Vision Times Newspaper VOL.2 JAN 15,2021

JANUARY 15-21, 2021

VISION TIMES

NY Edition GETTY IMAGES

American UN Ambassador

Visit Planned, Travel plans scrapped to accommodate Biden administration transition procedures

By Leo Timm

K

elly Craft, U.S. ambassa dor to the United Nations, will not travel to Taiwan, the Department of State announced Jan. 12 following a previous announcement saying she would spend three days visiting the self-ruled island that Communist China claims is part of its territory.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo explained that the cancellation was due to work that needed to be done to turn over authority to the incoming Biden administration. Congress confirmed Demo cratic candidate Joe Biden as U.S. President-elect in the early hours of Jan. 7.

Taiwan, officially known as the Republic of China (ROC), lost its U.N. seat to the communist mainland in 1971, and the United States switched diplomatic recognition to Beijing later in the decade.

Craft, who was slated to visit Taiwan between Jan. 13 and Jan. 15, would have been the third high-ranking U.S. official — after U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar and Under Secretary of State Keith Krach — to set foot on the island in the last six months. Previously, such senior officials had not vis ited the island in 40 years.

On Jan. 9, the top U.S. diplomat also announced the removal of all “self-imposed restrictions” that regulate how American officials interact with Taiwan. These rules had been set up largely to avoid drawing diplomatic tirades and other reactions from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

The C CP prote s te d the State Department’s

ny@visiontimes.com

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (R) and U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Kelly Craft attend the United Nations (UN) General Assembly on September 24, 2019, in New York City.

removal of protocol governing US-ROC diplomatic relations and plans to send Kelly Craft, say ing that Washington was “playing with fire.” On Jan. 11, Com munist Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said that America would be “met with resolute responses.”

State-backed media Globa l Times published an article accusing the move as last-ditch “madness” by the Trump administration. It argued that the Chinese government needs to resolutely oppose the “provocation” and push the incoming Biden administration to cancel the new policy.

Apart from Craft’s cancelled Taiwan trip, Pompeo called off his plans to visit Europe after top European officials declined to meet with him, as

reported by Reuters on Jan. 12.

The U.S.-ROC relationship goes back to World War II, when American forces aided China against the Japanese invasion.

U.S. aut horities under t he Trump administration have taken steps to boost relations with Taipei. In addition to sending highranking officials to the island, the United States has increased arms sales to the ROC, pushed for greater Taiwanese participation in the U.N, highlighted Taiwan’s democratic system in contrast to the CCP’s authoritarianism, and made greater guarantee of the island’s security.

In a Jan. 7 Twitter post, Pompeo described the strengthening of the U.S.-ROC alliance under the Trump adminis-

tration. In three years, Washington has authorized over $15 billion in defense sales to Taiwan under Trump, $1 billion more that of Obama’s entire 8-year term.

Cui Liru, a senior researcher at the Taihe Institute, believes that ties with Taiwan will soften under the incoming Biden administration. However, Joe Biden will be unable to immediately return to the pre-Trump approach, which sidelined Taiwan’s diplomatic status in favor of warmer “engagement” with Beijing.

“The Trump administration and [Taiwan President] Tsai Ing-wen will spare no efforts to promote US-Taiwan relations until Trump hands over power. Their pur pose is to raise US-Taiwan relations to a height that the Biden administration cannot reverse…

Although Biden will not handle US-Taiwan relations like Trump has, his administration won’t be able to take significant actions to reverse the current situation soon after he takes office, because there are more urgent domestic issues to be resolved,” Cui told the South China Morning Post.

U.S.-Taiwan military cooperation is also a big source of worry for the PRC. In November 2020, Rear Adm. Michael Studeman, head of U.S. Indo-Pacific Com mand’s intelligence directorate, visited Taiwan on an undisclosed trip. This infuriated Bei jing, which vowed to respond in kind. Studeman countered that such trips are normal, and are necessary to ensure that the U.S. and Taiwan are ready to counter aggression by mainland China in the region.

212-730-6963

NATION

A2 | JAN 15-21, 2021

www.VisionTimes.com

Senator Joe Manchin: ‘It’s Time for Bipartisanship’ ByVision Times Staff

S

enator Joe Manchin, a Democrat from West Virginia, has called for bipartisanship to prevail in American politics. His statement was made prior to the attack on the Capitol building on Jan. 6. “Now, more than ever, we must enter a new era of bipartisanship in Washington. With tight margins in the House and Senate, Democrats and Republicans are faced with a decision to either work together to put the priorities of our nation before partisan politics or double down on the dysfunctional tribalism… Above all, we must avoid the extreme and polarizing rhetoric that only further divides the American people — I will work tirelessly to make sure we do. It is time for Americans to move closer together,” he said in a statement.

Following the violence at the Capitol, Manchin publicly condemned the protests and noted that it was time for America to move forward as one nation. He had also asked Twitter to suspend Trump’s account “in the interest of national security and public safety.” And when the social media platform banned the

president, he thanked Twitter while saying that Americans should come together to find a common path forward. Trump criticized Twitter for permanently banning his account, saying that it is an attempt to silence the 75 million “great patriots” who voted for him.

After the Nov. 3 election, Manchin had admitted that some portions of the Democrat Party had aligned itself with the radical left. “…it wasn’t a good message, I’ll be very honest with you…

And it hurt a lot of good Democrats in rural America. Montana, for one. Other places around the country,” he said in an interview with CBS News.

"We let them [Republicans] tag us basically before we could remind the people who we are… Basically labeling every Democrat as a socialist or supporting socialism, that’s not who we are.

It’s not who I am [it] is not how we were raised.

Joe Manchin is calling for bipartisanship in politics.

Senator Manchin: a centrist politician Manchin is often considered the most Trump-leaning, centrist Democrat member in the Senate since he has supported many of the president’s initiatives and has often opposed his own party’s policies. He strongly stands against extreme left initiatives and has rejected calls for defunding the police that were made last year in the wake of Black Lives Matter protests. He also dismissed “crazy socialist agenda(s)” and opposed calls for expanding the number of Supreme Court Judges. Manchin has asked fellow Democrats to take a more moderate approach rather than allying themselves with extreme fringe groups.

However, Manchin did oppose Trump’s request to approve $2,000 stimulus checks for Americans, something that also went against his party’s position and was in agreement with the Republican viewpoint on the issue.

In a Jan. 9 interview with the Washington Post, he insisted that if the government does end up giving money, it should only go to Americans who are in dire straits and actually need the money. Manchin is also known to be an opponent of the Green New Deal, a plan that Trump has trashed several times for being a danger to the American economy.

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS / CC0 1.0

VISION TIMES BRINGING YOU

Focused News and Analysis Exclusive China Coverage Timeless Cultural Insights At Vision Times, we endeavour to provide our readers with timely and insightful coverage on a broad range of issues, placing special emphasis on China and its shifting relationship with the rest of the world. Our take on current events is informed by an appreciation for the enduring traditional heritages of both the East and the West, which we seek to highlight and promote across all our platforms. contact: 212-730-6963 www.visiontimes.com

212-730-6963

VISION TIMES

ny@visiontimes.com

NATION

www.VisionTimes.com

JAN 15-21, 2021 |

A3

Big Tech Imposes Censorship Standards on Competitor Parler, Silences Trump and Associates TED S.WARREN-POOL / GETTY IMAGES

ByNeil Campbell

Google banned Twitter alternative Parler from its App Store on Friday, Jan. 8, claiming the move is to “protect user safety.” The tech giant says Google Play policy requires apps that display user-generated content to “have moderation policies and enforcement that removes egregious content like posts that incite violence,” according to José Castañeda, Google Public Policy Communications.

The statement went on to say that Google Play apps are required to “implement robust moderation” for “egregious content,” while citing the Jan. 6 break-in at the U.S. Capitol building as an “ongoing and urgent public safety threat.”

Parler will be suspended from Google Play “until it addresses these issues.”

Earlier in the day, Apple sent Parler an email saying: “Our investigation has found that Parler is not effectively moderating and removing content that encourages illegal activity and poses a serious risk to the health and safety” of users after organized complaints against the platform in alleging Parler was used to organize the riot on the steps of the Capitol.

