Saturday, 3 July 2021

Malaysia Govt unveils RM150bil Pemulih aid package to curb the spread of Covid-19

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An aid package worth RM150bil has been unveiled to help the people, businesses, as well as those vaccinated under Phase One of the National Recovery Plan (NRP) to curb the spread of Covid-19.

Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said that in a special address on Monday (June 28) and listed a number of initiatives under the package known as the "Pakej Perlindungan Rakyat dan Pemulihan Ekonomi (Pemulih)", where the government will provide a total amount of RM10bil direct fiscal injection.

COVID-19: Malaysia announces new stimulus package

https://youtu.be/kLKHyvL8P4M

Malaysia has announced a new stimulus package, with some assistance targeting small and medium enterprises. It comes a day after an indefinite extension of a nationwide lockdown. But some SMEs are saying it does not go far enough to address their financial woes.

PM unveils RM150bil Pemulih aid package | The Star

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PETALING JAYA: An aid package worth RM150bil has been unveiled to help the people, businesses, as well as those vaccinated under Phase One of the National Recovery Plan (NRP) to curb the spread of Covid-19.

The government will also provide a total amount of RM10bil direct fiscal injection.

In a special address, Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin on Monday (June 28) listed a number of initiatives under the package known as the "Pakej Perlindungan Rakyat dan Pemulihan Ekonomi (Pemulih)".

Here are the highlights:

– The government will add up to RM500 for Bantuan Prihatin Rakyat (BPR) for the month of July with payments to be made from June 29.

The third phase of the BPR between RM100 and RM1,400 will be paid in September as well as payments for those with successful appeals. Altogether, a total of RM4.9bil will be paid out under BPR.

– Government to expand job seekers' allowance to Social Security Organisation (Socso) non-contributors, especially new graduates and informal sectors. They can register at MYFutureJobs and will receive an allowance of at least RM300.

– Bantuan Khas Covid-19 (BKC) initiative for several categories. They are:

i) Households of hardcore poor will receive RM500 in August, RM500 in November, and RM300 in December. Singles from this category will receive RM200 in August and RM300 in November.

ii) B40 households will receive RM500 in August and RM300 in December. Singles from this category will receive RM200 in August.

iii) M40 households will receive RM250 while singles in this category will receive RM100 in August.

The BKC is expected to benefit more than 11 million households and the elderly as well as singles with an allocation of RM4.6bil.

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– The government will allocate a total amount of RM10mil to implement the food basket initiative, especially for the Orang Asli

– Government to allocate another RM1bil to ensure that the price of 1kg polybags of cooking oil remains at RM2.50,

– RM15mil will be allocated to non-governmental organisations to help social issues such as mental health, homelessness, and others.

– To address the cost of living issue, the government will maintain the retail price for RON95 petrol, diesel and LPG, which is expected to involve subsidies of RM6bil this year.

– The government will also implement a price control programme based on the threshold value of crude palm oil to control the price of 1kg to 5kg of cooking oil bottles.

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– A discount on electricity bills of between 5% and 40% up to a maximum usage of 900 kilowatt-hours (kWH) a month will be given. This includes a 40% discount for usage that is below 200kWH, and 15% discount for usage that is between 201kWH and 300kWH. All in, the rakyat is expected to save up to RM346mil in electricity bills over three months from July.

– Economic sectors that have been badly hit – particularly hotel operators, theme park operators, convention centres, shopping malls and tour operators – will get a three-month extension of electricity bill discounts of 10% from October to December.

– Telecommunications companies have agreed to extend the 1GB of daily free data until the end of the year. This initiative is estimated to be worth RM500mil and will benefit 44 million registered users in the country.

– Additional RM500 to eligible recipients under the Prihatin Special Grant (GKP) 3.0 initiative, with payment expected to be made by mid-July this year. In total, the government has allocated a total of RM5.1bil via the GKP initiative.

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– Understanding the struggle of the SMEs, the government announced an additional payment of RM500 under GKP 4.0 to eligible recipients which will be paid in September and another RM500 in November this year.

– The government will allocate RM18mil for local banks to provide about 30 units of mobile banks in Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak, which are expected to cover 250 rural localities.

Through this initiative, various banking services including opening of accounts; savings, withdrawal and transfer of money; bill payments as well as digital banking can be accessed.

– Government will continue the Wage Subsidy Scheme for the fourth time with an allocation of RM3.8bil, expected to benefit more than 2.5 million workers. Through this scheme, the government will support up to 500 workers per employer with assistance of RM600 per worker for four months. This will be two months for every sector in the second phase of the National Recovery Plan, and another two months for the sectors categorised as negative in the third phase of the NRP.

