qwename

joined 3 years ago
1
submitted 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) by qwename@lemmygrad.ml to c/china@lemmygrad.ml
 

As mentioned in the post (https://lemmygrad.ml/post/5205977) discussing a rule about anti-promotion of drugs and other substances:

If a lot of people oppose this rule, either by downvotes and/or number of comments, I will willingly step down as moderator of this community.

I didn't see a large opposition to this rule which has now been deleted (see https://lemmygrad.ml/post/5220158), but I will pass the moderator position back to the instance admins nevertheless, specifically to @GrainEater@lemmygrad.ml who gave me the position when I requested it months ago. This post can be used to select new moderators by leaving a comment if you're interested. I will also take part in applying to become a mod.

 

I'm sure some have seen the discussion around a new rule against the promotion of various substances in this community. This will be the summary based on data collected at this snapshot in time.

Post score (upvotes/downvotes): 33/19 (Note that hexbear users cannot downvote)

Number of users who left comments (including me): 21

Number of comments: 51 = 19 (left by me) + 32 (others)

The following is a crude categorization of the 32 comments left by others, each category begins with the name and a 4-tuple of (number of unique users, number of comments, total comment upvotes, maximum upvotes obtained by a single comment). If the same user left multiple comments that are categorized the same, only the comment with the highest upvote will be counted when tallying upvotes, the rest are excluded.

  • Agree (2 users, 4 comments, 7 upvotes total, 4 upvotes max): Comments that agree without giving an explanation, 2 comments excluded from upvotes total.
  • Agree because history (2 users, 2 comments, 16 upvotes total, 11 upvotes max) : Comments that agree and mention China's history.
  • Agree because history but questionable (2 users, 2 comments, 20 upvotes total, 14 upvotes max) : Comments that agree because of China's history, but raised questions
  • Disagree (2 users, 2 comments, 16 upvotes total, 9 upvotes max)
  • Medical (4 users, 7 comments, 29 upvotes total, 8 upvotes max) : Comments that mention medical properties of certain substances, or their normal use in certain cultures.
  • Abstain (1 user, 1 comment, 7 upvotes total, 7 upvotes max)
  • Others: Discuss rule (4 users, 7 comments), Joke (5 users, 5 comments), Off-topic (1 user, 2 comments)

The data show that most people agree to the rule partially due to China's history, but also question the necessity of having this rule and it's phrasing. Some people raised valid points about the medical properties of certain substances, and discussed changes to the rule to accommodate those points. Disagreements were seen mostly in downvotes or questions about the rule, only a few users left comments explicitly opposing the rule.

Overall I would conclude that there isn't a strong consensus to keep this new rule, especially not in its original phrasing, and modifications to the rule have not been thoroughly discussed. There has also not been any evidence to an urgent need for the rule. Thus the rule will be deleted from the community rules in the spirit of democratic centralism.

 

(Note that this post might be updated over time, do not cross-post it by copying the contents as it might become outdated)

There are already well-known platforms like marxists.org that have a comprehensive collection of the works of various Marxists, but they have yet to include prominent figures like Xi Jinping. As this is a community on China, this post will focus primarily on the works of Chinese Communists from official Chinese websites. The available Chinese resources are more comprehensive than English resources.

English resources

  • Qiushi Journal (http://en.qstheory.cn/) - English Edition of 求是杂志, a CPC Central Committee Bimonthly. Please note that this website does not support HTTPS!
  • National People's Congress (http://en.npc.gov.cn.cdurl.cn/) - English version of 中国人大网. Please note that this website does not support HTTPS!
  • Theory China (https://en.theorychina.org.cn/) - English version of 理论中国网, website by the History and Literature Research Institute of the CPC Central Committee (中共中央党史和文献研究院)
    • The section titled "Leaders' Works" includes: selected works of Mao Zedong 毛泽东, Zhou Enlai 周恩来, Liu Shaoqi 刘少奇, Zhu De 朱德, Deng Xiaoping 邓小平, Chen Yun 陈云, Jiang Zemin 江泽民. Only includes a few of the works by Hu Jintao 胡锦涛 and Xi Jinping 习近平.
    • The books are read through a browser ebook reader interface. Text can be selected and copied by first clicking on the "T" icon at the bottom-right corner for "Select Text" (on mobile, you have to tap on the circle with three dots first), then selecting the passage desired and clicking on the "Copy" button that appears near the cursor.

