai.
As we know, when Christ died there was darkness that covered the earth.
“From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land.” Mark 15:33.
Three days after the eclipse this was recorded by Chinese astronomers:
“During the reign of Emperor Guang Wu, on the day of Bing Yin of the fourth month of Jian Wu, a halo–a rainbow–encircled the sun.” History of Latter Han, Annals No. 18, Gui Hai.
Christ’s resurrection also apparently caused a celestial event that was observable.
It is clear that Christ did not hide Himself from the Chinese people. I always found it odd that the far east is never mentioned in the New Testament. The Holy Spirit sent Paul and the apostles of His church throughout the ancient world to preach the Gospel, yet it always seemed that ancient China was overlooked. It was never overlooked. God knew that the Chinese people already saw the signs in the heavens.
The Chinese people recognized the King was born before the people of Israel did. They mourned His death when others were cheering. They recognized that something miraculous was occurring on the earth before it had ever been made public. God is not confined to our knowledge or our understanding of how He works. God has been revealing Himself for generations to the generations and He will continue to do so.
— simonthong aka kitty poo (@KittyPo80176717) April 6, 2023
Did emperor Guangwu really mention Jesus’ atonement? Is there any evidence for it’s authenticity? (Christian answers please) Source: History of the Latter Han dynasty, Volume 1, Chronicles of emperor Guangwu, 7th year
studied history from early age in English, + Chinese for over 40 years.Upvoted by C.J. Skamarakas, PhD History (2009)Author has 3.1K answers and 10M answer views11mo
Restricting your answers to “Christians answers please” indicates that you want to hear what you want to hear. Do you want me to tell you what you want to hear, or do you want to know about the Emperor Guangwu? Anyway, I was baptized as a Christian (Lutheran, Missouri Synod) so that should count for something.
Would it be unchristian if I said I get impatient with sloppy scholarship? Volume 1 of the History of the Later Han goes up to only year 5; year 7 is in Volume 2.
Year 7 was 31 CE, so there is some doubt as to whether the crucifixion had taken place by then or not. Even if it had, it would be quite remarkable if the news spread from Jerusalem to Changan so quickly. Fifteen hundred years later, it took official Church correspondence at least seven years to reach Macao from Italy on well established trade routes, under the auspices of the Catholic Church (reference Father Matteo Ricci).
Anyway, out of the goodness of my heart, I have copied the entirety of Year 7 for your reference: 七年春正月丙申詔中都官三輔郡國出繫囚非犯殊死皆一切勿案其罪見徒免為庶民耐罪亡命吏以文除之又詔曰世以厚葬為德薄終為鄙至于富者奢僭貧者單財法令不能禁禮義不能止倉卒乃知其咎其布告天下令知忠臣孝子慈兄悌弟薄葬送終之義二月辛巳罷護漕都尉官三月丁酉詔曰今國有眾軍並多精勇宜且罷輕車騎士材官樓船士及軍假吏令還復民伍公孫述立隗囂為朔寧王癸亥晦日有食之避正殿寑兵不聽事五日詔曰吾德薄致災謫見日月戰慄恐懼夫何言哉今方念愆庶消厥咎其令有司各修職任奉遵法度惠茲元元百僚各上封事無有所諱其上書者不得言聖夏四月壬午詔曰比陰陽錯謬日月薄食百姓有過在予一人大赦天下公卿司隸州牧舉賢良方正各一人遣詣公車朕將覽試焉五月戊戌前將軍李通為大司空甲寅詔吏人遭饑亂及為青徐賊所略為奴婢下妻欲去留者恣聽之敢拘制不還以賣人法從事是夏連雨水漢忠將軍王常為橫野大將軍八月丁亥封前河閒王邵為河閒王隗囂寇安定征西大將軍馮異征虜將軍祭遵擊卻之冬盧芳所置朔方太守田颯雲中太守喬扈各舉郡降是歲省長水射聲二校尉官
You can easily see that there is nothing there about surprising news from the distant west. The emperor discussed burials and human trafficking, and blamed himself for an eclipse, but other than that, it was a pretty quiet year.
UPDATE: Now I see where the problem arises. First, let me explain that Chinese rulers always considered that they were personally responsible for maintaining the harmony across the land, both man and nature (at least the good rulers did). Very early records, dating back to the Neolithic and originally passed down orally, quote various rulers as saying that all the faults: earthquakes, droughts, floods, eclipses, were all “my own personal responsibility” 在予一人: literally, word for word, “on me one person.” .