There are no salary limit conditions, and this means that employers can apply for the scheme even if their employees earn more than RM4,000 a month.

– Government will automatically exempt payments for the HRD levy for two months to employers who are not able to operate during phase one of the recovery plan.

– Employers from new sectors as a result of the expansion of the Human Resources Development Fund Act 2001 will be given a levy extension under Dec 2021. This initiative is estimated to be worth RM425mil.

– The Government will extend the PenjanaKerjaya programme that is due to end in June with several improvements. This includes reducing the salary eligibility limit from RM1,500 to RM1,200 ringgit for the “Malaysianisation” programme to give more incentives to employers to replace foreign workers with local workers. The employment contract period will also be reduced from 12 months to six months for employees aged 50 and above, the disabled and former prisoners.

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– EPF will introduce a new withdrawal facility called i-Citra where a total of 12.6 million EPF members can make withdrawals of up to RM5,000 with a fixed payment rate of RM1,000 per month for five months, subject to the member's total EPF savings.

This is expected to channel RM30bil to the people for their daily needs. Members can start applying for the facility on the i-Citra online portal at icitra.kwsp.gov.my from July 15, with the first payment expected to be credited to the member's account in August.

– An six-month automatic moratorium for all borrowers, regardless if they are from the B40, M40 or T20 groups. Borrowers will only need to apply and approval will be given automatically by the banks. It will be open from July 7, 2021. They are also required to apply and sign an agreement on the related loan terms.

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Govt launches PEMULIH Package worth RM150 bln, including fiscal injection of RM10 bln

KUALA LUMPUR, June 28 — The government has today launched the National People’s Well-Being and Economic Recovery Package (Pemulih) worth RM150 billion, comprising the government’s direct fiscal injection of RM10 billion, aimed at providing comprehensive assistance to the people and focusing on three main focuses, Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said.

According to him, the three focuses are Continuing the People’s Welfare Agenda, Supporting Businesses and Increasing Vaccinations.

“Since the Covid-19 pandemic hit our country, the government has implemented seven assistance programmes and stimulus packages with a total value of RM380 billion.

“So far, more than RM200 billion has been channelled and benefited more than 20 million people and 2.4 million businesses. Budget 2021 is worth RM322.5 billion and there is still RM100 billion to be spent until the end of this year,” he said during the announcement of the Pemulih package which was broadcast live on television today.

Muhyiddin said to focus on continuing the people’s welfare agenda, the government announced that until the end of this year, it would channel direct cash assistance to the people amounting to RM10 billion. This direct cash assistance includes Bantuan Prihatin Rakyat or BPR.

During the recent Pemerkasa Plus announcement, the government agreed to provide additional BPR payment of up to RM500 in July and the payment will be made in stages starting tomorrow, June 29.

Meanwhile, the third phase of BPR with aid of RM100 to RM1,400 will be paid in September.

September will also involve payments of approved BPR appeal cases.

In total, the BPR value until the end of the year was RM4.9 billion.

Meanwhile, to ensure that the people receive assistance in the coming months until the end of 2021, he also announced the provision of Special COVID-19 Assistance or BKC with the following rates and categories:

Hardcore poor households will receive assistance of RM500 in August, RM500 in November and RM300 in December.

Single individuals in the hardcore poor category will receive assistance of RM200 in August and RM300 in November.

B40 households will receive assistance of RM500 in August and RM300 in December and single B40 individuals will receive assistance of RM200 in August.

M40 households will enjoy assistance of RM250, while M40 singles will receive RM100 in August.

“Overall, this BKC grant is expected to benefit more than 11 million households, senior citizens and singles with an allocation of RM4.6 billion,” he said.

He said the government will also provide electricity discounts to domestic and non-domestic consumers where the government will bear an additional cost of RM1 billion.

To focus on supporting business, the government will channel several forms of assistance to ensure business continuity in these two phases.

Through this second focus, several approaches will be improved such as reducing employers’ costs, supporting digitalisation efforts, providing financial assistance and tax incentives, providing financing facilities and continuing employment incentives.

“The implementation of the Prihatin Special Grant or GKP has successfully supported business survival among small traders, especially those who are still not allowed to operate.

“Overall, the government has allocated a total of RM5.1 billion through the GKP initiative. Recently, under Pemerkasa Plus, eligible recipients had already received their GKP 3.0 payment of RM1,000 about two weeks ago and will receive a further RM500 in mid-July,” he said.

The government also understands the difficulties faced by micro, small and medium entrepreneurs at present and announces the provision of additional payments under GKP 4.0 to eligible recipients of RM500 to be paid in September and another RM500 in November 2021.

“The government hopes that with this GKP 4.0 payment, about one million micro, small and medium entrepreneurs, such as barbershop operators, workshop owners, bakery and cake shops, healthcare centres, etc can reduce their monthly liabilities and help their cash flow.

