Good morning, readers!

Russia has gifted us with a rare blunder on X, and the internet is having a field day.

🤫 Word of advice to the one responsible: steer clear of windows and stairs, lest Putin’s curse catches up with you.

But before we dive into the juicy details, here’s the lowdown on the recent CCP policy flop.

Today’s geopolitics hotspots:

China tries to save its stock market, but fails

Here’s what it announced:

• 50% reduction of tax on securities transactions.

• 20% reduction of collateral requirements for margins.

🤔 What happened?

• The CSI 300 Index, which tracks the top 300 stocks in China, jumped 5.5% on Monday morning.

• But the excitement fizzled out—losing most of the gains and ended up only 1.2% higher. Global investors sold more than $1 billion worth of Chinese stocks.

📉 Why should we care?

• After the initial buzz of the “reopening commercial boom” faded, China’s consumer demand is deflating like a punctured balloon.

• With its property sector drowning in debt, there are concerns that China’s economic troubles might spread overseas like a contagion.

🗓️ The future.

• China’s problems have been simmering for years, as it opted for quick fixes instead of tackling its deep-rooted issues.

• Experts warn that China could be heading for a “lost decade” like Japan in the 1990s, with a stagnant economy and plummeting prices.

🌟 Today’s gem

Have you seen this badge before?

Once a hit among Taiwanese air force pilots, it depicts a Taiwanese black bear socking Winnie the Pooh—a symbol of Xi Jinping. As China intensified military drills around Taiwan in April, the patches went viral among ordinary citizens.

This is SO Taiwanese… 😂 

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