China insider: Many Chinese Businessmen Say Their Bank Accounts Were Frozen by Police

Chinese Farmers Seek Help as Rice Crops Ruined by Flooding After severe flooding in central and southern China ruined rice crops, many farmers have been left struggling. Following heavy rainfall in the past half-month, some rice crops began to sprout, meaning they can no longer be harvested. China’s National Meteorological Center warned that more rain is expected in central, southern, and southwestern China for the next couple of days, with some anticipated to be more severe. Chen, a farmer in Poyang county, Shangrao city in eastern China’s Jiangxi Province, told the Chinese-language Epoch Times in a phone interview: “Sprouted rice cannot be produced into rice grains … I really want to cry, but my tears are all dried up.” Chen and his fellow villagers plant rice, cotton, and sesame. He said that their adult children are migrant workers in major cities, but have been unable to earn enough money due to many factories closing during the CCP virus pandemic. CCP Media Reports New Zealand to Upgrade Trade in Belt and Road On September 25, a report released by Chinese Global Television Network (CGTN) said that New Zealand and China will upgrade its free trade agreement (FTA) within the framework of the controversial Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Gao Feng, a spokesperson from the Chinese Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM), reportedly announced the news at the virtual China-New Zealand Joint Committee of Trade and Economy meeting on September 23. The upgrade aims to deepen cooperation in infrastructure, agriculture, and tourism, Gao said. CGTN reported that New Zealand and China would also maintain communication on research, medicine, and vaccine development. Chinese Petitioner Locked Inside Home After Dissenting Against Authorities A woman and her husband have been trapped at home for 64 days after she attempted to travel to Beijing and call on authorities to address her grievances. Ordinary Chinese citizens can petition the National Public Complaints and Proposals Administration in Beijing, an agency that hears public complaints. Such petitioning is a tradition that dates back to ancient China, when citizens would travel to the capital and plead with officials of the imperial court as a last resort to seek justice. But Chinese authorities often arrest or harass petitioners, fearing that their public gatherings and protests would disturb the country’s “social stability.” Many Chinese Businessmen Say Their Bank Accounts Were Frozen by Police Many Chinese businessmen in foreign trade recently complained online that their bank accounts were frozen by police in other cities for unknown reasons. When they tried to unlock their accounts, they were asked to go through complicated procedures and they had to pay penalties.  Holding the CCP Accountable for the Pandemic At this year's UN General Assembly, US President Donald Trump severely condemned the CCP and requested that “The United Nations must hold China accountable for their actions.” Secretary of State Pompeo mentioned in other speeches that the CCP has severely penetrated local governments and other organizations in the United States. The first day of the high-level General Debate of the 75th session of the UN General Assembly was on September 22. President Trump delivered a speech in video. He talked about the CCP virus pandemic, clearly pointing out that the virus is sweeping the world because the CCP and the WHO misled people by spreading false information, so they must be held accountable.