Today’s Essential Eight:

1. US to blame for Ukraine tensions-PRC

2. People’s Daily on the "Two Establishes"

3. Hong Kong outbreak worsens, Lam says now a “wartime environment”

4. Jiangsu provincial officials crack the Xuzhou chained woman case

5. Mainland outbreaks

6. US NSA hack details exposed?

7. Did US Secretary of State say the US opposes “Taiwan independence”?

8. US Government rebrands, tweaks the “China Initiative”

Thanks for reading.