Names, information of WWII germ warfare unit disclosed

(Xinhua)11:21, September 04, 2020

HARBIN, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) — The names of 468 members of OKA 9420, a Japanese germ warfare unit during World War II, have been disclosed by a Chinese museum.

OKA 9420 is known to be a branch of the notorious Unit 731, a covert biological and chemical warfare research and development operation during WWII. OKA 9420 took part in Japanese germ warfare in southwest Chinas Yunnan Province in 1942.

The list of names, which also includes the unit members dates of birth, nationalities, close relatives and army service records, was obtained from the Ibaraki branch of the National Diet Library, Japan.

The disclosure of the list has academic and historical value for drawing a complete picture of OKA 9420, especially its size, structure, organization, membership, and the commission and location of its major crimes, said Jin Chengmin, curator of the Museum of Evidence of War Crimes by the Japanese Army Unit 731.

Unit 731 was a top-secret biological and chemical warfare research base established in Harbin as the nerve center of Japanese biological warfare in China and Southeast Asia during WWII.

At least 3,000 people were used for human experimentation by Unit 731 and more than 300,000 people in China were killed by Japans biological weapons.

WHO roots for equitable access to COVID-19 vaccine in Africa

(Xinhua)12:31, September 04, 2020

NAIROBI, Sept. 3 (Xinhua) — The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday that donors and industry should allocate sufficient resources to ensure that African countries have access to a safe and efficacious COVID-19 vaccine.

Richard Mihigo, Program Area Manager of Immunization and Vaccine Development of WHO, said the needs and aspirations of African countries should be at the heart of the ongoing global efforts to develop vaccines against the pandemic.

Africa has often ended up at the back seat of vaccine development but this must not happen as the fight against COVID-19 pandemic enters a critical phase, Mihigo said during a virtual briefing in Nairobi.

We must secure enough doses and give priority to the frontline health workers, the aged and people with underlying conditions in the continent, he added.

The WHO official said that all the 54 African countries have signed up to COVAX, an initiative fronted by WHO in conjunction with the Vaccine Alliance (GAVI) and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) that aims to secure about 220 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine for the continent.

Mitoha Ondo O Ayekaba, vice minister for Health and Social Welfare, Equatorial Guinea, said that COVAX provides innovative financing options to ensure the COVID-19 vaccine is readily available in Africa.

We believe that through this initiative we can access successfully tested vaccines in a timely manner and at a lower cost, said Ayekeba.

He said that Equatorial Guinea is among eight African countries that have agreed to self-finance their COVID-19 doses under the COVAX Facility.

Richard Hatchett, CEO of CEPI, said that two COVID-19 candidates, supported by COVAX initiative, are already undergoing clinical trials in South Africa, to help ascertain their efficacy and safety.

Testing vaccines on the continent ensures that sufficient data is generated on the safety and efficacy of the most promising vaccine candidates for the African population so they can be confidently rolled out in Africa once vaccines are approved, said Hatchett.

Digital economy injects impetus to LatAms trade, services

(Xinhua)12:37, September 04, 2020

SANTIAGO, Sept. 3 (Xinhua) — While COVID-19 keeps causing economic fallout worldwide, digital technologies and services supported by the cooperation between China and Latin America have been creeping into the daily life of the people and providing momentum to economic growth in the region.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the DiDi Delivery service has helped a number of small- and medium-sized enterprises that run bricks-and-mortar stores, which were forced to shut down due to local lockdown measures, to meet their urgent needs to resume operation.

DiDi Delivery has not only helped me finish all my orders, but also largely shortened the delivery time from several days to within 24 hours, said Andrea Wilkendorf, a Chilean entrepreneur who created Pez Madera.

The rapid delivery has promoted the brands reputation and greatly increased our sales, she noted, adding that the service is now a must for her business.

