#WuhanVirus #Statistics
Surge in cases as cross-border visitors increase
Despite Carrie Lam and her administration team denying any problems with the existing inconsistent social distancing requirements and loopholes of the border entry epidemic control and prevention policies, statistic provided by HK immigration department, Centre of Disease Control and the Health Department for June and July reveals that as more people entered HK via all portals in the last two months, the number of reported COVID cases has surged. Noticeably, more than one thousand people, on average, had entered HK through Lok Ma Chau Spurline during certain dates in June and July. This border entry portal is supposed to be still 'officially closed' to the public. Who are those people who entered through Lok Mak Chau Spurline? The opening up of an additional portals could increase the risk of community contagion in absence of consistent COVID control measures.
Source: HK immigration Department
Surge in cases as cross-border visitors increase
Despite Carrie Lam and her administration team denying any problems with the existing inconsistent social distancing requirements and loopholes of the border entry epidemic control and prevention policies, statistic provided by HK immigration department, Centre of Disease Control and the Health Department for June and July reveals that as more people entered HK via all portals in the last two months, the number of reported COVID cases has surged. Noticeably, more than one thousand people, on average, had entered HK through Lok Ma Chau Spurline during certain dates in June and July. This border entry portal is supposed to be still 'officially closed' to the public. Who are those people who entered through Lok Mak Chau Spurline? The opening up of an additional portals could increase the risk of community contagion in absence of consistent COVID control measures.
Source: HK immigration Department
US Intelligence found Wuhan Officials Concealed Coronavirus Info from Beijing, Causing Global Outbreak
U.S. President Donald Trump repeatedly criticized the Chinese government for concealing the COVID-19 pandemic. According to New York Times, “officials in Beijing were kept in the dark for weeks about the potential devastation of the virus by local officials in central China” since the outbreak began in Wuhan late last year, an U.S. official with knowledge of the internal report by U.S. intelligence agencies mentioned. It was the main reason of the global pandemic. American officials believed that the authoritarian system in China restricted local officials from freely sharing information with top officials, which caused deadly consequences for the world.
The internal report, originally circulated in June, contained classified section and unclassified section, which represented the Central Intelligence Agency (C.I.A.) and other intelligence agencies' findings. It listed a series of evidence that Chinese officials hid important information from the world. Even when senior officials in Beijing tried to obtain data from local officials in Wuhan, they still played a major role in withholding information from the World Health Organization (WHO).
#CIA #COVID19 #WuhanVirus #Beijing #US #China #WHO
Source: Stand News #Aug22
U.S. President Donald Trump repeatedly criticized the Chinese government for concealing the COVID-19 pandemic. According to New York Times, “officials in Beijing were kept in the dark for weeks about the potential devastation of the virus by local officials in central China” since the outbreak began in Wuhan late last year, an U.S. official with knowledge of the internal report by U.S. intelligence agencies mentioned. It was the main reason of the global pandemic. American officials believed that the authoritarian system in China restricted local officials from freely sharing information with top officials, which caused deadly consequences for the world.
The internal report, originally circulated in June, contained classified section and unclassified section, which represented the Central Intelligence Agency (C.I.A.) and other intelligence agencies' findings. It listed a series of evidence that Chinese officials hid important information from the world. Even when senior officials in Beijing tried to obtain data from local officials in Wuhan, they still played a major role in withholding information from the World Health Organization (WHO).
#CIA #COVID19 #WuhanVirus #Beijing #US #China #WHO
Source: Stand News #Aug22
WeChat Censorship Tightens with Chinese State Media Articles Containing Sensitive Words Blocked Too, Says University of Toronto Study
A report by the University of Toronto’s Citizen Lab released this week shows that censorship on WeChat has been tightened. The lab tracked changes to WeChat’s list of censored words between this January and May. It was found that over 2,000 words relating to the pandemic have been marked sensitive and blocked. An article by the state media, too, would disappear from the platform if it contains any of those sensitive words, shwoing that the freedom of expression on WeChat is even more limited than that allowed by the state media.
As WeChat censors contents on a remote server, it was not possible for the researchers to understand how the censorship works by inspecting the codes. What they did instead was to create three dummy accounts with one Chinese and two Canadian numbers. They then started a group conversation where they shared Chinese-language articles from media organizations in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and China. By observing which articles were blocked, they identified the words deemed sensitive by WeChat.
The study reveals that more than 2,000 words relating to the Wuhan virus pandemic were blocked by WeChat between this January and May, even if they came in an article by the state media. That WeChat banned certain topics allowed by the state-controlled media is a sign that it adheres to an even more stringent standard.
