Internal political unrest and power struggle in China post-COVID-19

Rajat Paul

(The writer can be reached at rajatpaul304@gmail.com)

CURRENT ISSUE

After the ease of the lockdown by the Chinese authorities on March 25, vio lent clashes were seen to be reported in the border bridge of Yangtzeriver between the provinces of Hubei and Jiangxi in the morning of March 27. The crowds got angry as they were refrained from crossing the bridge. Hubei residents were stopped from exiting the province which led to heavy sloganeering, physical altercations and vandalism. Tussle between the police forces of the two provinces were seen. As per local media reports the police in Jiujiang the city of Jiangxi province set up a blockade to restrict people entering the Jiangxi province. As because China slowly started resuming its 90% operations in large firms with nearly 30 crore migrant workers in 140 crore population and nearly one tenth were stuck during the lockdown either going to their native place or travelling back to work place after the ease of lockdown. Although there were many reports in social media related to this, but the Communist nation which is infamous for hiding the original picture seems have deleted all the information related to the issue. To showcase a deity pastor image of the President a thanks giving-ceremony was organized on the ground as well as on social media, which saw extensive backlash from the Chinese citizens.

CHINA HIDING REAL NUMBERS:

The viral epicentric country which claims less fatal and positive patients other than European and North American countries (reports claimed by China) seems to be hiding and mishandling its information. With nearly eight funeral centres in Wuhan, thousands stand in queue to collect the urns of their deceased.

Mobile SIM subscription is an integral part of a Chinese person as it is linked to his/her health, financial to face recognition likewise India’s Aadhar system in India. 21 million cell phone subscriptions were cancelled after coronavirus and 8,40,000 landlines were closed in china post two months after the spread of virus. Post-CIVID-19 Beijing has made compulsory to all its citizens to install an app and register their health information. The Communist country has claimed that the health code has helped China in preventing further spread of the virus.

Moreover, China also orders two lakh body bags from Taiwan, which clearly make us raise our eyebrows on the data presented by Beijing.

POWER STRUGGLE WITHIN CHINA:

On 10th March 2018 the National people’s Congress (House of the Parliament) has passed the Bill to amend the Constitution for Xi Jinping’s lifelong term to chair as President. Beijing had imposed a two-term limit of President since 1990 and thus this no term ruling is termed somewhat near to dictatorship. Mr Xi Jinping who took the office in Mar 2013 is vested with three powerful posts: President of People’s Republic of China, Gen Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party, Chairman of the Central Military Commission. The President of China is elected by the representatives that are elected from lower levels who are believed to represent most of the peoples of China at the 13th session of the National People’s Congress. Since his life term amendment, a power struggle game started in China and within the Communist Party as Xi Jinping with his elevation tried to shatter the dreams of the other competent Politburo leaders on becoming the President of China and since 2018 many leaders within the party were jailed who tried to uproar against the President.

Let us look at the political Structure of China and the Communist Party

BEIJING’S DESPERATE “ONE CHINA” POLICY WITH TAIWAN AND HONGKONG, TRYING TO CREATE A FEARMONGERING AND ENFORCEMENT OF ITS POWER OVER THE TWO:

The Extradition Treaty Bill with Hong Kong which led to world’s largest umbrella protests and further vandalism also removed the mask of Jinping who tried to implement his dictatorship over Hong Kong. Beijing has shown its strong obsessive to embrace Hong Kong in its territory and end its democracy for which China has faced a major backlash from the world community of leaders and its citizens. As Chinese media is believed to be a puppet with no eyes and ears, all the news related to China comes by the way of Hong Kong.

Hong Kong was handed over to China by British in 1997 and since then it acts a Special Administrative Region (SAR) with separate governing and economic systems from the mainland China under the principle of “one country two systems” and China would ensure the safety of the Hong Kong’s political and economic systems for 50 years after the transfer.

With China’s false propaganda of USA being the epicentre of the virus Covid-19 which China is a victim, USA Steps up to support Taiwan is an open rebuke to China. President of the United States (POTUS) has recently signed the TAIPEI Act, supporting Taiwan’s aspiration to expand relationship with othercountries of the world also speaks about the Bullying tactic used by China in its region. It also speaks about the China’s economic power pressure over World Health Organisation (WHO) which discourteously excluded Taiwan from its meetings and also neglected the Taiwan’s tipped off spreading the virus from Mainland China.

People’s Republic of China (PRC) or the mainland China (Communists) claims over Taiwan (Republic of China) (Nationalists), which the former overthrew the later in 1949 during the Chinese Civil war led by Mao Zedong, before the war it was only one China that is the Republic of China which in present is Taiwan. One China Policy is the claiming of one another as entire China. Trying to dominate the world using its finances the Communist country is facing a backlash from its own citizens. Wouldn’t be horrifying to hear and view the repeat of Tiananmen Square in this internet age.