News-Clips (2020. 04-2020. 05)
April 2020
China’s control measures prevent tens of thousands of infections: spokesperson
China’s prevention and control measures have altered the dangerous course of COVID-19’s quick spread and prevented tens of thousands of infections nationwide, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on April 1.
Hua Chunying made the remarks when asked to comment on a paper recently published by the journal Science, which believes the control measures worked by successfully breaking the chain of transmission and preventing contact between infectious and susceptible people and bought other cities valuable time.
From: Xinhua
Vice premier stresses research on COVID-19 vaccine, treatment, medicine
Chinese Vice Premier Sun Chunlan on April 1 stressed making full use of the effective drugs and treatment technologies and accelerating the progress of vaccine research and development to fight the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
Leading a central government group to oversee the epidemic control work in Hubei Province, Sun, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks at a symposium with frontline experts and researchers.
From: Xinhua
China to strengthen epidemic control along land border
Chinese authorities on April 2 demanded further strengthening epidemic control efforts along its land border to prevent the importation of COVID-19 infections.
The demand was made at a meeting of the leading group of China’s COVID-19 epidemic response, which was chaired by Premier Li Keqiang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee.
From: Xinhua
Virus testing along border to get a boost
China will bolster the capacities of laboratory tests and medical treatment in border areas as part of broader efforts to curb the importation of COVID-19 cases via land entry points, according to a statement released after a meeting chaired by Premier Li Keqiang on April 6.
The leading group of the Communist Party of China Central Committee for responding to the novel coronavirus, led by the premier, underscored that the number of imported cases via land entry points have exceeded those entering through international flights in recent days.
From: China Daily
China opposes all forms of discrimination, prejudice: spokesperson
A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on April 7 that China opposes all forms of discrimination and prejudice.
Spokesperson Zhao Lijian made the remarks in a press briefing when responding to media reports that since China tightened immigration control measures to contain imported cases of COVID-19, some foreigners have complained about discrimination and rising xenophobia in China.
From: Xinhua
Chinese coming from 26 countries must submit health info to fly
Chinese passengers who are going to fly from 26 countries to China are required to submit their health information prior to boarding the plane, the country’s civil aviation regulator said on April 7.
According to a notice jointly issued by Civil Aviation Administration of China and General Administration of Customs, starting Wednesday, passengers in 26 countries, including the United States, Italy and Spain who already booked air tickets to China must report their personal information, health status and recent travel history on a daily basis via a WeChat mini-program before boarding.
From: China Daily
Beijing says yes to travelers from Hubei
Strengthening its COVID-19 screening effort, Beijing is requiring people who had been stranded in Hubei province — the initial epicenter of the outbreak — to undergo at least two tests for the coronavirus, one before leaving Hubei and the other after arriving in the capital.
A 14-day mandatory quarantine is also required, either at home or at a designated site, for people returning from the beleaguered province, the city’s anti-virus leading group decided on April 7.
From: chinadaily.com.cn
Xi chairs leadership meeting on regular epidemic control, work resumption
Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, on April 8 chaired a leadership meeting to make new arrangements on implementing regular epidemic prevention and control measures and fully advancing work resumption.
The meeting of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee analyzed the COVID-19 situation and economic performance at home and abroad.
From: Xinhua
Xi hails role of community workers
President Xi Jinping has called on community workers to continue their steadfast efforts to combat COVID-19 as communities remain an important line of defense against imported cases and a rebound of the outbreak in China.
Xi made the remark on April 8 in a letter of reply to community workers at a neighborhood which he visited last month during his inspection tour of Wuhan, the Chinese city hit hardest by the outbreak.
From: China Daily
Nation steps up supply of medical goods
China is stepping up efforts to ensure the supply of medical goods to meet surging demand both at home and abroad, as the novel coronavirus pneumonia outbreak continues to spread across the globe, the nation’s top industrial regulator said on April 8.
Ministry of Industry and Information Technology spokesman Huang Libin said the global spread of the novel coronavirus created new challenges for the nation’s prevention and control work, and China will make a big push to ensure steady supplies of medical goods.
From: China Daily
China to ease urban residency restrictions to boost urbanization
China plans to ease restrictions for rural residents applying for urban household registration status and allow more people to enjoy public services, according to a document released April 9.
Cities with a resident population of less than 3 million should remove all barriers for rural residents to apply for urban household registration status, or hukou, according to the document released by the National Development and Reform Commission.
