China Now 27-01: Election in Taiwan and its aftermath
The China Now special program informs about this country's news. The first segment of this episode analyzes the election in Taiwan, Chinese Premier Li Qiang's visit to Davos and other top stories. The second segment covers new tech innovations, such as the new nuclear batteries, and an interview with Diana Sare, independent candidate for US Senate. teleSUR
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00:00 Hello, TELUS Ringlish presents a new episode of China Now, a Wave Media's production
00:13 that showcases the culture, technology and politics of the Asian giant.
00:18 In this first segment, China Currents dives into this week's top stories, including
00:22 the election in Taiwan and Chinese Premier Li Jian's visit to Davos, as well as the
00:28 latest in Chinese technology, among other topics.
00:30 Let's see.
00:34 China Currents is a weekly news talk show from China to the world.
00:37 We cover viral news about China every week and also give you the newest updates on China's
00:43 cutting-edge technologies.
00:45 Let's get started.
00:55 Hi welcome to China Currents, I'm Chris.
00:57 The top trending news in this week is undoubtedly the election in Taiwan and its aftermath.
01:04 Taiwan's leadership and legislature election were held on January 13th.
01:09 Candidates of the Democratic Progressive Party, Lai Ching-te and his running mate Xiao-Bi
01:13 Kim won the leadership election.
01:16 In the election of the island's 113-seat legislature, the Chinese Kuomintang Party
01:21 garnered 52 seats, the DPP won 51 seats and the Taiwan People's Party seized 8 seats.
01:28 After election, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson made remarks on the result of
01:33 the election in the Taiwan region.
01:35 The spokesperson said that "Whatever changes take place in Taiwan, the basic fact that
01:40 there is only one China in the world and Taiwan is part of China will not change."
01:46 Chen Binghua, spokesperson for the State Council of Taiwan Affairs Office said, "The result
01:50 revealed that the DPP cannot represent the mainstream public opinion on the island."
01:57 The US State Department has issued a statement on the election in China's Taiwan region.
02:02 Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson claimed that the statement "seriously violates the
02:07 one-China principle in the three-China-US joint communique."
02:11 The Taiwan question is at the very core of China's core interests and the first red
02:16 line.
02:17 The one-China principle is a basic norm in international relations, prevailing consensus
02:22 among the international community.
02:24 Just two days after election, on January 15, the Republic of Nauru announced that it would
02:30 cut the so-called diplomatic ties with the Taiwan authorities and re-establish diplomatic
02:35 relations with China as a recognition of the one-China principle, after the ties between
02:40 the two countries were severed in 2003.
02:44 The move was soon appreciated and welcomed by China's foreign ministry.
02:48 "The decision demonstrates that the one-China principle is the common aspiration," said
02:54 a spokesperson of the ministry.
02:56 Nauru is an Oceanian island country with an area of only 21 square kilometers and a population
03:02 of approximately 10,000 residents, making it the third smallest country in the world.
03:08 After Nauru's re-establishment of diplomatic relations with China, Taiwan authorities now
03:13 remain holding the so-called diplomatic ties with only 12 countries.
03:19 Taiwan's economy has also been impacted by the election.
03:22 According to a report from Taiwan Economic Daily News, Taiwan's stock market has faced
03:26 three consecutive days of decline following the election of Lai Ching-te.
03:31 In another report by China Times on the 17th, the new Taiwan dollar, NTD, experienced significant
03:37 devaluation following the election.
03:39 On the 16th, the NTD witnessed a sharp decline with increased foreign capital outflows.
03:46 At one point, it reached 31.4 against the US dollar and closed at 31.392, marking a
03:53 substantial depreciation of 1.77 cents, the largest drop in a year.
03:58 On the 17th, the NTD further depreciated by 1.97 cents against the US dollar, closing
04:04 at 31.589 and hit a nearly two-month low.
04:09 Next up, on January 16th, Chinese Premier Li Qiang met with European Commission President
04:14 Ursula von der Leyen during the World Economic Forum's annual meeting 2024 in Davos.