Since this year, from contact-free infrared thermal imaging devices to COVID-19 diagnostic techniques assisted by artificial intelligence, from telecommuting to online courses and even faster online transactions, digital technologies and services have supported Latin Americas economy to grow.

Because of the pandemic, traditional trade and people-to-people exchanges have been blocked. People were forced to choose online communication and transactions, said Zhou Mi, deputy director of the Institute of American and Oceanian Study at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation.

There are always some opportunities in a crisis, Zhou stressed, saying digital economy is becoming a highly potential field for service trade between the two sides.

Thanks to the internet plus services upgrade between China and Latin America, small enterprise owners in Chile managed to keep her business.

In Latin America, the epidemic has caused a surge in demand for online medical inquiries, telecommuting and online education, putting great pressure on the networks of all countries, noted Wu Xiaoliang, vice president of Public and Government Affairs Department of Chinese tech giant Huawei.

Facing this situation, Huawei and local operators in Latin America responded actively to ensure the normal operation of the current network, Wu said.

In the eyes of Zhou, China and Latin America have a promising future for bilateral cooperation in the field of e-commerce, with increasing support in such fields as communications, logistics, big data and cloud computing.

While geographical distance is a key constraint to the development of economic and trade cooperation between China and Latin America, service trade, which eliminates the problems caused by long distance, serves as a good way to promote bilateral economic and trade cooperation, Zhou said.

Brazil is the top market among the 200-plus sales countries and regions worldwide of AliExpress, an international online shopping platform under Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba. However, its business was hit hard when the pandemic broke out at the beginning of the year, when the capacity of international logistics was largely reduced and the exchange rate adversely affected.

To solve the problem, AliExpress has launched new services in Brazil including charter flights and centralized transportation, allowing cross-store orders to be shipped altogether and orders over 30 U.S. dollars enjoying free shipping.

According to data compiled by AliExpress, the centralized transportation service has become the second most popular logistics service in Brazil within six months. And as the Chinese online retail service further lowered in August the threshold of free shipping to 15 dollars, the volume of centralized transportation rose by another 50 percent.

Zhou said that cross-border e-commerce has not only enabled Latin Americans to enjoy made-in-China products online, but also allowed high-quality Latin American agri-products into Chinese homes, bringing benefits to both sides.

China and Latin America have also deepened cooperation in public health this year with the help of new technologies.

During the pandemic, Huawei joined hands with Chinas Huazhong University of Science and Technology and Lanwon technology to develop an auxiliary diagnosis and treatment system for COVID-19. The system, which integrates cloud computing and artificial intelligence technologies, was then deployed in many hospitals in Latin American countries such as Ecuador, Mexico, Colombia, Chile, Panama and so on.

The worldwide spread of the pandemic has hit the traditional trade and services hard. But in emerging service industries, especially knowledge-intensive services which are digitally-deliverable, growth has been achieved to a certain extent amid depression, said Li Jun, director of the Institute of International Trade in Service at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation.

Many enterprises and business associations from Latin America will show up in the China International Fair for Trade in Services, scheduled for Sept. 4-9 in Beijing.

Looking ahead, Zhou believed that while some countries choose beggar-thy-neighbor polices to protect their own interests, China and Latin America will firmly support free trade because it will help both sides achieve better development and survive the crisis.

Arab League chief says Arab regions collective work important to reduce COVID-19 impacts

(Xinhua)12:40, September 04, 2020

CAIRO, Sept. 3 (Xinhua) — Arab League (AL) Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit on Thursday stressed the importance of the Arab regions collective work for alleviating the burdens of COVID-19.

The unprecedented pandemic crisis with its severe impacts especially on the fragile societies urges the acceleration of the Arab social and economic centralized work, Aboul-Gheit said in a video conference of the Arab Social and Economic Council at the ministerial level.

The virus repercussions have been doubled in the countries that have already suffered from dangerous crises, he said, noting that the spread of COVID-19 happened while the Arab region is passing through exceptional conditions at the political level.