One of the complaints was from a Twitter account with the handle “Sleeping Giants,” a selfdescribed “campaign to make bigotry and sexism less profitable.” A pinned post on the account has been openly asking for reports on “election-related” violence to the group since Nov. 2. The other four accounts cited in Apple’s email appear to be pseudonymous.

Policing other apps Apple claims that “Parler is in fact responsible for all the user generated content present on your service and for ensuring that this content meets App Store requirements for the safety and protection of our users,” saying it won’t distribute apps that promote “dangerous and harmful content.”

In an apparent bid to dictate how another company runs its business and manages free speech, Parler has been required by Apple to produce a “requested moderation improvement plan” within 24 hours unless the Twitter alternative wishes to be removed from the App Store.

Parler CEO John Matze replied to the threats, saying: “Apparently they believe Parler is responsible for ALL user generated content on Parler.

Therefore [sic] by the same logic, Apple must be responsible for ALL actions taken by their phones. Every car bomb, every illegal cell phone conversation, every illegal crime committed on an iPhone, Apple must also be responsible for.”

“Standards not applied to Twitter, Facebook or even Apple themselves, apply to Parler,” he said.

Matze further described the

ny@visiontimes.com

Chinese leader Xi Jinping (C) talks with Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg (R) as Lu Wei, China’s Internet czar, looks on during a gathering of CEOs and other executives at the main campus of Microsoft Corp September 23, 2015, in Redmond, Washington. Xi and top executives from U.S. and Chinese companies discussed a range of issues, including trade relations, intellectual property protection, regulation transparency, and clean energy, according to published reports.

We had an election that was stolen from us. It was a landslide election, and everyone knows it. Especially the other side.

But you have to go home now.

We have to have peace. We have to have law and order and we have to respect our great people in law and order. We don’t want anybody hurt. It’s a very tough period of time. There’s never been a time like this where such a thing happened.

fallacious nature of the allegation his company is responsible for the Jan. 6 violence: “1) Parler has no way to organize anything, Facebook groups was used heavily to organize the protests. 2) Protests are constitutionally protected. 3) Bad actors turned the protest into a riot.”

And Matze is likely correct in his calculation that agents provocateurs were at the root of the rioting and vandalism of the nation’s Capitol after it was alleged on social media that people connected to the 4Chan conspiracy theory movement QAnon, as well as Marxistanarchist groups Antifa and Black Lives Matter, were at the front lines of the riots, inciting vandalism and violence.

Capitol Police were also shown in several videos opening doors, removing barricades, and otherwise allowing the rioters to enter the building.

While explanations have not been provided, the Associated Press revealed that D.C. law enforcement rejected an offer from the Pentagon to deploy the National Guard three days in advance of the scheduled Jan. 6 lawful protest and an offer from the FBI to deploy agents as the rioting escalated.

Big tech muzzles President Trump On Thursday, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg banned President Donald Trump from both Facebook and Instagram.

In a lengthy monologue, Zuckerberg claims: “[Trump’s] decision to use his platform to condone rather than condemn the actions of his supporters at the Capitol building has rightly disturbed people in the US and around the world.”

However, Zuckerberg’s statement seems to deviate from reality. In an increasingly hard-to-find video by Trump on the day of the Electoral College count, the outgoing president asked both his supporters and the rioters to be peaceful: Also on Jan. 8, Twitter banned Trump from their platform claiming “the risk of further incitement of violence.”

However, the two Jan. 8 posts by Trump that Twitter cites as justification are far from incitement of violence, as can be seen below: Twitter makes multiple dubious and speculative claims in their “assessment” under their “Glorification of Violence” policy.

They claim that Trump’s second tweet serves “as encouragement to those potentially considering violent acts that the Inauguration would be a ‘safe’ target, as he will not be attending,” and that “the use of the words ‘American Patriots’ to describe some of his supporters is also being interpreted as support for those committing violent acts at the US Capitol,” among others.

Twitter also suspended Sidney Powel and Michael Flynn’s accounts without notice claiming in

VISION TIMES

a statement published by Reuters their move was related to QAnon: “We will permanently suspend accounts that are solely dedicated to sharing QAnon content.”

Twitter is ‘not about free speech’ Trump responded to Twitter’s ban on Friday in a statement saying: “Twitter is not about

FREE SPEECH. They are all about promoting a Radical Left platform where some of the most vicious people in the world are allowed to speak freely.”

“Twitter may be a private company, but without the government’s gift of Section 230 they would not exist for long,” the President said.

Canadian independent news outlet Rebel Media’s founder Ezra Levant, a former columnist for nationally-syndicated Postmedia from 2010 to 2015, spoke out against the already accelerating Chinese Communist Party-style censorship by several of the world’s largest and most influential companies: “You can’t see what Trump actually said now. You have to take Zuckerberg’s word for it, his interpretation of it because he doesn’t actually quote Trump, does he?

“These are your new rulers, by the way. It’s not Joe Biden, it’s these guys. If they can rule Trump, they can rule you too.”

He continued: “You know, you can still see what Nicolas Maduro, the tyrant of Venezuela, has to say on Twitter. Same thing with the Ayatollahs of Iran, or China’s countless government propagandists on Twitter,” while pointing out that despite Twitter access being restricted to citizens of those countries, their dictators are still allowed to speak on the platform without encumbrance.

Levant said he received a letter from YouTube today asserting that his entire channel may be deleted if he makes claims of widespread election fraud during the Nov. 3 presidential election.

The 75,000,000 great American Patriots who voted for me, AMERICA FIRST, and MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, will have a GIANT VOICE long into the future. They will not be disrespected or treated unfairly in any way, shape or form!!!”

“To all of those who have asked, I will not be going to the Inauguration on January 20th.

ADOBE STOCK/FREEPIK

212-730-6963

CHINA

A4 | JAN 15-21, 2021

www.VisionTimes.com

STR / CNS / AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES

China Enters ‘Wartime’ Mode to Contain CCP Virus Outbreaks C hinese authorities have announced that the provinces of Ningxia, Liaoning, Henan, Heilongjiang, Hebei, and the provincial-level regions of Beijing and Inner Mongolia are in “wartime mode” due to a spike in CCP virus infections. Public facilities have been closed and strict restrictions have been placed on travel.

The government has requested people to not travel during the upcoming Lunar New Year Festival on Feb. 12.

In Meizhou City in Guangdong Province, the local administration has issued a notice stating that employees from state-run enterprises, government depart-

ments, and private companies cannot leave the city during Lunar New Year until they get approval from their respective management teams.

Chinese New Year travel interrupted In an interview with The Epoch Times, Mr. Xu, who works in Guangdong, said that the government warning against New Year travel is an indication of the severity of the CCP virus outbreak.

“Usually at year-end, commoners all head home to reunite with families, so the Chinese New Year is the most important thing… They wouldn’t make such calls if things are not especially bad…

The government is calling for people to celebrate the New Year locally… But if it comes to the point where they force people to stay where they are, then they would have completely lost control over the virus,” he told The Epoch Times.

In Nanpi County, Hebei Province, families with people who have recently traveled outside the area are being sent to quarantine centers. In Dongguang County, the outbreak is said to be “very severe.” In the city of Shijiazhuang, outbreaks continue to cause problems and authorities have asked people to remain inside their homes. Only medical staff or couriers with special passes are allowed to travel freely in

the city. All grocery stores are shut down and people can only order food and other necessities online. As a result, food prices have spiked. To make things even worse, some stores are insisting that people buy several items together rather than ordering one or two items at a time.

In Beijing, a government order has suspended car-pooling services. All drivers need to get weekly DNA tests and must be vaccinated in order to be approved for work. In Shunyi District, officials have implemented the ‘14+7’ quarantine measures for visitors. Under this policy, they’re required to undergo observation for a period of 14 days. If they flew

where others were confirmed to have contracted the virus, they will have to spend an extra seven days in observation.

A major political conference that was supposed to be held in Hebei has been postponed.

People in Langfang City, which is home to 4.9 million residents, are currently under home quarantine. More than 20,000 people from Shijiazhuang City were recently transferred from their homes to designated quarantine areas.

The WHO is preparing to conduct its investigation into the origin of the coronavirus in China. They will first visit the city of Wuhan, the epicenter of the viral pandemic.

“I’ve worked on outbreaks

mainly in the UK… And although in theory you could do it remotely being on the spot makes a big difference.