Chinese resources

  • 学习强国 (https://www.xuexi.cn/) - website by 中共中央宣传部 (Publicity Department of CPC Central Committee), in the section titled "学习理论":
    • 学习全书: Includes the works of 马恩 (Marx and Engels), 列宁 Lenin, 毛泽东 Mao Zedong, 邓小平 Deng Xiaoping, 江泽民 Jiang Zemin, 胡锦涛 Hu Jintao, 习近平 Xi Jinping.
    • 新时代 新经典: Comprehensive list of works by 习近平 Xi Jinping, including works published pre-2012 before he became 总书记 (General Secretary).
  • 理论中国网 (https://www.theorychina.org.cn/) - website by the History and Literature Research Institute of the CPC Central Committee (中共中央党史和文献研究院)
  • 中央党史和文献研究院网 (https://www.dswxyjy.org.cn/) - website of History and Literature Research Institute of the CPC Central Committee
    • The section titled "成果总库" includes the works of more Chinese Communists than those in 学习全书 above, but some books still require Adobe Flash Player to be viewed.
  • 宣讲家网 (http://www.71.cn/) - website by 中共北京市委宣传部 (Publicity Department of CPC Beijing Municipal Committee). Please note that this website does not support HTTPS!
    • The section titled "经典文献" includes the works of 马恩 (Marx and Engels), 列宁 Lenin, 毛泽东 Mao Zedong, 周恩来 Zhou Enlai, 刘少奇 Liu Shaoqi, 朱德 Zhu De, 邓小平 Deng Xiaoping, 陈云 Chen Yun, 任弼时 Ren Bishi, 江泽民 Jiang Zemin

Chinese audiobooks

  • 共产党员网 (https://www.12371.cn/) - website by 中央组织部 (Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee)
    • The sections titled "思想理论" and "理论学习有声书" contains audiobooks for the works of 毛泽东 Mao Zedong, 邓小平 Deng Xiaoping, 江泽民 Jiang Zemin, 胡锦涛 Hu Jintao, 习近平 Xi Jinping

Other languages

  • Theory China (website by the History and Literature Research Institute of the CPC Central Committee, 中共中央党史和文献研究院) is available in these languages: 中文, English, Français, Pусский, Español, Deutsch, 日本語, العربية. They all have the corresponding section for "Leaders' Works", but there may be less translated works depending on the language.
[–] qwename@lemmygrad.ml 9 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Additional context to answer some of the questions here: His superior Lai Xiaomin:

  • investigated in April 2018
  • arrested in Nov 2018
  • prosecuted in Feb 2019
  • first court trial in Oct 2020
  • sentenced to death on Jan 5, 2021
  • appeal rejected, verdict maintained on Jan 21, 2021
  • executed on Jan 29, 2021
  • corruption activities were between 2008 and 2018

As for Bai Tianhui:

  • arrested in Jan 2019
  • first court trial, sentenced to death, on May 28, 2024
  • corruption activities were between 2014 and 2018

So the jig was up when Lai was investigated in 2018, Bai was already doomed from that point on.

[–] qwename@lemmygrad.ml 7 points 1 year ago

If there's a reprieve it would be explicitly stated, none in this case.

[–] qwename@lemmygrad.ml 6 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

@Vampire@hexbear.net: I'd like to recommend the whitepaper published by the State Council Information Office of China in 2021, "Tibet Since 1951: Liberation, Development and Prosperity": http://www.news.cn/english/2021-05/21/c_139959978.htm

It's a long read but most of the questions brought up in your comments here can be found in the first 3 sections. Maybe it will clear up some of the inaccurate presentation of history like "Tibet was separate from China before 1720", "Then it was independent 1912-1950". Feel free to question the Chinese government if you believe that certain facts presented in the whitepaper are wrong, and bring your relevant authoritative sources to refute them.

 

Pyongyang, March 24 (KCNA) -- A meeting of the Central Committee of the Democratic Front for the Reunification of Korea (DFRK) took place here on Saturday.

Present there were presidium members of the Central Committee of the DFRK and representatives of political parties and social organizations.

The meeting stressed that the Workers' Party of Korea and the DPRK government branded the ROK clans, who have proclaimed the DPRK the “principal enemy” and pursued the "collapse of regime" and "unification by absorption" only in collusion with outside forces for nearly 80 years, as the most hostile state, invariable principal enemy and complete foreign country, not the partner for reconciliation and reunification, and set up a new stand on the north-south relations and reunification policy.