The crisis necessitates many countries to review economic policies for enhancing the medicine and food security, he added, noting that the Arab region still suffers a food gap which requires a solution under a joint Arab work frame.

A report of the Arab Monetary Fund in August expected that the GDP in the Arab countries is likely to shrink by 4 percent in 2020 while the Arab economies are expected to revive in 2021 by 2.6 percent.

Australians increasingly worried about COVID-19 as total cases surpass 26,000

(Xinhua)12:41, September 04, 2020

CANBERRA, Sept. 3 (Xinhua) — Australians are growing increasingly concerned about the coronavirus pandemic, a survey has found.

Australian National University (ANU) researchers on Thursday published a poll of over 3,000 Australians taken during the height of Victorias second wave of COVID-19 infections in August.

It found that 62.6 percent of Australians felt anxious or worried about the pandemic compared to 57.3 percent during the first wave of infections in May.

Young Australians also continue to have the highest rates of anxiety and worry in terms of age groups, Nicholas Biddle, the co-author of the study, said in a media release.

Worry and anxiety among Australians aged 25-34 years increased from 63.4 percent in May to 69.2 percent in August.

The survey was published as Australia surpassed 26,000 cases of COVID-19 on Thursday.

As of Thursday afternoon there had been 26,049 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Australia, and the number of new cases in last 24 hours is 127.

The death toll has increased by 15 to 678. All 15 deaths were in Victoria, the hardest-hit state by the COVID-19 pandemic in the country. Six occurred between Wednesday and Thursday, with the remaining nine having occurred earlier.

14 of todays 15 deaths are linked to known outbreaks in aged care facilities. To date, 591 people have died from coronavirus in Victoria, said a statement from the Department of Health and Human Services in Victoria on Thursday.

Of the new cases, Victoria confirmed 113, its most in four days. New South Wales confirmed 12 more cases and Queensland another two.

Earlier on Thursday, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg welcomed the Victorian governments plan to reveal a roadmap on Sunday to easing restrictions, saying that the state needs hope.

Chinas wisdom in fight against COVID-19 pandemic benefits the world

By XuXiangli (Peoples Daily Online)10:09, September 02, 2020

Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a speech at the opening of the 73rd World Health Assembly via video link in Beijing, capital of China, May 18, 2020. (Xinhua/Li Xueren)

The COVID-19 outbreak has been the biggest crisis faced by China and the world in 2020, and it will take great wisdom to overcome the complicated challenges it brings.

Since the outbreak of the pandemic, the Communist Party of China Central Committee, with Xi Jinping at the core, has coordinated the overall domestic and international response to the situation and put forward Chinas solution to the crisis.

Aerial photo taken on Feb. 1, 2020 shows the construction site of Huoshenshan (Fire God Mountain) Hospital in Wuhan, central Chinas Hubei Province. (Xinhua/Xiao Yijiu)

When the outbreak first struck, China was entering the final year of its 13th Five-Year Plan for building a moderately prosperous society in all respects. Facing a virus never before seen in human history, the CPC Central Committee quickly formulated comprehensive scientific strategies to deal with this urgent and complex situation, and initiated a war of the people against the virus.

Chinas successful approach to dealing with the epidemic situation lies in the unified leadership of its government.

On Jan. 23, Wuhan, capital of central Chinas Hubei province and former epicenter of the epidemic, made a resolute announcement stating that public transportation in the city would be suspended in order to combat the spread of the virus. China then completed construction of the Huoshenshan (Fire God Mountain) Hospital just 10 days after the idea was put forward.

Furthermore, a total of 42,600 medical workers from across the country were dispatched to assist Wuhan, and 16 public facilities were turned into temporary hospitals in the city.

Peng Zhiyong (C), head of the department of critical care medicine of Zhongnan Hospital, performs diagnosis on a patient in the ICU (intensive care unit) of Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University in Wuhan, central Chinas Hubei Province, Jan. 24, 2020. (Xinhua/Xiong Qi)

China is committed to both epidemic prevention and economic development. After the epidemic began, China went all out to save lives and at the same time worked hard to coordinate epidemic prevention and economic social development.

