CENSORED: Nearly 70% of Chinese Live on $280 a Month.

Hi Global Recap readers,

I love how there’s constant news about the CCP censoring its people. Yet, people are always informed of what was censored.

And today, more of such news is here for you to read about - screenshots, et al.

“The truth will out.”

🌐 Around the world:

• 🇰🇵 North Korean dictator orders war preparations.

• 👯‍♀️ Semi-naked Russian celebrities spark Putin’s fury.

• 🇮🇳 India: accused of spying on journalists.

• 🫱🏻‍🫲🏼 US & Russia’s cooperation extended.

• 🇨🇳 CENSORED: Nearly 70% of Chinese live on $280 a month.

Let’s get into today’s news.

🚀 North Korea Prepares for War

North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un has ordered his military to speed up war preparations against the US and its allies, state media reported on Thursday.

The announcement came amid escalating tensions in the region over North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs.

• Targets: Kim singled out the People’s Army, the munitions industry, nuclear weapons, and civil defense sectors as the key areas to focus on.

• Allies: Kim also said Pyongyang would expand strategic cooperation with “anti-imperialist independent” countries, such as Russia.

• Response: South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol visited a frontline military unit and urged them to “immediately and firmly crush the enemy's will for a provocation on the spot.”

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👙 Russian Stars’ Scandal

A semi-naked party by Russian celebrities sparked Putin’s outrage. The event, held at a Moscow nightclub, featured famous singers in skimpy outfits and a rapper wearing… only a sock.

Let that sink in.

• Backlash: The party-goers faced public shaming, contract cancellations, legal troubles, and even jail time.

• Apology: Some of the stars issued tearful apologies, while others defended their right to have fun.

• Reaction: President Putin was reportedly unamused since he is dealing with war veterans who are demanding compensation for their suffering.

• Party Planner: Anastasia Ivleeva, the party’s organizer, was wearing an emerald chain worth about 23 million roubles ($251,000).

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🇮🇳 India Caught Spying on Journalists?

A new investigation by Amnesty International and The Washington Post revealed that two Indian journalists were targeted with Pegasus spyware.

The spyware, developed by Israeli firm NSO Group, can hack into phones and access their data without the user’s knowledge.

• Victims: Siddharth Varadarajan, Founding Editor of The Wire, and Anand Mangnale, South Asia Editor at Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), were among the journalists attacked.

• History: Varadarajan was previously infected with Pegasus in 2018. Mangnale was working on a story about a corporate scandal when he was targeted.

• Response: NSO Group claimed that its spyware is only used to fight terror and crime.

The Indian government has not confirmed or denied using Pegasus.

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🚀 US & Russia Cooperation Extended

Despite the war in Ukraine, Russia and the US agreed to keep sending crews to the International Space Station (ISS) until at least 2025.

The announcement was made by the Russian space agency, Roscosmos, on Thursday.

• Cross-flights: The deal involves swapping one US astronaut and one Russian cosmonaut on each spacecraft launch.

• Future plans: The ISS partners have not yet decided whether to keep the orbiting lab running beyond 2024.

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🏷️ Your Choice Matters

Have you ever wondered: “Am I unwittingly supporting the CCP?”

Given that the CCP has control over companies in China, your purchases of Chinese products may be indirectly contributing to their power.

That’s why: We’ve created a simple browser extension called Shop Safe.

• Instantly identify if a product is from China while you shop online.

• We don't collect data, not even an email. No hidden agendas – just transparency for conscious choices.

• It’s FREE.

Click for more

China

Nearly 70% of China: Living on $280 a Month

🇨🇳 China’s Poverty Problem. This week, internet censors in China were busy shutting down online discussions about the country’s poverty after a shocking statistic revealed the harsh reality of income inequality in the world’s second-largest economy.

📉 China’s Economy. An economist’s article sparked fiery debate about the struggles of nearly 1 billion people who live on a monthly income of 2,000 Chinese yuan, or about $280. The article, based on a 2021 study, was swiftly pulled by the authorities, who are touchy about any criticism of the country’s economic performance.

• A hashtag on Weibo - the Chinese version of Twitter - highlighted that “964 million people” were surviving on that measly income.

• But of course, after trending as the No. 1 hashtag, it was quickly taken down.

📊 The Economist. Li Xunlei, chief economist at Zhongtai Securities, is the brave economist who published the data. Despite signs of stress appearing across various sectors, Beijing has not come up with a stimulus package as part of its post-pandemic economic recovery.

• Keep in mind that China typically stimulates its economy by directly supporting the private sector with increased government spending, preferential tax policies, and more.

• This approach contrasts with Western countries, which often boost their economies by distributing cash to individuals too.

🔍 Further Analysis. Li’s article for the business outlet Yicai cited data from a 2021 research paper by the China Institute of Income Distribution at Beijing Normal University.

• In it, he said China was at an “inflection point” because of China’s rapidly declining and aging population.

• Li asserts that with competent leadership, China’s GDP could skyrocket, potentially doubling by 2035.

• The above article link has not been incorrectly linked by me - the entire article has been taken down.

🏢 Property Giants Default. China’s property giants, Evergrande and Country Garden, defaulted on their debt this year as government aid fell through. Meanwhile, Xi Jinping has instead made calls for improving income distribution through a campaign of “common prosperity.”

• Have you wondered why China’s been cracking down on its billionaires? 🤔

🔎 Why It Matters. Once more, this recent crackdown shows how sensitive Beijing is to discussions on China’s economic health.

• Why? The economy is one of the “key metrics” of Xi’s performance as a leader.

• Amidst China’s dwindling economy, foreign investors have been pulling billions out of China.