And it reached a consensus that there is no need for the Central Committee of the DFRK, a pan-national united front organization, to exist any longer in the situation where the north-south relations are completely fixed into the relations between two states hostile to each other and the relations between two belligerent states, not the consanguineous or homogeneous ones.

The meeting decided to formally dissolve the Central Committee of the DFRK.

 

According to the modlog for !worldnews@lemmy.ml, @yogthos@lemmy.ml (display name: ☆ Yσɠƚԋσʂ ☆) was banned by the instance admin @davel@lemmy.ml on March 20, 2024 08:52:45PM for "spam". Upon examining the most recent 119 posts in that community (6 pages from https://lemmy.ml/c/worldnews?dataType=Post&sort=New to https://lemmy.ml/c/worldnews?dataType=Post&pageCursor=Pc99aa0&sort=New), I have found that yogthos is indeed the top poster in this past week, contributing to 19 out of 119 or almost 16% of the posts, with the second most posts coming from @naturalgasbad@lemmy.ca at 15 posts.

Just being the top poster over the past week or so doesn't make someone a spammer, if we examine yogthos' recent 19 posts, we can find that they vary in topics and sources. I hope that davel or someone can explain this ban or undo it if it was a mistake.

List of 19 posts, ordered by most recent: (Number of posts on each page examined: 5+3+4+2+2+3=19)

Vietnam seeks death for tycoon in $12bn fraud case

https://www.bangkokpost.com/world/2761251/prosecutors-seek-death-penalty-for-mastermind-of-vietnams-largest-financial-scam

China keeps on finding ways to hurt USA Inc.

https://www.businessinsider.com/china-has-found-another-way-to-hurt-usa-inc-2024-3

Another Boeing emergency: Delta Airlines 737 plane makes emergency landing after one of the engines caught fire moments after taking off in Aruba

https://www.msn.com/en-xl/news/other/another-boeing-emergency-delta-airlines-737-plane-makes-emergency-landing-after-one-of-the-engines-caught-fire-moments-after-taking-off-in-aruba/ar-BB1kdWb9

Symbolism or Strategy? Ukraine Battles to Retain Small Gains.

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/20/world/europe/ukraine-russia-south.html

IDF chief Herzi Halevi expected to resign later this year, Israeli reports say

https://www.jpost.com/israel-hamas-war/article-792885

Brazil's Bolsonaro is indicted for first time over alleged falsification of his own vaccination data

https://apnews.com/article/bolsonaro-brazil-federal-police-indicted-covid-a0c1f1dba71553096d0de0f4f39d4caa

The Attritional Art of War: Lessons from the Russian War on Ukraine

https://rusi.org/explore-our-research/publications/commentary/attritional-art-war-lessons-russian-war-ukraine

UN weather agency issues ‘red alert’ on climate change after record heat

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/3/19/un-weather-agency-issues-red-alert-on-climate-change-after-record-heat

Lindsey Graham, visiting Kyiv, urges Ukraine to pass mobilization law

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/03/18/lindsey-graham-visiting-kyiv-urges-ukraine-pass-mobilization-law/

China is now visa-free for Europeans: Take a high-speed train to futuristic cities and fabulous food

https://www.euronews.com/travel/2024/03/18/china-is-now-visa-free-for-europeans-take-a-high-speed-train-to-futuristic-cities-and-fabu

What Might the US Owe the World for Covid-19?

https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/covid-19-gain-of-function-us-research

Record heat index of 62.3C scorches Rio de Janeiro

https://www.aljazeera.com/gallery/2024/3/18/photos-record-heat-index-of-62-3c-scorches-rio-de-janeiro

China's Global South exports surge in first two months

https://asiatimes.com/2024/03/chinas-global-south-exports-surge-in-1st-2-months/

America Pulls Back from Ukraine

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/14/briefing/ukraine-us-aid.html

Niger revokes military accord with US, junta spokesperson says

https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/niger-revokes-military-accord-with-us-junta-spokesperson-says-2024-03-16/

Here’s How The Russians Are Taking Out Ukraine’s M-1 Abrams Tanks

https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidaxe/2024/03/13/heres-how-russian-troops-are-taking-out-ukraines-m-1-abrams-tanks/

Funding failure puts US at China's high-tech mercy

https://asiatimes.com/2024/03/funding-failure-puts-us-at-chinas-high-tech-mercy/

Chinese buyers cancel, postpone Australian wheat buys amid global surplus

https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/chinese-buyers-cancel-or-postpone-australian-wheat-buys-amid-global-oversupply-2024-03-14/

I guess we now know who is all behind those Sinophobic anti-China posts online.

https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/14/24100984/cia-china-fake-social-media-spying

[–] qwename@lemmygrad.ml 11 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I'm not sure who you were, but I took over !china@lemmygrad.ml while you were away: https://lemmygrad.ml/post/3309739, welcome back!

