Communist China's Economic Statistics: Always a Guessing Game
Commentary
Employing a standard communist tactic, Beijing's information warfare campaign to blunt and mask the potentially devastating effects of U.S. tariffs kicked into high gear with a flurry of stories citing rosy Chinese growth and production statistics.
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Kiwiblog
10 minutes ago
- Kiwiblog
Guest Post: Silenced for exposing foreign interference in NZ? Surely not.
A guest post by Nice Hanne of the Free Speech Union: I saw this for myself last Friday in the Manukau District Court when I went to support Portia Mao on behalf of the Free Speech Union. Don't let Portia's appearance or gentle demeanour fool you. This pint-sized Kiwi-Chinese journalist isn't backing down to anyone or anything. Portia is a fierce defender of free speech. Coming to NZ over twenty years ago in search of a democratic society to call home, Portia has earned a reputation amongst the NZ Chinese community for her uncompromising stand against foreign interference by the Communist Party of China (CCP). Exposing the increasingly brazen intimidation tactics and influence peddling in NZ politics by emboldened supporters of the CCP, some dissidents have already paid a heavy price for calling out this anti-democratic agenda. Last year it was Portia's turn. As a result of working with journalists at Stuff to expose CCP influence in NZ, Portia was shocked to find herself subject to a District Court interim order after she criticised an aspiring East Auckland political candidate for his strident pro-CCP views. Prevented by law from speaking out about the issue and unsure how to challenge the judge's interim order, Portia reached out to the Free Speech Union for help. We connected Portia with Callum Fredric (a fantastic Auckland-based barrister who really cares about this cause). We shared Portia's story with you – our supporters – as well as with the media. And we began a fundraising drive to support Portia's legal challenge. Many of you contributed with donations and messages of support which allowed Portia last month to challenge the court order in a bid to have it overturned. How could a NZ journalist be silenced in this way under NZ law? Portia was targeted using a poorly drafted law. The Harmful Digital Communications Act (HDCA), passed in 2015 (and originally designed to protect vulnerable young people from online harm) is now being appropriated by cynical adults to suppress legitimate political expression from their critics. To be clear, being punished under the HDCA is not the same thing as defamation. Rather, the HDCA is concerned with subjective claims of 'harm' – this means that truth is not a valid defence. The HDCA is an almost-perfect political censorship tool. It allows authoritarian sympathisers and potential agents of foreign governments to silence Kiwis who dare to speak up for democracy. It then also threatens heavy financial penalties for those organisations, such as news or social media platforms, which share the journalist's work. Yep, you're reading that right. In our rush to protect kids from horrible online influences we've somehow denied our society not only a fundamental civil liberty, but its best defensive weapon against foreign interference. Handing a club to the opponents of democracy; should we really be surprised they're bludgeoning us over the head with it? The HDCA is also a radical departure from traditional legal principle in that it allows for the emotional subjectivity of a complainant to substantiate their own claim that 'harm' has been caused. Just so we're clear, this means that to establish whether certain digital communications deserve censoring, all that is required is for a self-proclaimed victim to strenuously maintain the digital communication in question was 'grossly offensive' to them. No specialist or clinical expert is even needed to endorse this self-diagnosis. What can Kiwis do about this problem? We need more Kiwis to realise what's going on. We're now waiting for a decision in Portia's case from the judge, and as soon as we have it we'll be sure to publicize it. But her case is not the only example of this kind. We have evidence to suggest that dozens of similar abuses of the HDCA have occurred but have largely gone unreported. Not only is the FSU campaigning for legislative reform of the HDCA, but we're also calling on – and calling out – those in positions of power who aren't saying or doing anything about the foreign interference Portia is trying to combat. Because if those people in charge are too afraid, how can we expect anyone else to speak up? Many politicians have chosen to remain quiet. Either intimidated or simply hoping they can wish away the problem, many are nervous about upsetting a major trading partner. This issue is not your run-of-the-mill 'ambiguous ethics of trade' dilemma. This is political interference happening on NZ soil. Apparently, it's easier for some to forget that free speech – not a free trade agreement – is the lifeblood of a democracy. Free speech allows our nation to flourish domestically and empowers us to exercise independence from the unprincipled and often ruthless whims of authoritarian governments like that of China. We can't leave a few brave souls to fight this situation by themselves. A small principled voice, though mighty like Portia's, will not be enough to combat the growing influence of foreign and domestic voices, however, even in a small country, will make it loud and clear to those who interfere in our democracy that free speech in NZ is non-negotiable. UPDATE: The FSU won the court case. Yay.
Epoch Times
11 minutes ago
- Epoch Times
Hypertension Through the Lens of TCM: Underlying Causes and Natural Treatments
Hypertension, or high blood pressure, affects more than one billion people worldwide and remains one of the most prevalent chronic conditions of modern life. While conventional medicine often relies on long-term medication to manage blood pressure, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) offers a holistic approach that addresses the root causes rather than suppressing the symptoms. By viewing hypertension through modern and traditional frameworks, we can uncover integrative strategies that restore balance, improve circulation, and support the body's innate ability to heal. The Pathogenesis of Hypertension in TCM TCM understands hypertension as a multifactorial condition involving imbalances among the organs, emotions, and lifestyle. 4 Core Components of Developing Hypertension Causative factors: Emotional disturbances—such as anger, depression, and anxiety—along with irregular lifestyle habits, excessive intake of spicy or greasy foods, and overindulgence in sexual activity, are all potential contributors to hypertension in TCM theory. Nature of the condition: Hypertension is seen as a pattern of 'yin deficiency leading to yang hyperactivity.' In Affected o rgans: The liver and kidneys are primarily implicated. The liver governs qi movement and emotions, while the kidneys store essence and regulate water and energy balance. Pathological mechanisms: In TCM, the main pathological factors contributing to hypertension are phlegm and blood stasis—concepts loosely analogous to atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) and thrombosis (formation of blood clots) in modern medicine. Overlooked Causes of Hypertension In clinical practice, many patients become reliant on antihypertensive medications without addressing the underlying causes of their condition.
eNCA
23 minutes ago
- eNCA
Japan, China trade barbs over fighter jet manoeuvres
BEIJING - Beijing condemned what it called "dangerous behaviour" by a Japanese military plane over the Pacific after Tokyo said Chinese fighter jets flew unusually close to its aircraft at the weekend. The Japanese government had complained to China over the incident, in which no Japanese military personnel were reported injured. A Chinese J-15 fighter jet from the Shandong aircraft carrier followed a Japanese P-3C patrol plane for 40 minutes on Saturday, according to the Japanese defence ministry. Two J-15 jets then did the same for 80 minutes on Sunday. "During these long periods, the jets flew unusually close to the P-3C, and they flew within 45 metres" of the patrol plane on both days, an official from the Japanese ministry told AFP. Also on Sunday, Chinese jets cut across airspace around 900 metres ahead of a P-3C Japanese patrol plane at the same altitude -- a distance a P-3C can reach within a few seconds at cruising speed, Tokyo said. "We do not believe that this approach was made by mistake," the Japanese military's chief of staff Yoshihide Yoshida told reporters on Thursday. "Given it happened for 40 minutes and 80 minutes, for two days in a row, our understanding is that it was done on purpose," he said. Beijing's foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian hit back at the Japanese description of the events. "The root cause of the risk to maritime and air security was the close reconnaissance of China's normal military activities by a Japanese warplane," he said.
