Winning the lottery itself is lucky, but in China recently, there’s been a bewildering winner who not only hit the jackpot of 220 million yuan but also managed to avoid taxes perfectly. What’s going on? Although China’s football is weak, there are many football enthusiasts in China. Messi’s trip to Hong Kong has left Chinese football fans heartbroken… For more hot events in China that ordinary people are paying attention to, please check out the Monthly Brief Recap of Hot Events in Recent China, Issue Two, February 2024.
Recent China News in Social
The man who spent more than 200,000 yuan and placed more than 25,000 bets on the same number to win a 220 million dollar jackpot without having to pay a penny in taxes and fees is a man who traveled back from the future.
On February 22nd, China’s Ministry of Civil Affairs issued an investigation report on the “unbelievable” winning time of China Welfare Lottery issue 2023322 in December 2023, confirming that the work of the Welfare Lottery in that issue was in full compliance and that there were no falsehoods, cheating, internal arrangements, etc. So, a lottery event that has won $220 million with more than 25,000 bets on the same numbers without paying a penny of tax is a futuristic person who has traveled back to the future. So why did the winning of a lottery event cause such an uproar?
Point of concern one: It’s understandable for ordinary people to spend tens, hundreds, or even thousands of yuan to buy the same lottery number, but this user spent over 200,000 yuan just to buy the same number. It truly astonishes or raises doubts about their courage and confidence in winning.
Point of concern two: The 220 million jackpot wasn’t won by one or a few lottery tickets but by over 25,000 tickets collectively. Through the precise distribution of these 25,000 tickets, each winning amount didn’t exceed 10,000 yuan, which not only emptied the prize pool at once but also avoided paying any taxes. It’s a perfect calculation and betting strategy in the history of the Chinese lottery.
Point of concern three: Why buy separately from two different lottery shops? If they spent 100,000 yuan at one lottery station, printing 667 tickets, what reason could there be to transfer 100 yuan to another lottery station two kilometers away, and print another ticket with 50 entries?
ZZYY: I’m not much of a lottery player, and I don’t understand how the lottery works. The Ministry of Civil Affairs is authoritative, and this announcement can be considered final. If China’s lottery management is fair and just, I hope more people can change their lives through the lottery. Otherwise, I suspect the truth will soon come out because, in today’s trend, the Chinese government cannot tolerate corruption or cheating behaviors that have a huge negative impact on credibility.
Recent China News in Sports
Messi’s Controversial Trip to Hong Kong
On February 4th at 4 p.m. Beijing time, the friendly match between Miami International and the Hong Kong League All-Star Team took place at the Hong Kong Stadium.
Before the game, when Miami International arrived in Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Air Traffic Control Department held a high-profile welcome ceremony at the airport. Before the match, celebrities such as G.E.M., Tony Leung, and Carina Lau appeared, and G.E.M. even performed. It can be seen that the people of Hong Kong were looking forward to this game.
However, contrary to fans’ expectations, throughout the match, neither Messi nor Suarez appeared, despite the anticipation of 40,000 fans. Messi sat on the bench the whole time and didn’t even change into his playing shoes. At halftime and after the match, Messi didn’t interact with the fans at all. When returning to the dressing room, some fans threw jerseys at Messi, hoping for his signature, but Messi glanced at them and left without acknowledging them.
In the end, Miami International won 4-1 against the Hong Kong League All-Star Team. But the result of the match was no longer important. After the match, “disappointment,” “anger,” “feeling disrespected,” and “refund” became the voices of many fans. Some fans, in interviews, mentioned that they traveled from Xinjiang to Hong Kong for 12 hours and felt deceived.
The Hong Kong SAR government also issued a statement expressing “extreme disappointment.”
Huo Qigang, a legislator in the Hong Kong Legislative Council for sports, entertainment, culture, and publishing, also spoke twice on social media, expressing great disappointment with the organizers and Miami International, saying they needed to apologize and explain to the people of Hong Kong.
ZZYY: Chinese football is very weak, and serious corruption has been found within the national football management organizations. But this doesn’t hinder the Chinese people’s love for football and their obsession with top global soccer stars. Some people think that Messi’s incident in Hong Kong is just normal athlete protection and shouldn’t be misinterpreted. Some think that political factors are at play behind this. Others believe it’s due to the lack of experience in organizing large-scale sports events by the organizers. Of course, some think it’s simply Messi’s personal choice. After Hong Kong, Messi went to Japan and played in a match, which again touched on a sensitive issue for the Chinese people. Regardless, football should not be related to politics. There aren’t many beautiful things in this world, and it’s worth preserving its purity.
In addition, I believe that Hong Kong also needs to continually improve its competitiveness. In recent years, Hong Kong’s performance on the global stage hasn’t been good. Is its position as the financial center of Asia about to be lost? There’s an old saying in China: “If you plant a paulownia tree, a phoenix will come.” If Hong Kong makes itself stronger, it will attract more envy and bring more glory.
Recent China News in Education
Married Female Teacher in a Shanghai School Suspected of Having an Affair with a Male Student in the Same Class.