 

Latest piece by China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on US. Chinese version: https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/wjbxw_new/202403/t20240314_11260665.shtml

Previous articles: https://lemmygrad.ml/post/559922

[–] qwename@lemmygrad.ml 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

the professor explains that a party reportly bluntly states that development in china has been rather uneven, unbalanced and lopsided. There are significant issues with party loyalty and corruption. Gaps between rural and urban areas are large. Many cadres don’t promote scientific innovation well and so on. It might not be correct to pin all of this on rightist errors by one man, but these are errors.

Maybe you could further explain how uneven development or any of the other issues are "rightist errors", there is a fundamental divide between people who outright reject Deng Xiaoping's policies and those who accept them with criticism. The policy of 一国两制 (One China, Two Systems) is probably the most suitable example that can be viewed as "rightist", letting Hong Kong and Macao continue to operate their capitalist system. Other less "egregious" examples are 经济特区 (Special Economic Zones) like Shenzhen and Hainan, there's also the "infamous" 社会主义市场经济 (socialist market economy).

once a country has been made independent of imperialists, nationalism becomes an obstacle to socialist development

China’s policy of peaceful coexistence would be helped by promoting a more internationalist stance in culture.

From Mao era's 世界人民大团结万岁 (Long live the great unity of the people of the world) to Xi era's 人类命运共同体 (community of shared future for mankind), China has always been advocating for internationalism.

Nationalism's call to unity is collectivism at the national-level, I agree that collectivism at different levels can be in conflict with each other, for example when family interests conflict with national interests. There is a Chinese saying "舍小家、为大家", which means something like "for the greater good", to describe putting the interests of the greater collective (nation) before the smaller collective (family/self).

Similarly, national interests and international interests can also be conflicting, but China doesn't choose nationalism or internationalism exclusively, it depends on the situation. When assisting the development of Global South countries, is that not internationalism at work? When handling disputes in the South China Sea, China defends its legitimate claims to the islands for national interests.

Nationalism can be reactionary when used at the expense of other nations (invasion, chauvinism, xenophobia), internationalism can be reactionary when used in disregard of legitimate national interests (like contributing to underdevelopment of the current nation, sounds familiar? That's what some people say when China provides cheap goods at the detriment of Chinese workers). Until world communism has been achieved, there's no simple "choice" between nationalism or internationalism, even then there will be new problems in the new world order.

[–] qwename@lemmygrad.ml 27 points 1 year ago (7 children)

China before Xi’s reforms was pretty much a capitalist hellhole. Corruption, environmental degradation and poverty were rampant

Those issues do not justify calling China during that period a "capitalist hellhole".

even the CPC’s official stance is that Deng made some rightist errors

Could you provide the source for this?

The CPC has also made errors in recent years by becoming more nationalistic and has moved slower on LGBTQ rights than is expected of a socialist country.

China's nationalism is controversial to some, probably because they think it's like the toxic "America First", or that it is not a very communist stance, but I do not see it as a mistake. Nationalism is fundamental for the survival of any nation that wishes to be independent and not controlled or invaded by foreign powers.

LGBTQ rights are important in the sense that they are treated as normal people, not "special" people. China is certainly lacking some LGBTQ rights that are available in other countries like same-sex marriage.

 

Related articles:

The Lancet: AAV1-hOTOF gene therapy for autosomal recessive deafness 9: a single-arm trial https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(23)02874-X/fulltext

The Harvard Gazette: Gene-therapy breakthrough allows congenitally deaf children to hear https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2024/01/gene-therapy-breakthrough-allows-congenitally-deaf-children-to-hear/

Massachusetts Eye and Ear: Gene Therapy Restores Hearing in Children with Hereditary Deafness https://www.masseyeandear.org/news/press-releases/2024/01/gene-therapy-restores-hearing-children-hereditary-deafness

[–] qwename@lemmygrad.ml 6 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

From today's (Jan 31) Chinese Foreign Ministry Regular Press Conference: https://www.mfa.gov.cn/eng/xwfw_665399/s2510_665401/202401/t20240131_11237282.html

AFP: It’s reported that the Chinese President yesterday in Beijing received credentials of ambassadors from many countries, including Afghanistan. Does it mean that the Chinese government officially recognizes the Afghanistan’s Taliban interim government?

