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  • Mar, Fri, 2020
Foreign

Trump says U.S., China ‘working closely together’ to fight coronavirus

 

Cooperation

Beijing, March 27, 2020 (dpa/NAN) U.S. President Donald Trump says the United States and China are “working closely together” to fight the coronavirus pandemic after a phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday.

Trump tweeted that he and Xi had “a very good conversation” and discussed “in great detail the Coronavirus that is ravaging large parts of our Planet.”

“China has been through much and has developed a strong understanding of the Virus.

“We are working closely together. Much respect!” Trump said.

Trump, who had until recently insisted on calling the coronavirus the “Chinese virus,” said earlier on Thursday that “you don’t know what the (coronavirus) numbers are in China.”

“You’re not able to tell what China is testing or not testing,” Trump said during a news conference before the phone call.

The U.S. on Thursday surpassed China and Italy to lead the world in reported coronavirus cases, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University researchers.

U.S. cases topped 83,000, followed by China at more than 81,000, and Italy at more than 80,000.

The new numbers came as coronavirus hotspots appeared to be emerging outside New York state, the current epicentre of the outbreak.

Xi said China had been sharing information and experience with the international community about the coronavirus and would continue to do so in the joint fight against the pandemic, according to state media.

“Only when the international community responds together can it (the virus) be defeated,” Xi said, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

Xi added that Chinese provinces, cities, and enterprises were providing medical assistance to the U.S.

“China understands the current difficult situation of the United States and is willing to provide support within its capacity,” he said.

Trump said, according to CCTV, that he was grateful to China for providing medical supplies to the U.S. and for strengthening medical exchanges.

He said that China’s experience with the virus was “enlightening” to him.

The leaders’ call came after two extraordinary sessions of the G20 and G7 groups of countries in the past few days focused on the response to the pandemic.

The G7 foreign ministers’ meeting on Wednesday failed to agree on a joint statement after the U.S. insisted that it include the term “Wuhan virus,” according to U.S. media reports.

Meanwhile, China on Thursday announced it would suspend the entry of foreign nationals in an effort to curb the number of imported coronavirus cases.

Beijing also announced it would severely limit both outbound and inbound international flights. (dpa/NAN)

YEE

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Edited by Emmanuel Yashim

  • Feb, Wed, 2020
Foreign

Chinese foreign minister to visit Germany after months of frosty relations

Visit
Beijing, Feb. 12, 2020 (dpa/NAN) After a recent strained relationship between Beijing and Berlin, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi, said on Wednesday that he would visit Germany to attend the Munich Security Conference.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang, disclosed this to Newsmen in Beijing.
He said that Yi would also hold talks with German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas.
According to him, Yi was originally supposed to meet Maas in Oct. 2019, but was, however, cancelled after Maas met Joshua Wong, a protest leader in Hong Kong, in September.
Shuang noted that at that time, China summoned the German ambassador to Beijing and threatened negative consequences for bilateral relations.
He added that Yi would also meet with other leading German politicians during his visit, as well as to discuss international cooperation over the new coronavirus outbreak at the security conference.
However, about 40 leaders and 100 ministers will discuss global security policy at the annual gathering. (dpa/NAN)
YI/YEE
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Edited by Yahaya Isah/Emmanuel Yashim

Foreign

China coronavirus deaths reach 811, surpasses SARS death toll

 

Coronavirus

Beijing, Feb. 9, 2020 (dpa/NAN) The number of deaths from the new coronavirus has risen to 811 in mainland China, the country’s National Health Commission said on Sunday.

The death toll thereby surpassed that of SARS, a respiratory disease which caused a global health scare in the early 2000, and which also began in China.

Across China, 89 new deaths and 2,656 new confirmed cases were reported, the vast majority in the province of Hubei.

According to the commission’s figures, health authorities recorded a total of 33,738 confirmed cases of the new coronavirus since the beginning of the outbreak in December.

The outbreak’s epicentre is located in the city of Wuhan in Hubei province.

There, the number of new cases of pneumonia caused by the virus rose by 2,147, the provincial health commission said.