04:20 Premier Li expressed China's willingness to import more marketable EU products and
04:25 expressed hope that EU would relax restrictions on high-tech exports to China.
04:30 He called for balanced development in Sino-EU trade and reiterated China's commitment
04:35 to creating a first-class business environment marked by marketization, the rule of law,
04:40 and internationalization.
04:42 The Premier also urged the EU to adhere to the basic principles of a market economy,
04:46 such as free trade, fair competition, and open cooperation, and to treat Chinese enterprises
04:52 fairly and transparently in trade issues.
04:56 President von der Leyen acknowledged the EU's appreciation for China's continuous opening
05:00 up and expressed the bloc's desire not to decouple from China.
05:05 The EU is keen to enhance dialogue and deepen cooperation with China in areas such as climate
05:11 change and world trade organization reforms, as well as to increase cultural exchanges
05:16 to further develop EU-China relations.
05:19 Next up, we have two pieces of news regarding Chinese technology.
05:22 On January 16th, the Tianwu-1 satellite constellation has successfully completed the phased network
05:29 construction.
05:30 According to China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation Limited, the state-owned
05:34 company responsible for the development of Tianwu-1 satellite constellation, the Sun
05:39 Synchronous Orbit Constellation for meteorological purposes has been built and is now operational.
05:45 The constellation consists of a total of 23 operational satellites, including four newly
05:50 launched satellites on January 5th, which have joined the constellation in performing
05:55 their designated tasks.
05:56 The Tianwu-1 satellite constellation is China's first commercial remote sensing constellation
06:02 compatible with the Beidou, GPS, GLONASS, and Galileo navigation systems.
06:08 It integrates GNSSR, that's Global Navigation Satellite System Reflectometry, occultation
06:14 sounding and ionospheric sounding to achieve all-weather, all-time integrated detection.
06:21 The constellation enables real-time acquisition of environmental elements such as sea surface,
06:26 ocean fields, sea ice, soil moisture, as well as atmospheric temperature, humidity, pressure,
06:33 and ionospheric electron density profiles.
06:35 The successful completion of the Tianwu-1 satellite constellation's phased network construction
06:40 marks a significant achievement for China's space industry.
06:44 The compatibility with the four major navigation systems strengthens China's position in the
06:49 global satellite industry and paves the way for new applications and advancement in satellite-based
06:55 services.
06:56 Besides space, we have also witnessed a breakthrough in e-commerce.
07:01 Chinese scientists have recently proposed an e-commerce protocol that incorporates
07:05 quantum technology, marking a world-first implementation with a five-user online trading
07:11 scenario as reported by Chinese Xinhua News Agency on January 15th.
07:16 The research team from Nanjing University and Renmin University of China developed a
07:21 new quantum digital signature that encrypts the trading protocol, ensuring transaction
07:26 integrity, authenticity, and non-repudiation.
07:30 The study was published on Saturday in Science Advances, a sub-journal of science.
07:35 With advancement in quantum computing, the classical encryption algorithms currently
07:40 used in e-commerce are increasingly vulnerable to hacking due to exponential increases in
07:44 computing power.
07:46 As a result, researchers have been exploring the use of quantum entanglement, which involves
07:51 distributing unhackable quantum states among multiple parties as a means to protect against
07:56 identity theft and payment fraud.
07:58 "The development by the Chinese research team contributes to enhancing e-commerce security
08:03 in the upcoming quantum era," said Ying Hua Lei, an associate professor from Ermin University
08:09 of China.
08:10 Next up, TikTok.
08:12 Since November 2023, TikTok employees working in China, such as front-end, back-end development
08:18 data and algorithms, have been receiving notices to transfer to overseas positions.
08:24 The work locations include Singapore, Australia, Canada, and the United States.
08:30 In 2020, TikTok was investigated in multiple regions, including the United States, the
08:35 European Union, and Australia, over data security concerns.
08:39 To address these risks, TikTok began establishing data centers in Europe, the United States,
08:44 and other locations from 2020 and subjected itself to local regulations.
08:49 Currently, compliance is the primary issue faced by companies going global.