Wang Wenbin: China’s policy on Afghanistan is consistent and clear. As a traditionally friendly neighbor of Afghanistan, China is committed to a foreign policy of friendship towards all Afghan people and has maintained diplomatic ties and exchange and cooperation in various areas with Afghanistan. It is normal diplomatic arrangement for China to receive the new ambassador to China sent by the Afghan interim government and for him to present his credentials to the Chinese leader. We hope that the international community will step up engagement and exchange with the Afghan interim government, encourage it to actively respond to international concerns, jointly help with Afghanistan’s reconstruction and development, and support Afghanistan’s effort to combat violent terrorist forces and contribute to regional peace, stability and prosperity.

Bloomberg: Can you state clearly if China recognizes the Taliban government or not. In the case where it does not recognize the Taliban government of Afghanistan, what does the Taliban government have to do in order to get official recognition from China?

Wang Wenbin: I said in my previous answer that it’s normal diplomatic arrangement for China to receive the new ambassador to China sent by the Afghan interim government and for him to present his credentials to the Chinese leader. 

You asked whether China officially recognizes the Afghan interim government, I would like to say that China believes that Afghanistan should not be excluded from the international community. We hope Afghanistan will further respond to the expectations of the international community, build an open and inclusive political structure, adopt moderate and prudent domestic and foreign policies, firmly combat all forms of terrorist forces, develop friendly relations with other countries, especially with its neighbors, and integrate itself into the world community. We believe that diplomatic recognition of the Afghan government will come naturally as the concerns of various parties are effectively addressed.

 

Read more: Xinhua Headlines: 200 years on, scars left by Monroe Doctrine still clear on Latin America https://english.news.cn/20240119/bc26fa350cae42f9a6c760afdfc602a7/c.html

Chinese version: 国际观察|扎入拉美“血管”的霸权利刃——起底美国“门罗主义”干涉拉美二百年 http://www.news.cn/20240121/f61c65ab6a7d4d168307087ffc577be1/c.html

新闻背景|美国抱持“门罗主义”干涉拉美大事记 http://www.news.cn/20240121/ff9bdf0e97fe49b1a38a1f690aabe024/c.html

[–] qwename@lemmygrad.ml 6 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Comrades, I have made a mistake, the video from China Daily loaded on mobile and I see that he is actually pointing at the speed display above the carriage door, saying that the train was moving at 300 kph.

I shall now see myself to the gulags in shame.

[–] qwename@lemmygrad.ml 29 points 1 year ago (2 children)

He is pointing at a TV.

Xi Jinping and Putin taking the high-speed rail to Tianjin, China in 2018-06-08, during Putin's visit.

Video: https://baijiahao.baidu.com/s?id=1602713068773632490

Putin's China trip: High-speed train, ice hockey, local snacks https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201806/09/WS5b1b6670a31001b82571f152.html

 

My summary of the statements from Russia/US/UK/China about the legality of US and UK's attacks on Yemeni territory

Russia:

VASSILY A. NEBENZIA (Russian Federation) noted the massive strike on Yemeni territory on 11 January by “a so-called international coalition”, headed by the United States and United Kingdom and including Australia, Canada, Bahrain and the Netherlands ...

... The exercise of the right to self-defence does not apply to commercial shipping, he said, noting that freedom of navigation is governed by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which provides for negotiation and arbitration in the event of violations.

... the concept of piracy does not apply in this case and pointed out: “Even if we’re talking about pirates, the Convention gives you the right to seize a pirate vessel and prosecute the crew and not to bomb yet another country back to the Stone Age.”

... resolution 2722 (2024) does not authorize the arbitrary acts that the United States and its satellites are carrying out in Yemen.

UK:

BARBARA WOODWARD (United Kingdom) recalled that on 9 January, the Houthis attacked naval vessels of her country and the United States. On 11 January, her country took limited, necessary and proportionate action in self-defence alongside the United States, with the non-operational support of the Netherlands, Canada, Bahrain and Australia.

... The United Kingdom published a summary of its legal position on its strikes against the Houthis and reported to the Council in writing in accordance with Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations.

