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Wednesday, March 31, 2021

WHO-China joint report on virus origins:Wuhan Lab-leak is "extremely unlikely", ‘more states should be probed’...

 

The headquarters of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva, Switzerland

Highlights from WHO-China joint report on coronavirus origins: -A lab leak was "extremely unlikely" -Huanan seafood market was NOT the original source of the outbreak -It’s important to investigate “potential early events” of COVID-19 cases in different countries


Peter Ben Embarek (center) talks with Liang Wannian (left) and Marion Koopmans (right) after a press conference to wrap up a visit by an international team of experts from the World Health Organization (WHO) in the city of Wuhan, in Central China's Hubei Province on Tuesday. Photo: AFP
Peter Ben Embarek (center) talks with Liang Wannian (left) and Marion Koopmans (right) after a press conference to wrap up a visit by an international team of experts from the World Health Organization (WHO) in the city of Wuhan, in Central China's Hubei

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If WHO scientists cannot find the answer in China regarding coronavirus origins, maybe it's time for scientists to dig somewhere else and test more hypotheses to solve the mystery, Chinese scientists from the WHO-China virus tracing team suggested, after a joint WHO-China report on tracing the origins of coronavirus was released on Tuesday, which still leaves the virus origins question unanswered.
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The report, generated after WHO experts visited Wuhan, the Chinese city first reporting a COVID-19 case, dismissed the "lab-leak" conspiracy theory, and recommended transmissions between animals and humans, and transmissions through frozen food, which is consistent with what WHO experts said in a February conference in Wuhan. It also suggested the 7th Military World Games, which was held in Wuhan in October 2019, two months before the first case in this city was reported, is worth digging into.
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Before official release on Tuesday, Western politicians and media once again cast the report, pre-leaked to media earlier, in doubt, questioning the investigation's transparency , impartiality and the involvement of Chinese government in the writing of the report. Chinese experts in this joint team refuted such baseless claims, saying the Chinese side has provided what it could, and it is willing to assist any further origins investigation in other places since it has mature technology on virus detecting and tracing.
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The report pointed to a possible path of transmission between animals and humans and transmission through frozen food. It also said that the lab-leak theory is "extremely unlikely", which is consistent with what Peter Ben Embarek, a Danish food safety scientist leading the WHO team, said in Wuhan in early February, when wrapping up the WHO visit.
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The Chinese Foreign Ministry said Tuesday night it appreciates the scientific, diligent and professional spirit of the WHO-China expert team and calls for further investigation in other countries and places to trace the virus origins as it is a global task after WHO released the joint report.
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Politicizing the tracing work will only seriously hamper global cooperation on virus tracing, undermine global anti-epidemic efforts and lead to more loss of life. This runs counter to the desire of the international community to unite and fight the epidemic, FM said in a statement released on Tuesday night.
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The WHO report also touched upon the hypothesis of the 7th Military World Games regarding virus origins, a possibility previously raised by a Chinese epidemiologist. The WHO report said that "no appreciable signals of clusters of fever or severe respiratory disease requiring hospitalization were identified during a review of these events," but recommended a further joint review of the data on respiratory illness from on-site clinics during the games.
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"The hypothesis was raised by foreign experts during our communication," a Chinese expert from the joint team's animals and environment group told the Global Times. He said that large international events need to be considered as an option during origins tracing work of an epidemic.
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The Chinese expert, who asked for anonymity, said that they obtained records from the Wuhan government, which show many countries had transported food to Wuhan during the event, many via cold chain route. "But now we only have records, no samples, so it will be difficult for us to find the evidence," he admitted.
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The scientist also said it is highly probable that the virus was transmitted via cold chain, given the fact that cold chains triggered most of the later outbreaks in China after the one in Wuhan. "But at the early stage, all eyes were fixed on animals, so not enough samples were connected in the cold chain environment," said the expert, suggesting further research in this area.
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The WHO report further suggests that animals in livestock farms in Southeast Asia could be "linked to early human cases" and that further study on these farms is needed.