Also 81 new deaths were reported over the last 24 hours in Hubei, bringing the total to 780.

The virus, which has spread to about two dozen countries since first being identified, has only claimed the lives of two people outside mainland China, a Chinese man in the Philippines and a man in Hong Kong. Both victims had been to Hubei.

The coronavirus broke out at a seafood market in Wuhan that reportedly sold exotic animals for consumption – similar to the outbreak of SARS.

SARS infected 8,000 people and killed 800 globally between 2002 and 2003.

It was linked to the consumption of civet cats, another exotic meat.

The coronavirus belongs to the same family of viruses. (dpa/NAN)

YEE

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Edited by Emmanuel Yashim

Foreign

Chinese doctor who issued early warning on coronavirus dies 

 

Doctor

Beijing, Feb. 7, 2020 (dpa/NAN) A doctor who became a hero in China after sounding the alarm early on about a new coronavirus outbreak has died of the disease, the Wuhan hospital where he was being treated, said on Friday.

Li Wenliang, a 33-year-old ophthalmologist at a hospital in Wuhan, the epicentre of the outbreak, triggered an outpour of support on social media as he was fighting the disease that has so far killed more than 600 people and infected tens of thousands.

Li had told state media that he had been reprimanded by hospital management and party officials after alerting his colleagues about a cluster of infections tied to an animal market in the city of Wuhan.

Li initially thought the disease was a resurgence of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), an illness that killed hundreds across China in 2002-2003.

He became a national symbol of people’s attempts to find answers about authorities’ initial reactions to the coronavirus outbreak.

The Wuhan government has been criticised for what many saw as a failure to disclose in a timely manner the severity of the new illness, leading to possibly more infections among medical staff and the public.

A total of 31,161 infections and 636 deaths from the new coronavirus were reported across China as of Thursday, according to the National Health Commission.

The disease has also spread to more than two dozen other countries around the world. (dpa/NAN)

YEE

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Edited by Emmanuel Yashim

Foreign

China’s coronavirus death toll surpasses 500

 

Casualty

Beijing, Feb. 6, 2020 (dpa/NAN) The death toll from a new coronavirus that originated in China reached 563 with 28,018 people confirmed infected, health authorities said on Thursday.

China’s National Health Commission said 73 people had died over a 24-hour interval.

The virus has spread to about two dozen countries since first being identified in December, prompting the World Health Organisation to declare a global emergency.

Countries around the world have been flying their citizens out of the central Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicentre of the disease, while in Japan and Hong Kong thousands of tourists were quarantined aboard two cruise ships after reports of the coronavirus on board.

The Japanese health ministry said on Thursday that another 10 people on the cruise ship tested positive for the conoravirus, after the first 10 infections were detected Wednesday.

Japan quarantined thousands of passengers and crew members on the Diamond Princess ship off Yokohama, south of Tokyo.

Meanwhile, Japan planned to dispatch another chartered plane later in the day to bring back about 200 more people from Wuhan.

The coronavirus broke out at a seafood market in Wuhan that reportedly sold exotic animals for consumption – similar to the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).

SARS, a disease that infected 8,000 people and killed 800 globally between 2002 and 2003, and also began in China, was linked to the consumption of civet cats, another exotic meat.

The coronavirus belongs to the same family of viruses. (dpa/NAN)

YEE

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Edited by Emmanuel Yashim

General news

Scientists in Rome isolate coronavirus for study, containment

Isolation

Rome, Feb. 2, 2020 (dpa/NAN) Italian scientists at the National Institute for Infectious Diseases have isolated the rapidly spreading coronavirus, Italian media reported on Sunday.

This is coming even as the number of confirmed cases tops 14,000 in more than two dozen countries.

“This is important news of international relevance.

“It means there are more possibilities to understand and study the virus, in order to contain it,” said Italy’s health minister, Roberto Speranza.

The institute in Rome will make the results available for use in other countries so that further research can be carried out.

Experts are already racing to develop a vaccine.

Isolating the virus means obtaining a pure microbial sample from an infected person rather than growing it in a laboratory.

Researchers at the institute in Rome also investigate suspected cases of coronavirus.

