China

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Re: China

Post by blindpig » Thu Mar 12, 2020 1:54 pm

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Latest data released by National Health Commission by midnight, March 11, 2020.
- The Chinese government will continue to support foreign trade companies exporting medical supplies such as masks (Read more)

- China has passed the climax of the novel coronavirus outbreak, with the number of new infections continuing to decline: National Health Commission (Read more)

- Epidemic will not affect the key goal of poverty alleviation by the end of this year: Official (Read more)

- Chinese mainland reports 15 new infections (8 in Hubei), 11 new deaths (10 in Hubei) (Read more)

Outside China

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The latest figures reported by each government's health authority on March 12, 2020.

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China passes outbreak climax as new cases keep declining
By ZOU SHUO | chinadaily.com.cn | Updated: 2020-03-12 15:38

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A worker has his temperature taken at a construction site of Zengjiayan Tunnel in Yuzhong district, Southwest China's Chongqing municipality on Feb 29, 2020. [Photo/Xinhua]

China has passed the climax of the novel coronavirus outbreak, with the number of new infections continuing to decline, Mi Feng, spokesperson for the National Health Commission, said on Thursday.

Hubei province, the epicenter of the epidemic, had eight new coronavirus infections on Wednesday, all in its capital city of Wuhan, Mi said.

Regions in Hubei outside of Wuhan have reported no new infections for one week, and outside of Hubei, the Chinese mainland reported seven new cases on Wednesday, including six cases imported from abroad, he said at a daily new conference.

Medical treatment of patients remains the top priority and the country should remain vigilant, not put less effort into the prevention and control of COVID-19, and avoid succumbing to battle fatigue, he added.

The World Health Organization on Wednesday declared the COVID-19 a pandemic, making it the first pandemic caused by coronavirus, said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

China has taken the strictest and most comprehensive prevention and control measures since the outbreak, which has bought precious time for the world to make preparations, Mi said.

The country pays close attention to the rapid development of COVID-19 in other countries, Mi said.

"We feel sympathetic for what they are going through and will continue to carry out effective cooperation with the WHO and relevant countries in an open and transparent way."

http://global.chinadaily.com.cn/
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Re: China

Post by blindpig » Sat Mar 14, 2020 2:43 pm

China issues report on human rights violations in US
Xinhua | Updated: 2020-03-13 16:17

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A gunfight left multiple people dead in Jersey City, New Jersey on Dec 10. [Photo/Agencies]

BEIJING - China on Friday issued a report on the human rights violations in the United States.

Titled "The Record of Human Rights Violations in the United States in 2019," the report said the facts detailed in the document show that "in recent years, especially since 2019, the human rights situation in the United States has been poor and deteriorating".

The report was released by the State Council Information Office based on published data, media reports and research findings.

Consisting of foreword and seven chapters, it detailed facts on human rights violations in the United States relevant to civil and political rights, social and economic rights, discrimination suffered by ethnic minorities, discrimination and violence against women, living conditions of vulnerable groups, and abuses suffered by migrants, as well as US violations of human rights in other countries.

US women face severe discrimination, violence

Women in the United States still face systematic, broad and institutional discrimination, with shocking overt and covert gender discrimination in various forms, the report said.

Women in the United States were 21 times more likely to die by firearm homicide than women in peer nations, it noted, adding that sexual assault cases against women kept increasing.

Wealth polarization in US hits 50-year high

The gap between rich and poor in the United States hit a 50-year high in 2018 as the Gini Index of the country grew to 0.485.

Citing various media reports and public records, the Record of Human Rights Violations in the United States in 2019 said the increasing consolidation of wealth in the hands of a few has gone beyond what many Americans deem to be justified or morally acceptable.

In 2018, the richest 10 percent held 70 percent of total household wealth. The bottom 50 percent saw essentially zero net gains in wealth over the past 30 years, driving their already meager share of total wealth down to just 1 percent from 4 percent, who are literally getting crushed by the weight of rising inequalities, according to the document.

The basic trend of widening income gap in the United States is casting negative influences on the enjoyment and realization of human rights, said the report.

The main reason for this trend is structural, which is determined by the political system of the United States and the capital interests, adding that the US government not only lacks the political will to eliminate these structural causes, but also continuously introduces policies and measures to strengthen them.

In the United States, "the persistence of extreme poverty is a political choice made by those in power," said the report, citing Philip G. Alston, United Nation special rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights.

While some 39.7 million people living in poverty in 2018, the US Congress has refused to raise the federal minimum wage of 7.25 US dollars per hour for a decade.

In the meantime, the health gap between the United States and countries with the same level of development continues to widen, as 13.7 percent of US adults were uninsured at the end of 2018, up from 10.9 percent at the end of 2016, said the report.