“What is important, for micro-entrepreneurs who have not yet received this assistance, registration will open in mid-July,” he said.

— Bernama Source link

Govt launches PEMULIH Package worth RM150 bln, including ...

PM announces Pemulih package, new cash aid BKC worth RM4.6 billion

KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin is unveiling the government's latest aid package for the rakyat called Pakej Perlindungan Rakyat dan Pemulihan Ekonomi or Pemulih..

In a special address being broadcast live to the nation this evening, Muhyiddin said the package is worth RM150 billion, including the government's direct fiscal injection of RM10 billion..

Pemulih is aimed at giving a comprehensive aid to the rakyat based on three main focuses; continuing with the Prihatin Rakyat agenda, supporting businesses and increasing vaccination rate..

To ensure that the people continue to receive aid in the months to come until year end, Muhyiddin announced the Bantuan Khas Covid-19 or BKC worth RM4.6 billion which will benefit over 11 million households, senior citizens and singles in the Bottom40 (B40) and Medium40 (M40) categories..

.
"In the hardcore poor category, households will receive RM500 in Aug and Nov as well as RM300 in Dec while single people will get RM200 in Aug and RM300 in Nov..

"Households in the B40 category will get RM500 in Aug and RM300 in Dec while single people will receive RM200 in Aug..

"The M40 households and singles, he said, will get RM250 and RM100 respectively in Aug," he said..

https://youtu.be/P3_hgMNUQqk

Muhyiddin said this was in addition to the Bantuan Prihatin Rakyat or BPR which was announced in Pemerkasa Plus previously where the government agreed to give aid of up to RM500 in July and in stages starting tomorrow (June 29)..

Phase 3 of the BPR, he said, where the assistance ranges between RM100 and RM1,400 will be paid out in September, along with payments for BPR appeal cases which have been approved..

Overall, the value of BPR stands at RM4.9 billion..

Muhyiddin said there will also be Bantuan Kehilangan Pendapatan where in Oct, Rm500 will be channeled to workers who had lost their income based on the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) and the Social Security Organisation's (Socso) data this year..

The aid, he said, will benefit up to 1 million members with a financial implication of RM500 million..

"These three financial assistance from June to Dec this year are catered to those who are in need. I hope it will help the beneficiaries for their survival in the coming months, insyaAllah..

"I am aware that many have been badly affected for over a year since the pandemic started. Although millions of Malaysians have benefited from cash assistance since March last year and many had received government aid of sorts, I understand that assistance must continue to be stepped up for as long as this crisis lasts..

"The government will try its best to ease the burden shouldered by the people and we will not stop to do our best," he said..

Muhyiddin added that the government will expand the Elaun Mencari Pekerjaan (Job-Seeking Allowance) to Sosco non-contributors, especially new graduates, school-leavers and informal sector workers where those who are registered under MyFutureJobs are set to receive at least a RM300 allowance..

The government, he added, will allocate RM125 million through the Human Resource Development Corporation to implement the Place and Train initiative under the Janapreneur programme especially for school-leavers and graduates..

"This initiative is expected to offer opportunities to 30,000 people to undergo skill training programmes with the assurance of job employment once it concludes..

"The Malaysian Digital Economy Corporation will enhance its existing programmes which are eRezeki and Glow to assist over 20,000 job seekers in the gig economy sector," he said..

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Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin also announces discounts on ... on electricity bills, to cash and food aid to be allocated through MPs from both sides of the divide. ... part of Pemulih, the government's RM150 billion financial aid package to ... RM4.6 billion for Covid-19 Special Assistance (BKC) involving 11

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Decoding an awakening giant, the China's secret recipe of success for an economic miracle

World main countries 2021 Q1 GDP Growth Infographic: Wu Tiantong/GT

Xi Jinping: Chinese people will never allow foreign bullying, oppressing or subjugating

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As China gears up to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC) on July 1, one of the greatest achievements of the CPC to be highlighted is what has been widely described as an economic miracle. From a backward agrarian economy in the early days of the People's Republic of China (PRC) to an economic and technological powerhouse today, China's economic success story under the CPC's leadership has arguably become the global story of the century and the envy of the world.

The secret codes behind such miraculous achievements have also become a hotly debated topic around the world. This article will decode those codes.

Born into a poor rural family with per capita disposal income of less than 50 yuan ($7.80), the PRC, now in its 70s, has seen the income reading top 32,000 yuan as of 2020. Behind the 640-plus fold surge is the country's rapid ascent to a global behemoth in almost every aspect in an unparalleled timeframe and path.

What are the CPC's secret codes to economic success?