Placing the top priority on life was the foundation of Chinas values in the battle against the epidemic. The CPC has always advocated being people-oriented.

China has spared no effort in treating patients, regardless of their age or wealth. As of May 22, more than 3,600 patients aged 80 years or older were successfully cured in Hubei province, and the success rate in the treatment of patients aged about 80 years old was nearly 70 percent in Wuhan.

According to the National Healthcare Security Administration, the average total cost of treating a hospital patient with COVID-19 was 21,500 yuan (about $3,038). For severe cases, the average minimum cost was 150,000 yuan. All expenses were covered by the countrys healthcare insurance system and government funds.

Solidarity and cooperation are the most powerful weapons against the disease, said an article by President Xi Jinping on global solidarity and cooperation in battling the COVID-19 pandemic.

A medical expert team sent by the Chinese government to South Sudan arrive in Juba on Aug. 19, 2020, along with the eighth batch of Chinese medical team to South Sudan. (Photo courtesy of the Chinese Embassy in the Republic of South Sudan)

In the first half of 2020, President Xi Jinping held talks with nine leaders of national and international organizations, held 60 telephone conversations with foreign dignitaries and heads of international organizations, attended the G20 Extraordinary Virtual Leaders Summit on COVID-19, the 73rd World Health Assembly, and chaired the Extraordinary China-Africa Summit on Solidarity against COVID-19. On various occasions, President Xi Jinping made repeated calls to build a community of common health for mankind and work together to defeat the COVID-19 outbreak.

While taking good care of its citizens at home, China has also provided assistance to nations severely affected by the pandemic. By May, China had shared a set of technical documents, such as its latest versions of diagnosis and treatment plans, with 180 countries and more than 10 international and regional organizations worldwide, dispatched medical experts to countries with emergency needs, and provided emergency assistance to nearly 150 countries and four international organizations.

The COVID-19 epidemic has once again proven that mankind is a community with a shared future. The Chinese solution, which transcends the zero-sum or law of the jungle mentality, is an embodiment of Chinese wisdom. Moreover, faced with this epidemic, it is Chinas responsibility to stand together with other countries and help each other.

COVID-19 patient has miracle recovery

(Chinadaily.com.cn)09:01, August 29, 2020

Customs workers check an inbound passengers health information card in Shenzhen Bay Port in Shenzhen, South Chinas Guangdong province, on April 3, 2020. [Photo/Xinhua]

High quality technologies, strong teamwork and humanistic care have contributed to the successful treatment of a critically ill COVID-19 patient at the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University in Guangdong province.

The novel coronavirus patient survived after a world record 111 days on an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation machine that transports blood to a type of heart-lung device that removes carbon dioxide and sends oxygen-filled blood back to the body.

Humanistic care is the soul of healing patients, said Liu Xiaoqing, director of the hospitals intensive care medicine unit.

Liu spoke at a ceremony organized by her hospital to celebrate the recovery of a 62-year-old COVID-19 patient surnamed Liu who was kept alive for 111 days by an ECMO machine.

The patient, who also had relied on a respirator to breathe for over 150 days, was discharged from the hospital on Thursday. He was the first COVID-19 patient to recover after having been on an ECMO machine for so long.

The patient, who was transferred to Liu Xiaoqings hospital from another local hospital on Feb 4, was sent to the intensive care unit and connected to the ECMO on Feb 9 when his condition worsened. In addition to providing medication, the medical staff took turns caring for and looking after him in the ward.

Liu Xuesong, the doctor in charge of the patient, said the man was overweight and had cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, sleep apnea and other health problems, making treatment more difficult. The patient, at 169 centimeters tall, weighed over 95 kilograms.