China issues report on human rights violations in US
Xinhua | Updated: 2020-03-13 16:17


Gun violence rampant in US

The lack of restraint in the right to hold guns has led to rampant gun violence, posing a serious threat to citizens' life and property safety in the United States.

"The United States is a country with the worst gun violence in the world," read the report, which was released by the State Council Information Office, based on data, media reports and research findings.

The number of mass killings in the United States hit a record high of 415 in 2019, with more than one happening for every day of the year, the report noted.

In total, 39,052 people died from gun-related violence in the United States in 2019 and a person is killed with a gun in the United States every 15 minutes, it said.

"Politics has led to a proliferation of guns," the report said, noting that the manufacture, sale and use of guns in the United States is a huge industrial chain, forming a huge interest group. Interest groups such as the National Rifle Association made large political donations for presidential and congressional elections.

The intertwined drawbacks of party politics, election politics and money politics make it difficult for the legislative and executive authorities in the United States to do anything about gun control, only allowing the situation to deteriorate, according to the report.

Citing figures from US media, the report noted that the United States has far more guns than any other country and in 2017 the estimated number of civilian-owned firearms in the United States was 120.5 guns per 100 residents, meaning there were more firearms than people.

Immigrants suffer inhumane treatment in US

Decades of US intervention in its "backyard" Latin America directly led to the worsening of the immigration problems in the Americas.

In recent years, the US government had adopted increasingly strict and inhumane measures against immigrants, in particular the "zero-tolerance" policy which caused the separations of many immigrant families, the report read.

Many unaccompanied immigrant children were held in overcrowded facilities, without access to adequate healthcare or food, and with poor sanitation conditions, the report said.

It noted grave abuses at detention facilities for immigrants, including injecting them with sedatives, keeping them in handcuffs and depriving them of clothing and mattresses.

The frequent human rights violations of immigrants by the United States have been severely condemned by the international community, the report added.

US vulnerable groups living in difficulties

Tens of millions of US children, elder people, and disabled people live without enough food or clothing, and face threats of violence, bullying, abusing and drugs.

The US government not only has insufficient political will to improve the conditions for vulnerable groups, but also keeps cutting relevant funding projects.

While levels of extreme poverty worldwide had dropped dramatically, the poverty ratio of US children was about the same rate as 30 years ago, according to the report.

It also noted that one in four Americans with disabilities faced unique challenges in securing employment and establishing financial security.

Barrier-free environment in the United States is under poor construction, it added.

Ethnic minorities suffer from bullying in US

The political structure and ideology of white supremacy in the United States have caused ethnic minorities to suffer all-round discrimination in various fields such as politics, economy, culture and social life.

In essence, the United States is still a country of white Anglo-Saxon Protestants, where all other races, ethnic groups, and religious and cultural communities endure various levels of discrimination.

Since 2016, white supremacy in the United States has shown a resurgence trend, leading to racial opposition and hatred, said the report.

As a vestige of slavery and racial segregation, African American adults are 5.9 times more likely to be incarcerated than white adults, said the report, adding that racial inequality in the workplace and people's livelihood have not improved.

The report said that occupational segregation and the persistent devaluation of workers of color are a direct result of intentional government policy.

In the meantime, race-related and anti-religious hate crime climbs to a higher level in the United States in recent years, said the report.

It also highlighted the infringement on the rights of Native Americans, who usually experience more deaths, poverty and higher unemployment rates.

US tramples on human rights in other countries

The United States was responsible for many humanitarian disasters around the world.

The United States had been engaged in wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria and Yemen, causing enormous civilian casualties and property losses.

The United States hindered the International Criminal Court (ICC) from carrying out its duties to investigate the alleged war crimes committed by the United States, threatening the ICC staff with fund freeze and economic sanctions.

The economic embargo against Cuba and the unilateral sanctions against Venezuela imposed by the United States had been a massive and flagrant violation of the human rights of people in these countries.

The United States withdrew from several multilateral mechanisms, including the UN Human Rights Council and the UN Global Compact on Migration, shirking off its international obligations and making troubles to the international governance system.

http://global.chinadaily.com.cn/a/20200 ... f8c_1.html

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Updated at 24:00 March 13, 2020
Chinese mainland
Remaining infections
12,094
Daily change: -1,432

Suspected cases
115
Daily change: +17

Severe cases
3,610
Daily change: -410

Cumulative infections
80,824
Daily change: +11

Cumulative recoveries
65,541
Daily change: +1,430

Cumulative deaths
3,189
Daily change: +13

Cumulative imported cases
95
Daily change: +7

Cumulative infections in HK, Macao & Taiwan
197
Daily change: +7
https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/spe ... atestdata/

Other graphs available at link.
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Re: China

Post by blindpig » Sun Mar 15, 2020 5:43 pm

China Ready to Assist the World to Fight COVID-19

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The Chinese president said that mankind is a community with a shared future and that only through unity and coordination can humanity tackle various global risks and challenges.