Understanding how a place works and having direct contact with the individuals involved… I am going into this with an entirely open mind and the colleagues on the team I have managed to speak to are the same. This is a chance to go and find out the facts: what is available to know now and what lines of investigation might be fruitful in the future. I’m not sure a single trip will find all the answers.

It may never be wholly sorted, but it is a start,” Professor John Watson, a British member of the team, told The Guardian.

Chinese Embassy Whitewashes Cratering Uyghur Birth Rate as Victory for Feminism BULENT KILIC / AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES

By Neil Campbell

T

he Chinese Communist Party (CCP) mouthpiece China Daily published a propaganda piece on Jan. 8 claiming the eradication of religious extremism, rather than a state-sanctioned policy of forced sterilization, is what led to a shocking decrease in the Uyghur birth rate in the Xinjiang region.

The Chinese Embassy in the U.S. Twitter account, an official Chinese government account, promoted the article in a nowdeleted tweet: “Study shows that in the process of eradicating extremism, the minds of Uygur women in Xinjiang were emancipated and gender equality and reproductive health were promoted, making them no longer baby-making machines. They are more confident and independent.”

The article seeks to spin the narrative away from a June report on forced sterilization of Uyghur women published by the Jamestown Foundation, a Washington, D.C.-based non-partisan institute originally founded in 1984 to support Soviet defectors.

The report, authored by Dr. Adrian Zenz, a Senior Fellow in China Studies at the Victims of Communism Memo212-730-6963

rial Foundation, titled “Sterilizations, IUDs, and Mandatory Birth Control:

The CCP’s Campaign to Suppress Uyghur Birthrates in Xinjiang” found natural population growth in Xinjiang fell by 84 percent in the two largest Uyghur prefectures between 2015 and 2018, noting one region fell to an almost zero birthrate in 2020.

“Government documents bluntly mandate that birth control violations are punishable by extrajudicial internment in ‘training’ camps."

“Developing regional disparities between Uyghur and Han population change rates, the apparent impact of the internment drive, and an apparent campaign of mass sterilization in at least two Uyghur regions should give the global community major cause for concern,” the report says.

Zenz also found 2019 CCP documents revealing “plans for a campaign of mass female sterilization in rural Uyghur regions, targeting 14 and 34 percent of all married women of childbearing age in two Uyghur counties that year. This project targeted all of southern Xinjiang, and continued in 2020 with increased funding.”

The report found the funding was sufficient for “performing hundreds of thousands of tubal ligation sterilization procedures in 2019 and 2020.”

Yet China Daily’s article, complete with a photo of Uyghur children wearing masks and playing outside, claims “an increasing number of people in southern Xinjiang were deciding to marry and have children later in life, seeing the benefits of fewer but better births,

Members of the Muslim Uyghur minority hold placards as they demonstrate in front of the Chinese consulate on December 30, 2020, in Istanbul, to ask for news of their relatives and to express their concern after China announced the ratification of an extradition treaty with Turkey.

and the change was due more to personal choice than government policy.”

The propaganda piece is based on a report published by a CCP organ that claims an apparent emancipation for Uyghur women, “extremism had incited people to resist family planning and its eradication had given Uygur women more autonomy when deciding whether to have children.”

The CCP’s report attempts a rebuttal of Zenz’s findings: “The changes were not caused by ‘forced sterilization’ of the Uygur population, as repeatedly claimed by some Western scholars and politicians, but that ‘safe, effective and appropriate contraceptive measures

VISION TIMES

are now available to couples of childbearing age in Xinjiang, and their personal decisions on whether to use those measures — which include tubal ligation and the insertion of intrauterine devices — are fully respected.’”

The Party’s mouthpiece concluded that Xinjiang women “were deciding to marry and have children later in life, seeing the benefits of fewer but better births, and the change was due more to personal choice than government policy.”

But Zenz’s report found that a crushing crackdown on Uyghur families began in 2017 when the Xinjiang surveillance state became omniscient.

“Fines for breaking the Party’s population control policies were as high as three times the annual disposable income for the region. “ Those who could not pay were sent to internment camps, where they were forcibly implanted with IUDs or sterilized.

The report also found that “numerous Uyghur county family planning documents list ‘long-term effective pregnancy prevention [drug] injections’ as part of their services.”

Testimony from Uyghur women in the area confirmed that many were forced to take undisclosed substances that led to irregular menstruation or loss of menstrual cycle, “former female detainees have testified to drugs or injections given during internment that caused them (and other women) to lose their menstrual periods or experience increased bleeding.”

Zenz concludes: “These findings raise serious concerns as to whether Beijing’s policies in Xinjiang represent, in fundamental respects, what might be characterized as a demographic campaign of genocide per the text of Section D, Article II of the U.N. Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.”

ny@visiontimes.com

CHINA

www.VisionTimes.com

JAN 15-21, 2021 |

A5

Investigator of China’s Forced Organ Harvesting Honored With Human Rights Award

By Rory Karsten

SUPPLIED

UNSPLASH/VISION TIMES

O

ne of the world’s leading investigators into state-sanctioned forced organ harvesting in China has been honored with a human rights award in Canada.

Human rights group Canadians in Support of Refugees in Dire Need (CSRDN) presented Winnipeg-based international human rights lawyer David Matas with the first-ever Global Humanitarian Leader of the Year award.

The award thanked Matas for decades of dedication to the cause of human rights and especially for his work documenting the horrors of forced organ harvesting in China, said a January 6 statement.

“We want to recognize David’s tremendous contributions to saving lives and justice by speaking out against the horrific crimes of forced organ harvesting in China,” Dr. Aliya Khan, the CSRDN co-chair said. “Killing people for their organs is a most cruel and barbaric practice and must be stopped,” Dr. Khan said.

The award statement said Matas has dedicated his life to

Since the year 2000, the organ transplantation system in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has rapidly expanded.

Human rights lawyer David Matas has been awarded the first-ever Global Humanitarian Leader of the Year award by the human rights group Canadians in Support of Refugees in Dire Need.

defending the rights of society’s most vulnerable. A lawyer and recognized authority on human rights, immigration, and refugee law, he serves as senior legal counsel for

B’nai Brith Canada and has been involved in numerous national and international human rights groups. He was named to the Order of Canada in 2008 for his contributions to human rights legislation and immigration and refugee law.

Matas is also a co-founder of the International Coalition to End Transplant Abuse in China (ETAC), which is a coalition of lawyers, academics,

ethicists, medical professionals, researchers, and human rights advocates dedicated to ending forced organ harvesting in China.

Another ETAC co-founder is former Canadian MP David Kilgour, who conducted investigations with Matas in 2006 into allegations that Falun Gong practitioners in China were being killed for their organs.

“After months of inves-

tigation, including undercover interviews with doctors throughout 12 provinces in China, we come to the regrettable conclusion that these allegations are true,” Kilgour said back then.

In their research they also examined transplant programs of hundreds of hospitals in China, drawing on media reports, official propaganda, medical journals, hos-

pital websites, and a vast number of deleted websites found in archives.

The two Canadians joined American investigative journalist Ethan Gutmann (also a Nobel Peace Prize nominee) in 2016 to release another report: Bloody Harvest/The Slaughter: An Update.

In this report, they estimated 60,000 to 100,000 transplants are performed each year in China and state the main target for organ harvesting is Chinese who practice Falun Gong.

To a lesser extent, Uyghurs, Tibetans, and select House Christians have also been killed in order to obtain organs for transplants, the report said.

More recently it’s feared that Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims have increasingly become targeted for organ harvesting with more than a million of them being held in camps in China’s far-west Xinjiang region since 2017.

Last month, it was announced that three American lawmakers were introducing a bill aimed at stopping state-sanctioned forced organ harvesting from prisoners of conscience in China.

EU-China Investment Deal Criticized Amidst Hong Kong Crackdown ADOBE STOCK

By Vision Times Staff The European Union (EU) recently signed an investment pact with China. The EU-China investment deal (Comprehensive Agreement on Investment (CAI)) is expected to open up new business opportunities for both powers in several sectors. However, the pact is being criticized since it comes at the same time that Chinese authorities are arresting Hong Kong opposition lawmakers and pro-democracy activists.

