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The UN General Assembly has passed a resolution with a large majority, condemning the barbaric and brutal attack by Russia on Ukraine, with 143 member-states voting in favor of it. Nepal has also voted in favor of the resolution. In the voting held on Wednesday, 143 countries voted in favor and while five countries voted against it. The countries who voted against were Belarus, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Nicaragua, Russia and Syria. Similarly, 35 countries abstained from the vote. A majority of those countries abstaining were African nations, alongside China and India. "We condemn the Russia's illegal so-called referendum within Ukraine's internationally-recognized borders and demand it reverses its annexation declaration", reads the resolution.  

Finance Minister Janardan Sharma attended the 53rd Governors' Session of the World Bank Group and the South East Asian Group of the International Monetary Fund on Wednesday. In the session held at the annual meetings of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, various problems faced by the member states were discussed. On the occasion, the participants emphasized that the problems of countries like Nepal should be addressed by providing financial aid to address the problems created globally. Likewise, Finance Minister Sharma participated in the sideline executive dialogue session and discussed the steps taken by the member states to address the problems brought by climate change. Governor of Nepal Rastra Bank Mahaprasad Adhikari, Finance Secretary Krishnahari Pushkar, Ambassador of Nepal to the US Sridhar Khatri and other high-ranking officials participated in the event. Also on Wednesday, Finance Minister Janardhan Sharma met Samantha Power, the chief administrator of the USAID at its headquarters and discussed establishing a strong foundation for promotion of bilateral interests and cooperation between Nepal and the US. In the meeting, Finance Minister Sharma lauded the support provided by the US to the socio-economic development endeavors of Nepal. According to the Nepali Embassy in the US, Finance Minister Sharma sought support for Nepal to resolve the problems brought by climate change. Finance Secretary Krishnahari Pushkar, Ambassador of Nepal to the US Sridhar Khatri and members of the visiting delegation were also present in the meeting.  