To answer that, the Global Times conducted an extensive examination of the CPC's economic policymaking at several critical junctions and interviewed domestic and foreign experts. Four key themes stand out.

World main countries 2021 Q1 GDP Growth Infographic: Wu Tiantong/GT

Bold planning, effective execution

"The five-year planning is the major driving factor that boosted the Chinese economy to the No. 2 in the world. This system is effective and reliable in focusing on and predicting how the economy performs and which necessary adjustments are required to finetune it along the way," David Monyae, director of the Centre for Africa-China Studies at the University of Johannesburg, told the Global Times.

Since its beginning in the 1950s, there have been 14 five-year plans (FYP) - each marks a significant shift in China's economic policies and advances in social and economic development.

The first FYP, which started in 1953, envisioned the industrialization of China, starting the 60-plus year journey of creating an economic constellation that's being renovated every five years.

"China has led a different path than the West's laissez-faire capitalism or its so-called marketization. China maintains more compelling institutional prowess than the West," said Cong Yi, dean of School of Marxism under Tianjin University of Finance and Economics, citing the Party's strong ability to make strategic development plans that integrate short-term plans into medium and long-term ones.

After initially drawing on the Soviet Union's five-year planning experience, the CPC soon realized the limitations of the Soviet model and some of its shortcomings and mistakes, and then decided to independently explore a socialist construction road suited to China's national conditions, which, coupled with laser focus and effective execution, led to one milestone after another.

The 13th CPC National Congress in 1987 made a proposition of a three-step development strategy that envisaged doubling the gross national product (GNP) between 1981 and 1990, doubling its GNP again by the end of the 20th century and per capita GNP reaching moderately developed country levels by the middle of this century.

Buoyed by unprecedented reformist drives since the country's grand reform and opening-up in 1978, the second-step target was hit at the conclusion of the Eighth FYP (1991-95), five years ahead of schedule.

In yet another milestone, the Third Plenary Session of the 14th CPC Central Committee in November 1993 passed the decision on certain issues in establishing a socialist market economic system. With the guidance of the Ninth FYP (1996-2000), the country made good the transition from a planned economy to a socialist market economy in 2000, a prelude to its accession to the WTO in December 2001.

In the latest proof of the effectiveness of the FYP, just as planned, the alternation of the 13th FYP ended 2020 and the newest FYP starting this year is on course to deliver a victory for its first centenary goal of building a moderately well-off society on the CPC's 100th anniversary.

"The main feature of the five-year plans is the top-level design, which is holistic, macroscopic, forward looking, anticipatory and binding," Zhao Xuejun, director of the Modern Economic History of China Research Center under Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) Institute of Economics, told the Global Times.

Today, China's FYPs have become a closely watched policy document around the world as it provides a valuable window into China's economic policies and development goals.

This year, global attention was focused on the 14th FYP ending 2025, which is set to pave the way for the second centenary goal to be attained - building a modern socialist power by 2049 when the PRC turns 100.

File photo:VCG

Seeking truth from facts

However, even as China's economy advanced in an overall steady pace as planned, there were no shortages of difficulties and mistakes over the past several decades - from some early decisions and policies that were against market rules to the "decade of the catastrophe," to the blind pursuit of extensive and high-speed growth over a certain period of time.

In overcoming those challenges and mistakes, the CPC showed its ability to "seek truth from facts" - a phrase that epitomizes the Party's flexibility and ability to objectively pinpoint the problems, experts said.

That ability was highlighted in the Party's response to crises during the Great Leap Forward era, which coincided with the Three Years of Natural Disasters (1959-61) and the breakdown of Sino-Soviet Union relations.

During the period, exaggeration about production prevailed across China, being called "launching satellites," and from wheat, rice and steel, places and reports started to boast of false high productions. The economic and social campaign that aimed for a rapid industrialization to steer the-then poor economy into a modern communist society appeared to have wrong-footed the economy.

Instead of turning a blind eye to the truth, the CPC Central Committee urged maximum efforts to correct all deviations in an urgent instruction letter in November 1960 and a Party plenum in January 1961 decided on the implementation of an economic adjustment.

As the economy ran its course of adjustment at the end of 1965 and began its third FYP, the Cultural Revolution began, putting the country in "10 years of catastrophe" until 1976.

Then came another turn - the 11th National Congress of the CPC in August 1977 declared the end of the Cultural Revolution and reiterated that the Party's fundamental task was to build the country into a socialist modern power.

"The CPC has a strong mechanism of self-correction; internally it came from the democratic system of the Party, and essentially it is built on the Party's tenet of seeking interest for the people and re-juvenation for the nation," Zhao told the Global Times.