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The anonymous expert said that given the geographic adjacency and frequent exchanges between China and Southeast Asia countries, such a proposal is reasonable.
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"Yunnan borders Southeast Asia, and bats travel frequently, which gives rise to the possibility of passing the virus to other animals and between each other," he said, noting that a batch of pangolins, which tested positive for coronavirus, were smuggled from other countries.
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At a Friday conference, Feng Zijian, Deputy Director-General of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China's CDC), who is also the expert of the WHO joint team, said that there is a virus highly similar to COVID-19 in bats and pangolins in terms of virus sequencing. However, it's proven not to be a direct ancestor, while more animal species, including minks and cats, are worthy of inquiry as likely potential natural hosts of the virus.
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According to the report, data suggests that the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market in Wuhan, where large clusters of infections were found, was not the original source of the outbreak.
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"The place which saw the first outbreak does not necessarily make it the origins of the virus," another member of the joint expert team, who preferred anonymity, told the Global Times.
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The expert said there's nothing strange about the fact that a scientific conclusion about the virus has yet to be found. On the other hand, it implies the difficulty in tracing virus origins. "Virus origins tracing work of previous large-scale epidemics was conducted by scientists in different countries and regions," said the scientist, urging global virus tracing, especially since mounting evidence suggesting that there were positive coronavirus samples found in other countries before the Wuhan outbreak.
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He suggested further study of positive coronavirus samples found in human and environment before January 2020.
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China has done what it can do in helping find the origins of the virus. If the answer could not be found here, maybe it's time to find it in other places, and test more hypotheses, according to the expert from joint team's animals and environment group. China is willing to assist virus origins tracing work in other places, as it has already grasped such technologies and methodologies, the expert said.
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Doubt from West
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Western media and politicians could not wait to fire torrents of criticism toward the report, which was leaked to some media before its publication.
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Among the most vocal critics were US media outlets such as the New York Times and Washington Post, which questioned the report's impartiality as they hyped that WHO experts weren't given full access in Wuhan and the Chinese government exerted pressure on the UN body.
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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told CNN last week that he had concerns about "the methodology and the process," including "the fact that the government in Beijing apparently helped write it."
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Such accusation was slammed by Zhao Lijian, spokesperson of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday.
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"The US kept showing its 'concerns' over the report. Is it attempting to exert pressure on WHO experts?" Zhao asked. "Please ask the experts which parts of the report the Chinese government helped them to write. Does China's facilitation on traceability research also behind-the-scenes manipulation?"
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"What they needed, we gave them, including files," said the expert, explaining certain documents were restricted because it involved patients' sensitive personal information.
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In an exclusive interview with the Global Times, Liang Wannian, team leader of the Chinese side of the WHO-China joint expert team, said that the Chinese side showed the WHO experts raw data one by one, such as the early case database and epidemiological survey forms of field use.
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Foreign experts, including Peter Daszak, a British-born zoologist, who is president of the NGO EcoHealth Alliance in New York City, and Peter Ben Embarek from the WHO team, have repeatedly denied accusation of limited access in Wuhan.
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Those Western countries only want WHO to pinpoint Wuhan as the origins of the virus, and better prove the virus was leaked from lab; if not, they just launched a smear campaign at China, said experts.

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Row over cotton and human rights

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Anger brews in China over brands boycotting Xinjiang cotton, linking it to claims of forced labour..

