Month: April 2021

(Xinhua)12:11, August 21, 2020

BEIJING, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) — No new locally-transmitted COVID-19 cases were reported Thursday across the Chinese mainland, the National Health Commission said Friday.

A total of 22 confirmed cases arriving from outside the mainland were reported Thursday, the commission said in its daily report.

No new suspected cases or deaths related to the disease were reported on the Chinese mainland, it added.

Of the new imported cases, 11 were reported in Shanghai, six in Tianjin, three in Shandong, and one each in Jiangsu and Sichuan, the commission said.

On Thursday, 47 COVID-19 patients were discharged from hospitals after recovery, the commission said.

By the end of Thursday, a total of 2,368 imported cases had been reported on the mainland. Of them, 2,164 had been discharged from hospitals after recovery, and 204 remained hospitalized, with no one in severe condition. No deaths from the imported cases had been reported.

As of Thursday, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases on the mainland had reached 84,917, including 491 patients who were still being treated, with 20 in severe condition.

Altogether 79,792 people had been discharged after recovery, and 4,634 had died of the disease on the mainland, the commission said.

There were no suspected COVID-19 cases on the mainland, it added.

According to the commission, 14,599 close contacts were still under medical observation after 2,264 were discharged on Thursday.

Also on Thursday, 23 new asymptomatic cases, including 22 from outside the mainland, were reported, and three asymptomatic cases were re-categorized as confirmed ones.

The commission said 353 asymptomatic cases, including 248 from outside the mainland, were still under medical observation.

By Thursday, 4,604 confirmed cases including 75 deaths had been reported in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), together with 46 confirmed cases in the Macao SAR and 486 cases including seven deaths in Taiwan.

A total of 3,827 COVID-19 patients in the Hong Kong SAR, 46 in the Macao SAR, and 457 in Taiwan had been discharged from hospitals after recovery.

(Xinhua)12:19, August 21, 2020

BEIJING, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) — The Chinese mainland reported 22 new imported COVID-19 cases Thursday, bringing the total number of imported cases to 2,368, the National Health Commission said Friday.

Of the new imported cases, 11 were reported in Shanghai, six in Tianjin, three in Shandong and one each in Jiangsu and Sichuan, the commission said in its daily report.

Among all the imported cases, 2,164 patients had been discharged from hospitals after recovery, and 204 remained hospitalized, with no one in severe condition, the commission said.

No deaths had been reported from the imported cases.

(Xinhua)16:48, August 21, 2020

HONG KONG, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) — Hong Kong plans to start a mass screening for COVID-19 on Sept. 1 and aims to complete the testing in two weeks in an effort to bring the severe epidemic situation under control as recent support from the central government has boosted its testing capacity.

Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Carrie Lam announced the plan on Friday at a press conference.

The HKSAR government said earlier that the large-scale testing that may cover millions of people in Hong Kong will be conducted for free and on a voluntary basis. Lam said the scheme would not be possible if there were no support from the central government in lab personnel and testing services.

The central government set up a 60-strong nucleic acid testing team to help improve Hong Kongs testing capacity at the request of the HKSAR government, and the first batch of virus testing professionals arrived in Hong Kong to join the anti-epidemic fight at the beginning of August.

(Xinhua)09:48, August 14, 2020

A commerce official of Chinas Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government on Thursday condemned a U.S. unilateral rule that Hong Kong products exported to the United States must be labeled Made in China, stressing that it violates international rules on origin marking.

Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Edward Yau said the U.S. move, which is aimed at undermining Hong Kongs status as a separate customs territory, is brutal and ignores basic facts.

The HKSAR government will study how to protect Hong Kongs interests, including taking actions under the existing framework of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Yau said.

The United States recently required the origin of Hong Kong products exported to the United States should be labeled as China starting Sept. 25. Currently, the origin of Hong Kong export products is marked as Hong Kong as Hong Kong is a separate member of the WTO and enjoys the special status as a separate customs territory under one country, two systems.

By YanBing,ZhuChunyu (Peoples Daily Overseas Edition)11:14, August 08, 2020

A woman takes a slow public service train to sell her chickens. Peoples Daily Online/Wan Shaoyu

As the total mileage of Chinas high-speed rail exceeds 35,000 kilometers and accounts for over 2/3 of the worlds total, the Chinese people are enjoying increasingly rapid and convenient transportation.

However, there are still 81 pairs of slow public service trains running across the country, picking up passengers at every stop in the countrys remote mountainous areas at minimum charges.

Train No. 6063/6064 is one of the 81 pairs of slow public service trains running between Guangyuan, southwest Chinas Sichuan province and Baoji, northwest Chinas Shaanxi province. Helping poverty alleviation and carrying students to schools, the rail line, running for over 60 years, is a guarantee of and witness to the wish for a better life of the people along its route.

Selling agricultural products from mountainous areas to the outside is an important approach for rural residents to shake off poverty. To facilitate the agricultural trade of them, the train has particularly offered an information board to match the supply and demand sides, where prices of crops are listed.

Children do their homework on a slow public service train on their way home. Peoples Daily Online/Hei Xingyou

A woman surnamed Li from Guangyuan always takes this train for restocking peaches in Yanzibian township, Hanzhong, Shaanxi province. The purchase price is 2.6 yuan ($0.37) per kilogram, and I can sell the fruits at 4 yuan per kiligram back home. The small business gains me extra income and makes my life better, Li said.