The investigation shows how WeChat has manipulated the narrative on the pandemic from the start. It was found that back when Wuhan was placed under lockdown, WeChat was already blocking texts containing the name of the whistle-blower Li Wenliang. Reports of the Chinese authorities informing the US of the outbreak as early as on 3 January were also blocked. Articles containing the terms “Centers for Disease Control and Prevention” and “SARS-CoV-2”, too, were banned from being circulated.
As the epidemic spread to the rest of world in March, WeChat began blocking articles mentioning such international organizations as the WHO and the Red Cross and those that dealt with outbreaks in countries like Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Russia, and the UK. Articles containing keywords about the US and international relations were also banned.
#UniversityOfToronto #UofT #CitizenLab #China #WeChat #Censorship #Pandemic #WuhanVirus #Coronavirus #LiWenliang
Source: Apple Daily #Aug29
https://bit.ly/3h3ftL4
A report by the University of Toronto’s Citizen Lab released this week shows that censorship on WeChat has been tightened. The lab tracked changes to WeChat’s list of censored words between this January and May. It was found that over 2,000 words relating to the pandemic have been marked sensitive and blocked. An article by the state media, too, would disappear from the platform if it contains any of those sensitive words, shwoing that the freedom of expression on WeChat is even more limited than that allowed by the state media.
As WeChat censors contents on a remote server, it was not possible for the researchers to understand how the censorship works by inspecting the codes. What they did instead was to create three dummy accounts with one Chinese and two Canadian numbers. They then started a group conversation where they shared Chinese-language articles from media organizations in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and China. By observing which articles were blocked, they identified the words deemed sensitive by WeChat.
The study reveals that more than 2,000 words relating to the Wuhan virus pandemic were blocked by WeChat between this January and May, even if they came in an article by the state media. That WeChat banned certain topics allowed by the state-controlled media is a sign that it adheres to an even more stringent standard.
The investigation shows how WeChat has manipulated the narrative on the pandemic from the start. It was found that back when Wuhan was placed under lockdown, WeChat was already blocking texts containing the name of the whistle-blower Li Wenliang. Reports of the Chinese authorities informing the US of the outbreak as early as on 3 January were also blocked. Articles containing the terms “Centers for Disease Control and Prevention” and “SARS-CoV-2”, too, were banned from being circulated.
As the epidemic spread to the rest of world in March, WeChat began blocking articles mentioning such international organizations as the WHO and the Red Cross and those that dealt with outbreaks in countries like Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Russia, and the UK. Articles containing keywords about the US and international relations were also banned.
#UniversityOfToronto #UofT #CitizenLab #China #WeChat #Censorship #Pandemic #WuhanVirus #Coronavirus #LiWenliang
Source: Apple Daily #Aug29
https://bit.ly/3h3ftL4
Unscientific and Unethical, Says US Expert as Chinese Pharma Pushes Wuhan Virus Vaccine Not Fully Tested
The Chinese pharmaceutical CanSino was reported to have been negotiating with several countries for urgent approval of the use of its Wuhan virus vaccine, which is still in phase 3 trials. Public health experts have voiced concerns as the vaccine has yet to be fully tested for its safety and effectiveness on a mass scale. They stressed that the experimentation and the trials must be transparent and that CanSino must disclose data concerning the vaccine’s trials in the Chinese military.
A senior manager at CanSino revealed to The Wall Street Journal that the pharma was negotiating with several countries, requesting emergency approval for the use of its experimental Wuhan virus vaccine before its phase 3 trials are completed. If approved, the early-stage vaccine will be in use globally for the first time, with health professionals and essential workers like soldiers and police officers being the first to get the shot.
Public health experts worry that despite the new evidence indicating the vaccine’s effectiveness and safety, it is highly risky to put it to public use before large-scale trials are completed. Dr Amesh A. Adalja, a senior expert at the John Hopkins Center for Health Security, said there is some data showing the vaccine’s effectiveness and safety following its trials in the Chinese military. “It is crucial, however, to use the vaccine in accordance with the data obtained at Phase 3 clinical trials,” he added. “Its effectiveness can be determined only in an environment where many people are exposed to the virus, and it is necessary to look into a better sample group to know if the vaccine is safe.” CanSino, he said, should disclose the data obtained at trials in the military to reassure the public.
