Month: May 2021

(Xinhua)14:35, November 24, 2020

BEIJING, Nov. 24 (Xinhua) — Chinas National Health Commission said Tuesday that it received reports of 22 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases on the Chinese mainland Monday, including two domestically transmitted cases and 20 imported ones.

The domestically transmitted cases were reported in Tianjin and Shanghai, the commission said in its daily report.

Shanghai also reported one suspected case that was from overseas. No deaths related to the disease were reported on Monday, the commission said.

The new imported cases were reported in Fujian, Guangdong, Shanghai, Sichuan, Jiangsu, Shaanxi, Inner Mongolia and Henan.

By the end of Monday, a total of 3,804 imported cases had been reported on the mainland. Among them, 3,501 had been discharged from hospitals after recovery, and 303 remained hospitalized. No deaths from the imported cases had been reported.

Also on Monday, 15 COVID-19 patients were discharged from hospitals after recovery on the Chinese mainland, the commission said.

As of Monday, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases on the Chinese mainland had reached 86,464, with 322 patients still under treatment, including six in severe condition.

Altogether 81,508 patients had been discharged after recovery, and 4,634 had died of the disease on the mainland, the commission said.

There was one suspected COVID-19 case on the mainland, while 11,857 close contacts were still under medical observation after 189 were discharged Monday, according to the commission.

Also on Monday, eight new asymptomatic cases, all arriving from outside the mainland, were reported, and six asymptomatic cases were re-categorized as confirmed cases.

A total of 348 asymptomatic cases were still under medical observation, with 345 arriving from outside the mainland.

By the end of Monday, 5,701 confirmed COVID-19 cases including 108 deaths had been reported in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), 46 cases in the Macao SAR, and 618 cases including seven deaths in Taiwan.

A total of 5,267 COVID-19 patients in the Hong Kong SAR had been discharged from hospitals after recovery, while 46 had been discharged in the Macao SAR, and 549 in Taiwan.

(Xinhua)16:57, November 24, 2020

URUMQI, Nov. 24 (Xinhua) — The number of China-Europe freight trains entering and leaving via Horgos Port in northwest Chinas Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region has exceeded 4,000 so far this year, a record high despite the impact of COVID-19, customs authorities said Tuesday.

The number has already surpassed last years total, according to Horgos Customs on the China-Kazakhstan border.

China-Europe freight train services have been favored by an increasing number of companies during the pandemic thanks to their low prices, large transportation capacity, and great stability and connectivity, said Long Teng with the Horgos Customs.

Liu Kai, manager of a Horgos-based cargo company, said his firm has received an increasing number of orders this year from domestic and overseas clients. From January to October, the company helped transport nearly 650,000 tonnes of cargo with more than 600 China-Europe freight trains trips.

Horgos Customs and local railway authorities have stepped up efforts to streamline customs clearance to handle the surging number of freight trains.

As of Nov. 5, the number of total China-Europe freight trains hit a record high of 10,180 this year, according to data from the China State Railway Group Co., Ltd.

The trains shipped 927,000 twenty-foot equivalent units of cargo, up 54 percent year on year.

(Xinhua)17:06, November 24, 2020

XIAN, Nov. 24 (Xinhua) — An infrared camera has captured six photos and a short video of a wild leopard in a nature reserve in northwest Chinas Shaanxi Province.

The Changqing National Nature Reserve set up the camera in a pine forest in April and collected the data on Oct. 25. Workers of the reserve found the images of the leopard captured at around 8 p.m. on July 19, according to the provincial forestry bureau.

In the 10-second video clip, the leopard was seen crouching in the grass before it sprang to its feet, apparently being alerted by a flying bird or insect.

It is the sixth time that leopards had been spotted in the reserve since infrared cameras were set up in 2008. By comparing the spots on the bodies of the big cats, experts believed they were different leopard adults or sub-adults, which indicates that there is at least one stable leopard group in the reserve.

Located in Yangxian County of Shaanxi, the nature reserve was established mainly to protect the habitat of wild giant pandas.

(Xinhua)16:26, September 18, 2020

NEW DELHI, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) — The Indian media report related to Shenzhen Zhenhua Data Information Technology Co., Ltd. is groundless, a spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in India said Thursday.

Relevant report makes groundless accusations on the presumption of guilt, purely trying to find excuses aiming to blame others, Ji Rong, counselor and spokesperson of the embassy, said in response to untrue report on the tech company.

Local media has reported that Shenzhen Zhenhua Data, with links to the Chinese government, is monitoring over 10,000 Indian individuals and entities including Indian politicians in its global database.

The spokesperson noted that on this question, the relevant company has already made a public response, making clear that the media report about their company is untrue at all.