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CHINA is the biggest cotton user and second largest producer in the world.
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It produced nearly 5.2 million tonnes of cotton last year, and some 87% came from Xinjiang, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.
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This commodity has in recent years been “politically tainted” following accusations of forced labour at cotton fields in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.
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The Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) – an influential non-profit organisation to promote sustainable cotton farming – has stopped issuing licences to cotton producers in the region since early last year.
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Without the certificate, cotton farmers could not sell their goods to retailers, suppliers and manufacturers, who have to follow the BCI standards.
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The organisation has nearly 2,100 members, of which nearly 500 are from China.
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This issue resurfaced again in the wake of the rising tension between the Dragon nation and the West
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after the United States, European Union (EU), Britain and Canada imposed sanctions on several Chinese officials over human rights issues in Xinjiang.
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There were non-stop claims of China detaining Muslim Uyghurs at concentrated camps, stripping off their religious rights and forcing them into hard labour at mass cotton fields.
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China has denied all accusations and retaliated with sanctions on the individuals and entities from the EU.
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Fashion giant H&M was the first to come under fire in a series of propagated plots.
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The Swedish retailer had in October last year said on its official website that it did not source products from Xinjiang due to “reports on forced labour and discrimination of ethno-religious minorities” in the region.
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This statement came to light again last week, fuelling anger of netizens, who called on a boycott against the brand.
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The flame quickly spread to Adidas, Nike, Uniqlo, Muji and some others, and old statements they made in relation to the ban on Xinjiang cotton resurfaced.
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Extreme citizens have carried out verbal attacks on workers at both the physical outlets and online stores, calling them traitors and asking them to resign while urging purchasers to burn or throw away their products.
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This prompted the rational ones calling for such “stupid” acts to be stopped.
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A hashtag on “Do not make workers’ lives miserable” was read 250 million times and generated 57,000 discussions.
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“It is your choice to tear or burn your stuff, but don’t see others as not patriotic if they don’t follow what you did, ” wrote one netizen named Yisuo.
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Another netizen said it was shameful to bully their own countrymen, adding that: “Life is not easy, these workers have mouths to be fed.”
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An online campaign on Sina Weibo, #IsupportXinjiangcotton, has also been launched in support of the major commodity in Xinjiang.
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It gained 4.2 billion views as of early Friday.
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On the other hand, over a dozen Chinese companies have stood by the northwestern region of China.
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Among them, sportswear company Anta announced its withdrawal from BCI, winning the hearts of the Internet users, who said they would only buy Made-in-China products in the future.
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Some people viewed that such support would not last long.
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“I could foresee that these people who shouted the loudest boycott calls will go into a buying frenzy when the brands offer huge discounts, ” said one of them.
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Chinese celebrities have also acted swiftly to distance themselves from the controversial brands.
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Actor Huang Xuan, the spokesperson of H&M, was the first to announce ending his cooperation with the brand, followed by some 30 others including idol Wang Yibo, who terminated his contract with Nike.
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Hong Kong star Eason Chan and Chinese singer-actor Yi Yangqianxi, a member of TFBoys, had cut off ties with Adidas.
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Others include Xinjang lass Dilraba Dilmurat, actresses Yang Mi and Liu Yifei as well as model Liu Wen.
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Last Thursday, training photos released by Shanghai Shenhua Football Club showed no sign of the Nike logo, leading to speculations that the pictures have been photoshopped to remove the logo from the right chest area of the players’ jerseys.
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Nike is the sponsor of all Chinese Super League teams.
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China’s Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said Xinjiang cotton is among the best worldwide and it would be a loss for companies not using it.
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Beijing also clarified that forced labours and other allegations on the Uyghurs were malicious lies in an attempt to smear the country.
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She also showed a picture of the modernised cotton field, saying over 70% of the cotton was picked with machines.
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“There is no forced labour in hand-picking cotton. It’s ridiculous that some enterprises actually believed in such rumour, ” she added.
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Asked if the issue involving the international brands resurfaced as China’s move to pressure and intimidate them into voicing supports for the country’s position on Xinjiang-related issues, Hua said these enterprises can be their own judges.
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“Given the size of Chinese market, we don’t need to pressure anyone, ” she added.


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China's tough stance in Alaska turns heads

 

Sunday, March 28, 2021

China's tough stance in Alaska turns heads

Standing his ground: Yang speaking at the opening session of the talks in Alaska. — Photos: AP

【完整版】中美高层战略对话现场全记录 U.S.-China Summit in Alaska [Full Version]



 

Blinken (far right) speaking at the dialogue as Yang (far left) and China’s State Councillor Wang Yi (second from left) listen.