The perseverance with seeking truth comes across as building the economy's resilience that has dissolved various challenges and crises, such as the 1997-98 Asian financial crisis, the 2008 global financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic, into hiccups which only result in increased economic sophistication, observers noted.

In response to the crises, the CPC was able to seek truth from facts and be flexible, as well as to be free from prejudice and ideological bias, encouraging local exploration and innovation, Zhao said.

In another striking and more recent example, the Party has managed to bid farewell to an unhealthy obsession with GDP growth that regards GDP statistics as the core or even the only indicator for assessing government performance, which stoked concerns over high GDP numbers at the expense of the environment and economic imbalance.

For instance, in August 2014, East China's Fujian Province cancelled the GDP assessment in 34 counties and cities, and implemented the evaluation method of giving priority to agriculture and ecological protection.

Aerial photo taken on Sept. 17, 2020 shows the Houhai area in Nanshan District of Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province. Photo:xinhua

Reform and opening-up

Just as the CPC is very swift in correcting mistakes, it is also profoundly persistent and steadfast in carrying out scientific policies - another pillar of the CPC's economic success.

The milestone Third Plenum of the 11th CPC Central Committee in December 1978 has been widely known as a starting point for the economy's 40-plus years of reform and opening-up, ushering in a transition from a class struggle-themed Party platform to a focus on economic building.

The main resistance force came from people's fear of capitalism, thinking that opening to the outside world would alchemize New China. With keen observation on the world's development in economy and science and technology, Deng Xiaoping launched the opening-up policy, pushing aside all hesitance and skepticism.

In early 1982, the Shekou industrial zone in Shenzhen was criticized by some for planning to hire a foreign business manager. When Deng learned this, he immediately applauded the decision, saying that it's OK to hire foreigners as managers and it is no traitorous behavior.

The reform of the country's state-owned enterprises (SOE) is an evocative story of the country's undaunted approach to boosting its economy.

By 1987, 80 percent of the country's state-owned enterprises (SOEs) adopted various forms of the contracted managerial responsibility system. Some enterprises even began to undertake shareholding system reforms.

Graphic:GT

In the first quarter of 1996, the country's 68,800 SOEs, as a whole, recorded their first net loss since the founding of the PRC.

After the pain comes the result. From 1989 to 2001, though the number of SOEs dropped to 46,800 from 102,300, their total industrial added value increased to 1.47 trillion yuan from 389.5 billion yuan, surging 11.67 percent annually.

Despite tremendous success over the past several decades, difficulties and hurdles never ceased to test China's commitment to the reform and opening-up policies today.

The thorn-covered yet high-yielding road to reform and opening-up, as such, was being paved as efforts to liberate thoughts and the bold push for innovation trickled in. With an endeavor to sustain liberation on multiple fronts for there to be even deeper reforms, China finally pushed through.

In 2020, China overtook the US to become the world's top destination for new foreign direct in-vestment. In the first five months of 2021 alone, China attracted 18,497 new foreign-funded firms and 481 billion yuan in foreign capital.

Graphic:GT

Self-sufficiency, innovation-driven

However, increasingly opening up to the outside world does not mean China will not mitigate seri-ous risks for its national and economic security. Since the earlier days of the CPC's leadership, self-sufficiency in many core sectors such as food and technology was a major focus, which has also become a key code to the CPC's success.

In an early sign of a self-reliant approach to development, by 1964, the self-sufficiency rate of China's main machinery and equipment had reached over 90 percent. With construction of the Daqing oilfield completed and Shengli and Dagang oilfields under development, China achieved total self-sufficiency in oil by 1965.

Since then, that quest for self-sufficiency in many areas, including technological innovation, has never stopped and has helped lift China to a world-leading global technological power in many areas - from 5G to high-speed rails, and from new-energy vehicles to space exploration technologies.

Just last week, China pulled off the country's first-ever automated fast rendezvous and docking of a manned spacecraft with China's orbiting space station core cabin, after the Shenzhou-12 manned spacecraft was successfully launched on the Long March-2F Y12 carrier rocket.

China's considerable technological prowess has already unnerved the US, which has been a domi-nant player for decades.

The CPC's focus on self-sufficiency and innovation-driven strategy was particularly notable in the country's efforts to mitigate an increasingly hostile external environment marked by a relentless attempt by the US to contain China's rise.

Even before the US' crackdown campaign, the focus on self-dependence and technological innova-tion was highlighted as the CPC convened its 19th National Congress in October 2017, where a new era of China's socialism was declared. The Party's 18th National Congress also introduced an innovation-driven development strategy.

Since then, in a series of meetings and top policy documents, the CPC has constantly stepped up efforts to pursue efficiency in a wide range of areas, from semiconductors to crop seeds.