Representatives of over 96 million CPC members will review work reports As the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China draws closer, Li Shengli, a veteran firefighter from Jiangxi province, is excited about traveling to Beijing to attend the gathering. "I'm greatly honored to be elected as a delegate, and also feel a heavy responsibility," said Li, who works at the command center for the fire and rescue corps in Jiangxi and is one of some 40 delegates elected by the province for the Party's meeting in the capital. Another delegate, Lu Shengmei, a retired doctor from Shaanxi province, also feels the heavy responsibility, and said she will bring to the meeting her experience gained from decades of working at the grassroots, China Daily reported. "I always remember that it is the Party and the people who give me trust and strength. This encourages me to continue serving my patients and to repay society and people's recognition," Lu said. Li and Lu are among 2,296 delegates who will attend the 20th National Congress of the CPC, which is expected to be convened on Sunday. The delegates went through a rigorous and meticulous election process that lasted several months. Representing the Party's more than 96 million members, the delegates will review the work reports submitted by the 19th CPC Central Committee and the 19th CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, or CCDI, at the five-yearly congress. They will present opinions and requests from Party members and the public, discuss and decide major Party issues and elect a new CPC Central Committee, and a new CCDI, the Party's top disciplinary watchdog. Noting the importance of the upcoming congress, which is being held at a crucial moment on the new journey to build a modern socialist country in all respects, President Xi Jinping said goals, tasks and policies for the cause of the Party and the country for the next five years and beyond will be set at the meeting. It is vitally important to build on past successes to further advance the cause of the Party and the country, the future of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, Xi, who is also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, said at a study session of provincial- and ministerial-level officials in July. Xi, a candidate nominated by the CPC Central Committee, was unanimously elected a delegate to the Party congress on April 22 in the electoral unit of Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, according to China Daily. He and other members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee took part in elections in border areas with a large ethnic minority population, old revolutionary base areas, and key regions where national-level development strategies are implemented, setting an example for leading officials, according to Xinhua News Agency. The leaders' election as delegates at respective electoral units, and their attendance at group discussions of corresponding delegations at the upcoming Party congress, are conducive to furthering the implementation of major national development initiatives, and building China into a modern socialist country in all respects, according to Xinhua. Meritocratic process Shang Hongri, a professor of political studies at Shanghai Normal University, said the election of delegates is an important foundation for a successful Party congress, and when the congress is not in session, the delegates still have many specific duties to perform during their five-year tenure. The delegates' ability and work style directly influence the discussion and decision-making at the meeting, thus further involving the Party's leadership and the prosperity and long-term stability of the Party's cause and the country, he said. "As such an important matter, it is natural that the process of electing congress delegates should be very scientific, standardized and rigorous," Shang added. According to a Xinhua report, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core paid great attention to the election of Party congress delegates. Xi personally planned and made election-related arrangements. He presided over Party leadership meetings to discuss this issue, setting the guiding principles, requirements, and goals and tasks for the election. He attended multiple briefings on the progress of the election process and issued key instructions, such as enhancing the Party's leadership, setting strict standards for candidates, carefully reviewing candidates' integrity, optimizing the spectrum of the delegates, and stringently enforcing electoral discipline, the report said. As there are more than 96 million CPC members, the chance of a member becoming a delegate to the congress is about 1 in 42,000. The electoral work, which took place from November through July, was organized by 38 electoral units, including provincial-level regions, central authorities, the central financial sector, and centrally administered State-owned enterprises based in Beijing. The entire procedure generally consists of five parts: the nomination of candidates by Party members; a nominee review; public notification of the candidates for feedback; candidate shortlists; and the final vote in each electoral unit. The election was competitive, with more than 15 percent of the candidates eliminated during the process. The elected delegates will be vetted by a qualification review committee before the national congress. Shang, the expert, said the meticulous electoral system is designed to ensure the delegates elected are outstanding Party members who have obtained the approval and recognition of fellow members and also the people, China Daily reported. The system also highlights intra-Party democracy, with procedures to facilitate the participation of grassroots Party organizations and members, he said. Innovative methods adopted nationwide to encourage participation in the electoral process include setting up mobile ballot boxes, holding meetings, and seeking opinions through phone calls, letters and door-to-door visits. All grassroots Party organizations took part in the electoral process, with an average participation rate of 99.5 percent of members, the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee said last month. "Party organizations and members at the grassroots displayed great political enthusiasm for the election of delegates, and were highly motivated to participate in the process," the department said. "The majority of Party members believe that participating in the nomination of delegates improves their sense of honor and mission," it added. Broad representation With an average age of 52.2, the delegates include Party members from different age groups, but those who joined the Party after the launch of reform and opening-up in 1978 form the majority, according to the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee. The number of female delegates, who form 27 percent of the total, has risen by 2.8 percentage points since the Party's 19th National Congress in 2017. People from ethnic minority groups account for 11.5 percent of the total, and come from 40 such groups. More than 95 percent of delegates received education at junior college level or higher. Delegates include members in leadership positions and also those working on the frontlines, with the latter accounting for 33.6 percent of the total, according to official data. Different sectors of society are represented, including the economy, science and technology, national defense, the judiciary, procuratorial and public security, education, publicity, culture, healthcare, sports and social administration. Prominent figures among the delegates include 85-year-old leading epidemiologist Zhong Nanshan, Zhang Guimei, a teacher devoted to improving girls' education in mountainous areas, astronaut Wang Yaping, and Winter Olympics multiple medalists Wu Dajing and Xu Mengtao. The elected delegates are outstanding Party members highly qualified ideologically and politically, have a good work style and high moral standards, are competent in discussing State affairs, and have made remarkable achievements in their work, according to the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee. Li, the firefighter, has taken part in more than 11,000 firefighting and rescue operations, saving and evacuating over 30,000 people during his career of 30-plus years. He is a hero and a role model in the eyes of fellow Party members. The 50-year-old used to lead a squad of experienced firefighters, who are all Party members undertaking difficult tasks. The team was called Shengli, after Li's given name, which translates as "victory". Lu, the doctor, was born and raised in Beijing. After graduating as a medical student in the capital in 1968, she was sent to a county hospital in Yulin, Shaanxi, where she worked with colleagues to establish the county's first independent standard pediatric unit. The Organization Department said, "The delegates' characteristics fully demonstrate that the CPC has a solid class basis and a broad mass basis, and that it is full of vigor and vitality from generation to generation." Duties performed The delegates will fulfill their duties by discussing each item on the agenda for the national Party congress, including evaluating the work reports and potential amendments to the CPC Constitution. Li said that when he worked on the frontline, he used to devote most of his energy to improving firefighting and rescue skills. Now, to better perform his duties as a delegate, he spends more time studying national policies and regulations, including those related to his profession, while still performing his daily work well. Lu said she pays a lot of attention to development of the nation's medical services and related policies, as they are closely related to improving people's health and livelihoods. "I hope to tell the meeting about people's need for health, which I have learned about through my job, and also to contribute to the work of the Party and the country," she said. Shang, the professor, said, "During discussions at the meeting, delegates are free to put forward their suggestions and opinions, but it's a process that aims to lead to a consensus in the end." The congress will conclude with the adoption of official reports and the election of the new CPC Central Committee, which will hold its first plenary session soon after the congress to elect the new Political Bureau, the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau and the Party's general secretary. However, the conclusion of the Party congress does not mean that delegates' duties have ended. Shang said all delegates must maintain close contact with grassroots Party members and the people to listen to their opinions and suggestions, and learn about problems that have surfaced in implementing the Party's decisions. Delegates can submit opinions and suggestions to the central leadership in written form, either individually or jointly. The CPC Central Committee also entrusts delegates with certain backgrounds to conduct investigations and studies into major policies and issues, Shang said, China Daily reported. In addition, delegates are invited to attend the plenary sessions of the CPC Central Committee and voice opinions on relevant topics, he added.