US:

LINDA THOMAS-GREENFIELD (United States) noted that in response to ongoing and escalating Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, the United States and United Kingdom, with support from four countries, conducted a number of joint strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen to disrupt and degrade their ability to continue those reckless attacks. The strikes were necessary and proportionate, consistent with international law and the United States’ inherent right to self-defence under Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations. ...

She noted that on 18 December, the United States formed Operation Prosperity Guardian, a 22-country defensive coalition, citing ongoing Houthi attacks and her country’s military response, while pursuing a diplomatic response. She cited resolution 2722 (2024), which references the inherent right of Member States to defend their vessels. ...

China:

ZHANG JUN (China) expressed grave concern over the launch of strikes against the Houthis by the United Kingdom and the United States. His country called repeatedly on the Houthis to immediately cease their attacks and harassments on commercial vessels and respect the navigation rights of the commercial vessels of all countries. ...

... Expressing regret over the latest military actions against Yemen, he observed that they destructed infrastructure and caused civilian casualties. They also heightened security risks in the Red Sea and risked undermining the ongoing political process. The Council has never authorized any State to use force. Their military actions are at odds with Council resolution 2722 (2024). No country shall misinterpret or abuse international law. ...

Russia:

Mr. NEBENZIA (Russian Federation), taking the floor a second time, called the arguments put forward by the United States and the United Kingdom “very weak”. There is no legal basis on which to justify their attacks on sovereign Yemen, he underscored, questioning what right to self-defence can exist when London and Washington, D.C., are thousands of miles away from the Gulf of Aden. Disproportionately and illegally bombing another State is not the same as defending commercial shipping. “The Anglo-Saxon juror and their satellites”, he said, are once again flagrantly violating the Charter of the United Nations and other norms of international law, further destabilizing the situation in a Middle East already in flames. ...

US:

Ms. THOMAS-GREENFIELD (United States) said that her delegation was clear in its statement — “despite the fact that my Russian colleague thinks it was weak”. The United States carried out action under Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations to ensure freedom of navigation and the free flow of commerce. ...

UK:

Ms. WOODWARD (United Kingdom) said that her delegation has both “published a summary of our legal position on last night’s strikes” and reported to the Council in writing in accordance with Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations.

What is this Article 51? https://www.un.org/en/about-us/un-charter/full-text

Article 51

Nothing in the present Charter shall impair the inherent right of individual or collective self-defence if an armed attack occurs against a Member of the United Nations, until the Security Council has taken measures necessary to maintain international peace and security. Measures taken by Members in the exercise of this right of self-defence shall be immediately reported to the Security Council and shall not in any way affect the authority and responsibility of the Security Council under the present Charter to take at any time such action as it deems necessary in order to maintain or restore international peace and security.

 

Link includes press releases, verbatim records, videos (https://icj-cij.org/index.php/cases/multimedia/192) of this International Court of Justice (ICJ) case between South Africa and Israel.

[–] qwename@lemmygrad.ml 9 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)

The Bloomberg article cited (https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-01-09/china-says-cracked-apple-s-airdrop-to-identify-message-sources or https://archive.is/XnvO8) once again doesn't mention the relevant institute by name, but here's the Chinese article from Beijing Municipal Bureau of Justice: 2024-01-08 司法鉴定:司法鉴定揭开“隔空投送”匿名传输的神秘面纱 https://sfj.beijing.gov.cn/sfj/sfdt/ywdt82/flfw93/436331732/index.html

This paragraph reveals how they found out the AirDrop sender's email and phone number:

北京网神洞鉴司法鉴定所的司法鉴定技术专家们通过深度解析iPhone设备日志,明确传输原理,找出了与AirDrop 相关的记录。经检验发现发送者的设备名、邮箱和手机号相关字段,其中手机号与邮箱相关字段是以哈希值的形式记录,且哈希值部分字段被隐藏。为实现快速破解该字段,技术团队制作了一张详尽的手机号与邮箱账号“彩虹表 ”,能够将密文转换成原始文本,快速锁定发送者的手机号与邮箱账号。

Basically the sender's phone number and email addresses were stored as hash values, but the hashes were just partial values. The judicial appraisal institute "北京网神洞鉴" created rainbow tables (precomputed table for caching the outputs of a cryptographic hash function, usually for cracking password hashes) to bruteforce the information.

As Chinese mobile numbers follow certain formats (11 digits, starts with 1, known list of prefixes etc.) it is probably very easy to generate a rainbow table for this. Though the article doesn't mention if the phone numbers and email had separate hash values so this is just one way to do it.

