tyb
Ze Germans are moving around
GAF824 Airbus A319 en from Koln to Berlin on ground
GAF671 Global Explorer south from Bremen
GAF866 Airbus A321 also from Koln on final
from Oct 2018
The aircraft got nearly 180 modifications and is in mint condition. An additional fuel tank, new landing gear, a VIP cabin, and an extended Take Off Weight (TOW) are only some of the plane’s modifications. The cabin has a similar layout to the Air Force’s A319 and A340-300 and can convert an area into MedEvac configuration, allowing ambulance transport in addition to the common transport of government employees and delegates. A special flight kit with selected spare parts and tools even makes this high-technology plane independent in remote areas in case there is a technical issue.
https://aeronauticsonline.com/modified-airbus-a321-to-join-german-air-force/
'''Will China's secretive conclave 'Beidaihe' be held this summer?
China's annual "Beidaihe meeting" will arrive in two weeks or so, kicking off the country's most heated political season. Although people call it a "meeting," it is nothing more than an informal gathering of political figures to exchange views.
Yet, it is the one assembly that makes President Xi Jinping nervous, as he is subjected to criticism from retired Chinese Communist Party elders at the seaside resort of Beidaihe, in Hebei Province. The situation surrounding this year's conclave is extraordinary. For one, nobody knows whether the luminaries can gather as usual, considering the pandemic. Some say it is too risky to hold the meeting in Beidaihe, a bit of a journey from Beijing, considering the age and health of the elders. The novel coronavirus outbreak has hardly been brought under control in the country. But with China facing so many issues the virus, Hong Kong, South China Sea boundaries and U.S. tensions it is not hard to imagine that the elders would like to have a word with the leader. China's relations with the U.S. are said to have plunged to their lowest point since the countries normalized diplomatic ties in 1979.
It was somewhat surprising, therefore, that State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi suddenly sent out a conciliatory message. "Some friends in the U.S. might have become suspicious or even wary of a growing China," he said during the China-U.S. Think Tanks Media Forum on July 9, via a video link. "I'd like to stress here again that China never intends to challenge or replace the U.S., or have full confrontation with the U.S." This had all the fingerprints of the looming Beidaihe meeting on it.
Who are the elders? There are between 10 and 20 figures who still have influence. They are the ex-leaders who stand on the Tiananmen rostrum during military parades. Among those are former President Jiang Zemin, 93, former Premier Zhu Rongji, 91, former President Hu Jintao, 77, and former Premier Wen Jiabao, 77. They have been the central players at Beidaihe meetings for many years. This does not mean Jiang, Zhu, Hu and Wen are on good terms.
What they do have in common, however, is that they oversaw China's high economic growth and upheld a moderate external policy of "hiding claws" and biding time for a ripe opportunity. Former paramount leader Deng Xiaoping introduced this tao guang yang hui diplomatic strategy. Xi is pursuing a different course. After taking the party helm as general secretary in 2012, Xi quickly ditched Deng's policy and began talking about China becoming a "great power." Under Xi, China has adopted a strategy of catching up with the U.S. economically and technologically much earlier than previously planned. But the ambitious strategy has led to a serious confrontation with the Trump administration, which sees the rise of China as a threat. The party projects a sense of unity, but in reality it harbors multiple viewpoints. Xi's current policies certainly do not enjoy overwhelming support.
Xi's political path would become trickier to navigate if dissent were to spread from a handful of cadres to a wider camp, supported by influential elders behind the scenes.
moar here
https://asia.nikkei.com/Editor-s-Picks/China-up-close/Will-China-s-secretive-conclave-be-held-this-summer