Jack Yao, a Chinese Communist Party member, never wanted to be an activist.

Having escaped rural poverty and joined Beijing's middle classes through decades of study and work, he saw himself as a patriotic poster child of the party's successful rule.

Yet the 43-year-old's life has been upended since he and thousands of other people abruptly lost access to their savings in a banking fraud scandal that erupted in April, which centred on a string of rural lenders in Henan and Anhui provinces, Reuters reported.

After venting his anger on social media and discussing protests with fellow depositors to lobby authorities to reimburse their funds, he says he found himself in the sights of the government's high-tech social surveillance machine.

The pushback by Yao and thousands of his fellow bank depositors from across the country comes during a sensitive time for China, with Xi Jinping set to secure a third leadership term at a party congress starting Sunday that will ensure his place as its most powerful leader since Mao Zedong.

The unusually prolonged and public dissent, part of a broader swell of popular anger, from mortgage strikes to COVID lockdown protests, has persisted despite a security clampdown. It offers a glimpse of the lengths some frustrated citizens will go to in taking on the world's most powerful security state.

"I could often receive more than a dozen phone calls a day from police, day and night," said Yao, who works at a state-owned company, and fears he'll never recover his life savings of over 10 million yuan ($1.4 million).

"Their overriding message is - do not make trouble," he added. He says he feels let down by the state he revered: "When you try to defend your rights, they try to maintain social stability."

China's Ministry of Public Security, the Henan and Anhui local governments, and police departments in those provinces and Beijing didn't respond to requests for comment for this article. The rural banks under investigation and the CBIRC national banking regulator also didn't respond, according to Reuters.

Chinese authorities say social stability is the foundation for a prosperous future and dismiss human rights complaints as Western propaganda and interference in internal affairs.

The stories recounted to Reuters by Yao and 14 other bank depositors, who used social media to discuss and coordinate efforts to recover their funds, reveal the scale and reach of China's high-tech security apparatus.

Their agile tactics and pursuit of clear goals also exposed the system's limitations.

Strategic adaptations included splintering into dozens of smaller WeChat groups that were harder to keep tabs on, communicating between groups via encrypted apps such as Telegram and sharing more sensitive information via phone calls or in person, according to depositors.

"We first divided into a provincial group, and then a city group below the provincial group, and then built a small group under the city group," said Hangzhou resident Sarah Wang, 39, who had lost access to around 640,000 yuan in deposits at the time. "People in my group were all nearby, four to five people."

Months of simmering unrest, which had seen at least two early protests at the offices of banking regulators swiftly dispersed by police, reached a flashpoint on July 10.

A crowd of about 1,000 people, many waving Chinese flags, rallied outside the Zhengzhou branch of the central bank for several hours before the protest was violently broken up by security personnel in scenes that went viral online.

The next day, China's banking regulator announced Henan and Anhui provinces would start repaying many customers on behalf of the rural banks, and most of the depositors have since been reimbursed. On the same day, police said they had arrested suspects linked to a criminal gang controlling a number of those banks that had made fake loans to illegally transfer funds.

"In the case of the depositors, they managed to mobilize en masse, which is incredible given the level of surveillance on WeChat and other apps," said Diana Fu, associate professor of political science at the University of Toronto, who studies China.

"Their ability to coordinate shows that regardless of censorship surveillance, and other pre-emptive measures, when enough citizens have grievances - especially if they are economic in nature - they will express their anger via collective action."

WeChat's developer Tencent (0700.HK) didn't respond to a request for comment.

CODE RED, CODE RED

Chinese state media outlet the Global Times reported in mid-August, citing a CBIRC official, that the banks scandal had involved about 30 billion yuan ($4.2 billion) and 600,000 depositors. Reuters could not independently verify the figures, Reuters reported.

The first signs of trouble emerged on April 18 when four rural banks in Henan and one in Anhui notified depositors, including Yao, that online and mobile banking services were suspended due to system maintenance.