From Apple's "AirDrop security" page we can see that this matches up: https://support.apple.com/guide/security/airdrop-security-sec2261183f4/web

AirDrop uses iCloud services to help users authenticate. When a user signs in to iCloud, a 2048-bit RSA identity is stored on the device, and when the user turns on AirDrop, an AirDrop short identity hash is created based on the email addresses and phone numbers associated with the user’s Apple ID.

When a user chooses AirDrop as the method for sharing an item, the sending device emits an AirDrop signal over BLE that includes the user’s AirDrop short identity hash. Other Apple devices that are awake, in close proximity, and have AirDrop turned on, detect the signal and respond using peer-to-peer Wi-Fi, so that the sending device can discover the identity of any responding devices.

This article is about the AirDrop receiver finding out the sender's information, but doesn't mention if the reverse is possible. But if we look at the same AirDrop security page, it is probable that in AirDrop "Everyone mode" an attacker could find out the information of Apple devices around them:

In Contacts Only mode, the received AirDrop short identity hash is compared with hashes of people in the receiving device’s Contacts app. If a match is found, the receiving device responds over peer-to-peer Wi-Fi with its identity information. If there is no match, the device doesn’t respond.

In Everyone mode, the same overall process is used. However, the receiving device responds even if there is no match in the device’s Contacts app.

For people using Apple devices or even other brands, especially in the US, take caution as this is a finding one Chinese local government published, who knows how many vectors of attack the US intelligence agencies is aware of.

[–] qwename@lemmygrad.ml 18 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I agree with the part about owning our digital tools, the Fediverse community turns social media into a more transparent process with FOSS, and helps to turn otherwise complex software into user-friendly packages that can be setup more easily, thus putting more power into the hands of the people.

We still have to keep in mind that decentralized FOSS social media platforms aren't different from traditional social media in terms of potential to turn into reactionary walled gardens. So there needs to be something done different to avoid the cycle of:

(anarchist) decentralization -> (capitalist) centralization -> (anarchist) re-decentralization

[–] qwename@lemmygrad.ml 5 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)

Edit: Even the original news from Times of India has changed the title to "Hindi research scholars from China visit RSS’ Smruti Mandir, Deekshabhoomi in Nagpur"

Previously: https://nitter.net/INCKerala/status/1743223676906979435

2023-01-06 Hindi research scholars from China visit RSS’ Smruti Mandir, Deekshabhoomi in Nagpur https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/china-diplomats-visit-memorial-of-rss-founder-keshav-baliram-hedgewar/articleshow/106556110.cms

A Chinese team comprising Hindi scholars, who attended a workshop at Wardha’s Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalaya (Hindi University), visited prominent places in Nagpur, including Smruti Mandir at Reshimbagh on their return trip on December 7. Smruti Mandir houses the memorial of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s (RSS) founder Keshav Baliram Hedgewar.

RSS has clarified the Chinese delegation visited the Hedgewar memorial as part of its sight-seeing tour of Nagpur and did not visit the Sangh headquarters here at Mahal.

Also, they did not interact with any senior RSS functionary at Smruti Mandir, which is open to all citizens and tourists for paying homage to the Sangh founder and does not even maintain a visitors’ register. Smruti Mandir in-charge showed them around.

The Chinese team, which had earlier in the day visited Mahatma Gandhi’s Sevagram Ashram at Wardha, also toured other landmarks in Nagpur, including Deekshabhoomi, where Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar embraced Buddhism with lakhs of followers and the Zero Mile pillar.

The delegation from China expressed optimism that the visit will go a long way in forging cultural and educational ties between the two countries. Students of Hindi University, Wardha, were also given prizes after a quiz and a Chinese calligraphy competition.

==========

I missed the later news when looking up this story, maybe someone can clarify if this is another case of media blunder.

2023-01-05 Unprecedented: Chinese diplomats visited RSS Smruti Mandir in December https://www.nagpurtoday.in/unprecedented-chinese-diplomats-visited-rss-smruti-mandir-in-december-report/01051520

In an unprecedented diplomatic engagement, a team of Chinese diplomats paid a visit to the Smruti Mandir of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in Nagpur in the first week of December, media reports said. The RSS is notable for its ideological disapproval of China and criticism of Chinese expansionist policies.

According to the reports, the visit, which transpired in early December, marked the first instance of Chinese diplomats of any level setting foot in the headquarters of the RSS. The delegation comprised middle-ranking officials from the Chinese consulates in Delhi and Mumbai. Despite their inability to rendezvous with RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat due to his absence, they were cordially received by a senior RSS functionary who escorted them around the campus.