Chinese President Xi Jinping said China will strongly support the worst affected countries like Italy against the COVID-19 outbreak.

In a message of sympathy sent recently to Italian President Sergio Mattarella, Xi said that at this difficult time, China is willing to cooperate with Italy and offer assistance.

On behalf of the Chinese government and people, Xi expressed sincere sympathies to the Italian government and the people, as the country has been one of those most affected by COVID-19.

​​The Chinese president said that mankind is a community with a shared future and that only through unity and coordination can humanity tackle various global risks and challenges.

As long as the two countries and the broader international community make joint efforts, they will certainly overcome the current difficulties and prevail over the epidemic at an early date, so as to protect the well-being of people in both countries and across the world, Xi added.

Chinese president also offered his full support to Iran, stressing that both countries are comprehensive strategic partners and their people enjoy a traditional friendship.

Xi, also noted that the Iranian government and people have provided sincere and friendly support and help for China's fight against the epidemic.

So, China has offered Iran a batch of anti-epidemic supplies and sent a team of voluntary health experts while Xi said the country would win the battle against the virus.

On Friday Xi expressed his support for the European Union (EU) in its fight against the COVID-19 epidemic.

In messages sent to European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Xi extended sincere sympathies to the EU and the people in all its member countries over the recent outbreak of the virus.

Upholding the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind, China stands ready to strengthen coordination and cooperation with the EU within bilateral and international frameworks to jointly safeguard global and regional public health security and protect the lives and health of all people around the world, Xi said.

The Chinese Ministry of Health announced on Friday that in the last day there were only eight cases of new COVID-19 infections, the lowest figure since data on the epidemic began to be collected in mid-January.

https://www.telesurenglish.net/news/Chi ... -0008.html

The US prez would turn this into a propaganda battle. I told ya he was an idiot.
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Re: China

Post by blindpig » Mon Mar 16, 2020 11:36 am

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The latest figures reported by each government's health authority on March 16, 2020.

- The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 outside China has increased by 10,955 to 72,469 in one day (Read more)

- Britain set to isolate over-70s as coronavirus deaths rise to 35, diagnosed cases rise to 1,372 (Read more)

- South Korea has expanded tighter immigration procedures to people from all European countries to help prevent the imported COVID-19 cases

- South Korea's central bank cut interest rate to an all-time low of 0.75 percent in its first emergency move since the 2008 global financial crisis

- COVID-19 cases in US top 3,000: Johns Hopkins University (Read more)

- US Federal Reserve cut interest rates to near zero to help shore up the US economy amid the rapidly escalating coronavirus pandemic (Read more)

- Bars, restaurants, theatres and movie houses in New York and Los Angeles were ordered to shut down

China
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Latest data released by National Health Commission by midnight, March 15, 2020.

- Chinese mainland reports 16 new infections of novel coronavirus (4 in Hubei and 12 imported cases), 14 new deaths (all in Hubei) (Read more)

- People falsifying health information to enter the country will face criminal charges, authorities warn (Read more)

http://global.chinadaily.com.cn/a/20200 ... 7b4ba.html
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Re: China

Post by blindpig » Tue Mar 17, 2020 11:36 am

Second wave of coronavirus unlikely

By WANG XIAOYU | CHINA DAILY | Updated: 2020-03-17 08:00

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Medical workers from Guangdong province and Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region treat patients in an ICU ward at Wuhan Union Hospital in Hubei province on March 11. [Photo by Tang Mingming/For China Daily]

But experts warn sporadic and imported cases will persist for a period of time

A second wave of novel coronavirus in China "is not a great concern" though a spattering of sporadic cases and new infections imported from overseas are expected to persist for a period of time, front-line medical experts said on Monday.

As the pathogen has been largely wrested under control in China and is now spreading rapidly in other countries, Chinese experts have pinpointed rigorous prevention and control measures, including prompt and wide testing, as the prime mission in fighting the virus, urging the rest of the world to formulate detailed emergency plans.

"The outbreak in China, which started last December, has almost seen its end. We will wait for another month to make the final judgment but personally speaking, a second domestic outbreak in China is not a great concern with such strong prevention and control measures," said Cao Wei, deputy director of the Peking Union Medical College Hospital's infectious disease department, adding that the country will continue to see a low level of newly confirmed cases, including imported infections.

In Wuhan, Hubei province, the epicenter of the epidemic in China, all makeshift treatment centers have been closed, and the remaining patients are now being centralized to a few designated hospitals.