 

 Chinese diplomats’ face-off with their US counterparts at a recent bilateral meet has won applause from many around the globe.


ALTHOUGH the two-day in-person meeting in Alaska between top Chinese and American officials ended last weekend, the fiery exchanges at its opening session have continued to reverberate and it is now a talking point among Chinese globally.

The strong phrases used by the Chinese diplomats on United States soil against their American counterparts have won applause globally, particularly from Chinese nationals and people of Chinese descent.

To the Chinese who remember history, the great humiliation exacted by the West on China in 1901 was avenged by the opening address of Beijing’s foreign policy chief Yang Jiechi at the Washington-initiated dialogue in Anchorage, Alaska.

Soon after the testy opening on March 18, photos of the Protocol of 1901 reminding readers of the unfair and degrading treaty forced on China began circulating widely on social media.

The treaty was signed on Sept 7,1901, by China’s Qing government after it could no longer muster resistance to invading troops sent by Britain, Germany, the United States, France, Tsarist Russia, Japan, Italy and Austria – the grouping was known as the Eight-Power Allied Forces..

The protocol stipulated that “the Qing government shall pay 450 million taels of silver to the Eight-Power Allied Forces for 39 years”. Together with “reparations” from provincial governments, the total sum of indemnity came to one billion taels of silver, equivalent to China’s revenue over 10 years then, says Chinese history..

According to the Global Talk show on TV station CTI Taiwan, the video of the 16-minute opening address by Yang, director of the Office of the Central Leading Group for Foreign Affairs of China, has attracted “explosive hits” all over the world..

“In the past, no country bullied by the US dared to stand up to the US. This is the first time China told them off bluntly and demanded respect. People who are happy with Yang are not only the Chinese but also people from countries invaded by the US or who are suffering from US sanctions, like Iran..

“From now on, Washington must rethink how it should deal with Beijing. Everybody must watch this outstanding speech by Yang Jiechi, ” said commentator Yong See Kuan on the show early last week..

In another Taiwan talk show with opinion leaders, China was voted winner in this “most interesting diplomatic talk in history” and the United States was the loser in diplomacy and legitimacy..

Chinese nationals feel particularly proud, as it is clear that in this first high-level US-China meeting under President Joe Biden administration, the uncompromising and righteous stance adopted by Yang has cast a long shadow over American supremacy and diplomacy..

What was initially meant to be a several-minute photo shoot ended up lasting over an hour as both sides traded barbs. Members of the media were told not to leave so they could listen to rebuttals..

The expected diplomatic niceties were missing when US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan commenced proceedings with sharp criticisms of China on issues ranging from bilateral relations and human rights to cyber attacks and violation of international rules..

In response to that hostile opening, Yang responded to each allegation blow-by-blow, shooting past the time allocated..

On human rights, Yang reminded the United States about the killing of African-Americans, saying: “We do hope the US will do better on human rights. The challenges facing the US in human rights are deep-seated. They did not just emerge over the past four years with Black Lives Matter.”.

On cyber attacks, he said: “Let me say that whether it’s the ability to launch cyber attacks or the technologies that could be deployed, the US is the champion.”.

On international rules, he said: “I don’t think the overwhelming majority of countries in the world would recognise that the universal values advocated by the US or the opinion of the US could represent international public opinion.... And the rules made by a small number of people would not serve as the basis for the international order.”.

With choice barbs, Yang belittled the Americans..

He shocked all by saying: “The US does not have the qualification to speak to us from a position of strength.”.

He told the United States to “stop interfering in China’s internal politics” on Hong Kong, Xinjiang and Taiwan. On this subject, he added in Mandarin emphatically: “China will not buy (accept) the American way.”.

On democracy, he said: “You have your style of democracy and China has its own style.”.

