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China to hold nations 1st Vocational Skills Competition

(Xinhua)10:48, December 10, 2020

BEIJING, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) — China announced on Wednesday that it will hold its first Vocational Skills Competition from Dec. 10 to 13 in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong Province.

The competition will see 2,557 contestants from 36 teams nationwide compete in 86 skills.

Among these skills, 63 are part of the 46th WorldSkills Competition, and competitors will compete for places to represent China in the international competition.

The competition covers the countrys 14 major industries, including manufacturing, information technology, transportation, and architecture, representing 70 percent of Chinas industrial sectors, said Zhang Lixin, an official with the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security.

All the competition events will serve the countrys real economy, and more than half of them belong to the modern service industry, Zhang said.

He said that the competition is designed to stimulate the enthusiasm of the majority of workers to improve their skills and guide the whole society to pay attention to skills, respect labor, and carry forward the spirit of work and the pursuit of craftsmanship.

China will host the 46th WorldSkills Competition in Shanghai in 2021. The WorldSkills Competition, known as the Olympics for vocational skills, takes place every two years. China topped the gold medal tally with 16 gold medals at the 45th WorldSkills Competition.

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Chinese mainland reports 1 new locally transmitted COVID-19 case

(Xinhua)13:05, December 10, 2020

BEIJING, Dec. 10 (Xinhua) — Chinas National Health Commission said Thursday that it received reports of 12 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases on the Chinese mainland Wednesday, one of which was locally transmitted in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

Eleven cases were imported from outside the mainland, the commission said in its daily report.

Two new suspected cases arriving from outside the mainland were reported in Shanghai.

No new deaths related to the disease were reported.

A total of 11 COVID-19 patients were discharged from hospitals after recovery on the Chinese mainland on Wednesday.

By the end of Wednesday, a total of 3,980 imported cases had been reported on the mainland. Among them, 3,738 had been discharged from hospitals following recovery, and 242 remained hospitalized. No deaths had been reported among the imported cases.

The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases on the mainland reached 86,673 by Wednesday, including 285 patients still receiving treatment.

A total of 81,754 patients had been discharged from hospitals following recovery on the mainland, and 4,634 had died of the virus, according to the report.

There were three suspected COVID-19 cases on the mainland as of Wednesday, and 6,659 close contacts remained under medical observation.

Wednesday also saw five newly reported asymptomatic cases on the mainland, all arriving from outside the mainland. On the same day, two imported asymptomatic cases were re-categorized as confirmed ones.

A total of 201 asymptomatic cases were under medical observation, out of which 193 were imported cases, the commission said.

By the end of Wednesday, 7,179 confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 114 deaths, had been reported in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), while 46 confirmed cases had been reported in Macao SAR, and 720 cases, including seven deaths, in Taiwan.

Altogether 5,783 COVID-19 patients in Hong Kong SAR had been discharged from hospitals following recovery, while 46 had been discharged from hospitals in Macao SAR, and 585 in Taiwan.

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Chinas border city reports 1 new domestically transmitted COVID-19 case

(Xinhua)13:08, December 10, 2020

HOHHOT, Dec. 10 (Xinhua) — North Chinas Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region reported one new domestically transmitted COVID-19 case in the last day, local health authorities said on Thursday.

The new case was registered in the city of Manzhouli, Inner Mongolia, the regional health commission said. The patient had been in close contact with confirmed cases previously reported in the city.

As of 7 a.m. Thursday, Manzhouli has 27 domestically transmitted COVID-19 cases and two asymptomatic cases. A total of 1,437 close contacts have been identified and placed under medical observation.

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NE Chinese province reports 1 new domestically transmitted COVID-19 case

(Xinhua)15:06, December 10, 2020

HARBIN, Dec. 10 (Xinhua) — Northeast Chinas Heilongjiang Province on Thursday reported one new domestically transmitted COVID-19 case, local authorities said.