"It seems that the outbreak of COVID-19 in Hubei has come to an end, although we should be alert to abnormal signals and sporadic cases arising from communities," said Du Bin, director of the hospital's intensive care unit.

He said the key lesson in China's effective containment of the infectious virus is that the significance of prevention and control work outweighs that of treatment efforts.

"You must have a plan. Failure to prepare is preparing for failure," he said. "Even now in Hubei and Wuhan with fewer and fewer diagnosed cases, we should remain alert and prepare for future sporadic cases and imported cases."

Du said that based on China's experiences, wide-ranging testing is an essential tool in identifying and quarantining suspected cases and people who came in close contact with the infected.

Wuhan had reached a turning point of the outbreak after being able to isolate all suspected cases and close contacts, he added.

In terms of the re-infection of recovered patients, Yan Xiaowei, deputy director of the hospital's internal medicine department, said a positive nucleic acid test alone in the absence of abnormal body temperature and telltale chest imaging does not confirm diagnosis.

To root out the risk, recovered patients in China are required to receive follow-up checks and frequent temperature monitoring and isolate themselves for at least two weeks under the monitoring of local inspectors.

"If high temperatures resume, patients will be sent to hospital for a CT scan and a nucleic acid test," he said.

Chinese medical workers have also found that older ages, high blood pressure and elevation of inflammation markers are among the risk factors for developing severe and critical illnesses.

They added that timely intubation-inserting a tube into a patient's airway to relieve breathing difficulties-and use of ventilators will make a huge difference in reducing fatalities.

Wu Dong, a physician with the hospital's gastroenterology department, also said that health workers around the globe must protect themselves against the virus and the inevitable mental stress.

"We know that our European colleagues have also been contracting the disease during their daily work over the past few days, and the proportion is similar to that during the early days of the outbreak in Wuhan," he said. "We must protect our medical staff."

http://global.chinadaily.com.cn/a/20200 ... 7f8cc.html

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China serves as strong line of global defense

By Liu Yuxi | China Daily Global | Updated: 2020-03-17 09:08

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Medical workers cheer themselves up at Wuhan No 7 Hospital, a designated facility for treating patients infected with the novel coronavirus, in Wuhan, Central China's Hubei province, Feb 25, 2020. [Photo/Xinhua]

The fast-spreading COVID-19 has become a major public health emergency that is hard to contain. And since the outbreak, President Xi Jinping has personally presided over China's epidemic response.

China has responded quickly and adopted the most comprehensive measures, making concerted efforts and progress in its fight against the disease.

The spread of novel coronavirus in China has been effectively controlled. Over the past week, the overall epidemic situation in the country has shown a stable trend, with the methods of treatment becoming increasingly effective.

The rate of recovery among patients in Wuhan, Hubei province, as well as across the entire country, has continued to increase. The number of newly recovered and discharged cases has exceeded newly confirmed cases, accounting for more than 55 percent.

The number of new cases has reached zero in most of the provinces and cities.

The outbreak in Hubei has also been contained, with zero newly confirmed cases in many places. Facts show that China has effectively controlled the spread of the epidemic.

President Xi has personally promoted and guided international cooperation against the epidemic. In the spirit of openness, transparency and responsibility, China has shared timely information and experience with other countries.

China's efforts and commitment have been highly appreciated by the international community. Recently, the WHO-China Joint Mission on COVID-19 released a report after a nine-day field trip in China, fully recognizing China's "bravest, most flexible and most aggressive" prevention and control measures.

The report encouraged other countries to learn from China's successful experience against the coronavirus.

Since the outbreak, African countries have stood firmly with China, with many African leaders having sent messages expressing their support to China in its fight against what is now a pandemic.

Moussa Faki Mahamat, the chairman of the African Union Commission, expressed his solidarity with the Chinese people. Some African students in China volunteered to go to the front line in the battle against the virus.

COVID-19 had spread to 146 countries, including many African nations, as of Monday.

Just as China helped Africa to cope with the Ebola outbreak in 2014, it is always there when African countries need its help. The Chinese Mission to the African Union attaches great importance to disease prevention and control.

Chinese embassies in African countries are also guiding Chinese nationals in Africa to cooperate in local prevention and control work. Those who have returned to Africa from China are required to self-quarantine for two weeks.

China has provided the first group of test kits to the AU and will offer more medical supplies. It will also promote the implementation of healthcare initiatives, including construction of African centers for disease control and prevention, and cooperation between China and Africa in public health and disease control.

COVID-19 is a challenge to humanity. China and all other affected countries are facing a big challenge in curtailing its spread.

China has served as a strong line of defense for the world as the outbreak spread. Human society shares a future in which everyone has a stake. As globalization connects us, it requires cooperation and a joint response of the international community, including African countries, to fight the epidemic.