Other phrases that appeared to hit hard at the United States and its Western allies include: “The US does not represent international opinion, and neither does the Western world.”.

Indeed, the 70-year-old veteran diplomat with tertiary British education has become a Chinese hero for showing the United States – and the world – how confident and assertive China can be after rising to become the world’s second largest economy and global power, with technology and military might..

Yang also reminded the United States that China, now led by President Xi Jinping, is not the China of 100 years ago, after saying China has suffered enough..

One of his most notable Mandarin phrase, “Chinese people will not buy the American way” is now appearing on T-shirts, umbrellas and other merchandise that is selling like hot cakes on the Chinese mainland..

Actually, not many observers had high expectations of this dialogue. Ahead of the meeting, top US officials visited regional allies Japan and South Korea and issued statements hostile towards China..

And just before the Chinese diplomats flew to Alaska, the US State Department announced it would impose sanctions on 24 Chinese officials for their role in “eroding” Hong Kong’s electoral system under a new Beijing law..

The timing of the sanctions and anti-China statements caused China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi to make this pointed remark: “This is not supposed to be the way one welcomes guests”..

Amidst these hostilities from Washington, many people had thought that Beijing might cancel the talks unilaterally..

But the Chinese went. By attending this face-to-face dialogue amid insults, China showed off its confidence to the world, attracting much attention..

China’s confidence stems from its achievements since it opened up to the world, according to Wang Wen, a professor at the Renmin University of China..

“In the past decade, China has become the world’s largest manufacturing country, the world’s largest goods trading country, and the world’s largest consumer market. In the next five to 10 years, China will most likely surpass the US to become the world’s largest economy, ” he wrote..

Wang sees China-US relations at their worst since diplomatic ties were established..

“After taking office, Biden has made it clear that he views China as the ‘most serious competitor’ to the US. He takes Donald Trump’s legacy as a bargaining chip in a new round of games with China.”.

Noting that the balance of power between the two countries has changed, The New York Times said in a commentary: “China today feels far more assured in its ability to challenge the US and push for its own vision of international cooperation. It is a confidence embraced since 2012 when Xi Jinping became the top leader of China..

“For decades, China approached American governments from positions of weakness. That forced it at times to accede to American demands, however grudgingly, whether it was to release detained human rights advocates or to accept Washington’s conditions for joining the World Trade Organisation.”.

The newspaper added that the Alaska dialogue shows that the Biden administration’s strategy to curb Beijing is facing a stiff challenge..

Martin Jacques, a visiting professor at the Institute of Modern International Relations at Beijing’s Tsinghua University, said the United States cannot accept the “painful fact” that China is now its equal..

In his opinion piece, he wrote: “Yang Jiechi gave a bravura performance. He let his American counterparts have it with both barrels, challenging not just the US position but also its very legitimacy. This is not normally the Chinese manner on such occasions. It is a sign that something has changed..

“There is a new sense of confidence on the part of the Chinese. That they are winning – or can win – the argument. That they are at least the equals of America. That they speak from a position of strength and America from a position of weakness. That history is on their side.”.

According to the scholar, the Americans have hitherto always thought of themselves as running the show: “The shock visible in the body language of Blinken and Sullivan was the realisation that this was no longer the case.”.

Jacques added: “America is in the process of coming to the painful realisation that China is now its equal. However, it cannot bring itself to accept what is already an historical reality.”.

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What science says about happy, naughty dogs




 Bored and lonely dogs may end up barking inappropriately. Photo: 123rf.com

 

Dogs have lived with us for 20,000 to 40,000 years but we’re still having heated discussions about chewing, stealing and messy eating. Thankfully, dog lovers do get to grips with these issues and behavioural science is helping to suss out underlying issues.

The furry thief
Minnie is a sweet little thief. — Molly Ooi

Minnie is a sweet little thief. — Molly OoiMinnie is a sweet little thief. — Molly Ooi >>

Molly Ooi who lives in Penang has had a steady procession of rescue animals living with her all her life. Her pets have the run of the house and garden, and are never caged or chained. As such, they have plenty of scope getting into mischief.