08:54 According to data from the app analytics agency Data.ai, TikTok's global monthly active users
09:00 are close to 1 billion.
09:02 In the United States alone, TikTok's monthly active users have exceeded 150 million, which
09:08 is nearly 45% of the total population.
09:11 In terms of revenue, Biden's second quarter revenue grew by more than 40% to $29 billion,
09:18 with nearly 20% of the Biden's total revenue coming from overseas markets.
09:23 From this, it can be estimated that this year's overseas market revenue is likely to exceed
09:28 $20 billion, with a growth rate of more than 50%, and most of this income is contributed
09:35 by TikTok.
09:36 Next up, on January 16, a group of Huazhong Agricultural University students jointly accused
09:42 their academic supervisor, a professor surnamed Huang, of engaging in research fraud.
09:49 In response, the university swiftly established an investigation team and launched an official
09:53 inquiry on the same day.
09:55 The comprehensive 125-page report presented detailed evidence of academic misconduct by
10:02 Professor Huang, including data manipulation in scientific experiments and allegations
10:07 of withholding student remuneration.
10:10 The document was signed by 11 postgraduate students under the professor's tutelage.
10:15 The expose immediately garnered significant attention on Zhihu, a Quora-like question-and-answer
10:21 platform.
10:22 A whistleblower claimed her initial motivation for pursuing master's degree was to contribute
10:27 her professional knowledge to the country's agricultural development, which makes her
10:31 unable to remain silent on their supervisor's academic misconduct.
10:36 We reject any form of research fraud and refuse to graduate with tarnished reputations.
10:42 Next up, on January 14, Shenzhen Hapalink Pharmaceutical Group announced that its Hualiong
10:47 subsidiary, tactile pharma Italy SRL, had recently suffered from a telecommunication
10:53 fraud by criminal gangs, involving an amount of more than 11.7 million euros.
10:59 After the occurrence of this case, the company reported the case to local police for the
11:03 first time, and they have commenced criminal investigation into the matter.
11:07 On January 15, Hapalink failed more than 6% intraday.
11:12 According to its annual report, the company had a total asset of 20.81 million yuan, and
11:17 its revenue amounted to 7.15 million yuan in 2022.
11:22 According to the official website, Hapalink was founded in Shenzhen in 1998, listed on
11:27 Shenzhen Stock Exchange in 2010, and listed on the main board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange
11:32 in 2020, with its main business covering an entire heparin industry chain, biomacromolecule
11:38 CDMO, and investment, development, and commercialization of innovative medicines, with more than 2,000
11:45 employees globally, business coverage in more than 40 countries and regions, and 41 subsidiaries
11:51 spreading across North America, Europe, and other regions.
11:55 Hapalink is the leading company in the global heparin industry chain, which not only owns
11:59 preparations but also owns APIs.
12:02 Especially for APIs, the August 2022 review report of Hapalink's 2022 mid-year report
12:08 by Suzhou Securities pointed out that Hapalink is the world's largest supplier of heparin
12:14 APIs, raw materials.
12:15 Well, that's all for today.
12:17 Thank you for watching this episode of China Currents.
12:20 If you have any thoughts and comments about our show, please reach us at the email address
12:24 below.
12:25 I'm Kris, looking forward to hearing from you and see you next time.
12:36 We will go for a short break now, but we'll be right back.
12:39 Stay with us.
12:39 Welcome back to China Now.
12:58 In this second segment, discover tech innovations such as the new nuclear batteries and listen
13:03 to Diane Serr, independent candidate for the US Senate, as part of this week's Thinker
13:08 Forum.
13:09 Stay safe, everybody.
13:10 Hi, I'm Lisa, and this is Threshold in China.
13:19 Today we are going to share some exciting tech innovations and announcements that happened
13:23 in China recently.
13:30 This year, the Terminator franchise celebrates its 14th anniversary.
13:35 One question that often comes up when watching these films is how does a time-traveling
13:39 robot like the Terminator never runs out of battery during its mission?
13:44 Well, in the movie, they have some kind of technology to enable that.
13:48 But in the real world, a Beijing-based startup called BetaBolt Technology has made a groundbreaking
13:55 announcement on the 8th of January.