Guided by the vision of building a community with a shared future, China will actively participate in regional and international cooperation against the outbreak and engage in international public health governance.

Only with cooperation and a joint response from the international community can we defeat the outbreak and safeguard regional and global public health.

The author is ambassador and head of the Chinese Mission to the African Union. The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.

https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202003/ ... 7f95b.html
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Re: China

Post by blindpig » Wed Mar 18, 2020 11:17 am

China's fight against COVID-19, by the numbers
http://global.chinadaily.com.cn/a/20200 ... 7fde1.html

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The latest figures reported by each government's health authority on March 18, 2020.
- 11,487 new coronavirus infections and 462 deaths were reported outside China as of 10 am, Mar 17, according to WHO

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Latest data released by National Health Commission by midnight, March 17, 2020.

http://global.chinadaily.com.cn/a/20200 ... 7b4ba.html

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China rejects US' virus stigma
By MO JINGXI in Beijing and ZHAO HUANXIN in Washington | CHINA DAILY | Updated: 2020-03-18 08:20

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A team of Communist Party of China members from Blue Sky Rescue, a nonprofit civil rescue organization, disinfect a shopping street in Beijing aiming to support production resumption, on March 17, 2020. [Photo by Zou Hong/China Daily]

China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said on Tuesday that some US politicians' connection of the novel coronavirus to China is "stigmatization", which China strongly condemns and firmly opposes.

He made the remark when asked to respond at a news conference to United States President Donald Trump's remark on social media late on Monday that referred to the novel coronavirus as a "Chinese virus".

The president defended his labeling at a White House briefing on Tuesday, saying that "I didn't appreciate the fact that China was saying that our military gave it to them. Our military did not give it to anybody."

"We urge the US side to immediately correct its mistake and stop making groundless accusations against China," Geng said, adding that the World Health Organization and the international community had explicitly opposed connecting the virus with a certain country or region.

Given that the epidemic is spreading across the world, Geng said the top priority now is cooperation in combating the virus. The US should mind its own business first and meanwhile play a constructive role in international epidemic cooperation and in safeguarding global public health, he added.

Trump's reference came nearly a week after Robert Redfield, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told a US House hearing that it was "wrong and inappropriate" to use such labels as "Chinese coronavirus", as the virus had expanded beyond China and severely affected other parts of the world.

US Senator Tammy Duckworth said Tuesday that with Asians experiencing increased racism because of the COVID-19 outbreak, it was simply irresponsible and wrong for Trump to stoke fear by calling the pathogen the "Chinese virus".

"Pandemics don't care about race, ethnicity or anything else," the Illinois senator said on Twitter.

Rick Dunham, a veteran journalist and former president of the National Press Club in Washington, told China Daily on Monday: "Viruses do not have a nationality. I think it is objectionable in all cases to connect a disease, a virus, with a geographical location, because diseases are not national, they are global."

Dunham said that the outbreak is bringing out the best and the worst in people around the world, in terms of communities getting together and people sacrificing, but also with some playing a blame game.

"The enemy is the virus. The enemy is not another country," he said. It is "always a bad idea" when there is a pandemic to have a country name attached to it, he said.

Replying to Trump on Monday, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said Trump's Twitter post was misplacing blame and could put more Asian Americans in harm's way.

"Our Asian American communities — people YOU serve — are already suffering. They don't need you fueling more bigotry," tweeted de Blasio, whose city had reported at least 810 confirmed coronavirus cases, including seven deaths by Tuesday.

Long Xingchun, an adjunct senior fellow at Beijing Foreign Studies University's Academy of Regional and Global Governance, said that by stigmatizing China, some US officials are not only ignoring the WHO's suggestion not to relate the virus with any country, but are also trying to mask domestic criticism of the US administration's failure to promptly contain the outbreak.

Using inappropriate words to describe the virus when there is no scientific basis for its origin is an attempt to distract the public in the US, Long said.

Pan Mengqi contributed to this story.

http://global.chinadaily.com.cn/a/20200 ... 7fe4c.html
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Re: China

Post by blindpig » Thu Mar 19, 2020 1:29 pm

'Reciprocal' response delivered to US press
By MO JINGXI | CHINA DAILY | Updated: 2020-03-19 07:07

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Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang speaks at a news conference. [File photo/VCG]

Countermeasures taken against United States media outlets are legitimate and justified self-defense that Beijing is compelled to take in response to Washington's unreasonable oppression of Chinese media organizations, Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said on Wednesday.

"They are entirely necessary and reciprocal. We urge the US side to immediately correct its mistakes. Otherwise, it will be the US side who suffers greater loss," he said, adding that China has all the options on the table.

