Re Item #4, here is a link to a Newsweek article allegedly debunking the defection. Not sure what to think on this one. On the one hand, the source is Newsweek a/k/a Weak News. On the other hand, info on the defection did seem to dry up fast . . . Anyway, see what kind of vibe you get.
Armie Hammer Reportedly Being Blacklisted By Studios After Being Outed As A Cannibal
-SB
I remember that. I do not believe it. Of course China denied it. And the unnamed “US official” is not credible. Patel Patriot’s detailed info about Dong - all sourced - is much more credible.
And, no photos of Dong in China past the presumed defection date have surfaced. If he was in China still, why no photos to prove it?
Until more happens, we don’t really know. But considering the points above, I see no reason to assume that the news of Dong’s defection is not true.