13:58 They developed the world's first micro-atomic energy battery.
14:02 Atomic energy batteries, also known as nuclear batteries or radioactive isotope batteries,
14:08 operate by converting the energy released from the decay of nuclear isotopes into electrical
14:13 energy through semiconductor converters.
14:16 This technology was extensively researched by the US and the Soviet Union in the 1960s.
14:22 Currently, thermoelectric nuclear batteries are used for aerospace applications, but they
14:28 are large, heavy, and expensive, thus making them unsuitable for civilian use.
14:34 But the battery we're talking about today is incredibly small, measuring just 15x15x5
14:39 millimetres smaller than a coin, yet it can produce 100 microwatts of energy safely and
14:45 reliably for 50 years without needing to be recharged.
14:48 The nuclear battery generates power every second and minute, producing 8.64 joules of
14:54 energy per day and 3,153 joules of energy per year.
14:59 Multiple batteries can be connected to deliver higher output.
15:03 The stable, zero-emission energy can help power AI and autonomous technology, driving
15:08 China's next revolution.
15:11 In a press conference, company CEO Zhang Gui revealed that the battery works by combining
15:16 a decay of nickel-63 isotope with China's first diamond semiconductor module.
15:23 This unique integration allows the battery to be dramatically miniaturized while keeping
15:28 production costs low.
15:30 The company's ability to create thin diamond wafers only 10 micrometres thin is at the
15:35 core of this technology.
15:37 These wafers enable the efficient conversion of the radioactive decay from nickel-63 into
15:44 electricity.
15:45 The battery has entered the pilot production stage and will soon be mass-produced and released
15:51 on the market.
15:52 This atomic energy has numerous applications, including aerospace, AI devices, medical equipment,
15:59 a mine system, advanced sensors, small drones, and micro robots.
16:04 The company plans to launch a 1-volt battery in 2025, which has the potential to power
16:11 devices like phone indefinitely without the need for recharging.
16:15 They can also provide continuous power to drones, which currently have limited flight
16:20 times of around 15 minutes.
16:23 Unlike chemical batteries such as lithium-ion batteries, atomic energy batteries have a
16:28 much higher energy density.
16:30 One gram of battery is capable of storing 3,300 watts hours of energy.
16:37 Also they're not prone to catch on fire or exploding, and in general have a longer
16:41 lifespan.
16:42 In addition, atomic energy batteries can withstand harsh environments and varying loads.
16:48 You know how your phone sometimes turns off when it's too cold?
16:51 Well, that's not going to happen anymore.
16:53 These atomic energy batteries can operate within a temperature range of -60 to 120 degrees
16:59 Celsius without any changes in performance and self-discharge.
17:04 VitaVolt claims that atomic batteries are completely safe, emitting no external radiation.
17:10 This makes them suitable for medical devices implanted in the human body, such as pacemakers
17:15 and artificial hearts.
17:17 Additionally, atomic batteries are environmentally friendly as the radioactive source transformed
17:22 into stable isotopes after the decay period, posing no threat or pollution.
17:28 Currently, VitaVolt has already registered patent in Beijing and is in the process of
17:34 registering PCT global patents.
17:37 And the startup is collaborating with various nuclear research institutions and universities
17:42 in China to further advance atomic battery technology.
17:46 [Music]
18:01 In the dense jungle of southern China, there is an unsolved mystery.
18:06 There once lived a creature 3 metres tall, weighing 500 kilograms, twice the size of
18:12 a modern-day gorilla.
18:14 The Gigantopithecus lackey, also known as the giant ape.
18:19 They are the largest primates ever to walk the earth.
18:22 Yet, despite their enormous presence, they vanished from the face of the planet, leaving
18:27 only tooth behind.
18:29 What caused them to disappear while other Asian great apes survived?
18:33 To shed light on this ancient enigma, a team led by Dr Zhang Yingqi from the Chinese Academy
18:39 of Science examined 22 caves scattered throughout southern China to find out about the last
18:46 days of the Gigantopithecus.