"Against the backdrop of an intensifying China-US rivalry, China may face rising risks of high-tech blocks, supply chain obstruction, or further trade disputes. What China needs to do is focus on its own business and concentrate on overcoming the difficulties in key technologies, equipment, raw materials and design software that are being held back by Western countries, and coordinate devel-opment and security," said Zhao.

As these new challenges emerge, while China is no longer the backward, war-torn country it was 7 decades ago, challenges and risks, both domestic and foreign, remain. With the CPC's firm leader-ship and its proven successful economic policymaking, China is better positioned than ever to reach its bold development goal of becoming a modern socialist power in the coming decades, analysts said.

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THE GLOCALISATION OF HUMANITY

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Few Westerners see the irony of a supposedly closed China celebrating the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), when communism was born but essentially rejected in the West. What was it about Marx that resonated with Chinese civilisation that prided itself with its own ancient and enduring philosophy? (PIC: Chinese President Xi Jinping waves as he attends a gala in connection with the anniversary - AP)

"Globalisation is interpreted as universalisation of American or European values and standards. But the fact remains that these standards and rules were imposed historically by conquest, colonisation and force".

WHY is Marxism thriving in China and not in Marx’s place of birth? Why is Buddhism more practiced in East Asia than in India? Why has Islam more followers outside Saudi Arabia?

Ideas and religion spread through globalisation, but it was really their localisation that created more believers and followers.

What succeeded was not globalisation, but glocalisation, the internalisation of universal ideas and beliefs by the many, and not just the few.

Few Westerners see the irony of a supposedly closed China celebrating the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), when communism was born but essentially rejected in the West.

What was it about Marx that resonated with Chinese civilisation that prided itself with its own ancient and enduring philosophy?

London School of Economics Emeritus Professor Megnai Desai, writing on “Marx’s Revenge”, made the shrewd observation that the Chinese Revolution in the 20th century was very different from the French and American Revolutions in the 18th century.

The French Revolution was a domestic rebellion against the monarchy and the landed gentry, whilst the American Revolution was rebellion against British foreign domination

Both created republics and preached equality, liberty and freedom, but both went on to create empires, one by conquering lands from the native Indians and Mexico, and the other through Napoleon’s rampage in Europe.

The Chinese Revolution was different because it was simultaneously a struggle against foreign invasion (Japanese and earlier Eight Nations Alliance) as well as the Nationalist government that favoured the capitalist and landed classes.

The CCP won because it represented the rural peasantry, rather than adopting the Comintern strategy of starting the revolution from the cities. In short, the CCP localised universal Communism with Chinese characteristics. It was practical rather than ideological.

By the time of the fall of the Qing Dynasty in 1911, Chinese thinkers struggled with what would replace the old order.

The country fell into warlordism. The Nationalist Party under Sun Yat-sen struggled to balance the conservative wing that represented the landlords and capitalists, and the left wing influenced by Communism and socialism.

Chinese revolutionaries followed closely the Russian Revolution in 1917, because it was then the most recent model of social transformation. The Chinese elite understood that the rebuilding of China from the collapse of the old order was a monumental task. The country was backward and the uneducated masses were unprepared for modernity, vulnerable to foreign conquest.

Even though they felt the burden of history, they also understood that there was no parallel in history on the scale of Chinese transformation.

The Chinese Left took to Marxian thinking because Marx gave both a historical and political economy perspective on how capitalism would evolve, as well as a philosophical tool in terms of Hegelian dialectics.

Marx used the profound insights of the Prussian philosopher Hegel that transformations come from contradictions of opposites, in which change will not happen in a smooth line, but through revolution or discontinuity.

Marx’s discovery of dialectic materialism – in everything, the contradiction and interaction between opposites lead to the destruction of the old and emergence of the new – was music to the ears of those who sought a path out for the New China.

Furthermore, the fundamental ideas of dialectics were very similar to the Chinese yin-yang philosophy of the I Ching and Dao Dejing. As Lenin put it, “dialectics is the study of the contradiction within the very essence of things. Development is the struggle of opposites.”

Having theory is one thing, but putting these ideas into practice is another. We can only appreciate China’s miraculous transformation from a backward economy to the second largest economy in the world by understanding that this was done through essentially three dictums: “seek truth from facts”, crossing the river by feeling the stones” and “it doesn’t matter whether a cat is black or white, as long as it catches mice.”

In other words, make fact-based decisions, always try or test under uncertainty, and above all, be practical and have an open mind. Change is a process between conflicting contradictions. There is no absolute black and white.

Historian Ray Huang, one of the finest sinologists of his generation and a former Nationalist soldier, wrote in the Preface to his classic “China: A Macro-History”: “Chinese history differs from the history of other peoples and other parts of the world because of an important factor: its vast multitudes.