Two cases have already been confirmed in Italy, affecting Chinese tourists infected in their home country.

The researchers said they had been able to isolate the virus within 48 hours of the diagnosis, according to the Ansa news agency.

Several days ago, Australian scientists managed to grow the coronavirus in a laboratory. (dpa/NAN)

YEE

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Edited by Emmanuel Yashim

General news

China’s foreign ministry blasts U.S. travel restrictions

 

 

Restrictions

Beijing, Feb. 2, 2020 (dpa/NAN) China’s Foreign Ministry has blasted the U.S. government for restricting the entry of Chinese nationals due to the coronavirus outbreak, which this week was declared a global health emergency by the World Health Organization.

“While the WHO has only just specifically advised against any travel restrictions, the U.S. has decided to act in the opposite way.

“This has set a bad example.

“It is certainly not a gesture of goodwill,” ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said.

New U.S. measures include a ban on the entry of foreign nationals – other than the immediate family of U.S. citizens and permanent residents – who have travelled in China within the last 14 days.

The U.S. also took the “unprecedented” step of placing 195 U.S. citizens who recently returned from the Chinese city of Wuhan in quarantine for 14 days.

Schools, factories and offices across China are due to remain closed even as the week-long Lunar New Year holiday comes to an end.

Apple on Saturday became the latest company to announce the closure of its stores in mainland China to prevent the spread of the virus, with the measure set to remain in place until Feb. 9.

The number of people infected with the new coronavirus in China has risen to more than 11,000, while a total of 259 people have died, according to the most recent figures from Chinese health officials.

Officials in Hubei province in central China, the epicentre of the coronavirus crisis, said an additional 1,347 new cases had been reported in that province alone, bringing the number of infections there to 7,153.

Wuhan, with a population of 11 million, has been placed on lockdown, as have many other Chinese cities.

The number of people infected and China’s national death toll are expected to climb further once other regions report their latest statistics.

On Saturday, more than 3,000 Hong Kong nurses and doctors registered with a newly formed public hospitals union voted in favour of closing the semi-autonomus city’s borders with Mainland China to stem the spread of the virus.

Outside China, more than 100 other people in about two dozen countries have become ill with the virus.

Sri Lanka became the latest country on Saturday to report a case when a Chinese woman travelling there was found to have coronavirus.

Germany confirmed its eighth case the same day.

The European Union and several countries have already flown their citizens out of China, including the U.S., Japan, South Korea, Jordan, Britain, and most recently Sri Lanka, India, and Turkey.

A Turkish military cargo plane carrying 42 people, 32 of them Turkish nationals, landed Saturday evening in capital Ankara from China’s Wuhan, state news agency Anadolu reported.

The evacuees, along with 20 flight and health attendants, are to be placed under quarantine for 14 days.

A German air force jet left Wuhan early Saturday on an evacuation deployment. It arrived in Frankfurt on Saturday afternoon.

According to the state of Hesse’s social minister, there were 124 people on board, including 100 Germans and their relatives.

There were 22 Chinese citizens on board, one U.S. and one Romanian.

The passengers are to spend two weeks in quarantine following medical testing upon their arrival, the Frankfurt health authority said.

Eleven people were examined at a Frankfurt clinic on arrival for various health reasons, with one needing clarification on whether they were infected with the virus.

The flight was delayed after Moscow refused to allow the plane a short layover in the Russian capital as planned.

The plane stopped in Helsinki instead, German Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer said.

The official explanation given in Moscow was a lack of capacity at the city’s airport. Kramp-Karrenbauer said the German Foreign Office plans to discuss the turn of events thoroughly.

Hundreds of flights to and from China have been cancelled around the world, including those run by Air Canada, Lufthansa, British Airways Turkish Airlines, United, American Airlines, KLM, Air France, Qantas, and Delta.

Three Philippine airlines – Philippine Airlines (PAL), Cebu Pacific Air and AirAsia Philippines – announced on Saturday they have cancelled flights to and from China.

Russia announced earlier this week it was closing its land border with China, similar to steps taken by China’s other neighbours.

Moscow reported its first case of the virus on Friday.