Nathan Law, a former lawmaker from Hong Kong who fled to the UK, is disappointed that the EU would sign such a deal while massive human rights violations are taking place.

“In response to Hong Kong’s political crackdown, I urge the European Parliament to halt

ny@visiontimes.com

the EU-China investment deal and EU to sanction China & HK officials who are responsible [for] the arrests. #Retweet if you agree MEP should VETO the bill and EU should act,” he tweeted.

Chris Patten, a former British governor of Hong Kong, called the EU’s investment deal with China “a massive strategic blunder.” He said that if the deal gets implemented, Europe will not be taken seriously as an economic or political power, as the agreement basically “spits in the face of human rights.”

Patten said that the deal is based on a delusional view that the CCP can be trusted to act in accordance with the agreement. The CAI has set aside commitments that could trigger positive human rights changes in China.

For example, the agreement mandates that communist

The EU-China investment agreement has been widely criticized.

China work toward eradicating forced labor. The possibility of the CCP actually following through is essentially none.

China has been pressured several times in the past to resolve its human rights crimes, but injustice has always continued. Beijing basically averts such accusations by claiming

that reports of forced labor are false or that these people are only being held in re-education camps to “upgrade their skills.”

British politician Nigel Farage said that the EU’s greed will help communist China “take over the world.” He condemned the mass arrests

VISION TIMES

in Hong Kong, calling them another “shocking crackdown” on democracy in the city. Lawmakers and activists were arrested for participating in primary elections prior to the Legislative Council election.

British foreign secretary Dominic Raab criticized the arrests. He said that they demonstrated that Beijing misled the world about the true purpose of the National Security Law. It’s only being used to suppress dissent and alternate political views.

Hong Kong Watch founder Benedict Rogers described the EU-China agreement as a setback to the world “The European Parliament passed a motion in December calling for access to the camps in Xinjiang, sanctions, and saying that no investment treaty should be struck which

didn’t include China ratifying human rights conventions, especially the convention on forced labor, and then the European Commission rams through this deal within days despite the European Parliament’s wishes… It’s a travesty, a betrayal of the EU’s values, and a threat to the security of European member states,” he told Breitbart.

In the United States, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo noted that the arrested people have only been detained for exercising their democratic right and not for any crimes. He demanded that Beijing release them unconditionally and immediately.

An American citizen was also detained as part of the mass arrest. Pompeo warned Beijing that Washington will not tolerate such arbitrary arrests and harassment of Americans.

212-730-6963

VIEW

A6 | JAN 15-21, 2021

Labeled "unsinkable" by an adoring public

America, Take the Titanic as a Warning

By Tatiana Denning

I

pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

The great American Republic, the City on the Hill, and beacon of hope for humanity like the Titanic, which was once considered unsinkable, is facing its hour of great peril.

A republic is what the United States was built upon. It shaped the founding of this country, and has been the template for how our nation has been governed for nearly 250 years now. And yet, as I look around today, I can’t help but feel that it’s in danger.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Vision Times.

212-730-6963

Fractured in two The Titanic didn’t just sink. As the seawater crept in from the outside, enough pressure was finally put on the ship to cause it to fracture into two separate pieces, leaving it held together only by the proverbial thread. As the internal pressure increased, what was believed to be indestructible, was in fact, found to be very fragile against the forces that took away its life.

So much of what happened on the Titanic involved ignored warnings, failure of other ships in the vicinity to answer or recognize distress calls. Even as things were falling apart, just underneath the surface, before the gravity of the situation was finally understood, there was the allpervading notion that this could never happen.

I liken what happened on the great Titanic to our own great country today.

We have so many warning signs. Socialism, much like the destructive icebergs and cold, invasive seawater breaching the Titanic, is clearly knocking at the door. Many think that it could never happen in our country, a country founded as a republic, a country of strength and freedom.

As a medical student, I went with some of my classmates to see the 1997 movie Titanic. I wasn’t very interested in the movie when it first came out, but so many of my friends told me how great it was that I decided to go see it. It was indeed a riveting movie, and it went on to become one of the biggest box office hits of all time.

While pondering the state of our country recently, this movie flashed through my mind. It dawned on me that there seem to be some unfortunate similarities between this grand, sinking ship and that of our own beloved United States of America.

Glorious beginnings Unsinkable, Indestructible, these were some of the words used to describe this Ship of Dreams, the majestic Titanic,

So many are distracted by their busy lives and the many shiny objects created for their entertainment. Some may sense something isn’t right, but those seeking to change our country reassure them that everything is fine, there’s no need for concern, they only have everyone’s best interests at heart. Some others clearly see the danger and try their best to warn of what is to come. But the warnings go largely unheeded.

On tolerance and freedom Just as the Titanic was cleaved in two, we see a fracturing among the citizens in our own country, and a fracturing of our own political system.

Where we once had a government that worked together, we now have a deeply divided one, with one side pitted against the other. Gone are the days of civilized conversation, of working together and respecting one another’s views; in their place is a plethora of angry words. Terms like bigot and racist are thrown about when someone does not fall in line with the collective thought.

People are even called out on social media by others for befriending someone who might not hold the same views that they do, all in an effort to shame the person and get them to bend to the will of the group. While they chant tolerance, they mean tolerance only for those who are in agreement with their beliefs. While they denounce hatred, they mean only if that hatred is directed at them, and do not hesitate to spew hate at those who disagree with their views.

Do we not see where this ship is heading?

Let us not forget that this is what occurs in countries that have no tolerance for freedom of speech or individual beliefs. One need only spend a little time in one of these countries to see that the utopia that was

VISION

POINTS

JAN 15-21, 2021 |

A7

Tatiana Denning Dr. Denning has always believed in rootcause medicine. With a focus on wellness and prevention. she has used both her medical degree and her degree in psychology, to create a program with proven results. Dr. Denning's desire to correct the underlying causes underlying cause of many chronic medical conditions has been the driving force for her focus on nutrition and weight management. With years of experience in the field, Dr. Denning has helped thousands of patients lose thousands of pounds

named for the Titans of Greek mythology. Chief architect Thomas Andrews and his team spent months laboriously and meticulously planning out the grand ship’s design. Many strong and brave men went on to build the ship, pouring their blood, sweat, and tears into it, with some even losing their lives in the process. And everyone wanted to sail on it and be a part of it.

Those who boarded her felt a great sense of pride and good fortune. There was a feeling of both joy and freedom in the air at being on the open seas on such a magnificent vessel. But this big, beautiful ship that everyone so firmly believed was indestructible, that people knew was unsinkable, in the end, indeed met her watery and deep demise. But how did it happen?

How could something that was so sturdy

promised does not, in fact, exist at all.

We seem to have lost sight of something. One can have a differing opinion from another and still be kind to that person, still befriend that person, and still not have hatred or dislike for that person. Having different beliefs and opinions from another does not equate to hatred of another; it only equates to just that — a different opinion. And it does not mean that we must each fall in line and accept things that go against our individual beliefs in order to be tolerant of one another.

I am free to say that I disagree with someone else’s beliefs if their beliefs do not align with mine. And that is only because I am fortunate enough to live in a free society. Because of this freedom, someone can also say the same about me. And if we each come from a place of rationality, rather than emotion, we can amicably disagree and discuss our views in a kind and civilized manner.

But there are those who seek to force everyone to accept their views as being right and applicable to us all. At the moment, some of their views are becoming mainstream, and they feel a momentum behind their causes, leading them to feel ever-more-confident that they are right and others are wrong — and thus any differing voices must either be silenced or brought into the fold.

They would do well to remember that a country that will not tolerate certain types of free speech will, in the end, not tolerate any type of free speech, including their own.

A Republic grounded on strong morals and values, with God the Creator at its core Just as the architects of the Titanic worked together tirelessly to create the

TIMES

and so meticulously planned sink like a stone?

Ignored warnings It all began with a warning. The crew members of the Titanic knew that in the North Atlantic waters there lurked a menacing danger, much of which could not be seen with the crew’s limited vision. They were all around, lying in wait, these icebergs, should the Titanic unknowingly veer in their direction. Despite several dire warnings on day three of their voyage, the ship kept going full-steam ahead.

The warnings were largely ignored and brushed off.

