This video explores the long-standing superstition of backroom diplomacy in U.S. diplomacy toward China and its dangers. The speaker points out that the CCP has repeatedly violated both public and private promises, yet certain interest groups and China experts in Washington still blindly believe in closed-door negotiations. The video reviews the drawbacks of the backroom model since Nixon's visit to China, analyzes the tactics used by the CCP to hoodwink Western dignitaries through information control and cultural misinterpretation, and calls on Washington to abandon appeasement and illusions toward Beijing, adhere to diplomatic principles of transparency, record-keeping, and verification, and force the CCP to change using the truth in the sunlight.
On September 17, a food delivery worker in Jiangsu fell asleep from extreme fatigue at a traffic light intersection while making a delivery at 2 AM. The incident resonated with many netizens, as several delivery workers reported suffering fractures from falling after dozing off while riding, reflecting the survival dilemma under high-intensity labor in the delivery industry.
Public commentary points out that Chinese tech companies process data at a low cost by exploiting domestic labor, thereby enabling the distillation and application of foreign artificial intelligence models, which has sparked concerns over technological ethics and labor rights.
On September 18, the first two characters of the propaganda slogan "Serve the People Wholeheartedly" fell off at a cultural and creative street in Jiangxi, leaving the phrase "Serve the People Turtle-Bastard-Heartedly" instead. After relevant videos spread online and sparked ridicule from netizens, they were quickly removed from short-form video platforms.
On September 17, a blogger published a video self-narrating their training experience of wearing high heels during military service, stating they had to run in stiletto heels and stand for long periods, with the hard texture of the footwear causing foot injuries. Currently, the video and the user can no longer be searched.
On September 18, Study Times, the official newspaper of the CCP Central Committee Party School, published an article pointing out that public opinion has become a high-risk explosion point for social conflicts. It criticized the government for its habitual avoidance of responsibility, suggested channeling emotions through empathy and apologies, and called for incorporating public opinion management into the national governance system.
On September 21, the Georgetown University Center for Asian Law and Boyden House in New York will host the English-language book launch and symposium for Xu Zhiyong's 'Beautiful China' in Washington. As the founder of the New Citizen Movement, Xu Zhiyong was sentenced to 14 years in prison in April 2023 for promoting educational equality and the public disclosure of officials' assets, and he is currently still serving his sentence.
On September 17, the Financial Times reported that the EU has asked China to restrict exports of hybrid vehicles to Europe, setting a 15% market share cap. EU officials warned that if Beijing fails to cooperate voluntarily, the EU will take mandatory restrictive measures aimed at protecting domestic European industries from shocks.
On September 18, media reports indicated that the crowdfunding platform Shuizhichou increased its platform service fee from 6% to 8% starting August 15. Patient families reported that hefty service fees and channel fees were deducted upon withdrawal. Shuizhichou customer service responded that the price hike was intended to provide higher quality services, which triggered public skepticism regarding its commercial nature versus its charitable positioning.