Something you see again and again in the histories, for thousands of years, that the emperor would quote this well known line; as often as not, it would be followed by proclaiming an amnesty. (Chinese Christians speak of 贖罪 for atonement, not 赦 amnesty. They are different words.)
So in 31 AD, the year in question, there was an eclipse: May 10, 31 AD. The emperor said that this was a sign that yin and yang were out of kilter, because the moon had come so close to the sun that there was a solar eclipse (食/蝕). The emperor took this personally, and said This is my own personal responsibility. As part of the SOP, he proclaimed an amnesty. .
Any idea that this phrase refers to Jesus and atonement displays a severe lack of knowledge of Chinese literature, philosophy, history, and basic Chinese grammar.
2. However, Azalina declined to comment, saying questions should instead be posted to lawyer Shafee Abdullah.
Sources told Malaysiakini, Shafee wrote to Azalina asking to confirm if MACC found Nazlan to be in conflict of interest when presiding over the SRC International case.
4. According to Malaysiakini, the letter was dated Feb 20, four days before a bench led by Tengku Maimun ruled that the MACC's probe on Nazlan had not followed protocol by not informing the chief justice beforehand.https://t.co/eIUe1JQe1P
. Russia’s economy, restricted from Western financial networks and the U.S. dollar, has embraced a burgeoning alternative: the Chinese yuan.
Energy exporters are increasingly getting paid in yuan. Russia’s sovereign-wealth fund, a war chest to support government spending burdened by battlefield costs in Ukraine, is using the Chinese currency to store its oil riches. Russian companies have borrowed in yuan, also known as renminbi, and households are stashing savings in it.
The Chinese currency’s rise inside Russia deepens ties between two countries that have long rivaled each other for global influence but have grown closer amid shared discontent with the West. It also serves China’s long standing but mostly frustrated campaign to make the yuan a more prominent feature of global finance and commerce. .
Moscow has jettisoned concerns about giving China too much leverage over its economy, said Alexander Gabuev, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
“Now it’s the only rational choice for Russia and for Putin,” Mr. Gabuev said. “If depending on renminbi is the lifeline that helps you to be less exposed and less dependent on hostile currencies, then you take this route.”
A spokesperson for the Russian Ministry of Finance said the yuan is “taking an increasingly important role” in its sovereign-wealth fund, which doubled the share of yuan it can hold to 60% in December. The ministry started selling yuan in January to plug its widening budget deficit. .
De-dollarization went into overdrive, and widened to include the euro, last year. Western countries froze some $300 billion of Russia’s foreign reserves and banned some of its banks from the SWIFT messaging system that underpins most global payments in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. .
Russians don’t face an outright ban on using dollars or euros, and non-sanctioned banks continue to do business in foreign currencies.
Booming trade between Russia and China added to the yuan’s appeal. China has become a major buyer of Russian oil that is shunned by the West, while Russia has grown more dependent on China for semiconductors and other technology. .
While still in its early days, some see Russia’s yuan use as a test case in a debate that has long captivated the financial world: Will the yuan eventually rival the dollar as the world’s dominant currency?
But building the infrastructure to circumvent the dollar-based financial system built up over decades is slow, difficult and expensive, said Eswar Prasad, a professor at Cornell University and former head of the International Monetary Fund’s China division.
China launched a cross-border payments system known as CIPS in 2015 that has been billed as an eventual competitor to the 50-year-old SWIFT network. But its system hasn’t yet been widely adopted by other countries, according to Mr. Prasad. Instead, Russian and Chinese banks rely on networks of local branches and correspondent banks to process transactions without SWIFT. The Russian central bank this month set up an international settlements department it said would focus on expanding settlements in national currencies.
While Russia’s use of the yuan doesn’t mean the end of dollar supremacy, it may usher in the beginning of a more fractured system that could ultimately blunt the U.S.’s ability to use financial sanctions as a weapon, said Daniel McDowell, a professor at Syracuse University who recently wrote a book on the topic.
“The more countries you force to find those alternatives,” Mr. McDowell said, “effectively what you’re going to do is increase economies of scale and experience in those areas.”