What I want to stress is that Zhenhua is a private company and has no links to the Chinese government, Ji said. There are many foreign companies engaged in such similar business.

Reiterating that China has always been a staunch defender of cyber security, Ji said its cyber security law stipulates that network operators carrying out business and service activities must follow laws and administrative regulations, respect social morality, abide by commercial ethics, be honest and credible, perform obligations to protect cyber security.

Network operators collecting and using personal information shall abide by the principles of legality, propriety, and necessity. Individuals or organizations must not steal or use other illegal methods to acquire personal information, she added.

Some forces with ulterior motives hype up the so-called China watching and manipulating data, which is a part of planned and premeditated strategy to suppress, contain and smear China, she said.

Noting that China has proposed the Global Initiative on Data Security, the spokesperson called on all parties to work with China to make tangible efforts to truly safeguard global data security and build a peaceful, secure, open and cooperative cyber space.

Regarding some Indian medias intensive coverage of untrue information on Shenzhen Zhenhua Data in recent days, Ji said China and India have maintained communication on this issue.

China is willing to work with Indian side to enhance cooperation to jointly maintain cyber security and create good atmosphere for the development of bilateral relations, she said.

(Peoples Daily Online)11:14, September 17, 2020

Xincheng county in south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region has been relying on its rich mineral resources in its mountainous areas to fight poverty in recent years.

Employees work at a marble processing plant in Xincheng county, south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. (Photo/Zhu Xiaoling)

“People couldn’t grow crops here as there were stones everywhere. We could only let cattle graze on the fields at the foot of the mountains,” said Wei Yongping, a native of the county, who is also deputy head of the stone processing plant of Xincheng Western Mining Co., Ltd.

He never expected that the barren mountains that blighted agriculture would one day become invaluable assets.

“Xincheng contains over 1 billion cubic meters of many varieties of marble, and they are easy to exploit,” Wei said, explaining that the county’s marble has been sold domestically and internationally.

Furthermore, the county is accelerating the construction of a special engineering new material innovation industrial park invested by East Group Co., Ltd. on the bank of the Hongshui River.

“We mainly produce special materials needed for high-speed railways, tunnels, underground projects and roads, with an estimated annual output of up to 2 million tons,” said Huang Yong, a manager of the company.

Xincheng has large deposits of rocks that contain up to 56 percent of calcium carbonate, giving it broad prospects for exploitation, Huang said, adding that the company finally decided to launch the project in the county after three years of surveying work.

Photo shows the construction site of a project in Xincheng county, south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. (Photo/Yan Lizheng)

The company will also build five cargo berths with a capacity of 500 tons each, with an estimated annual throughput of 100,000 containers and 5 million tons of bulk cargo.

“Only by protecting our lucid waters and green mountains can we have invaluable assets,” said Li Lizhi, head of the project’s first tunnel team.

With 28 years of experience in tunnel construction, Li said that the company has placed great importance on environmental protection from the very beginning and on safeguarding the interests of local villagers.

The project has also been delivering benefits to local residents. “We can earn money near our homes and take care of our families, so we are willing to work for the project,” said Lan Danghua, a resident of Mati village in the county’s Hongdu town. Lan began working in the industrial park along with several other villagers soon after the project started.

“Except for core technicians, we give priority to hiring local villagers, especially poor households and people who have been lifted out of poverty,” Huang said.

He added that the company will also work with local vocational schools on poverty alleviation through education by providing funds to train industrial workers, which is expected to create over 600 job opportunities.

(Xinhua)10:49, September 18, 2020

SHENYANG, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) — The 9.18 Historical Museum in Shenyang, capital of northeast Chinas Liaoning Province, has received a new batch of artifacts that donors hope will allow historians to better document Japanese aggression during World War II.

Six local collectors and citizens made the donation, a total of 34 items of cultural and historical significance, during a ceremony on Wednesday before the 89th anniversary of the Sept. 18 Incident.

Zhan Hongge made his 26th donation to the museum, including a commission issued by the Japanese army in Northeast China and three other historical materials.

These items are of special significance as they are convincing proof of Japanese aggression, and the museum is the place where they belong, he said.

I donated my collection to the museum as I hope people can understand the great sacrifice made by the martyrs and cherish present life, said Dong Haijiang, a 74-year-old citizen of Shenyang.

The donations are of great historical significance and research value, expand collection categories and facilitate the study of the Chinese Peoples War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, according to Fan Lihong, the museums curator.

On Sept. 18, 1931, Japanese troops blew up a section of railway under their control near Shenyang, then accused Chinese troops of sabotage as a pretext for subsequent aggression.

(Xinhua)10:52, September 18, 2020

BEIJING, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) — China on Thursday released a white paper on employment and labor rights in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, rejecting and debunking the forced labor allegation of the United States and Western pseudo-scholars.