18:49 They used radiometric dating technique, which is looking at clues left behind by radioactive
18:54 elements naturally presented in these materials to tell us how old they are, utilising 157
19:01 different radiometric age obtained from six distinct methods.
19:06 Using these data, the team established a timeline and mapped out the final presence of the Gigantopithecus.
19:13 As the researchers delved deeper into the cave, they also explored the ancient environment
19:18 that the giant ape once lived in.
19:20 They analysed the remnants of plants and animals and reconstructed the past.
19:26 And what they've discovered was a mosaic of forest and grassland that survived approximately
19:31 2.3 million years ago.
19:34 But as the team ventured closer to the extinct window, the story took a turn.
19:39 Between 295,000 and 215,000 years ago, the environment underwent a dramatic transformation.
19:48 As the difference between the seasons became more pronounced, like summer got hotter and
19:52 winter got colder, that brought about changes in plant communities and the development of
19:58 open forest habitats.
20:00 And this was a challenge that Gigantopithecus struggled to overcome.
20:04 While its close relative, Orangutan, adapted to changing circumstances by becoming smaller,
20:10 more agile, and adjusting its feeding behaviour and habitat preferences, Gigantopithecus took
20:16 a different approach.
20:18 Despite the lack of its preferred food sources, Gigantopithecus persisted by relying on less
20:23 nutritious alternative food sources, resulting in a significant reduction in dietary diversity.
20:30 Paradoxically, its size continued to grow larger and bulkier, while the geographic range
20:36 of its feeding activities drastically diminished.
20:39 As a result, the population of Gigantopithecus faced prolonged survival pressure, gradually
20:45 dwindling until it eventually faced extinction.
20:48 In contrast to the adaptable species like Orangutan, who quickly responded to environmental
20:53 changes, Gigantopithecus blackii behaved in a more stubborn nature, resisting the need
21:00 to adapt.
21:01 Unfortunately, this led to its demise.
21:03 The researchers were amazed by their findings, as they pieced together the puzzle of the
21:08 Gigantopithecus extinction.
21:11 Their work not only uncovered the tragic fate of this magnificent creature, but also provided
21:16 insights into primates' evolution.
21:18 However, our knowledge of these distant relatives remains limited due to a lack of fossil evidence.
21:25 We still have questions about their preferred habitat.
21:27 Did they primarily live on trees or on the ground?
21:31 Was there a place in the evolutionary tree?
21:33 Why did their size change?
21:35 Further exploration and discovery of crucial fossils are necessary to gain more insights
21:40 into these mysterious beings.
21:42 As the sun set over the ancient caves, the scientists packed their tools and notes, carrying
21:48 with them the weight of the newfound knowledge.
21:51 Although the mystery of the Gigantopithecus blackii has been somewhat unravelled, the
21:55 detail of its existence reminds us of the delicate and resilient nature of life on Earth.
22:02 And that is all for today's Threshold.
22:04 We hope you liked this new section on science and technology in China.
22:09 As usual, we welcome your feedback and thoughts.
22:12 [Music]
22:14 Cognitive dissidence or confused, conflicted, because I think 2023, perhaps more than any
22:30 other year, at least in my lifetime, perhaps in history, is a year of transition.
22:40 Maybe that's the word, transition.
22:42 The problem is right now, we don't know where the transition is going, how it's going to
22:47 resolve itself.
22:49 But we have seen the most hideous warfare, the grinding up of the Ukrainian army, which
22:58 was completely predictable and knowable, but as Madeleine Albright might have said, a price
23:03 she was willing to pay to "weaken" Russia, which was Biden's goal, which of course didn't
23:10 happen.
23:11 The situation in Gaza, which is really horrific genocide before everyone's eyes, completely
23:18 gut-wrenching.
23:19 On the other hand, you had the BRICS conference in South Africa in August.
23:27 It was the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative.
23:31 And you see coming into being a completely new paradigm on the planet, which is not based
23:37 on colonial methods and tactics.
23:41 And that's why I guess I would say conflicted or cognitive dissidence.
23:45 There are completely different trajectories going on simultaneously.
