Lanzhou locking down; 200 million flexibly employed; Publicizing naval encounters
There is still no public sign of Xi Jinping, I think we are up to 12 days now, since his visit to Hong Kong. I am still sticking with what I wrote Monday, though considering he was in close contact with at least one Hong Kong official who subsequently tested positive there is speculation he has been quarantining or worse:
Xi Jinping has not appeared in public since his visit to Hong Kong, based on official listings on the CCTV and People’s Daily web sites. This absence may spark some speculation, but I will guess it has to do with preparation for the 20th Party Congress, and will not be surprised if in the next couple of weeks we see a repeat of the July 26-27, 2017 “workshop attended by provincial and ministerial officials” to study the spirit of Xi’s important speeches and welcome the 19th Party Congress 习近平在省部级主要领导干部“学习习近平总书记重要讲话精神，迎接党的十九大”, a meeting which in retrospect clearly set the tone for the 19th Party Congress.
The Essential Eight:
Outbreaks - Lanzhou is locking down, and BA.…