In the imperial period as well as in the very recent past, practical problems had to be translated into abstract notions in order to be disseminated.

In turn, at the local level the message had once again to be rendered into everyday language.”

It is the reduction of very complicated policies into simple language that the Chinese people had to understand and own that enabled them to buy into the transformation, despite the huge sacrifices at the individual and community levels. The people’s eyes are clearer than those of the elites.

The US-China rivalry has done the world a favour by contrasting very fundamental worldviews. When the West preaches a value and rules-based order, what is meant is that freedom, democracy and individual rights are absolute – essentially a zero-sum “my way or no way.” Globalisation is interpreted as universalisation of American or European values and standards. But the fact remains that these standards and rules were imposed historically by conquest, colonisation and force.

When China, Russia, India or any other country deviates or disagrees with that, then they must be contained, confronted or sanctioned. Localisation or being different is almost seen as deviant rather than a celebration of diversity.

Civilisations reach their highest levels through tolerance and openness. When they become inward-looking, fundamentalist and mono-thinking, fragility and decay sets in.

The world is simultaneously becoming more global in inter-connectivity, even as regionalisation, fragmentation and localisation speeds up.

Glocalisation, the simultaneous contradiction between global and local, is to be welcomed, rather than feared.

The future will always be open, uncertain and contradictory. Such diversity is the nature of humanity.

Andrew Sheng comments on global affairs from an Asian perspective. The views expressed here are his own

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Friday, 18 June 2021

'Divine vessel' launched successfully; three astronauts aboard to reach China's space station core module

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Credit...Greg Baker/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Long stay mission in space launched | The Star

Riding atop the Long March-2F Y12 carrier rocket, the Shenzhou-12 manned spacecraft was successfully launched into preset orbit on Thursday morning from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert in Southwest China's Gansu Province, signifying that China's Tianhe space station core cabin module is now only hours away from receiving its first batch of astronauts for their three-month stay.

With the aim of ferrying a three-strong crew consisting of veteran astronaut Nie Haisheng, who visited space twice in October 2005 and June 2013, Liu Boming, who had flew to space and participated the country’s first spacewalk together with Zhai Zhigang during the Shenzhou-7 mission in 2008 and one new face Tang Hongbo to the orbiting space module of Tianhe, Shenzhou-12 or the “Divine Vessel” entered its designated orbit after separating with the rocket 573 seconds after its launch, declaring full success for the launch mission, Global Times learned from China’s Manned Space Agency.

The three astronauts of the Shenzhou-12 mission, who were selected from China's first and second batch of astronauts, will stay in space for three months, during which they will carry out tasks including repair and maintenance, appliance switch and scientific operation of payloads.

It was the first time in nearly five years that China has sent astronauts into space, and is the first crewed flight mission and third leg of the country's total 11 space launch missions of the intensive space station construction phase.

China previously sent the space station's Tianhe core cabin module via Long March-5B carrier rocket on April 29, and the Tianzhou-2 cargo spacecraft via Long March-7 on May 29.

Shenzhou-12 successfully launched for manned mission to space on June 17, 2021 Graphic: GT

Shenzhou-12 successfully launched for manned mission to space on June 17, 2021 Graphic: GT

Vessel of life

According to Gao Xu, the deputy director designer of the Shenzhou-12 with the project prime contractor China Academy of Space Technology (CAST), the development of the manned spacecraft followed the highest standards in the country's space industry.

The Shenzhou-12 is made up of three sections—an orbiter module, a return module and a propelling module, and has 14 sub-systems onboard. Gao referred to the spacecraft with a term of affection: "Vessel of life", as it will not only ferry three astronauts to the orbiting Tianhe core module, but is also expected to carry them home to Earth in approximately 90 days.

Making the safety of astronauts a priority, the research team of the Shenzhou-12 mission has also developed a new emergency response system to ensure that the astronauts can be rescued both in space and at the launch site.

According to CAST, two Shenzhou vessels have been transported to the launch site, which means that Shenzhou-12 has a back-up that will stand by in the event of an emergency. The latter has the capability of being launched in eight and a half days to carry out space rescue work after the launch of the former.

Compared to its crewed mission predecessor from five years ago, whose exterior was dull grey color, the Shenzhou-12 has a new shining silver look, due to the application of a new type of heat-resistant coating.

The Shenzhou-12 will spend longer in orbit than previous Shenzhou spacecraft, meaning it will face with a harsher space environment. For example, it Sun-exposed side will reach 90 degree Celsius on the surface and minus 30 degree Celsius on the far side from the Sun, according to CAST.