The crew did try to keep watch, but by the time they saw the danger, it was too late. The Titanic struck a massive ice-

best ship their minds could imagine, the founders of our country, the architects of our Constitution, thoughtfully and cooperatively planned and engineered a republic, founded upon strong morals, principles, and values, with God the Creator being at its core.

Many believe our country, much like the Titanic, to be indestructible and unsinkable. In founding our great republic, however, our forefathers were not as confident as the architects of the Titanic.

When asked, on the final day of the Constitutional Convention, what our new-found country had been given, Benjamin Franklin is said to have replied: “A republic, ma’am, if you can keep it.” That the United States is a republic was widely understood well into the 19th century, but heading into the 20th century, even the leaders of our own country began referring to it as a democracy.

“A republic, ma’am, if you can keep it.”

Today, many, if not most, believe that we were created as a democracy. With so much double-speak creating confusion around these terms, I, too, had forgotten that we are a republic, nor was I clear on the differences between the two.

In fact, our founding fathers did what they could to ensure that we did not become a democracy, knowing that history demonstrated no democracy ever lasted long. The John Birch Society produced a succinct explanation of democracy and a republic in their video Overview of America. It’s something I think every American, including our children, should see.

John F. McManus of the John Birch Society, in an article in The New American, quotes many of our founding fathers regarding their views on why democracy does not work: “John Adams, a signer of the Declara-

berg, which went through the hull, piercing five compartments of the ship and flooding two of the boiler rooms. The damage was believed to be extremely large, but, in fact, it was only a small area that was damaged initially.

However, the damage was just enough of an opening, in just the “right” area, to allow in what the architects did their best to keep out. Water began taking over one end of the ship. Upon assessing the damage, Andrews declared that his unsinkable ship would, indeed, sink — it was a mathematical certainty.

Passengers had no idea that the ship was only a few hours away from sinking.

They were assured by crew members that

tion of Independence, championed the new Constitution in his state precisely because it would not create a democracy.

‘Democracy never lasts long,’ he noted.

‘It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. " McManus notes that understanding the differences between a democracy and a republic is crucial: “The difference between a democracy and a republic is not merely a question of semantics but is fundamental. The word ‘republic’ comes from the Latin res publica — which means simply ‘the public thing(s),’ or more simply ‘the law(s).’

‘Democracy,’ on the other hand, is derived from the Greek words demos and kratein, which translates to ‘the people to rule.’

Democracy, therefore, has always been synonymous with majority rule… They recognized that majority rule would quickly degenerate into mobocracy and then into tyranny.”

Karl Marx, Lenin, Mao… they all understood this as well, and knew that to get to socialism, and ultimately communism, democracy was a necessary step.

Those who came to our country’s shores valued the freedoms this country afforded them, and they were proud to call it home, in much the same way those who boarded the Titanic felt proud to be a part of it. And just as men poured themselves into building the Titanic, with some losing their lives, many brave men in our country have fought to gain and maintain the liberties and freedoms enjoyed here, knowing that it’s their duty and right to do so.

We must not lose sight of the principles upon which our republic was founded.

Where are we headed?

Today, the internal pressure is everincreasing in our country. Our morals and values are shifting, they have shifted.

everything was fine. They were to pay no attention to the fact that the engines had stopped, and should instead go on about their merriment or slumber, as the case may be. There was no need for concern. Everything was under control.

When crew members finally realized that the Titanic was doomed, they did their best to shuffle passengers onto the ship’s limited supply of lifeboats. Even then, many passengers still did not believe the ship was sinking. Their minds could not accept it.

They had been assured they would be safe. It was British after all, it was the

Titanic, and it was unsinkable, so how could they come to any harm. How could such danger be present? Many continued on with their revelry, believing the warnings to be mere exaggerations.

By the time they realized that the warnings were indeed true, it was too late for most. There were not enough lifeboats on board to begin with. All too soon they were overtaken by the cold, dark water and sadly went to their watery grave.

We have let things seep into the hull of our country that seek to tear it apart, just as the turbid, dark waters that crept into the Titanic sought to tear apart what was once solid and strong.

Our country now seems to be fracturing before our eyes. Things have degraded to the point where we are even told that we should be ashamed of our own great country. God has been removed, and not just from our schools; now, simply wishing someone “Merry Christmas” is labeled “politically incorrect.” Right and wrong are now considered relative, people seem to know no self-restraint, and life is no longer viewed as sacred. What is to become of our country if we continue on this path?

The architects of our country did their best to ensure our liberties and freedoms, and to keep out of our country that which would destroy it. But as with the architects of the Titanic, sometimes the bestlaid plans are not enough. Cracks and gaps can appear and let in what will ultimately bring about its demise if we are not vigilant.

We must remember that it was not the immense outside pressure that took down the Titanic, but rather what flowed inside only when cracks appeared, creating a great internal pressure, which led to its sinking.

I recently talked with a patient who was a World War II veteran, and he shared his thoughts on the topic. He commented that he could hardly believe what he was witnessing in our country — the country he fought for, and was willing to lay down his life for.

In his view, what Japan, Nazi Germany, and Russia could not do is now being done from within. He believes he is witnessing the destruction, at the hands of inside forces, of the country he so dearly

loves.

Another patient in her late 80s recalls growing up hearing rhetoric from communist countries regarding how they would take the United States down. Our country, she said, always focused on this threat coming from the outside, in the form of war. She said she never dreamed that the plan all along was to take us down from the inside, as she was seeing occur today.

They both lamented the future of our country and its young people.

While our country and its system of government are certainly not without their flaws, living under the stranglehold of socialism, whose end goal is ultimately communism, is not the answer.

The ship of our republic has endured many rough seas, including a civil war, but unlike the Titanic, it has historically proven seaworthy and made it through many turbulent waters. We must ask ourselves this question: Why is it now floundering?

Just like those on the sinking Titanic, many don’t see it coming, despite the warnings. They view the breakdown of our traditions, morals, and values as progress, and a good thing, forgetting, or simply ignoring, what our country was founded upon, all for the sake of their own self-serving interests and desires. Kindness and thinking of others first seem to be things of a bygone era. Perhaps therein lies the clues to America’s floundering.

Will the ship continue to fracture and ultimately sink? Or will we see, before it’s too late, that, while we are being told that everything is fine, our very freedoms and liberties are being taken away, and that the ship is indeed sinking?

Only time will tell.

(Note: The title is edited for newspaper length and format.)

212-730-6963

A8 | JAN 15-21, 2021

Wisdom & Wellness

www.VisionTimes.com

Harmony of Heaven and Man: The Foundation of Chinese Civilization NATIONAL PALACE MUSEUM/PD-ART;BEIJING PALACE MUSEUM/PD-ART

Vision Times Staff

L

ike all other ancient cultures, the Chinese have well-known myths about the beginnings of the universe and the origin of existence. And also like other civilizations, ancient China’s creation myths reflect the ingrained traditional values of the Chinese people.

One of the central tenets of traditional Chinese culture is the oneness of heaven and mankind, as well as the harmony between humanity and nature.

The Chinese character that means “king” or “monarch” is 王, consisting of three horizontal strokes connected by a single vertical stroke. In ancient China, the san cai (三才), or “three powers,” referred to heaven, earth, and humanity (天地人). Thus, the character meaning “king” represented the ideal ruler, his wisdom and power uniting the three fundamental agents of existence.

The creation of heaven and earth Before there were people, much less kings to rule over them, however, heaven and earth had to first come into being. By ancient Chinese mythology, this fell to the god Pan Gu (盤古).

Before the creation of the universe, the cosmos was an enormous empty egg. There were neither directions, nor the separation of yin and yang. It contained nothing but void matter

and Pan Gu, a giant who slept for what seemed like eternity.

Finally, Pan Gu awoke from his eons of slumber. He was surrounded by stuffy blackness and could hardly move. Irritated, he split open the cosmic shell.

From the egg exploded layers and layers of existence, from the most microscopic energy particles to stars and galaxies. Light and clarity ascended to become the endless heavens, while heavy murkiness sank to form the vast earth.

Fearing that the heavens and the earth would become one again, he decided to do something about the unbearable confines that had trapped him for so many years. For another epoch, the god stood like a pillar between heaven and earth, defining them clearly and making them forever distinct.