From: Xinhua
Wuhan in all-out efforts to cure elderly COvID-19 patients
China’s Wuhan will strengthen medical treatment for severely ill and elderly COVID-19 patients, the latest signal from the city hard hit by the novel coronavirus but now in a steady recovery.
Jiao Yahui, an official with the National Health Commission, said on April 11 that patients at the Huoshenshan and Leishenshan hospitals, built from scratch to help the then-overloaded local hospitals treat severely ill COVID-19 patients, will be transferred to four large hospitals in Wuhan by April 15.
From: Xinhua
More attention to asymptomatic coronavirus cases: health expert
Zhong Nanshan, a renowned Chinese respiratory specialist, said on April 16 that more attention should be paid to asymptomatic coronavirus cases.
Zhong made the comments during a video conference in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou with clinicians from Europe, the United States and Africa.
From: Xinhua
Over 10 mln jobs offered at China’s special online job fair
China’s special online job fair has provided over 10 million job vacancies amid the country’s efforts to revive job markets hard hit by the novel coronavirus epidemic.
By April 9, more than 11.62 million job posts from 1.24 million companies had been offered to applicants at the special online job fair, which was launched on March 20 and will last until the end of June, said the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security on April 16.
From: Xinhua
China’s job market improves in March as COVID-19 epidemic wanes
China’s job market improved last month as life and work gradually resumed in the virus-hit economy, official data showed on April 17.
The surveyed unemployment rate in urban areas stood at 5.9 percent in March, down 0.3 percentage points from the previous month, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
A total of 2.29 million new urban jobs were created in the first quarter of 2020, the NBS said.
From: Xinhua
China’s health authority calls for int’l cooperation in fighting COVID-19 pandemic
China’s health authority has called for international cooperation to carry out joint prevention and control in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic.
Ma Xiaowei, minister in charge of the National Health Commission, made the call at the Group of 20 (G20) health ministers virtual meeting on April 19.
From: Xinhua
China urges U.S. officials to stop spreading conspiracy theories: FM spokesperson
A Foreign Ministry spokesperson on April 20 urged certain U.S. officials to respect the facts, science and the international consensus, and stop spreading conspiracy theories surrounding the origin of the COVID-19 virus.
Spokesperson Geng Shuang made the remarks at a press briefing when commenting on the recent claims of some U.S. officials that the virus originated from a Wuhan virology lab.
From: Xinhua
China strengthens border control to prevent imported COVID-19 risk
China has strengthened border control measures for the containment of imported novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) risk, an official said April 20.
Liu Haitao, with the National Immigration Administration (NIA), made the remarks at a press conference on China’s response to the coronavirus outbreak.
From: Xinhua
Xi’s tour focuses on poverty, ecology
President Xi Jinping inspected poverty alleviation work in Shaanxi province on April 21 amid the nation’s efforts to overcome the impact of the novel coronavirus pandemic and improve people’s livelihoods.
From: Xinhua
Ministry: Nation mobilizing support for Chinese overseas
China has fully mobilized all kinds of resources to provide timely assistance and support for its overseas citizens amid the health threat caused by the spread of the COVID-19 disease globally, Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said on April 22.
From: China Daily
Chinese premier stresses stabilizing economic fundamentals, securing people’s livelihood
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has stressed confidence and efforts in stabilizing China’s economic fundamentals and securing people’s basic livelihood in the face of the economic difficulties and challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Li, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made the remarks on April 23 at a video conference with heads of several provincial regions on the current economic situation.
From: Xinhua
China resettles 9.47 million people for poverty relief by March
China has completed the construction of more than 2.66 million houses to relocate 9.47 million people for poverty relief by the end of March, with occupancy rate reaching 99 percent, said the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) April 23.
In 89 percent of the resettled households with people able to work, at least one person in each household has got a job, according to the NDRC. By mid-April, the work to construct educational and healthcare facilities for 132 large-scale resettlement projects has been resumed as the COVID-19 epidemic began to wane.
From: Xinhua
China to severely punish use of minors in organized crime
China vowed to severely punish mafia-like organizations and criminal groups that use minors to commit crimes on April 23.
The Supreme People’s Procuratorate (SPP), the Supreme People’s Court and the ministries of public security and justice have jointly issued a set of guidelines to better protect the lawful rights and interests of minors, said Wan Chun, an official with the SPP, at a press conference.
From: Xinhua
Xi chairs leadership meeting on regular epidemic control, supporting Hubei development
Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, on April 29 chaired a leadership meeting on regular epidemic prevention and control and supporting the economic and social development in Hubei Province.