The patient, a 40-year-old man surnamed Kong, was registered in the city of Dongning, said the citys COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control headquarters. He tested positive for the virus on Wednesday and was later diagnosed as a confirmed COVID-19 case.

Dongning has activated an emergency plan, sending teams to conduct epidemiological investigations, carry out nucleic acid testing and disinfect the places visited by the patient.

His close contacts have undergone nucleic acid testing and are under medical observation.

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UK says coronavirus back under control after national lockdown

(Xinhua)10:34, December 01, 2020

LONDON, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) — British Health Secretary Matt Hancock said Monday that coronavirus is back under control in Britain as the month-long national lockdown is due to end on Wednesday.

Weve got this virus back under control, he said during a virtual press briefing at the Downing Street.

According to the latest official figures, Britains coronavirus reproduction number, known as the R number, has fallen to between 0.9 and 1. If the R number is above one, it means the number of cases will increase exponentially.

Hancock said that the lockdown, which is the second of its kind since the COVID-19 outbreak in the country and due to end on Dec. 2, brought coronavirus under control in England. It means people could have greater freedoms in tiers from Wednesday, he said.

However, Hancock warned that continued vigilance is needed as a tougher tiered system is set to replace the lockdown once it ends.

We dont have much headroom. We cant risk letting cases rise again, especially into Christmas and with the flu season around the corner, he said.

Earlier Monday, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson defended the new tiered system ahead of a vote in the House of Commons (lower house of parliament) on the measures on Tuesday.

We cant afford to take our foot off the throat of the beast, to take our foot off the gas. We cant afford to let it out of control again, he said.

The tiering system is tough, but its designed to be tough and to keep it under control, he said.

Another 12,330 people in Britain have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases in the country to 1,629,657, according to official figures released Monday.

The coronavirus-related deaths in Britain rose by 205 to 58,448, the data showed.

To bring life back to normal, countries such as Britain, China, Germany, Russia and the United States are racing against time to develop coronavirus vaccines.

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UN chief calls for greater inclusion of persons with disabilities in society

(Xinhua)10:36, December 01, 2020

UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) — United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday called for greater inclusion of persons with disabilities in society, including in COVID-19 response and recovery.

The UN chief was addressing countries that are parties to the 2006 Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which he stressed can only be fully implemented by tackling the obstacles, injustices and discrimination that this population experiences.

Realizing the rights of persons with disabilities is crucial to fulfilling the core promise of the 2030 Agenda: to leave no one behind, he said, referring to the global action plan to bring about a more just and sustainable world.

In all our actions, our goal is clear: a world in which all persons can enjoy equal opportunities, participate in decision-making and truly benefit from economic, social, political and cultural life. That is a goal worth fighting for.

The 13th session of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention is taking place ahead of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, commemorated annually on Dec. 3.

Like most UN events this year, it is being held in the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic, with participants meeting both in person and online.

The pandemic has deepened pre-existing inequalities affecting the worlds 1 billion persons with disabilities, the secretary-general said. Even under normal circumstances they were already less likely to access education, healthcare and jobs, or to be included in their communities.

The chair of the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities echoed this assessment. Danlami Umaru Basharu was concerned that structural barriers, exclusion and discrimination have worsened during the crisis.

While I celebrate that there now 182 parties to the convention, the pandemic has made evident that there is still a long way to go in fully understanding the human rights model of disability enshrined in the convention, and therefore in fully implementing its provisions, Guterres said in a video message.

In May, the UN chief issued a policy brief highlighting the disproportionate impact COVID-19 is having on persons with disabilities.

He has called for pandemic response and recovery to be more disability inclusive, starting with recognizing and protecting the human rights of persons with disabilities.

We must also ensure that the vision and aspirations of persons with disabilities are included and accounted for in a disability-inclusive, accessible and sustainable post COVID-19 world, he said.

The top UN official further emphasized that securing the rights of persons with disabilities is necessary for upholding the values and principles that underlie the UN.

Last year, Guterres launched a UN-wide Disability Inclusion Strategy, aimed at bringing about lasting and transformative change across the organization and its operations.