According to this ancient Chinese legend, spirit and substance came into existence at the same time. There was the egg with its chaotic contents, yet from within it came Pan Gu’s will to crack it open and create all life and order in existence.

The birth of mankind As with most cultures, the ancient Chinese believed humanity was created in divine likeness. The legend of the goddess Nü Wa (女媧), explains the creation of men and their proliferation across the earth.

Nü Wa, it is said, fashioned human beings from the clay of the Yellow River, using her reflection in the water as inspiration. In this way, the empty FOTOLIA

Emperor Yu the Great, one of the sage rulers who followed the Mandate of Heaven.

Harmony between men and nature China’s creation myths point to a fundamental understanding of the universe and humanity’s place within it.

While China as a country is usually called the “middle kingdom” or “central state” in modern Chinese, the civilization itself was often referred to as shen zhou (神州) or “land of the divine.” This reflects the belief in ancient Chinese culture that human beings were created by gods, endowed with divine characteristics, and had the ultimate duty to align themselves with the divine.

Such beliefs were embedded throughout various aspects of Chinese culture, philosophy, and life. The teachings of Daoism and Confucianism reflect the principle of yin-yang dual-

Belief in the harmony of heaven and mankind were embedded throughout various aspects of Chinese culture, philosophy, and life.

ity in spiritual cultivation and everyday morality. Later, when Buddhism was introduced to China from India, the transcendental aspirations of that religion became an integral feature of faith throughout all of Asia.

The king or emperor was called the Son of Heaven, signifying his right to rule as assigned by heav-

enly mandate. His empire was called tian xia (天下), meaning “all under heaven,” or she ji (社稷), a word referring to the gods of earth and grain — the conditions needed for the people to work and prosper. If the ruler ran afoul of divine principles, he and his dynasty could — and often was — replaced.

THE EPOCH TIMES

According to ancient Chinese legend, Nü Wa created humanity from clay.

MINGHUI.ORG

world was given its human masters and custodians.

Gods taught and protected mankind as they built the beginnings of their civilization.

Apart from the act of creation, Nü Wa and her husband (or, in some versions of the legend, her brother) Fu Xi set into motion the interaction of yin and yang, established the family, and introduced music. When the gods of fire and water vied for supremacy and caused disaster by rupturing the heavens, it was Nü Wa who gathered 36,501 precious stones from all corners of the earth, smelted them together, and welded shut the gaping hole in the firmament.

VISION TIMES Ensure receipt of every issue at home Support an independant voice All profits go to increasing circulation

Chinese culture emphasizes spiritual cultivation and harmony between man and the divine.

Subscription: Name

£30// 66 months months $58

£60 / 1/ 1 year $106 year

Phone

Mailing Address Email

212-730-6963

Make cheque payable to:

Credit card:

TheZhong VisionGuo Times Inc. Kan UK Ltd 48 Chancellors Court, 4 West 43rd Street, Suite 311, New York, NY 10036 Orde Hall Street, London WCIN 3JP

212-730-6963

VISION TIMES

+ 44 207 831 9128 marketing.uk@visiontimes.com 212-730-6962

ny@visiontimes.com

ny@visiontimes.com

www.VisionTimes.com

Wisdom & Wellness

JAN 15-21, 2021 |

A9

The Darkness Before Dawn: Are the Prophecies of Disaster Imminent?

MICHIEL2005/ FLICKR / CC BY 2.0

By Vision Times Staff

A

ccording to the many legends and prophecies of disaster of the nations, peoples, and religions all over the world, human beings will face evil forces, darkness, tribulations, severe challenges, and experience devastating disasters at a certain period of time into the future.

At that critical time, also known as The Last Days and just as humanity is on the brink of complete desolation, the Divine Being returns to rescue the faithful, offer salvation, and spread enlightenment. In the end, justice prevails and overcomes evil. The righteous people are saved, purified, and enter a new, glorious era of peace and grace.

It looks like that time of trial and tribulation for humanity has arrived. By all accounts, the tribulations of that chaotic and corrupt period of time depicted in the prophecies, it seems that they are upon us today.

Prophecy of the ancient Persians The writing’s of the ancient prophet Zarathustra, a Persian, living thousands of years ago, have been translated in The Sacred Books of the East. They contain the following prophecies: “Everyone is advocating greed and belief in false beliefs.

Their bodies are getting fat, but their souls are hungry.”

“Dark clouds and frogs darken the sky.”

“Hot and cold air alternately blows off all fruits and grains.”

“The rain won’t fall when it should.”

Hot wind, cold wind, and rain that shouldn’t fall are symbols of natural disasters, while “dark clouds” and “frogs” represent evil forces, which plunge the entire world into darkness.

Archangel Michael is sent by God to slay the demons and the Red Dragon.

WIKIMEDIA / PUBLIC DOMAIN

Prediction of disaster by Hermes Hermes was a prophet associated with ancient Egypt and Greece. He stated that humanity will lose faith in gods at some time in the future and be on the verge of collapse in spirit.

“People who are pious to gods are considered insane, while those who don’t respect gods are considered smart, lunatics are considered warriors, and the wicked are considered good people. When it comes to the immortality of the soul or life, they will tease it and think it is false. No one believes or talks about respect and piety to gods anymore. It will be a chaotic period, and all moral values will gradually disappear. People are going into mental confusion. Their thoughts, words, and deeds no longer have love but are full of selfishness. People will pursue materialistic life extremely, and this pursuit will keep them out of the spiritual world.

“A dark dynasty will be

born. People will be ruled by evil, corrupt, and selfish politicians interested in money and power. Nature will be out of balance. Catastrophe will come because humankind will stew in their juice.

“When all of this comes, a Supreme Creator god will correct all this. He will bring back those who have lost their way and finally eliminate the floods, fires, wars, plagues that appear. In this way, the Creator will restore the whole world to its original state, and people will always love, praise, and bless gods. A new universe will be born. Everything will be rebuilt and become beautiful and sacred.”

The Nordic and the ancient Hopi Indian prophecies have similar accounts.

Prophecies of disaster, war, and redemption of the righteous in the ‘Book of Revelation’ The “Book of Revelation,” otherwise known as “The Apocalypse,” is the final book of the Christian Bible. Accord-

The disasters mentioned in the “Book of Revelation” include the water being poisoned, fires, earthquakes, hail, storms, smoke and sulfur, locusts, plagues, extreme heat, and wars.

ing to scripture, when John, a disciple of Jesus Christ, was in exile on Patmos Island, he was led to Heaven by God to see the seven seals, the Four Horsemen, and the mark of the Beast that were to bring great disaster and tribulation upon the Earth. He recorded the sights he witnessed, and wrote this mysterious book.

The story as told: Jesus, known as the Lamb in Rev-

elations and his disciples (called Saints in the Bible) fight against the Great Red Dragon and the evil forces of the Beast.

The Lamb represents justice, righteousness, and God’s will.

The Beast confuses the people of the world, leading them into all types of debauchery, immorality, evil, depravity, and corrupt ways; blaspheming God, God’s reputation, and the apostles living in the sky.

The evil Beast rules Babylon the Great, (also called the great adulteress in the Book).

The city is very opulent, a glorious place, possessing great riches and many commodities.

Countries, businesses, and people fall under its adulterous spell and they can hardly resist its temptations. Oblivious to the disaster that is about to fall, they know its evil music, fornication, drugs, and filthiness, yet they still cooperate with it, do business with it, and buy its products.

The “Book of Revelation” reveals: “If they fight with the Lamb, the Lamb will defeat them because the Lamb is the Lord of Lords and King of Kings.” However, because the Beast is a deceiver, many people are drawn into its trappings and help it do extreme evil and commit perfidious crimes against God and humanity.

The disasters mentioned in the “Book of Revelation” include the water being poisoned, fires, earthquakes, hail, storms, smoke and sulfur, locusts, plagues, extreme heat, and wars. In the end, the Lamb and the Saints defeat the evil spirits, demons, and monsters. Babylon City collapses in one day, and terrifying disasters befall it and its enablers.

The kings and merchants of the different countries who had dealt with and supported it are stunned. Thinking that they were untouchable, they are now in panic seeing that the rich and glorious city is totally destroyed. Disaster befalls them also, as they too refused to repent of their sins and their crooked ways. They are judged and sent into the pit of hell.