Doctors chatted with the seriously ill man, shook hands with him and touched his face on their rounds to encourage him, calming him and helping dispel fear and anxiety, Liu Xuesong said.

Liu Dongdong, another doctor. said the staff took turns helping the patient with rehabilitation exercises twice a day to prevent his joints from stiffening and his muscles from atrophying.

Chen Lihua, a head nurse, said the nursing staff kept him clean and comfortable.

Doctors also helped clean the patient every day, so the man never had bedsores even after being in bed for months, Chen said.

Liu Xiaoqing said while preserving life is the most basic requirement, medical staff also should have the patients future in mind. We should not only enable them to live, but also live with quality, she said.

Zhong Nanshan, a top respiratory disease expert and an academician at the Chinese Academy of Engineering, said many of his foreign counterparts said it was a medical miracle for a seriously ill COVID-19 patient to recover after being on an ECMO for 111 days.

Zhong said they never gave up on the man, and Zhong himself asked about the patients condition every day.

As long as there is a glimmer of hope, we do it at all costs, Zhong said.

China shows sense of justice, responsibility in fighting COVID-19

By CuiYue (Peoples Daily Online)11:19, September 01, 2020

While doing a good job in its prevention and control of the COVID-19 epidemic, China has also overcome its own difficulties and done everything it can to help the international community and safeguard global health, demonstrating its sense of justice and responsibility, as well as its commitment to the ideas of mutual assistance and international cooperation as a major country through concrete actions.

President Xi Jinping learns about Huoshenshan Hospitals operations, treatment of patients, protection for medical workers and scientific research after arriving in Wuhan, March 10, 2020. (Photo/Xinhua)

China has put the lives of its 1.4 billion people front and center. Chinese President Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, has taken personal command of the situation, planned the response, and emphasized that people鈥檚 lives and health must come first.

The country has covered all treatment expenses for COVID-19 patients, maximized the detection and cure rates while minimizing infection and death rates. Medical workers have raced against time to save lives.

Since the onset of the epidemic, China has shouldered its responsibility as a major country in the world. The country took the initiative to inform the World Health Organization (WHO) and relevant countries of the epidemic at the earliest possible time in an open and transparent manner.

It promptly closed all outbound channels from Wuhan, the former epicenter of the epidemic, to prevent the spread of the virus. The country has updated its diagnosis, treatment, prevention and control solutions, and shared them with over 180 countries and more than 10 international and regional organizations.

WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus noted that China鈥檚 forceful actions protected not only its own people, but also the rest of the world.

While fighting the epidemic in an all-round way, China has cooperated and shared information with the international community in an active, open and transparent way, demonstrating the image of a responsible major country, said Robert Lawrence Kuhn, chairman of the Kuhn Foundation in the U.S.

China has also fully demonstrated its sense of justice in the battle against the epidemic by strengthening unity and cooperation and promoting multilateral coordination.

In his phone calls and meetings with foreign leaders and heads of international organizations, President Xi explained China鈥檚 strategy and achievements in fighting the virus. He has also repeatedly emphasized the importance of solidarity and cooperation at international meetings.

鈥淢ankind is a community with a shared future. Solidarity and cooperation are our most powerful weapons for defeating the virus,鈥?Xi said at the Virtual Event of the Opening of the 73rd World Health Assembly.

At the Extraordinary G20 Leaders鈥?Summit, President Xi noted that it is imperative for the international community to strengthen its confidence, act with unity and work together in a collective response, calling on all countries to comprehensively step up international cooperation and foster greater synergy so that humanity as one can win the battle against this major infectious disease.

China鈥檚 voice has injected impetus into the global anti-epidemic cooperation and boosted confidence in safeguarding multilateralism and justice.

On March 16 local time, 300,000 masks from China arrive at the Liege Airport in Belgium. (Photo/Xinhua)

By the end of May, China had sent 29 medical expert teams to 27 countries, and offered assistance to 150 countries and 4 international organizations. It has instructed its medical teams stationed in 56 countries to support the local fight, and provide counselling and health information to local people and overseas Chinese. They have so far organized over 400 online and offline training sessions related to this endeavor.