Pierre Armand Morgon, Senior Vice President for International Business of CanSino, said giving several million people the vaccine before the clinical trials conclude helps ascertain its safety and effectiveness and create a database of safety information. Morgon declined to name all of the countries the pharma is in talks with, saying only that they include Pakistan, Latin American countries and a number of developed countries. None of them has approved the vaccine for use, he said.
Source: Apple Daily #Aug29
#China #CanSino #WuhanVirus #Coronavirus #COVID19 #Pandemic #Vaccine #Ethics
https://bit.ly/2RqheYn
The Chinese pharmaceutical CanSino was reported to have been negotiating with several countries for urgent approval of the use of its Wuhan virus vaccine, which is still in phase 3 trials. Public health experts have voiced concerns as the vaccine has yet to be fully tested for its safety and effectiveness on a mass scale. They stressed that the experimentation and the trials must be transparent and that CanSino must disclose data concerning the vaccine’s trials in the Chinese military.
A senior manager at CanSino revealed to The Wall Street Journal that the pharma was negotiating with several countries, requesting emergency approval for the use of its experimental Wuhan virus vaccine before its phase 3 trials are completed. If approved, the early-stage vaccine will be in use globally for the first time, with health professionals and essential workers like soldiers and police officers being the first to get the shot.
Public health experts worry that despite the new evidence indicating the vaccine’s effectiveness and safety, it is highly risky to put it to public use before large-scale trials are completed. Dr Amesh A. Adalja, a senior expert at the John Hopkins Center for Health Security, said there is some data showing the vaccine’s effectiveness and safety following its trials in the Chinese military. “It is crucial, however, to use the vaccine in accordance with the data obtained at Phase 3 clinical trials,” he added. “Its effectiveness can be determined only in an environment where many people are exposed to the virus, and it is necessary to look into a better sample group to know if the vaccine is safe.” CanSino, he said, should disclose the data obtained at trials in the military to reassure the public.
Pierre Armand Morgon, Senior Vice President for International Business of CanSino, said giving several million people the vaccine before the clinical trials conclude helps ascertain its safety and effectiveness and create a database of safety information. Morgon declined to name all of the countries the pharma is in talks with, saying only that they include Pakistan, Latin American countries and a number of developed countries. None of them has approved the vaccine for use, he said.
Source: Apple Daily #Aug29
#China #CanSino #WuhanVirus #Coronavirus #COVID19 #Pandemic #Vaccine #Ethics
https://bit.ly/2RqheYn
#TearGas
Lack of International Supervision on Tear Gas, Canadian Human Right Expert Urge to Ban as it can Spread Wuhan Virus
An International Human Right Project publication at the University of Toronto from last month said it is time to change the limitation for use of tear gas as the current law is no longer logical. The report pointed that tear gas could cause the spread of COVID-19.
Anti-riot agent, like teargas, has been banned from the means of wars in Chemical Weapons Convention since 1997. However, the law enforcement agencies in each country are not limited by this convention - they can use it in protests and riots. Last year, many places, such as Hong Kong, the U.S. Chile, Turkey, France, India and South Africa, broke out demonstrations, the law enforcement agencies had used teargas to disperse people for multiple times.
The International Human Right Project Team doubted that the governmentve has continuously overused dangerous teargas to prohibit citizens' freedom of speech and freedom of assembly.
Source: Stand News #Sep08
#WuhanVirus #CoronavirusPandemic #HumanRights #COVID19
Lack of International Supervision on Tear Gas, Canadian Human Right Expert Urge to Ban as it can Spread Wuhan Virus
An International Human Right Project publication at the University of Toronto from last month said it is time to change the limitation for use of tear gas as the current law is no longer logical. The report pointed that tear gas could cause the spread of COVID-19.
Anti-riot agent, like teargas, has been banned from the means of wars in Chemical Weapons Convention since 1997. However, the law enforcement agencies in each country are not limited by this convention - they can use it in protests and riots. Last year, many places, such as Hong Kong, the U.S. Chile, Turkey, France, India and South Africa, broke out demonstrations, the law enforcement agencies had used teargas to disperse people for multiple times.
The International Human Right Project Team doubted that the governmentve has continuously overused dangerous teargas to prohibit citizens' freedom of speech and freedom of assembly.
Source: Stand News #Sep08
#WuhanVirus #CoronavirusPandemic #HumanRights #COVID19
China’s Diplomatic Offensive Sees Major Setback as Discontent Grows in Europe, Says New York Times
With Sino-US relations having remained tense in recent years, Beijing has arranged for its foreign minister Wang Yi to visit Europe in August in what was said to be an attempt to show goodwill to Europe and strike a new balance in international relations. But a New York Times commentary said more and more European countries are voicing dissatisfaction at China’s trade tactics, policies towards Hong Kong and Taiwan, human rights record, and other issues. The growing discontent, it said, has seriously undermined China’s diplomatic offensive in Europe.