At the “last judgment,” all sinners that refuse to repent and seek forgiveness, are judged and sent down into the pit of hell. Thereafter, a new universe is created, and only those whose names are written in the Book of Life can enter the new cosmos.

Science-Backed Research : How Meditation Benefits You

By Vision Times Staff You might have read that meditation is good for you.

But do you know exactly how it can help you? Several studies have shown that meditation can have a positive physical and mental effect on a person. Here is a look at five benefits you can enjoy by meditating regularly.

meditation, the better your brain will be at self-regulation… You don’t have to consume as much energy at rest and you can more easily get yourself into a more relaxed state,” a researcher said, as reported by Brain Facts.

The researchers noted that people can optimize how their brain uses its resources once

they start meditating regularly.

Pain control Some doctors recommend meditation as part of a patient’s pain management program.

A recent study of 6,400 people discovered that meditation eased the pain in people who were suffering from acute, chronic, or post-surgical pain.

Now, this doesn’t mean that the pain will go away completely. The pain will definitely be there. But meditation will allow you to cope with it better.

Improved concentration and learning ability If you have trouble concentrating on your tasks, meditation might just be the perfect MINGHUI.ORG

Better self-regulation A study looked at the brains of Tibetan monks who had around 15 years of meditation experience. Researchers used an EEG to measure their brain activity. The results were then compared to local Tibetans who have never meditated.

The researchers found that long-term meditation reduces activity in the brain network in regions like the posterior cingulate cortex and medial prefrontal cortex. The monks who have been meditating for the longest time were found to have the biggest reduction in network activity.

“It seems the longer you do

ny@visiontimes.com

remedy for your problem. In 2016, researchers from Carnegie Mellon University studied 35 unemployed people looking for jobs.

They were divided into two groups. The first group underwent a 3-day relaxation program with mindfulness meditation. The second group only participated in the relaxation program. No meditation training was provided to them.

Brain scans of the participants showed that those who meditated had higher connectivity in parts of the brain that regulate concentration. A 2011 Harvard study looked at the brain scans of 17 people before and after they participated in a meditation program that ran for 8 weeks.

It was found that the subjects had a higher grey matter in regions of the brain that are associated with memory, emotional regulation, and learning.

Delayed brain aging A long-term study of a Buddhist monk has shown that meditation has the power to

VISION TIMES

delay the aging of the brain.

The study was conducted over a period of 18 years. The first time the monk’s brain was scanned was when he was 27 years old and had already been meditating for nine years.

The last time he was scanned was when he was 41 years old.

However, the scientists found that the age of the brain was only 33, a full 8 years younger than his real age. If such effects accumulate over a period of time, the total benefit to human health from meditation would be enormous.

Decreased stress Stress is a big factor in modern life. Regular meditation has been found to be highly effective in reducing stress.

Repetition of mantras while meditating can calm the mind. When you concentrate on such mantras, you will be able to move the focus away from negative, stressful thoughts. Mindfulness meditation has the ability to reduce the level of stress hormones called cortisol.

212-730-6963

Wisdom & Wellness

A10 | JAN 15-21, 2021

www.VisionTimes.com

Parallels Between East and West: Emperor Kangxi and the ‘Sun King’ of France In France, the time during which King Louis XIV (16381718) ruled was regarded as the Grand Century. The reign of France’s Louis XIV, also known as the Sun King, lasted 72 years, which is longer than that of any other known European sovereign.

Both rulers were diligent in running state affairs and they followed ethics and rules. They loved science and art and were open to cultures from the West and the East.

In 2011, following three years of preparations, the National Palace Museum in Taipei, Taiwan, launched a special exhibition of Emperor Kangxi and Sun King Louis XIV called Sino and Franco Encounters in Arts and Culture. The exhibition showcased the grand achievements of both rulers.

By Hermann Rohr

T

he Qing Dynasty (1644–1911) was China’s last imperial dynasty. Its second emperor, Kangxi (1654-1722) began a 130year golden age that was continued by emperors Yongzheng (1678-1735) and Qianlong (1711-1799).

Emperor Kangxi Emperor Kangxi was known for his love of learning. He was proficient in poetry, literature, and drawing. He was also wellversed in the classics of ancient sages.

Kangxi was keen on Chinese calligraphy, as well as one of only a few recorded emperors in the country’s history who placed a premium on the principles of humanism. Kangxi was also hungry for knowledge of European science, which was making great advances at the time.

In the Biography of Emperor Kangxi, written by the Western missionary Bai Jin, we learn that Kangxi was said to be very attentive in his studies; he practiced very diligently, he drew his own diagrams, and he also didn’t hesitate to ask questions when he did not understand something. He would spend hours pouring over his work.

The emperor would keep the manuscripts with his study notes with him and would read them repeatedly in the privacy of his chambers. Kangxi also often practiced mathematics and the use of instruments to derive an understanding based on Euclidean geometry. He put much effort into remembering the reasoning process.

A day in the life of Kangxi Kangxi reigned for 61 years, the longest official reign of any emperor in Chinese history. But his more than half a century on the throne was not spent on leisure. After the morning session at court, Kangxi finished his lunch and would spend two hours studying the astronomy calendar. Then, he would return to the palace to run through and approve decrees. After dinner, he would return to the missionary’s residence to solve geometric and mathematical problems. He would strictly

follow this routine every day.

When Kangxi traveled around the country, he would always bring along a Western telescope.

He would constantly practice the astronomical calculation for the local latitude and longitude, and whenever he faced a problem he couldn’t solve, he would ask the missionary who accompanied him.

King Louis XIV Like Kangxi, Louis XIV was also known to be a diligent king.

He ascended the throne in 1661.

He would study national affairs with the Minister of State, and achieved glory through a series of battles during his lifetime.

He started mass production by introducing subsidies, tax exemptions, and market monopoly rights. He rewarded state and private enterprises to increase production and encouraged European artisans to come to France to establish the French East and West India companies.

Louis XIV established the Royal Academy of Sciences in 1666 and built the Paris Observatory between 1667 and 1672 for the development of academic studies in geometry, astronomy, mechanics, anatomy, botany, chemistry, and so on.

Louis XIV loved arts and holding banquets at the palace of Versailles. The royals and the aristocrats would compete in costumes during the functions.

All the costumes and headwear were luxurious and colorful, showing the wealth and glory of the nobles, and also showing the unique French style and taste.

became fond of French glass and enamel crafts. As for Louis XIV, he loved Chinese porcelain, arts, and culture.

Among his favorites were lacquerware and furniture.

Louis XIV became particularly fond of Green French pottery, an imitation of Chinese porcelain craftsmanship. The Chinese also imitated the French craftsmanship. The imitation between China and France at that time was based on a mutual respect by each side for each others’ civilizations.

Above all cultural exchange goods, Chinese porcelain was the most remarkable for the West. The surface was hard and lustrous, the pattern was cobalt blue and vivid. As a result, the French tried to crack the secret formula of Chinese porcelain, which

resulted in the production of a special Green French porcelain based on local styles and taste.

In the above-mentioned exhibition at the Taipei Palace Museum, the logarithmic table, compass, and other instruments used by Kangxi can be seen to imitate the scientific instruments produced in Europe; and it can be seen how the pottery produced by the French takes its inspiration from Chinese porcelain.

The Sino-French cultural exchange It was mostly due to the SinoFrench cultural exchanges that Emperor Kangxi learned about science, medicine, astronomy calendar, human anatomy, and

Chinese emperor Kangxi’s more than half a century on the throne was not spent on leisure.

COVID-19 Vaccine rollout has sped up

Pamela Fraustro Mirada hacia China

share subscriber

VISION TIMES NEWS

"Bringing you Truth, Inspiration, Hope"

Subscribed

paypal.me/ givevisiontimes

leave a message 212-730-6963

VISION TIMES

ny@visiontimes.com

www.VisionTimes.com

Wisdom & Wellness

JAN 15-21, 2021 |

A11

General Patton, A Soldier Inspired by God VISION TIMES COMPOSITE

Vision Times Staff

G

en. George Patton, who fought in both world wars, is considered one of the most successful military leaders in American history. In his years of service, he faced a critical moment in the battle between good and evil. Most of the world’s research on him centers around his combat tactics and leadership style, while his faith in God and conviction to fight for God’s will is often neglected.