In countermeasures announced by the ministry early on Wednesday, it demanded that US journalists working with The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post whose press credentials are due to expire before the end of 2020 notify the ministry's information department within four days and hand back their press cards within 10 days.

It also demanded the branches in China of the three newspapers as well as the Voice of America and Time magazine provide information about their staff, finances, operations and real estate in China.

The ministry said the measures are in response to the US decision this month to reduce by 40 percent the number of Chinese nationals working for five Chinese media outlets in the US, which were designated "foreign missions" by the US State Department in February.

"If any US media outlet has any complaints over China's countermeasures, they can bring it forward to the US government," Geng said.

When asked whether the journalists have to leave China immediately after 10 days, Geng said that unlike what the US has done with Chinese journalists, China will deal with the issue in a more considerate and humanitarian way given the current epidemic situation.

"China's fundamental State policy of opening-up has not changed and will not change," Geng said, adding that foreign media outlets and journalists who cover stories in accordance with laws and regulations are always welcome in China and will get continued assistance from Beijing.

"What we reject is ideological bias against China, fake news made in the name of press freedom and breaches of ethics in journalism."

Li Haidong, a professor of US studies at China Foreign Affairs University, said China's decision is normal behavior in the spirit of diplomatic reciprocity.

"China is trying to remind the US of its unjustified conduct and urge it to make corrections so that the media exchanges between the two countries can be smooth and normal," Li said.

He said China would not want to see barriers set up to the media of the two countries but has been forced to take measures to guarantee its own dignity and interests.

Shen Yi, a professor at Fudan University in Shanghai, told the Global Times that amity in a relationship can only be established on the basis of equality instead of unilateral tolerance. If the US breaks the normal rules of playing the game, China has to play it according to the US rules, he said.

Li said China holds an open attitude toward exchanges with the US and there is huge space for bilateral exchanges in various fields, including media. "It is critical that the two sides do their utmost to create conditions for strengthening communications and facilitating bilateral cooperation," he said.

http://global.chinadaily.com.cn/a/20200 ... 80367.html
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Re: China

Post by blindpig » Fri Mar 20, 2020 1:26 pm

Image
The latest figures reported by each government's health authority on March 20, 2020.
- Italy's death toll from novel coronavirus reaches 3,405, overtaking that of China (Read more)

- Trump cancels G7 at Camp David over coronavirus, to hold videoconference instead (Read more)

- Prince Albert II of Monaco has tested positive for COVID-19, but there is no concern for his health: Prince's Palace of Monaco

- British PM Boris Johnson vowed to turn the tide within the next 12 weeks in the country's combat against the novel coronavirus (Read more)

- Confirmed COVID-19 cases in US top 13,000: Johns Hopkins University (Read more)

- A pill containing two HIV drugs that was touted as a potential treatment for the novel coronavirus wasn't effective (Read more)

- California's governor issued a statewide "stay at home order" (Read more)

- Olympic flame arrives in Japan amid coronavirus fears, 962 cases confirmed nationwide (Read more)

China
Image

Latest data released by National Health Commission by midnight, March 19, 2020.
- Zero new case of COVID-19 in Hubei for 2nd day; 39 added across China, all imported (Read more)

- Three athletes of Chinese epee fencing team test positive for novel coronavirus (Read more)

- China civil aviation authorities will cap the number of inbound flights to the country (Read more)

http://global.chinadaily.com.cn/a/20200 ... 7b4ba.html

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US spin on virus' name condemned
By CAO DESHENG in Wuhan, ZHAO HUANXIN in Washington and ZHANG ZHIHAO in Beijing | CHINA DAILY | Updated: 2020-03-20 07:33

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People queue to enter a tent erected to test for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at the Brooklyn Hospital Center in Brooklyn, New York City, U.S., March 19, 2020. [Photo/Agencies]

Some US politicians attempting to politicize the novel coronavirus have come under fire as officials, scientists and experts on international relations warned that such stigmatization would undermine international solidarity in containing the pandemic.

The warning came after some senior US officials connected the virus with China. They include US President Donald Trump, who described the coronavirus as the "Chinese virus" on social media and a White House media briefing, although Director Robert Redfield of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said using the word Chinese as a way to describe the coronavirus is wrong.

On Monday, Yang Jiechi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, told US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo that Beijing strongly opposes and condemns certain politicians' slanderous stigmatization of China as it fights the novel coronavirus pneumonia outbreak.

Yang, who is also director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, said any attempt by the US to discredit China will not succeed and any act that undermines the interests of the country will be resolutely fought by the Chinese side.