23:52 And I think that creates a state of great tension for many people.
23:59 Yes, well, as I said, it was the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative, which was
24:07 launched by Chinese President Xi Jinping in Kazakhstan in 2013.
24:14 And this now has over 150 nations involved, and it's thousands of great projects of infrastructure.
24:24 It's really changing the face of the globe.
24:26 Unfortunately, many Americans are not aware of that.
24:30 I think it's partly in response to that, that the so-called West or this Anglo-American
24:37 NATO unholy alliance is trying to trigger all kinds of wars.
24:44 They want to stop the collaboration.
24:47 It's the old British imperial divide and conquer game.
24:53 And so I suppose some people would say October 7th, the Hamas attack on Israel.
25:01 But I would say just as the February 24th, 2022 Russian quote unquote invasion of Ukraine
25:09 was really not the beginning of that crisis, this attack also was not.
25:15 It should have been prevented.
25:18 It should have been known.
25:20 It was terrible.
25:22 But what Netanyahu is doing in response is a crime against humanity with the full backup
25:30 of the United States, the UK, and others.
25:36 Well, it'll have to take a change of course in that region because there won't be any
25:44 Palestinian people left in Gaza at this rate.
25:48 I think it's about to change course, which is why the killing is escalating.
25:53 The problem is how is it going to escalate?
25:56 Are we going to provoke and engage Iran?
26:01 Is this going to become a very wide conflagration?
26:05 We're going to choose to be battling Russia there and in Europe?
26:10 I don't know.
26:11 I think some people in the United States are realizing that we really can't handle these
26:17 things.
26:18 Our productive capacity is shot.
26:21 No one wants to join the military.
26:23 So yeah, I don't know how it will change.
26:26 Either escalate into complete disaster and catastrophe or saner heads will prevail and
26:38 we'll take another course.
26:39 I think in Ukraine, we're probably going to throw Zelensky under the bus and blame him
26:44 for all the failures.
26:47 And of course he is responsible in a certain degree, but not really because he was just
26:51 doing as he was told.
26:54 Will we do something like that with Netanyahu?
26:57 I think he should consider that, but I think he's so arrogant that he wouldn't think of
27:03 it.
27:04 So things are definitely going to change.
27:06 We're not in a position of stability.
27:08 We're not in a moment where things can continue as they are.
27:16 I don't think the Colorado decision to throw Trump off the ballot is going to hold.
27:23 The Supreme Court, if it upholds the Constitution, simply will not allow it.
27:29 The excuse they used, which was calling for insurrection or something, even the very biased
27:36 Congress didn't even bother to try and charge Trump with insurrection.
27:41 It was so ridiculous.
27:43 So I think that will not hold.
27:46 And I should have mentioned one of the other major events of the year was Robert Kennedy
27:50 Jr. leaving the Democratic Party.
27:54 That's a big deal to have someone of the Kennedy name say, and he tried very hard to stay in
28:01 the Democratic Party and run in the primaries.
28:04 And I was very happy that he said publicly that what was going on is the Democratic National
28:10 Committee said that if he won the primary in Iowa or New Hampshire, his delegates, or
28:18 he wouldn't get delegates, basically, the delegates from those states to the National
28:22 Convention would all be given to Joe Biden.
28:25 So in effect, any Democrat who voted for Robert Kennedy Jr. in the primary would be disenfranchised.
28:32 That is clearly a major shift in the U.S.
28:34 It's a major shift that someone of the family name of Kennedy would leave the party of his
28:42 family, the Democratic Party, and run as an independent.
28:46 I just think it's further commentary on the sorry state of affairs and the sorry state
28:54 of alleged democracy inside the United States.
28:58 A very large number of Americans are very frustrated with both parties.
29:04 The fact that he can run a credible, viable campaign as independent, as not affiliated
29:09 with either party, indicates that there's an enormous number of Americans, a sizable
29:16 number of voters who are sick of the parties as well.
29:20 The party divisiveness, the party incompetence.
29:23 Personally, I would say the number one issue in the United States is for people to actually
29:28 get their vote counted fairly and accurately.
