Summary of the Essential Eight:

1. Covid deaths - We still have no idea how many people died in the exit wave, other than that the official data are too low. The New York Times cites four different analyses that suggest 1-1.5 million died.

2. WHO gives up next phase of Covid origins investigation - The WHO says it is too challenging to conduct the studies they need to do in the PRC. At the Wednesday Foreign Ministry briefing the spokesperson, in response to a question about the WHO decision, again suggested the WHO should look at “US bio-military bases at Fort Detrick”. Zhao Lijian may be gone from the Foreign Ministry podium but his spirit carries on…

3. Excerpt of Xi’s CEWC speech in Qiushi - The new issue of Qiushi leads with an excerpt of Xi’s speech to the Central Work Conference in December 2022. Much of what he said has come out in reports and commentaries since the December conference, but it is still useful to read his words. The section on the “two unswervings 两个毫不动摇” [unswervingly enc…