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Renewable energy to become important heating source in rural China

(Xinhua)14:37, February 14, 2021

BEIJING, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) — China will promote the use of renewable energy as one of the important sources of heating in the countrys rural areas during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), the National Energy Administration (NEA) said.

The administration has issued a circular to improve energy structure and utilize renewable energy for heating, calling on all localities to take measures in accordance with local conditions.

To that end, local governments should set specific targets based on local conditions and energy demand, while supporting the building of a heating system combining renewable energy with other heating methods, the NEA said.

China plans to further improve its energy structure by tapping the potential of various types of renewable energy, including solar energy, wind energy, biomass, geothermal and ocean energy

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Chinas warehouse storage sector reports mild activity decline

(Xinhua)14:15, March 06, 2021

BEIJING, March 6 (Xinhua) — Chinas warehouse storage sector saw a mild decline in activity last month but is expected to maintain steady development, industry data showed.

The index tracking the sectors development went down 3.3 percentage points over the previous month to reach 48.9 percent in February, according to a survey jointly released by the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing and CMST Development Co., Ltd.

A reading above 50 percent indicates expansion, while one below that reflects contraction.

The decline was mainly due to the week-long Spring Festival holiday, according to the survey.

Meanwhile, the sub-index for inventory at the end of the month rose 8.9 percentage points to 59.8 percent, with steel, non-ferrous metals, construction materials and agricultural and sideline products reporting a large inventory increase.

The sub-index for business activity expectations stood at 56.5 percent, up 1.5 percentage points from the previous month.

As business production and operation gradually gather steam, the warehouse storage sector will log a significant increase in the near future, according to the survey.

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Chinas 2021 box office exceeds 16 bln yuan

(Xinhua)15:54, March 06, 2021

BEIJING, March 6 (Xinhua) — Chinas 2021 box office revenue has exceeded 16 billion yuan (2.46 billion U.S. dollars) as of Saturday morning.

The figure surpassed 15.3 billion yuan that was generated during the same period in 2019, data compiled by box office tracker Maoyan showed.

It equaled more than three-fourths of the total ticket sales for the whole year of 2020.

Comedian and actress Jia Lings maiden directorial project Hi, Mom and Wanda Pictures comedy Detective Chinatown 3, led the 2021 chart compiled by the China Movie Data Information Network, contributing 31 percent and 27 percent of the total, respectively.

Both films are among the seven domestic titles that hit Chinese theaters during the Spring Festival holiday.

The top nine earners on the 2021 chart are all domestic productions.

Coming in tenth is the U.S. animated comedy Soul, which contributed about 297 million yuan or 1.8 percent of the yearly total.

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Chinas foreign trade surges 32.2 pct in first two months

(Xinhua)13:48, March 07, 2021

BEIJING, March 7 (Xinhua) — Chinas total goods imports and exports expanded 32.2 percent year on year to 5.44 trillion yuan (about 838.16 billion U.S. dollars) in the first two months of 2021, sustaining growth momentum in previous months, official data showed Sunday.

Exports jumped 50.1 percent while imports rose 14.5 percent in yuan terms, according to the General Administration of Customs (GAC).

In February alone, Chinas foreign trade totaled 2.42 trillion yuan, climbing 57 percent from a year ago, the GAC said.

The country saw double-digit growth in foreign trade volumes with major trading partners in the Jan.-Feb. period. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations remained Chinas largest trading partner during the period, with the combined trade volume rising 32.9 percent year on year.

Other major trading partners such as the European Union, the United States and Japan saw trade volumes with China surge 39.8 percent, 69.6 percent and 27.4 percent, respectively.

Meanwhile, Chinas foreign trade with countries along the Belt and Road amounted to 1.62 trillion yuan in the first two months, up 23.9 percent year on year.

Imports and exports by private businesses stood at 2.57 trillion yuan during the same period, rising 49.5 percent year on year and accounting for 47.2 percent of the countrys total.