A man surnamed Wang is also a frequent passenger of the train. It only costs me 4 yuan to go to Yanzibian from Guangyuan, so I can have more profit, Wang told Peoples Daily, adding that the service of this train is specifically maintained for poverty alleviation.

To guarantee good education for children living in impoverished regions is also an important mission for poverty alleviation. Therefore, this train carries many students and their parents.

Ren Bin, a crew member of the train introduced that there are 24 schools along the 11-station route, so the train is also a school shuttle for the children.

Liu Sen, Wang Yibo and Ma Wenhao are three students who live in Baishuijiang township, Lueyang and go to a primary school in the seat of Lueyang.

According to Mas grandmother, the three children would always take the train together go to school and go back home. Whenever shes kept busy, she would ask the attendants on the train to helps her take care of her grandson. When he boards on the train, I feel assured, she said.

The train brings warm and leads the people along its route to embrace a better life. It is a witness to Chinas railway departments promise that the peoples railway is for the people.

Liu Lianrui, conductor of the train, has observed how the life of the people was improved over the years.

According to Lin, villagers at first got rid of the worries of insufficient food and clothes. Then their houses were equipped with solar water heaters and connected to paved roads. Now, they are following up the world through smartphones and mobile communication and payment apps.

Everything is worthwhile as long as the people here live a happy life, said a crew member of the train.

Enable GingerCannot connect to Ginger Check your internet connection
or reload the browserDisable in this text fieldEditLog in to edit with GingerLog in to edit with Ginger脳

Enable GingerCannot connect to Ginger Check your internet connection
or reload the browserDisable in this text fieldEditEdit in GingerEdit in Ginger脳

(Xinhua)09:34, August 08, 2020

The logo of TikTok is displayed on the screen of a smartphone on a computer screen background in Arlington, Virginia, the United States, Aug. 3, 2020. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

Saying that reckless political manipulation and suppression of certain non-American firms by the United States is doomed to boomerang, China on Friday urged Washington to rectify its mistake and refrain from politicizing economic issues.

The remarks were made by Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin in response to U.S. executive orders issued Thursday, which ban transactions carried out by American companies or individuals with parent companies of WeChat and TikTok apps.

The companies, in line with market principles and international rules, have conducted commercial activities in the United States while following local laws and regulations, Wang told a daily press briefing.

The U.S. has frequently abused state power to wantonly suppress non-American firms under the pretext of national security. This is blatant bullying behavior, which China firmly opposes, the spokesperson said, noting relevant U.S. moves have drawn criticism and doubts from many people within the United States and the international community.

As a just cause enjoys abundant support while an unjust one finds scant backing, Wang said the U.S. side has put its self-interests above market principles and international rules at the cost of undermining the rights and interests of American users and companies, and resorted to reckless political manipulation and suppression.

These will only lead to its moral decline, damage to its national image and international trust deficit, and are doomed to boomerang, Wang said.

We urge the U.S. side to heed rational voices from within and from the international community, correct its wrongdoing, refrain from politicizing economic issues and stop suppressing relevant enterprises, to create a fair, just and non-discriminatory environment for companies worldwide to have normal business operations and investments, Wang added.

Enable GingerCannot connect to Ginger Check your internet connection
or reload the browserDisable in this text fieldEditEdit in GingerEdit in Ginger脳

(Peoples Daily Online)13:40, August 07, 2020

Four farmers in east Chinas Zhejiang province were recently awarded the title of senior professionals, equivalent to that of a college professor by virtue of their excellent theoretical knowledge and rich practice in agricultural production.

Bo Yongming (left) gives instructions to a farmer. (File photo)

This professional title evaluation system is designed to encourage farmers to continuously improve their skills, as well as to attract and train more agricultural talents.

Zhejiangs agriculture and rural affairs department awarded the titles to the first batch of four professional farmers who are skilled in the field of seed breeding, animal breeding and planting. This is the first time in Zhejiang that professional farmers have been given titles equal to those of scientific researchers.

In recent years, the 74 new varieties of melons and vegetables Bo Yongmings team has bred have basically replaced those which are imported. Over the past five years, the land used by Bo for production is more than 2.5 million mu (about 0.2 million hectares).

In the past, when applying for agricultural scientific research projects, I always felt that I was not strong enough when there is a requirement for the professional title of the applicants. Bo said now that his current title of senior professional will not only help him to apply for relevant topics, but will also boost his confidence in increasing investment in research and development, while providing farmers with more new varieties of high quality and low price.

Ma Jianxiong, who was awarded the title of senior animal husbandry expert, has been committed to cultivating high-quality domestic long-haired rabbit breeds.

This means that they have a bigger platform to cultivate more high-quality varieties for the long-haired rabbit industry, so that more farmers can embark on the road to prosperity, Ma said.

Excellent agricultural theoretical knowledge and rich practice in production serve as the key. Wu Xinmin, director of the personnel department of the Zhejiangs agriculture and rural affairs department, shared in reference to receiving the award.

Wu added that it is hoped professional farmers can lead a better life through the evaluation of professional titles, and this can also provide a new way to attract and train agricultural talents.