29:31 I think one reason why a lot of people don't vote and a lot of people now don't even bother
29:36 to run for office is that it is widely known that there is massive election fraud.
29:44 And I don't mean all the smaller kinds of fraud like stuffing ballot boxes or encouraging
29:52 undocumented migrants and immigrants to vote, which goes on.
29:58 Those are not significant enough numbers, but I mean massive fraud through the computer
30:04 systems and things that really should not be allowed, but people have a very hard time
30:09 fighting.
30:10 I ran for US Senate in 2022 against Chuck Schumer, the Senate majority leader.
30:17 He's been, by the way, to give you a sense of how rotten this is, as of January 2023,
30:25 he had been in Washington, DC for 42 years, 24 in the House and 18 in the Senate.
30:35 I think that's which way it went.
30:37 Anyway, it's completely ridiculous.
30:39 I just read an article about Kirsten Gillibrand, the woman I'm running against who happens
30:44 to be the same age as me, below 60, I'll put it that way.
30:48 And they said, "Oh, she's so young.
30:50 She could be in the Senate another 30 years."
30:53 Our founding fathers did not intend for people to be in office for their entire life.
30:58 They wanted a representative government, which means you have a job, you go into office to
31:04 represent a particular view or outlook to help reflect the diversity of the population,
31:10 and then you leave office and go back to your job.
31:13 At any rate, part of the way this is enforced, I experienced directly where I watched my
31:20 vote being stolen on national television.
31:25 I watched, and I don't mean percentage, I mean the number of votes, which election night
31:30 was up to about 57,000, or 1%, which already was suspiciously low.
31:38 I was polling at around 5%.
31:41 But at any rate, 1%.
31:43 And by the next morning, my vote had gone down to 29,000.
31:48 And by Friday of election week, my vote had gone down to 25,000 votes, a half a percent.
31:57 And in some counties, like the county where I reside, I actually was able to go and try
32:04 and get an investigation to no avail.
32:06 But election night, my vote was 6,212.
32:10 The next morning, my vote was down to 177.
32:14 How do you explain that?
32:16 That has to be shifted.
32:18 And I think there is a possibility of that getting shifted in a big way going into 2024.
32:25 I think there is a good possibility that Donald Trump would win the elections.
32:31 But as again, I said, everything is so transitional that anything could happen.
32:39 It's very unstable.
32:40 I wish that a dark horse would appear who is a real anti-war candidate who really wants
32:47 to the United States to get back to its American revolutionary identity and collaborate with
32:54 Russia, with China, with the BRICS countries for the good of mankind.
33:00 Unfortunately, I don't think we have a candidate for president in the United States who is
33:05 actually qualified to be the president at the moment.
33:15 I think in the real world, President Putin of Russia has been remarkably reasonable,
33:23 calm, strategic, and frankly, has played an important role in preventing things from really
33:32 getting out of control on the planet.
33:35 One of my favorite memorable figures is the foreign minister of South Africa, Pandora,
33:42 the lady Pandora, I think.
33:44 I'm not sure her first name, but she is an amazing diplomat, very gutsy and forthright.
33:53 If we had fair awards, she should be getting Time Magazine Woman of the Year.
34:00 I appreciated her telling Tony Blinken when he visited South Africa not to, she said,
34:07 she didn't address him directly.
34:08 He was there on the dais with her and she said, "We don't appreciate it when leaders
34:13 from other countries come and bully us and tell us with whom we're allowed to have relations."
34:19 I thought that was great.
34:21 So she would be my choice.
34:23 [music]
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34:32 [music]
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34:40 [music]
34:42 [music]
34:44 [music]
34:46 (upbeat music)
35:15 - So it's my child dream and my husband
35:19 with my big family came to this city
35:24 to visit only this ice.
35:26 I think it's fantastic.
35:29 It's my dream.
35:31 - And this was another episode of China Now,
35:44 a show that opens a window to the present
35:46 and future of the Asian giant.
35:48 Hope you enjoyed, see you next time.
35:50 (upbeat music)
35:54 [MUSIC PLAYING]
35:57 [MUSIC PLAYING]