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A staff worker sprays disinfections on designated zones in the Beijing, where travelers from overseas are put under quarantine to contain the rising risks of imported COVID-19 cases, March 17, 2020. [Photo/Xinhua]

During telephone conversations with the foreign ministers of Singapore, Russia and the Netherlands as well as Indonesia's coordinating minister for maritime affairs and investment on Wednesday, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that China strongly opposes labeling the virus with the name of a country as it is disgraceful, immoral and unfair.

Such a move will divide the international community, Wang said, adding that it does not help efforts to unite countries in the battle against the spread of the pandemic, nor will it contribute to the disease prevention and control efforts in the US.

The three foreign ministers also expressed their opposition to the stigmatization of China.

The World Health Organization gave the pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus the generic name COVID-19 on Feb 11 to avoid stigmatizing a country or particular group, choosing a name that doesn't refer to a geographical location, animals, an individual or a group of people.

WHO officials have warned against calling COVID-19 the "Chinese virus", saying that it could lead to racial profiling.

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Michael J. Ryan, Executive Director of the World Health Organization (WHO) Health Emergencies Programme and Maria Van Kerkhove, Head a.i. Emerging Diseases and Zoonosis attend a news conference on the coronavirus in this Jan 2020 file photo. [Photo/Agencies]

At a media briefing on COVID-19 at the headquarters of the United Nations body on Wednesday, Mike Ryan, executive director of the WHO's health emergencies program, said: "It's really important that we be careful in the language we use.

"The pandemic of influenza in 2009 originated in North America, and we didn't call it the 'North American flu'," Ryan said. "So it's important that we have the same approach when it comes to other viruses."

"This is a time for solidarity, this is a time for facts, this is a time to move forward together, to fight this virus together. There is no blame in this," he said."All we need now is to identify the things we need to do to move forward quickly, with speed and to avoid any indication of ethnic or other associations with this virus."

London Breed, the mayor of San Francisco, said references to the virus that causes COVID-19 as a "Chinese virus" are "offensive and counterproductive".

"There is never an excuse for xenophobia. Coronavirus is a global pandemic that is affecting all of us, and it requires all of us to listen to public health experts and respond together," Breed said in a statement.

Zhong Nanshan, the prominent Chinese expert on respiratory diseases, said at a news conference on Wednesday that although Wuhan, the hardest-hit Chinese city, first reported the outbreak, there is no evidence that the city is the source of the virus that caused COVID-19.

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Zhong Nanshan, right, pictured in this March 2, 2020 photo. [Xinhua]

A lot more needs to be understood about COVID-19 and international cooperation is important in fields such as drug development, he said.

Scientists have discovered through clinical records and genetic tracing that the Huanan Seafood Market in Wuhan may not be the source of the virus after all, according to the journal Lancet and other follow-up studies.

The market might just serve as a jumping-off point where the virus emerged and began infecting a wider public, but who or what brought the virus to the market in the first place remained unknown, scientists noted.

The Foreign Ministry has reiterated on many occasions that China believes that the origin of the virus is a matter of science which requires a professional and science-based assessment.

Li Haidong, an international relations professor at China Foreign Affairs University, said that playing the blame game might help politicians divert public attention from their own lackluster response to the outbreak and alleviate social pressure in the short run, but people will eventually catch on.

"Those who are pointing fingers now will soon realize this pandemic is a common challenge that must be addressed through honest and constructive collaboration," Li said.

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A recovering pneumonia patient gives a thumbs-up to medical workers at Wuhan University's Zhongnan Hospital. [GAO XIANG/FOR CHINA DAILY]

John Ross, former director of economic and business policy for the mayor of London, said in an article that through the determined fight against the virus, China created a window of opportunity of almost two months for the rest of the world before the coronavirus began to significantly spread outside the nation, but this time was wasted.

Instead of learning the positive lessons of China's ability to control the virus, the US government and the Western media engaged in anti-China propaganda, said Ross, a senior fellow at the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies of Renmin University of China.

"The bitter truth is that people in the West now face a medical, human and economic disaster due in significant part to this anti-China propaganda," he added.

http://global.chinadaily.com.cn/a/20200 ... 80939.html
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Re: China

Post by blindpig » Sun Mar 22, 2020 6:33 pm

Latest on the novel coronavirus outbreak
chinadaily.com.cn | Updated: 2020-03-22 06:55
The novel coronavirus has spread across China and beyond.

March 22

Outside China

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The latest figures reported by each government's health authority as of March 21, 2020.

- Global death toll from COVID-19 top 10,000: WHO (Read more)

- Italy further tightens lockdown rules, closing all non-essential businesses (Read more)

- New York state becomes COVID-19 epicenter in US with over 10,000 cases (Read more)

- 40 African countries confirm 1,114 COVID-19 cases as death toll rises to 28: Africa CDC

- Iran's health ministry said on Sunday that at least 1,685 people have died of COVID-19 in the country (Read more)

China

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Latest data released by National Health Commission by midnight, March 21, 2020.