“All of our pets have their little habits, but one of the sweetest little thieves has to be Minnie, the Pinscher-mix, ” Ooi recalls.

“Although small, she decided early on that she was queen of the house. She was very good about our things, but anything that landed on the floor, she considered hers. Whenever she came across a dropped rubber, pencil, ruler or other item, she’d quietly pick it up and hide it under her mattress.”

The humans figured out soon enough where their belongings were disappearing to. When conducting mattress searches, just like in the films, they’d lecture the little dog.

“When we’d tell her it was our stuff and she wasn’t to take it, she’d listen and look apologetic. She’d stop a while too. But then she’d very quietly revert to old habits, ” Ooi laughs.

For us, the concept of ownership is clear, and guilt is a response to having done something wrong. For Minnie, ownership was established along the line of "finders keepers". So did she understand what her humans were saying? And do dogs feel guilt?

That apologetic look, flat ears and big eyes, has been the focus of several studies recently, and animal behaviourists now believe that this part of our communication is still misunderstood.

In an elegant study in 2015, Alexandra Horowitz, associate professor of psychology at Barnard College, New York, presented a group of pet dogs with an opportunity to steal treats. Then she videotaped owners either pretending not to know or pretending to scold their dogs.

The dogs reacted with the apologetic look only when the owners were visibly upset. As such, Horowitz suggests that pets don’t feel guilty. However, they do know when we are upset. Also, they learn that the big eyes and flat ears make us smile.

So, in effect, our pets are saying, “You’re upset, and I’ve no idea why, but hey, let me do this so we can smile again.”

The messy eaters

Jolene Tan, Sustainable Lifestyle and Mental Health Advocate living in Klang, has five dogs: Coco, Happy, Marco, Cookie and Butter. The little one, Butter, is a Toy Poodle just six months old.

“Toy Poodles are like children; they play with their food before they eat. Butter takes her food out of the bowl, puts it on the floor and makes a mess. I think she wants to play with it, and maybe she wants attention too.”

Cookie and Butter, messy eaters. Photo: Jolene Tan
Cookie and Butter, messy eaters. Photo: Jolene Tan

Animal behavourists point out that play in wild dogs is significantly different from play in pets. Current theory is that this is partly due to our preference for breeding animals that retain puppy behaviour into adulthood, and partly because dogs are very social and are therefore keen to bond with us, their human families.

An excellent paper by vets John Bradshaw, Anne Pullen and Nicola Rooney at the University of Bristol, England, points out that pet dogs use play in complex ways. Sometimes it’s about prey instinct but more often it’s social. Interestingly, dogs also have pretend-play like little human kids where adult dogs pretend to be puppies and puppies pretend to be adult dogs. Dogs also watch and copy games they see other pets and humans play.

Dogs may play with food out of a predatory hunting instinct or because they are bored.

Interestingly, there is a third possibility. Dogs also learn very quickly how to get attention from their humans. So when clever pups learn that putting their food on the floor has their best human over to look, the doggo sees dinner time as a pawsome bonding opportunity.

Put it into context with the mismatch in communication, and it may be that we humans say, “Oh lord, you are a messy pup” is interpreted by our pets as, “Let’s have a happy time together messing about with meat!”

The destructive chewer

Josephine Lui, a consultant image professional in Selangor, lives with Benji, who is 12 years old. Although Ben is now a beautifully behaved gentleman, he was a super naughty pup with a strong chew instinct.

“I adopted Benji from the SPCA when he was about one year old, ” Lui remembers. “He chewed shoes but also the autogate wire.


<< Benji was a big chewer when he was a pup. — Josephine Lui

“After we had to get it fixed, I put up bricks to conceal the wiring. Five minutes later, Benji had removed the bricks and chewed again.

“I then found a plastic cover that protected the wiring, and he was okay – until we went out. The second we were out of the gate, he chewed off the cover and the wire.