Both the U.S. and Japan told citizens not to travel to China, with Washington issuing a warning on par with its advisories for Afghanistan and Iran.

The Italian government on Friday declared a six-month state of emergency in response to the first confirmed cases of the new coronavirus in the country.

The decision resulted in 5 million euros (5.5 million dollars) being earmarked for civil protection purposes.

Italian cruise company Costa announced on Friday that it would not allow anyone who had been in China in the last 14 days on board – including guests, visitors or crew members of any nationality.

The coronavirus broke out at a seafood market in Wuhan that reportedly sold exotic animals for consumption – similar to the outbreak of SARS.

SARS, a disease that infected 8,000 people and killed 800 globally,  was linked to the consumption of civet cats, another exotic meat.

The coronavirus belongs to the same family of viruses. (dpa/NAN)

YEE

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Edited by Emmanuel Yashim

Foreign

China’s civil aviation market hits one-trillion-yuan level in 2019

Aviation

Beijing, Jan. 15, 2020 (Xinhua/NAN) China’s booming civil aviation industry saw its annual revenue reach 1.06 trillion yuan (about 154.27 billion U.S. dollars) in 2019, according to the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC).

China remained the world’s second-largest civil aviation market in 2019.

The CAAC said that the figure represented a 5.4-per cent year-on-year increase.

In 2019, the country’s civil aviation industry operated 660 million passenger trips and 7.52 million tonnes of air cargo, a year-on-year increase of 7.9 per cent and 1.9 per cent, respectively, said the latest CAAC statistics.

In 2018, the annual revenue of China’s civil aviation industry was 875 billion yuan, a 17-per cent year-on-year increase.

China is expected to become the world’s largest civil aviation market by the mid-2020s, according to forecasts by the International Air Transport Association. (Xinhua/NAN)

YEE

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Edited by Emmanuel Yashim

Foreign

U.S. removes China from currency manipulator list ahead of trade deal 

 

Currency

Washington, Jan. 14, 2020 (dpa/NAN) The U.S. Treasury Department announced on Monday that it has dropped its designation of China as currency manipulator just days before the two countries are to sign an initial trade agreement.

“China has made enforceable commitments to refrain from competitive devaluation, while promoting transparency and accountability,” U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement.

The Trump administration roiled markets when it labelled China as a currency manipulator in August as Washington sought to pressure Beijing to meet U.S. trade demands.

After nearly two years of tit-for-tat tariffs Washington and Beijing are set to sign a “phase one” trade deal on Wednesday.

The agreement staves off some punitive tariffs on Chinese goods and ends China’s practice of forcing or pressuring some U.S. companies to transfer their technologies to Chinese companies, according to the U.S. trade representative.

China will also purchase billions of dollars in U.S. agricultural products, energy and manufactured goods.

“The Treasury Department has helped secure a significant Phase One agreement with China that will lead to greater economic growth and opportunity for American workers and businesses,” Mnuchin said Monday.

Chuck Schumer, the leader of the Democrats in the Senate, blasted Trump over the decision.

“Unfortunately, President Trump would rather cave to President Xi than stay tough on China.

“When it comes to the president’s stance on China, Americans are getting a lot of show and very little results,” Schumer said in a statement.

With China’s removal no country is on the US currency manipulator list. (dpa/NAN)

YEE

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Edited by Emmanuel Yashim

Economy

China’s e-commerce logistics activities rebound in November

E-commerce

Beijing, Dec. 19, 2019 (Xinhua/NAN) China’s e-commerce logistics rebounded in November thanks to the annual online shopping spree in the same month, industrial data showed.

The index tracking e-commerce logistics activities rose by 2.6 points over October to reach 113.5 points in November, according to the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing and e-commerce giant JD.com.

Sub-indices showed improving overall e-commerce logistics demand, especially in rural areas.

Analysts attributed the rebound to the strong online shopping orders growth around Singles’ Day, which falls on Nov. 11 each year when vendors drum up promotions to boost sales.

Official data showed that a total of 2.31 billion deliveries were handled during the Nov. 11-16 period. (Xinhua/NAN)

YEE

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Edited by Emmanuel Yashim