Such operations usually take place at night and last only a few hours. So after a few days, many depositors went online to share their concerns and began forming chat groups.

Yao said he called his bank several times but the people on the phone told him they didn't know when the issue would be solved.

On April 24 he drove to Zhengzhou to join dozens of others seeking answers from the Henan regional branch of the CBIRC (Chinese Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission), he added. There he was told by officials that police had opened an investigation into their complaints and that they should wait.

By early May, Yao had still heard nothing.

The depositors interviewed by Reuters said they began to congregate in large chat groups and livestreams on WeChat and other social media apps, where they agreed to stage protests designed to put pressure on authorities to rescue their savings.

There were dozens of such groups, each with hundreds of people, while livestreams sometimes gathered thousands, the depositors said.

Police always seemed to be one step ahead of them, though.

On May 12, at the CBIRC's main office in Beijing, Yao said a few dozen depositors gathered to demand answers, but security personnel were already assembled in advance. Yao said police took him away to a nearby station and only released him after he signed a pledge not to cause more trouble.

On May 23, security people in Zhengzhou flanked hundreds of marching depositors for several kilometres and dispersed them before they reached their intended destination, the Henan government headquarters, six depositors said.

"Every time we turned up to rally, there were a large number of security and police already waiting. WeChat is completely visible to the authorities," said Yao, whose views were echoed by the other depositors.

The next planned protests in Zhengzhou offered clearer evidence of official foreknowledge.

On June 11, a day ahead of the scheduled demonstrations, authorities began changing the health codes of hundreds of people on their COVID-19 tracking mobile phone apps to red, depositors said, making it difficult for them to travel or enter buildings under China's strict pandemic policy, according to Reuters.

Dozens of depositors posted screenshots, testimonies and videos online relating what happened. These were shared millions of times, prompting widespread anger, even from some state media, before the content was censored.

On June 23, anti-corruption authorities announced that they had punished five officials in Zhengzhou for deliberately turning 1,317 citizens' health codes red.

WHO TO RAGE AGAINST?

By this point, according to many depositors, it was clear that authorities knew their every move by monitoring their large WeChat groups.

Many decided to adapt their tactics ahead of the next planned demonstration - the flashpoint July 10 protest in Zhengzhou - including by breaking up into smaller online groups and using virtual private networks, or VPNs, to breach China's "Great Firewall".

Jiangsu province resident Fiona Xu, who had lost access to around 8 million yuan in deposits, said many depositors felt they had little choice but to go "over the wall".

"Our WeChat group was easy for police to monitor. When we set a date in the group, police would stop us in advance," she added.

The original groups still remained open, but were mainly used for members to share news and give each other support, with no sensitive information discussed, according to depositors.

"Generally they are groups to keep warm in," said Wang, adding that members still had to do "homework" like continuing to call the banks, police and regulators, as well as posting on social media.

The date for the new Zhengzhou demonstration was kept largely secret, more than a dozen depositors told Reuters. Until the last minute, many people only knew that they had to wake at 4 a.m. in Zhengzhou on July 10 for further instructions.

About 1,000 people gathered at dawn outside the local central bank branch. A long banner in English read: "Against the corruption and violence of Henan government." Protesters chanted: "Henan banks, give us back our deposits."

The crowd was eventually surrounded and outnumbered by police and unidentified men mostly wearing white shirts. At around 11 a.m. the security personnel charged and dragged depositors onto nearby buses, according to the depositors and online footage of the clashes, which was shared millions of times before the videos and related hashtags were censored, Reuters reported.

Wang said she suffered a hairline fracture of her jawbone when a plain-clothed security man hit her with his elbow.

The next day, the CBIRC announced Henan and Anhui would start repaying customers on behalf of the rural banks, starting with those with deposits of up to 50,000 yuan. The regulator subsequently regularly raised the threshold by increments until Aug. 30, when the sum due for reimbursement hit 500,000 yuan - the state-guaranteed limit on deposits.

However Yao, like hundreds of others with large deposits, has yet to be refunded. He wants to keep fighting but says he doesn't know what else he can do.

Feeling disillusioned, he now wants to leave the Communist Party.

"I do not know who to rebel against. Who am I persecuted by? There's no specific person."

Zhiwu Chen, professor of finance at the University of Hong Kong, said both state authorities seeking social stability and consumer activists seeking redress had achieved a measure of success.

"Both sides have probably drawn the conclusion that they won in this battle," he said, adding that he expects more financial scandals and social discontent to materialise in the coming years as China's economy slows.

"This game will continue."