China officials’ call to save Xi Jinping’s projects angers flood victims

BEIJING: Residents of areas hit hard by recent flooding in northern China have taken aim at a key Communist Party official, saying he sacrificed their safety to protect President Xi Jinping’s flagship projects.

A hashtag playing off a comment by Ni Yuefeng, the Communist Party boss of Hebei province, had more than 80 million views on Thursday. Many people expressed anger at Ni because he called for cities in the province bordering Beijing to “resolutely play a good role of moat for the…