Chinese factories have operated at full capacity to make high-quality medical supplies and equipment that are badly needed around the world. As of May 24, it had exported 56.8 billion surgical masks and 250 million protective gowns, among other provisions.

These concrete actions fully reflect China鈥檚 belief that a just cause should be pursued for the common good, winning high recognition from the international community.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said China has set a good example for the international community by promptly lending a helping hand to other epidemic-hit countries.

When France was also hit hard by the virus, China gave a concrete display of its solidarity through a shipment of masks and hospital equipment, which was highly appreciated by the French government and people, said former French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin.

The Sino-French friendship will emerge strengthened from this tragic crisis. It is in difficulties that we measure true friendship, he added.

Meanwhile, Chinese people have conveyed their love in the COVID-19 response through non-governmental assistance.

A little volunteer (left) distributes masks to local children in Tokyo on Feb. 29, 2020. (Photo/Xinhua)

A Chinese girl held a cardboard box with the Japanese words 鈥淕ratitude from Wuhan鈥?on it and distributed masks on the streets of Tokyo, with the intention of raising awareness of epidemic prevention and thanking the Japanese people who had donated masks to China. The girl鈥檚 actions left numerous internet users deeply moved.

Such stories are commonly heard around the world. The small streams that gathered together in their global pandemic response have formed a magnificent river of unity, justice and advancement against the virus, writing a stirring chapter in the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

As the epidemic spreads around the world, Chinese non-governmental organizations and overseas Chinese from all over the world have also contributed to the fight against the epidemic.

The Silk Road Community Building Initiative launched by the China Association for NGO Cooperation has facilitated cooperation with dozens of countries in donations of materials, experience sharing and volunteering services. In addition, a campaign named the Green Ribbon Initiative was jointly launched by over 150 social organizations and other units in China, and has donated anti-epidemic supplies to about 20 countries, including Italy and Iran, as well as the United Nations Human Settlements Program.

Non-governmental forces are sending their love beyond borders. The deep friendship between China and the international community in their anti-epidemic fight brings to life the vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind.

China announces list of anti-Japanese war memorials, historical sites

(Xinhua)10:14, September 04, 2020

BEIJING, Sept. 3 (Xinhua) — Chinas State Council released a list of 80 state-level anti-Japanese war memorials and historical sites on Thursday when the country commemorated the 75th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese Peoples War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.

The new list includes facilities and sites that commemorate prominent battles, martyrs who made outstanding contributions, and renowned foreigners who sacrificed their lives to support the Chinese people during the Japanese invasion of China.

Also on Thursday, the Ministry of Veterans Affairs announced a list of 185 war heroes, martyrs and groups.

In the announcement, the State Council instructed local governments to further enhance the preservation, management and publicity of the facilities and sites, so as to guide the public in maintaining awareness of Chinas history of resistance and the contributions made by martyrs.

China has previously issued lists of facilities, sites, fallen soldiers and heroic groups to commemorate the countrys victory in the war, first in September 2014 and again in August 2015.

China allocates millions for flood disaster relief

(Xinhua)12:40, September 04, 2020

BEIJING, Sept. 3 (Xinhua) — China has allocated 800 million yuan (about 117.1 million U.S. dollars) of funds to support agricultural production and disaster relief in flood-hit regions, the finance ministry said on Thursday.

The funds will be used to restore flood-damaged water conservancy facilities and agricultural, husbandry, and fishing industries in 11 disaster-stricken provincial regions, including the provinces of Anhui and Sichuan, as well as the Chongqing Municipality, the Ministry of Finance said on its website.

On Wednesday, the country lifted the Level IV flood control emergency response in the Yangtze River basin as water levels retreated below the warning lines, marking the end of 63 days of flood control emergency responses in the region, which began on July 2.