On the morning of February 16, 2024, a WeChat user claiming to be the husband of a chemistry teacher and class teacher of a high school class in Xuhui District, Shanghai, publicly shared several WeChat conversations between his wife and a male student, alleging that his wife was “having an affair” and “had a relationship with a minor.” On February 19, the Second Middle School of Shanghai issued a notice on its official website stating that the teacher involved had been suspended. On February 20, regarding the leaked interrogation transcript of the suspected husband of the female teacher involved, the Xuhui Branch of the Shanghai Public Security Bureau stated that the police are handling the matter, and the leaked transcript is not true. The related departments are investigating, and more information cannot be disclosed.
ZZYY: Under the long-term influence of Confucianism in China, topics such as ethics and relationships between men and women are very sensitive and serious. Of course, I don’t support or condone events like this.
However, from a personal perspective, I can only express understanding for the female teacher or the male student. We all know that what distinguishes humans from animals is the need to control and manage our desires. But looking at the world we live in now, how many people are not slaves to their desires? Elite figures who value reputation and privacy also indulge in sensual pleasures. Desires are everywhere, whether it’s for money, power, lust, or food… even ‘quiet quitting’ is another form of desire, isn’t it? So when standing on the moral high ground to criticize others, we should also examine whether we are like saints ourselves.
Let’s focus on sexual desire.
Firstly, most families in China lack proper sex education. Children don’t know how to understand the relationship between men and women, let alone control and manage their hormones. As people often say, parents demand that their children not date until they graduate from college, but once they graduate, they hope they’ll find a compatible partner and get married immediately. This demand itself is very peculiar. Just graduated, besides mastering the knowledge taught by the school to the level of graduation, are their emotional and marital concepts suddenly mature and rational?
Secondly, today’s society has various ways of spreading information. On one hand, sexual topics are suppressed and avoided in public, but on the other hand, students have many channels or ways to access sexual content, whether it’s scattered cards on the ground, or adult content prevalent in mobile apps or webpages. Although this male student knows it’s wrong, his physical arousal far exceeds his acceptance of knowledge.
Similarly, this female teacher may have also rushed to find a spouse shortly after graduation. Did she choose someone she truly loved? Did she cultivate a normal sexual need and psychology after marriage?
I know I would attract contempt wherever I put this, but it’s the truth.
Recent China News in Business/Automotive
BYD Starts a Price Reduction Trend in the Year of the Dragon, High-End New Energy Brand Hiphi Motors Suspected of Going Bankrupt
After the Spring Festival, on February 19th, China’s leading new energy vehicle brand, BYD, led the charge in the “first shot” of the new energy vehicle price war in the Year of the Dragon, with the slogan “Electricity cheaper than oil.” BYD announced that two of its plug-in hybrid models, the Qin PLUS Honor Edition and the Exterminator 05 Honor Edition, have both dropped in price by 20,000 yuan, with starting prices of 79,800 yuan and 109,800 yuan respectively. Subsequently, Changan Qiyuan, NIO, and SAIC-GM Wuling’s new energy brands followed suit with price reductions. Cui Dongshu, Secretary-General of the China Passenger Car Association, stated that the price war in the national passenger car market in 2024 will remain intense.
On February 18th, the first day of work after the Spring Festival, Hiphi Motors held an internal meeting and announced the suspension of production for 6 months starting immediately. According to internal sources, Hiphi Motors stated that salaries for employees before February 18th would be paid as usual; employees still at Hiphi Motors by March 15th would only receive basic salaries; after March 15th, employees would only receive basic salaries in Shanghai. It is reported that Hiphi Motors pays salaries on the 15th of each month. Previously, Hiphi Motors held an all-staff meeting and announced the postponement of January salaries, cancellation of year-end bonuses, and across-the-board salary cuts. January salaries would be paid at the end of February.
Recent China News in Economic
The National Team Officially Starts Rescuing the Market (A-Share) from the Last Trading Day before the Spring Festival and Continues to Invest After the Festival, Buying Approximately 400 Billion Worth of Various ETFs, Completely Changing the Trend of All Indices Crashing, Boosting Investor Confidence, Leading the Shanghai Market to Achieve an Eight-day Winning Streak in February. The government has also continuously issued favorable policies, ultimately changing the A-share situation with a candid attitude, firm reform determination, and substantial investment.
Recent China News in Accident or Disaster
In the early hours of February 23rd, a fire broke out in Building 6, Unit 2 of Ming Shangxi Yuan, Ming Yi Community, Xishan Bridge Street, Yuhuatai District, Nanjing. As of 24:00 on the 23rd, the accident resulted in 15 deaths, 44 people receiving treatment in hospital, and 516 people evacuated and resettled. Preliminary analysis suggests that the fire started in the elevated parking area for electric bicycles of Building 6. After the fire on the first floor, the elevated area directly connected to the interior of the building’s light well, creating a chimney effect, rapidly spreading upwards.
ZZYY: Some people say that it’s difficult to manage electric bikes in residential communities, but I think this viewpoint doesn’t hold. During the epidemic, management that was so complex and difficult could still be executed properly. Managing a single electric bike is not the reason for the difficulty in management. People are the biggest variable in this world, and the differences or changes in organizations composed of people are even greater. So, there’s no need to look for other reasons or excuses.”
For a recap of more topical events of interest to the common chinese, click here