Employment is vital to peoples wellbeing. A decent job is the aspiration of all. To protect the right to work is to safeguard human rights.

This is especially true of Xinjiang, a vast, underdeveloped border region with a population of 25 million of different ethnic groups and plagued by the three evil forces of terrorism, extremism, and separatism over a long period.

A common and notable increase of residents sense of gains, happiness, and security in Xinjiang is one of the manifestations of its achievements, thanks to its employment policy and measures in line with international standards. Meanwhile, its deradicalization efforts have sharply enhanced security, with no terrorist cases reported for more than three years.

With its comprehensive and effective protection of labor rights, Xinjiang has done a good job in guaranteeing and developing local peoples rights to employment, equality, security, health, and culture, among others.

However, some U.S. politicians including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and forces with an anti-China sentiment have deliberately hyped up non-existent forced labor in Xinjiang. Absurdly, the U.S. has recently taken restrictive measures against relevant Chinese companies under the pretext of so-called forced labor. It is a blatant act of bullying.

It is evident that such an allegation is nothing but another fabricated issue of some biased institutions and individuals to serve their political interests through malicious, orchestrated, systematic smearing, and distorting of Xinjiang.

With deep bias and typical double standards, they judge Xinjiang only in their ill-willed imagination, caring nothing about the wellbeing of people and real human rights progress in Xinjiang. Rather, the accusations show they attempt to deny the peoples right to work and a better life.

The latest white paper offers an opportunity for the international community to have an objective understanding of what really happens in the region.

Xinjiang has worked out a new approach to addressing some of the global challenges: protecting human rights while combating terrorism and extremism, and pursuing sustainable development while eliminating poverty.

It is no exaggeration to say that Xinjiang has set an example of practicing international labor and human rights standards in underdeveloped areas with large populations of ethnic minorities.

Falsehoods, like the forced labor claim, will never alter the course of development in Xinjiang. Nor will they, by any means, contain Chinas development course toward great rejuvenation.

(Xinhua)13:23, September 18, 2020

JINAN, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) — Have you ever dreamed of eating nothing but ice cream all day long? And what if you could even be paid for your troubles? For 75-year-old Liu Qingnian, he might well be envied by many for having such a cool job.

After graduating from Jiangnan University in east Chinas Jiangsu Province in 1969, Liu conducted research on edible natural pigment for over two decades.

In 1997, he started to work at Jinan Qunkang Corp, based in Jinan, capital of Shandong Province, engaged in ice cream research and testing, and now he is a chief engineer.

In 2008, an ice cream product named Shuang, a Chinese word meaning coolness, hit Jinans market. In the city alone, up to 6 million bars were sold every day. Liu was one of the main developers.

As a tester, I need to evaluate the ice cream by relying on my senses of vision, smell and taste, Liu said.

He said testing ice cream is like evaluating perfume, which is divided into top, heart and base notes. The top note is felt via the tongue tip; the heart is the taste and mouthfeel of the melted ice cream; the base is the aftertaste after eating.

Besides quality, an ice cream tester needs to judge whether a product is acceptable or not. As minor changes in the formula will lead to variations in taste, a tester must be familiar with all formulas and ingredients.

It is not a superpower of the tongue, but is entirely based on professional knowledge and experience, Liu said.

In order to ensure a sharp sense of taste, Liu rinses his mouth with warm water every time he tastes an ice cream, while he refuses any greasy or spicy food.

Shandong dishes are always salty, but I prefer light flavors now that Im older and have to protect my tastebuds. So we often eat plain meals in our home, Liu said.

To launch new products, he and his team usually start their research in the spring for the next years product development.

Over the past few decades, Liu has been to more than 40 countries. He tastes all the ice creams he has never tried before and records their packaging, shape, ingredients and taste. He has sampled thousands of ice creams at home and abroad.

Ice cream products are usually developed in winter. During the busiest period, it is common to taste nearly 30 bars a day. After selecting raw materials and entering the research and development stage, it takes an average of more than 10,000 tests to finally determine the production formula, Liu said.

Now I can probably guess the milk content and cost of an ice cream product just by taking one bite.

Despite his unbreakable bond with ice cream, Liu has always kept healthy with plenty of rest and a scientific diet to protect his stomach. He also enjoys jogging and mountain climbing on a daily basis.

With the improvement of peoples living standards, the ice cream industry has also undergone new changes. Apart from salted egg yolk, rum, bubble tea and other flavors, ice cream that contains fruits has also begun to thrive in recent years, and low-sugar and low-fat products are more popular, Liu said.

Guess who is the most envious of my job? Liu jokes.

Its my granddaughter! Shes jealous of all the ice cream I get to eat, after all, who could refuse such delicious treats!