The new coating that uses new materials will help protect the inside of the craft from this harsh environment, and prevent it from affecting the living conditions of astronauts and working conditions for multiple precision appliances on board, said the coating designers.

The new coating will also provide protection against a range of radiation in space around the clock, they said.

As the only manned space launch vehicle, Long March-2F is 58.3 meters in height with four 2.25-diameter-boosters and a 3.35-meter-diameter core stage.

The rocket is the go-to type for China's manned space program, and with Thursday's successful launch, it has scored a perfect launch rate in all 14 deployments including seven manned flight missions, five uncrewed spacecraft flight missions and the launch of two space labs (Tiangong-1 and -2.)

The development of the rocket type was approved by state authorities in 1992, the same year the country's manned space project was approved. Long March-2F made its successful maiden flight in 1999.

According to developers of the rocket from the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT), the escape tower - the lightning rod-like device atop the rocket body - will enable astronauts to get out of the rocket from 15 minutes before launch to 120 seconds after take-off in emergency situations.

To make the flight safer, the Long March-12 developers have further enhanced the rocket's escape mechanism, adding a new ignition function to the launch safety system.

CALT designers said that once an emergency occurs, the escape system will be activated, pulling off the return module of the spacecraft from the malfunctioning rocket. The module will then open its parachute before landing on the ground.

However, the parachute system can be easily affected by the wind near the ground.

To address that issue, the new ignition system will enable the escaping craft to fly in a direction perpendicular to the wind direction, so as to make the process safer and more flexible.

This improvement has enhanced the rocket security assessment value to a world-leading 0.99996. "That's to say, there would be four failed escapes in 100,000 launches," disclosed Chang Wuquan, one of the system's designers.

Shenzhou-12 astronauts’ lives in space Infographic: Wu Tiantong/GT

Breakthroughs to accomplish

According to CAST, Shenzhou-12 will attempt a fast and automated rendezvous and docking with the Tianhe core cabin for crewed spacecraft, a first in the country's history which can take place only 6.5 hours after the launch.

During the mission of the Tianzhou-2 cargo spacecraft, China managed to pull off a fast but smooth automatic docking of the cargo ship with the Tianhe module within only eight hours after launch.

Pang Zhihao, a Beijing-based senior space expert, hailed the breakthrough technology, saying it would tremendously benefit crewed missions, as it would save astronauts from longer stays in the narrow space onboard the spacecraft, making their space travel more comfortable.

Also, the spacecraft will conduct an experiment of fly-around and radial approach of rendezvous and docking with the orbiting space station core module.

Following that, the Shenzhou-12 will stay in-orbit and fly with the Tianhe core module for three months, marking another first in China's space history.

Unlike China's previous Shenzhou craft, which returned to Earth from an orbit of fixed altitude, Shenzhou-12 will be able to return from a range of orbital locations, a design that is aimed to enhance the craft's adaptability and reliability for its journey back to Earth.

The Shenzhou-12 crewed flight is believed by insiders to set a solid foundation for following space station construction missions which started in late April with the Tianhe core cabin launch and will last through 2022.

Next, the Tianzhou-3 cargo craft will be launched in September, and the Shenzhou-13 crewed spaceship will follow in October, according to CMSA director Hao Chun.

As the first manned space station mission, the Shenzhou-12 flight is of utmost significance due to its crucial role in connecting the previous 2 missions and the following legs in the 11 intensive construction schedule.

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The CHINESE & the WORLD, Lesson In History: Ego or fear of retribution ?

Wednesday, 16 June 2021

The CHINESE & the WORLD, Lesson In History: Ego or fear of retribution ?

https://youtu.be/6azpuOivSAI

*A Lesson In History.*

1. Which countries invaded and occupied Indonesia? *Netherlands for 350 years and Japan for 3.5 years*.

2. Which country was once the colony master of Malaya & India? *Britain*.

3. Which countries invaded and occupied Vietnam? *France 1857-1940 & 1946-1954, Japan 1940-1945 and USA (in Southern Vietnam) 1955-1975*.

4. Which countries were responsible for colonisation of the African continent? *Belgium, Britain, France, Germany, Portugal, Spain and Italy*.

5. Which 8 countries were responsible for the occupation of China in early 20th century? *Britain, US, Germany, France, Russia, Japan, Italy & Austria-Hungary*.

6. Which countries are responsible for colonising and almost annihilating the Red Indians in northern America? *France & Britain*.

7. Which country colonised and almost annihilated Aborigines in Australia and New Zealand? *Britain* .

8. Which are the member countries of G7? *United Kingdom/Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan & USA*.

And now the million dollar question...

9. Why are the G7 members see China as a threat even though China is the only major nation on earth that has never invaded or occupied another country?

*Ego or fear of retribution* ?

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