The meeting of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee analyzed the COVID-19 situation at home and abroad.
From: Xinhua
Xinjiang upholds ethnic equality, aimed at common prosperity: Official
Northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on April 29 said the region fully follows the ethnic policies of China and upholds ethnic equality, thus working for common development and prosperity.
An official of the region’s ethnic affairs commission made the remarks at a press conference on matters pertaining to Xinjiang.
From: CGTN
May 2020
Prioritizing human rights helps China defeat COvID-19: experts
China prioritized human rights amid the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring people’s lives and health in a people-centric approach, and therefore achieved the results of quickly taking the epidemic under control, experts stressed in an international conference entitled “Guarantee of the Right to Life in Epidemic Prevention and Control” held at Southwest University of Political Science and Law on May 9.
More than 40 experts and scholars from China, the Netherlands, France, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka attended the meeting to exchange their standpoints around human rights values during the pandemic.
From: Global Times
Chinese courts strengthen protection of juveniles
China’s Supreme People’s Court (SPC) on May 18 pledged strict punishments for crimes violating juveniles’ rights to ensure justice is upheld.
Stressing that Chinese courts always strictly crack down on offenses involving minors, the SPC said the courts handled 28,975 criminal cases involving harm against juveniles including child trafficking and molestation, and punished 29,787 offenders in such cases from 2013 to 2019.
From: Xinhua
Webinar on human rights protection amid COVID-19 held
A human rights webinar on international cooperation in fighting the COVID-19 and building a community with a shared future was held on May 18. The teleconference was sponsored by the China Society for Human Rights Studies and organized by the Institute for Human Rights, China University of Political Science and Law (CUPL). Around 30 experts and officials from China, Sweden, France and Australia joined the virtual event.
From: en.humanrights.cn
China’s top political advisory body to hold annual session from May 21 to 27
The National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the country’s top political advisory body, will open its annual session on May 21 in Beijing, a spokesperson said on May 20.
The session is set to conclude on May 27, Guo Weimin, spokesperson for the third session of the 13 th National Committee of the CPPCC, told a press conference. Amid regular measures to prevent and control COVID-19, this year’s session will be shorter than previously planned.
From: Xinhua
Over 1 million pieces of advice solicited during civil code compilation: spokesperson
A total of 1.02 million pieces of advice had been solicited from around 425,000 people during the compilation process of China’s civil code, a spokesperson for the annual session of the national legislature said on May 21.
The 1,260-article draft civil code will be submitted to the third session of the 13 th National People’s Congress for deliberation, spokesperson Zhang Yesui told a press conference.
From: Xinhua
China moves closer to civil code
China’s national legislature will deliberate a massive bill when its annual session opens on May 22, moving closer to having a civil code for the people’s republic.
An 84-chapter, 1,260-article draft was put together in December after different parts of it were reviewed, including the general provisions and six parts on property, contracts, personality rights, marriage and family, inheritance and torts liability.
From: Xinhua
China firm on achieving development goals of 2020, though setting no specific growth target
China will work to ensure achieving the development goals of winning the battle against poverty and completing the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects this year, though setting no specific economic growth target for 2020, according to a government work report submitted to the national legislature for deliberation
on May 22.
From: Xinhua
China’s national legislature to hold annual session from May 22 to 28
China’s national legislature will open its annual session on May 22 in Beijing, a spokesperson said on May 21.
The third session of the 13 th National People’s Congress (NPC) is scheduled to conclude on May 28, with nine items on its agenda, Zhang Yesui, spokesperson for the session, told a press conference.
From: Xinhua
China to increase basic pension for retirees
China will increase the basic pension for retirees and the minimum basic old-age pension for rural and non-working urban residents, according to a government work report submitted to the national legislature for deliberation on May 22.
China will ensure the payments of pension fund on time and in full to nearly 300 million people, the report said.
From: Xinhua
China to enhance financial support to ensure employment
China’s central government will set aside 53.9 billion yuan (about 7.6 billion U.S. dollars) of employment subsidies this year amid efforts to ensure employment, according to a draft budget report submitted to the national legislature for deliberation on May 22.
The government will do all it can to stabilize and expand employment as it is a top priority of the government work, said the report.
From: Xinhua
China aims to add over 9 million new urban jobs in 2020
China will prioritize stabilizing employment and ensuring people’s livelihood this year, aiming to create more than 9 million new urban jobs, according to a government work report submitted to the national legislature for deliberation on May 22.