Patton was famous for creating “miracles” by turning rookie soldiers without combat experience into excellent fighters within a short time.

People generally praise his tactics and consider the Third Army under his command as the most powerful troops in World War II. The U.S. Army even adopted General Patton’s combat tactics into its military academy curriculum.

Countless generals have been inspired by his military career, the success of which can be attributed to three of his key traits: strict discipline, grit, and faith in God. Strict discipline Patton was highly disciplined.

While attending the military academy, he pursued perfection in everything he did — from training and competition to making the bed. He worked tirelessly to be the best he could be.

Patton cared a great deal about personal appearance.

He wore perfectly tailored uniforms and ordered every officer to wear a rank badge on the battlefield, even if it would make them the enemy’s target.

He believed that identifying one’s rank was not only an honor but also a discipline.

Patton’s discipline was also shown in his leadership. Even as a high-ranking general, he believed in working on the front line alongside his soldiers.

He helped out with carrying goods and directed traffic. He was shot and wounded on the front line numerous times.

Patton trained his soldiers hard, but he also recognized and rewarded them for their accomplishments. All soldiers were proud of being in the Third Army and had admiration for Patton. According to some of them, every time Patton showed up, his energetic current could be felt by everyone present.

Patton’s belief, and his disappointment Patton’s two cousins were pastors and he also considered the priesthood in his early years before eventually deciding to become a soldier. Philip, his roommate at West Point Military Academy, recalled that Patton knelt by the bed

Patton's success can be attributed to three of his key traits: strict discipline, grit, and faith in God.

and prayed every night for God’s guidance. He continued to pray during the wars. He often visited churches on the battlefield and brought the Bible with him.

When he commanded his first large-scale sea crossing and attack in North Africa without having any experience in amphibious operations, he wrote in his diary that God was with him and his men, 40 hours before they were set to enter battle. Patton was confident that divine aid would allow him to make the right decisions as a commander.

The last year of Patton’s life was 1945. The German army surrendered and the allied forces were looking forward to victory, but Patton was worried. He sensed an evil force wreaking havoc as the Soviet Red Army expanded during World War II. Patton discerned the communist superpower’s ambition to dominate the world, a goal that would cause large-scale conflict between liberty and communism in the future. He felt powerless.

In the later stages of the war, the Soviets robbed and looted across Eastern Europe. Still, the Allied powers were afraid of offending the Soviet Union and tolerated the Red Army’s trampling of the lands it had “liberated” as well as its moves to destroy democracy there.

Patton had a plan for the Third Army to occupy Prague and Berlin, but the Allied leaders rejected his proposal, loathe to begin further campaigns after Nazi Germany had just been defeated.

The Allied Forces headquarters disregarded Patton’s warning and allowed the Soviet Union to do what it pleased in the countries it occupied. Patton was angered that seemingly no one took notice of the rising communist threat.

In his diary, Patton vented his disappointment, and expressed his fears that communism would only continue to spread in the face of appeasementprone democratic leadership.

On Dec. 9 of that year, Patton

One of America's greatest military leaders, General George S. Patton, had deep faith in God. WIKIMEDIA / CC0 1.0

was critically injured in a car accident near Speyer, Germany.

Twelve days later, he died at the age of 60. According to his will, Patton chose to be buried in the Luxembourg American Cemetery alongside his soldiers in the Third Army who died in the war.

On the day of his death, a Friday, all the service clubs in Heidelberg that hosted the U.S. military closed for business, and every family lowered the flag to half-staff to pay tribute to him.

Per Patton’s predictions, communism indeed continued to expand and grow in strength. The Soviet Union was eventually contained and collapsed in the 1990s, but the Chinese Communist Party, which in 1949 took power over the world’s most populous nation, has surpassed even the strength of the Soviet menace and even wields considerable nfluence in American business and politics.

Patton vented his disappointment, and expressed his fears that communism would only continue to spread in the face of appeasementprone democratic leadership.

Patton, who was highly disciplined in everything he did, is seen here in a fencing match at the 1912 Summer Olympics.

WIKIMEDIA / CC0 1.0

General Patton, seen here during a welcome home parade in Los Angeles, June 9, 1945, felt that communism would one day threaten the United States.

ORE EWS M NO EN L G GOO

Go To

DISCOVER THE TRUTH FOR YOURSELF ! www.RightonTimes.com ny@visiontimes.com

VISION TIMES

212-730-6963

A12 | JAN 15-21, 2021

Arts & Culture

www.VisionTimes.com

Snuff Bottles : a Model Combination of Chinese and Western Culture The snuff bottle at its peak of evolution displays some of the highest craftsmanship of the Qing Dynasty’s artists, and also reflects the interests of life held by the royal family of the Qing Palace.

Introduced to Europe from South America in the 16th century, the curative effects of snuffing was widely popular among royal aristocrats. At that time, snuff was a precious luxury item, with nobles storing their snuff in exquisite boxes. These boxes gradually became a symbol of noble status.

French King Louis XIV Introduces Snuff Boxes to the World Although King Louis XIV did not use snuff personally, he cherished the exquisite and ornate craftsmanship of the snuff box. In fact, Louis XIV held these items in such high

esteem that he once commissioned the artisans of the royal court to produce snuff boxes, which then became gifts for Louis XIV’s ministers, as well as international diplomats.

SNUFF

S

nuff is derived from indigenous tribes in South America.

The tribes grind tobacco leaves into a fine powder, and after undergoing a fermentation process, the fermented leaves are blended with a special mixture of floral spices. Snuff was originally stored in a box, and when used, a small amount would be put on a plate and inhaled directly into the nasal cavity. Snuff powder is described as having a slightly irritating aroma, and has the effect of clearing the nasal passages and relieving congestion.

By Xe Jin Picture By National Palace Museum

Because European snuff boxes were not as useful in China due to differences in both climate and usage habit, the agency changed the original snuff container from a box to a sealed bottle with a small mouth, wide abdomen and a spoon. This improved design is easy to carry, preserves the snuff for a longer period of time, and keeps the smell of the fermented tobacco contained.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs also invited Western missionaries to participate in development, and during the process, China mastered the Western techniques of

glass making and enamel painting.

The exchange of science and technology between China and the West is fully demonstrated through the evolution of the snuff bottle.

Evolution of the Chinese Style When western missionaries participated in the development of snuff bottles during the Kangxi Period of the Qing Dynasty, their designs were strongly composed of Rococo-style decoration. However, in the Yongzheng Period (1678-1735), the development of snuff bottles turned to independent

manufacturing, and a brand new trade was created.

Through the Qianlong Period (1735-1796), the subject of snuff bottle design integrated themes from Chinese mythology, Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism, as well as other auspicious symbols., Subsequently,

Chinese medicine helped to improve Snuff Powder in the 17th century. As a diplomatic gift, snuff boxes were imported into China by the European envoy of Priest Matteo Ricci. The medicinal effects of snuff was also greatly loved by the Chinese Emperor. bottle was born.

In addition to the exquisite bottles used by the emperors of the Qing Dynasty as gifts to demonstrate the nation’s prestige and to present to foreign monarchs, snuff bottles were also spread throughout the upper class of the citizenry, becoming elegant small objects used for the social activities of literati and palace ministers.

As snuff bottles continued to evolve in China, the materials used to create them became more diversified as designers and artists expressed their different self identities and tastes.

Metal, glass, bone, porcelain, shellfish, plants, jade, and other materials were combined with different crafting techniques and pattern decorations.

The development of snuff bottles peaked near the end of the Qing Dynasty and gradually declined through the beginning of the Republic of China. Snuff bottles are one of the best examples in history of China's implementation of a Western style and the synthesis of Chinese and Western elements.

As a result, the composition of snuff was improved as it was worked on by the Qing Dynasty’s medical scientists.

In addition to tobacco leaves, a variety of traditional Chinese medicine, or musk, was added. This improvement made snuff not as pungent, and instead made the snuffing experience feel more refreshing.

Emperor Kangxi (1661-1722) held snuff in such high regard that he ordered his Dynasty’s Ministry of Internal Affairs to develop and manufacture the substance by a specialized agency that manufactured royal supplies.

212-730-6963

the unique form of the Chinese snuff

VISION TIMES

ny@visiontimes.com