“We had to embed the wiring into the wall, cementing it in. But when friends came, he chewed their shoes. He only chewed the soles, not the top, and one shoe out of each pair – but our guests were not happy. But he’s a dog, right?’

Unfortunately, Benji wasn’t interested in chew toys. So Lui tried training. “Of course, don’t hit or scold, as he won’t understand. He’s a dog and they chew. What I did was watch, and when he chewed something forbidden, I would put him on the leash for an hour.”

It took some months but it worked and adult Benji is a Good Boy.

All dogs chew and they must do so for their physical and mental health. In the wild, adult dogs gnaw on bones for fun and relaxation but also to keep their teeth and gums clean. Likewise, pet adult dogs need a steady supply of bones and dental chews in order to keep them happy and to prevent periodontal disease.

For dogs under two years old, there are three chewing stages. Tiny puppies get their milk teeth when they are two to three weeks old. Their adult teeth grow in when they are about four four months old.

During both times, your pet’s gums hurt and chewing helps relieve the pain. So, it’s really important to have chew toys and bones around 24/7 – just like human babies need their teething rings.

When your puppy is about eight months old, it should have adult teeth. However, over the next 12 months or so, the teeth have to be set firmly into the jawbone. Again, this takes more chewing.

Basically, any young dog is going to chew. A lot. And while you can distract dogs with toys, and put your shoes up high, you can expect some destruction.

Stopping unwanted behaviour

It is not possible to train a dog to be un-doglike. However, below are tips to eliminate undesirable canine behaviour:

Be reasonable. Dogs will chew, shed, drool, bark, run around, and be their canine selves. Also, puppies are like tiny babies. Don’t expect amazing behaviour instantly.

Never punish. Hitting or shouting just makes your pet afraid of you. It’s not just cruel; it’s not useful. Instead, redirect behaviour and reward-wanted behaviour.

For example, your pet will chew, it has to obey its natural instinct and have healthy teeth and gums. So watch your puppy and reward it with praise and petting for chewing of bones and toys. If it takes your shoe, remove the shoe (nicely!) and hand over a chew toy. Then praise. Also remove temptation like autogate wires.

Bored and lonely dogs may end up barking inappropriately. Photo: 123rf.comBored and lonely dogs may end up barking inappropriately. Photo: 123rf.com

Be social. Dogs love company and they need it for their mental health. Bored and lonely dogs will be sad. Extreme loneliness can result in canine mental health issues, and they may end up biting their fur, barking inappropriately, and so on.

Healthy dogs need several hours a day minimum with you, and that time has to be spent bonding. For dogs, quality bonding means going out for a walk together, playing a game, or sitting together and petting. If you have only a few hours a day, get two dogs so they keep each other company.

Adopt Me

Photo: PAWS/Celine Chum

Photo: PAWS/Celine ChumPhoto: PAWS/Celine Chum

Jack is one year old, happy, healthy, vaccinated, neutered and flea-free. He is a medium-sized boy, super playful and affectionate. He enjoys walks, games and chilling with people. He is looking for a happy forever home. Interested adopters please contact PAWS Selangor and ask for Jack, Tag No: P539 (120920). Note: Due to the pandemic, please call first and make an appointment. PAWS Selangor, Pilmoor Estate, Subang Airport Road, 47200 Subang, Selangor (phone: 03-7846 1087).

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Mission to rescue stranded strays

 Volunteers travel to isle to save abandoned dogs from hunger and thirst

Saturday, March 27, 2021

Mission to rescue stranded strays

 Volunteers travel to isle to save abandoned dogs from hunger and thirst

Some of the stray dogs emerging from their hiding places to eat the food brought by the independent rescuers during their rescue visit to Pulau Gazumbo. — Photos courtesy of IAPWA

 

OVER the loud rumbling of the fishing boat engine, excited barking can be heard from Pulau Gazumbo, a small uninhabited island between Penang island and mainland.