The surveyed urban unemployment rate will be kept at around 6 percent, said the report delivered by Premier Li Keqiang at the opening meeting of the annual national legislative session.
From: Xinhua
China to ensure food supply for 1.4 billion people through own efforts
It is imperative and well within China’s ability to ensure the food supply for 1.4 billion Chinese people through the country’s own efforts, according to a government work report submitted to the national legislature for deliberation on May 22.
To bolster agricultural production, the country will increase its area of high-standard cropland by 80 million mu (5.33 million hectares), the report said.
From: Xinhua
China to strengthen public health system development
China will strengthen the development of the public health system, according to a government work report submitted to the national legislature for deliberation on May 22.
The report stressed improving the direct-reporting and early warning systems for infectious diseases, increasing spending on vaccines, drugs and fast testing technologies, increasing mobile labs and strengthening the supply of emergency materials, among others.
From: Xinhua
China to ensure eliminating rural poverty in 2020
China will ensure the elimination of poverty among all rural residents living below the current poverty line and in all poor counties this year, according to a government work report submitted to the national legislature for deliberation on May 22.
From: Xinhua
Intl discussion on protection for vulnerable groups urges more attention
The COVID-19 pandemic is testing the world’s human rights protection as the socioeconomic effects have impacted vulnerable and marginalized groups. Global experts and NGO’s representatives on human rights protection urged policymakers to grant favorable measures that would benefit vulnerable groups and protect their rights during an online conference on May 23.
Over 20 experts and delegates from China, Japan, UK, Norway, Sweden attended the virtual conference, launched by the China Society for Human Rights Studies and Institute for Human Rights Studies at Wuhan University. The event was aimed to provide a platform where they could exchange ideas on providing care facilities for vulnerable groups who have had a more difficult time fighting COVID-19, including the elderly, disabled, and migrant workers.
From: Global Times
China to enhance public health system to better protect people’s lives
China will step up efforts in building a stronger protection network in the public health domain to better protect people’s lives and health as the country is shifting to COVID-19 regular prevention and control.
On May 24, Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, stressed fortifying the public health protection network as he was participating in a deliberation at the annual national legislative session with lawmakers from central China’s Hubei Province, recently hard-hit by the epidemic.
From: Xinhua
Xi orders fortifying public health protection network
President Xi Jinping stressed fortifying the public health protection network when participating in a deliberation at the annual national legislative session.
Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks on May 24 when joining in discussions with lawmakers from central China’s Hubei Province.
From: Xinhua
China to prioritize legislation on public health in 2020
China’s top legislature said on May 25 that it will prioritize legislation on public health this year.
In its annual work report, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC) said it plans to revise the Wildlife Protection Law, the Law on the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases, the Frontier Health and Quarantine Law, and the Emergency Response Law in 2020.
From: Xinhua
China issues guidelines on disabled people’s wellbeing amid COVID-19 control
Chinese authorities have issued guidelines on guaranteeing the basic wellbeing of disabled people amid normalized COVID-19 prevention and control, the China Disabled Persons’ Federation (CDPF) said on May 25.
Jointly issued by the CDPF, the Ministry of Finance and three other authorities, the guidelines include specific requirements for guaranteeing disabled people’s basic livelihood and employment, as well as helping to lift the economically disadvantaged out of poverty.
From: Xinhua
China adopts milestone Civil Code
China’s top legislature on May 28 voted to adopt the country’s long-expected Civil Code, a milestone legislation that will better protect people’s rights and offer strong legal support for the country’s development.
The Civil Code passed at the third session of the 13 th National People’s Congress (NPC) will take effect on Jan. 1, 2021.
From: Xinhua
China adopts decision to make Hong Kong national security laws
China is set to make Hong Kong national security laws as a related decision was adopted at the national legislature on May 28.
The decision will also allow the central government’s national security organs to set up agencies in Hong Kong when needed.
Deputies to the 13 th National People’s Congress (NPC) voted overwhelmingly to approve the decision at the closing meeting of the NPC annual session.
From: Xinhua
Global experts call for human consolidation, denouncing US’s anti-China remarks amid pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic is an opportunity to promote solidarity and to stop politicizing the virus, said worldwide law and human rights experts during a livestreaming conference focused on comparing human rights in China and the Western countries amid virus prevention efforts.
Over 40 professionals from UN Human Rights, Austria, the Netherlands, the UK, Pakistan, Nepal, and China joined together to discuss how to avoid the coronavirus crisis becoming a human rights crisis at the conference held in Institute for Human Rights Law, Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan on May 30.
From: Global Times