The Chinese delegation also graced Wardha’s Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalaya, a university renowned for offering courses in Chinese. This hints at a potential cultural exchange element associated with their visit.

2023-01-06 'Team of Scholars Touring City': RSS Denies Visit by Chinese Envoy's Delegation https://www.news18.com/india/team-of-scholars-touring-city-rss-denies-visit-by-chinese-envoys-delegation-8729827.html

A day after it was reported that a Chinese delegation from the envoy’s office visited the headquarters of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in Nagpur, the organisation, in a clarification, denied the visit and said no such communication about the visit ever reached the Sangh office.

According to an RSS functionary, the team was not from the envoy’s office, but a group of Chinese scholars that came to learn Hindi in Wardha’s Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwa Vidyalaya (Mahatma Gandhi International Hindi University). The team wanted to see some of the main tourist places in the city and their professor took them to the important ones, said the functionary. He added that the team that visited the Smruti Mandir (memorial of RSS founder Keshav Baliram Hedgewar) also visited other tourist places in Nagpur, including Zero Miles, Bapu Kutir and others.

The RSS further clarified that the team did not meet any functionary and the RSS office was not aware of such a visit. “Smruti Mandir is open to all like Rajghat. So, there is no need to keep a vigil there. It is a public place and has nothing to do with the RSS head office or senior functionaries of the RSS,” he added.

 

Pyongyang, December 13 (KCNA) -- "As long as the United States exists, you will never be alone."

This is what the U.S. frequently says to Israel.

The "true meaning" of those words has been brought to light by the U.S. unethical act of actively supporting Israel's massacre of Palestinians.

On December 8, the U.S. Department of State adopted a decision to immediately deliver about 14 000 tank shells to Israel, which is scaling up its barbarous military operations in Gaza Strip, without congressional review.

Only the U.S. vetoed a proposed United Nations Security Council demand for an immediate ceasefire between the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) and Israel on the same day, thus again pouring cold water on the efforts of the international community to prevent bloodshed in the Middle East.

Thus, the U.S. completely took off its veil of "mediator" for peace in the Middle East and betrayed before the world its "involvement" in the genocide of Palestinians.

It is the fact well known to the world that the U.S. has actively supported, encouraged and shielded the ceaseless moves of the Zionists for territorial expansion, not content with establishing a Jewish "state" by dividing the Palestinian territory.

The successive rulers of the U.S. have zealously supported the Zionists in a bid to continuously use them as a shock brigade for carrying out their strategy to split and dominate the countries in the Middle East.

But the point is that the U.S. is itself a Jewish state.

Now in the U.S. Jews and the pro-Israeli camp actually control almost all fabrics of society, including politics, economy and media, so its administration's invariable pro-Israeli policy has become an intrinsic demand of the U.S.

This time the U.S. announced that it adopted the above-said decision "in the light of its national security interests." This clearly indicates that the Jewish state U.S. deems Israel's security its own stability and security.

That's why the U.S. talked such rubbish that the ceasefire in the present situation only benefits Hamas, exercising veto at the UNSC meeting, and terms the just cause of Palestinians "terrorism" and Israel's massacre "exercise of the right to self-defense."

The Zionists, buoyed up by the U.S. support, are getting more frantic in their bloody killings.

Israeli troops, leaving Al-Shifa Hospital, the largest hospital in Gaza Strip, destroyed all medical equipment there, and reduced the last hospital in the northern part of Gaza to a "grave ward" through brutal bombardment. This is just a piece of evidence proving the terrible disaster caused by the U.S. patronage of Zionists' massacre.

Such an evil empire impudently calls for "protecting civilians and decreasing civilian casualties," further angering the international community.

Even some prejudiced international public opinions are now approaching the Middle East situation with a new vision and many countries of the world are becoming increasingly vocal in their criticism that the "Middle East strategy" pursued by the U.S. has brought nothing but a vicious cycle of bloody confrontation and war to the region.

Anti-U.S. demonstrations and rallies take place every day not only in Arab countries but also in some "allies" of the U.S., demanding a halt to encouraging and shielding the bloodshed in the Middle East.

The question is, until when will the U.S., being condemned and rejected worldwide and pushed to a pitfall, remain "faithful" to its "mission" as a "Jewish state"?

Time will prove that the U.S. will face due punishment by the international community for shielding Israel being fattened by the "feast of blood."

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