Five beautiful dogs emerge from the shade, running all the way into the water to greet the visitors.

Alone and trapped on the island with no food resources or clean water, the dogs are skinny and completely reliant on the help of local fishermen who stop to drop off food about once in 20 days.

It is believed that in total, there are 13 canines – six matured and seven puppies – but how the dogs ended up on the tiny island remains a mystery.

News of the abandoned dogs reached the ears of independent animal rescuers about two weeks ago who decided that something needed to be done.

A litter of puppies captured by the rescuers from the uninhabited isle and being put up for adoption. 

A litter of puppies captured by the rescuers from the uninhabited isle and being put up for adoption.


Requests to authorities faltered as officially, Pulau Gazumbo (believed to be an island created in the early 1980s during the construction of the first Penang Bridge either by the changing of currents or by excess building materials) is under no one’s jurisdiction.


“We have heard that the dogs have been there for more than six months and the puppies look to be about two months old, ” said animal activist David Yim.


Not wanting to delay help any longer, Yim engaged a fishing boat to bring a group of rescuers to the island last week.


“We were scheduled to go on Friday but unfortunately, the fishing boat broke down on Thursday night.


There are about four to five fishermen who help the dogs when they can.


On Saturday, some of them announced that they were free in the afternoon and went on their own to try and rescue the dogs.


They managed to bring six puppies back to Penang island, ” Yim told The Star.

Without any steady source of food or drinking water, abandoned dogs on Pulau Gazumbo are extremely thin. They are sometimes fed by passing fishermen.

Without any steady source of food or drinking water, abandoned dogs on Pulau Gazumbo are extremely thin. They are sometimes fed by passing fishermen.


Alerted of their arrival by Yim, Penang Island City Council (MBPP) councillor Connie Tan, who heads the council’s Stray and Abandoned Dog Sub-committee, sent officers to receive the dogs.


“Under a collaboration with the International Aid for the Protection & Welfare of Animals (IAPWA) Penang in 2017, MBPP conducts ‘TNR’, which means ‘Trap-Neuter-Release/Rehome’.


“We first take the dogs to our veterinary unit in Jalan Sungai and after they are checked, IAPWA takes them to be neutered and hopefully, rehomed, ” Tan said.


The six rescued puppies, which IAPWA estimates to be from six to eight weeks old, are currently up for adoption.


Tan said although the area was out of their jurisdiction, the council is aiding the rescue team with cages and tools to help them capture the remaining dogs.

 

 

Two of the rescued puppies now placed in a temporary home at the MBPP’s veterinary unit in Jalan Sungai.


Yim and a small team proceeded to Pulau Gazumbo on Sunday, lugging 40kg of kibble, over 14kg of canned food and 26 litres of drinking water for the trapped animals.


On the desert island, they discovered how hot conditions are despite the splattering of greenery that survives there.


They also learned something else – how fast a scared puppy can run.


“When you look at the island from Penang Bridge, it looks small.


“But when you are running after a puppy under the sun, the area feels very big, ” Yim said, adding that the team failed in their goal of capturing the last puppy.


Undaunted, the team is set to try again today, setting off from Karpal Singh Drive.

A rescuer pouring food on a plastic sheet to feed the dogs on the isle.

A rescuer pouring food on a plastic sheet to feed the dogs on the isle.A rescuer pouring food on a plastic sheet to feed the dogs on the isle.


“We need to go with the fishermen because the dogs are familiar with them.


“So far, we have managed to collect donations for the food that cost about RM1,200 which we estimate to be able to last about a month, if it doesn’t rain, ” Yim said.


He added that all the fishermen journeyed to the island at their own expenses out of their concern for the stray dogs.


“We don’t know how long it will take to capture all the dogs but our first priority is to rescue the last puppy and the mother dog.


“She is the only female dog on the island and it’s important to get her spayed, ” Yim said.


Information on how to sponsor vaccinations and neutering for stray and abandoned dogs can be found on IAPWA Penang’s Facebook page.

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