- 46 new infections are reported in Chinese mainland, with 45 being imported cases; zero new cases in Hubei (Read more)

- Guangdong reports first indigenous COVID-19 case infected by imported patient (Read more)

- A total of 314 imported COVID-19 cases have been reported in 19 provincial-level regions across China as of Saturday

http://global.chinadaily.com.cn/a/20200 ... 7b4ba.html
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Re: China

Post by blindpig » Mon Mar 23, 2020 3:23 pm

A brief account of China’s response to the COVID-19 epidemic
20 MARCH, 2020 ~ 4 COMMENTS
In the few former colonising countries known as the West, a number of irresponsible media outlets wasted time trying to criticise China while the World Health Organisation (WHO) was urging the countries in question to act. So it is worth going over the facts in relation to the epidemic.

I begin with three points consistently made by WHO:

1. China`s complete transparency and assistance of other countries throughout.
2. The achievement of containing and preventing the disease in China, especially when there was a real danger it could get out of control, is unprecedented in human history.
3. Other countries should follow the China Model.

Although these points were hard to believe by the chattering classes in the West, the WHO made these recommendations from the perspective of medical science and not politics.

How did the WHO come to make these points? Let us follow the course of events, which are freely available on Chinese media outlets, which are not afraid at all of the truth.

In late December about 10 doctors reported cases of an unknown or SARS- like virus. These were immediately reported to WHO and thorough investigation was undertaken in China and by WHO. One doctor, Li Wenliang, posted two notices, sent from his colleagues engaged in the investigation, on wechat and weibo, and the local police reprimanded him for inappropriate use of social media. Importantly, he was not silenced or fined but kept working and he was by no means the only one involved in the research. I must admit, I am in two minds about this move. Of course, the Western media made a big brouhaha about a supposed ‘whistleblower’ who was ‘silenced’, but this was a clear distortion of the actual situation. Why am I in two minds? On the one hand, I am all in favour of responsible social media practices, and the need to curtail severely the spreading of rumour and gossip. On the other hand, should a qualified doctor make medical information available during an ongoing investigation of a new disease? There is much debate in China about this question as I write and I do not have a clear answer.

I recommend that you read this report of the 40-day investigation of the matter by the National Supervisory Commission (on China Daily). The report noted that there are very strict laws concerning the verification, release and reporting of epidemic information. Li had not followed those laws and provided some incorrect information at the time. Thus, the actions by the local police at the time had followed the law. At the same, Li – as a member of the CPC – had acted in good faith and for the social good. The report also finds that two of the police officers involved had followed substandard procedures. Thus, a sincere apology was given to Li’s family and the official letter of reprimand rescinded.

No system is entirely perfect: a few other local officials were found not to be up to the task of dealing with an emergency (including the mayor of Wuhan). Widespread criticism was made, very openly. An inspection team was quickly dispatched to Wuhan and the incompetent local officials dismissed and replaced. It would be like a prime minister going to Hawaii during a bush fire emergency (think of Australia). Upon return, he would be out of a job. Clearly, the early mistakes in China were incidental and not systemic.

Meanwhile, WHO sent a team to China, the sequence of the unknown virus was identified in a record 7 days by a Chinese laboratory, a diagnostic kit was developed by a German lab, and a full diagnosis was possible by 20 January. The WHO notes that this was the fastest identification made in the case of a new disease. The plan developed was a WHO-China joint plan, and the WHO urged the rest of the world to act immediately since China had given the world an opportunity to change the course of the disease. Unfortunately, too many countries did not listen and we find ourselves in the current situation.

In China, the ability of its socialist system to control and manage a new edpidemic is now history. Through widepsread testing (1.6 million a day), integration of AI, 5G and big data, it was able to keep the epidemic to a miniscule fraction of one percent of the whole population. As for the population itself, the old Chinese cultural – and socialist – reality of the greater social good kicked in and almost everyone cooperated (those who did not soon did so). Notably, public health was paramount, and not the economy. Of course, the economy too would benefit from a focus on public health, as China’s staged resumption – as I write – of production indicates. By contrast, the totally inept response in a place like Australia seeks to prioritise the economy and make public health a secondary issue. This will have greater economic repercussions, as more get infected.

As for the China Model, we can also note that those countries that followed it to some degree (Singapore and South Korea come to mind, but also – to its credit – Denmark, which still has a strong and able public sector, despite efforts to erode it over the last few years) have been able to control the epidemic.

A brief account, I must admit, but it explains why the WHO has made its three points consistently throughout: complete transparency; unparallelled containment of an epidemic, and the China Model for dealing with such an outbreak.

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