Steven Lee Myers, head of The New York Times’ Beijing bureau, pointed out that while China believes Europe, given its pragmatism, could play a stabilizing role as Sino-US relations deteriorate, Europe’s changing perception of China poses a major challenge for the Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Myers wrote, “In the short term, it threatens to undermine the country’s post-pandemic economic recovery by stifling new investments as the United States restricts them, especially in high tech. In the longer term, it could blunt his ambitions for China to offer an alternative to the United States as the global leader dictating the rules for governance and trade.”
Myers sees China’s authoritarian system as representing very different political values from those of Europe, noting that the same goes for the new National Security Law in Hong Kong, which “has been used to crack down on dissent in the semiautonomous territory.” Janka Oertel, director of the Asian programme at the European Council on Foreign Relations, said similarly that “[i]t makes it really hard for [China] to convey a message of cooperation and peacefulness and harmonious society, if at the same time you see schoolgirls being beaten up by the Hong Kong police.”
Europe’s dissatisfaction at China’s policies has become even more pronounced amid the Wuhan virus pandemic. China’s attempt to conceal its mishandling of the outbreak in the beginning and its subsequent ‘mask diplomacy’, which exposed the poor quality of its protective gear and medical supplies, have had a knock-on effect on attitudes towards China, especially in the Netherlands and Spain. According to the results of last week’s ECFR poll, only 7% of Europeans see China as a useful partner in the fight against the pandemic with 62% of the respondents viewing China negatively.
Sources: Apple Daily #Sep18
#Europe #US #HK #China #NewYorkTimes #NationalSecurityLaw #NSL #WuhanVirus #Coronavirus #Pandemic #COVID19 #Diplomacy
https://bit.ly/309D5ID
With Sino-US relations having remained tense in recent years, Beijing has arranged for its foreign minister Wang Yi to visit Europe in August in what was said to be an attempt to show goodwill to Europe and strike a new balance in international relations. But a New York Times commentary said more and more European countries are voicing dissatisfaction at China’s trade tactics, policies towards Hong Kong and Taiwan, human rights record, and other issues. The growing discontent, it said, has seriously undermined China’s diplomatic offensive in Europe.
Steven Lee Myers, head of The New York Times’ Beijing bureau, pointed out that while China believes Europe, given its pragmatism, could play a stabilizing role as Sino-US relations deteriorate, Europe’s changing perception of China poses a major challenge for the Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Myers wrote, “In the short term, it threatens to undermine the country’s post-pandemic economic recovery by stifling new investments as the United States restricts them, especially in high tech. In the longer term, it could blunt his ambitions for China to offer an alternative to the United States as the global leader dictating the rules for governance and trade.”
Myers sees China’s authoritarian system as representing very different political values from those of Europe, noting that the same goes for the new National Security Law in Hong Kong, which “has been used to crack down on dissent in the semiautonomous territory.” Janka Oertel, director of the Asian programme at the European Council on Foreign Relations, said similarly that “[i]t makes it really hard for [China] to convey a message of cooperation and peacefulness and harmonious society, if at the same time you see schoolgirls being beaten up by the Hong Kong police.”
Europe’s dissatisfaction at China’s policies has become even more pronounced amid the Wuhan virus pandemic. China’s attempt to conceal its mishandling of the outbreak in the beginning and its subsequent ‘mask diplomacy’, which exposed the poor quality of its protective gear and medical supplies, have had a knock-on effect on attitudes towards China, especially in the Netherlands and Spain. According to the results of last week’s ECFR poll, only 7% of Europeans see China as a useful partner in the fight against the pandemic with 62% of the respondents viewing China negatively.
Sources: Apple Daily #Sep18
#Europe #US #HK #China #NewYorkTimes #NationalSecurityLaw #NSL #WuhanVirus #Coronavirus #Pandemic #COVID19 #Diplomacy
https://bit.ly/309D5ID
Outgoing US Ambassador to China Criticizes Beijing for Covering up Wuhan Virus Epidemic
The outgoing American ambassador to China Terry Branstad condemned Beijing’s initial handling of the Wuhan virus outbreak in an interview with CNN on 18 September, noting that “what could have been contained in Wuhan ended up becoming a worldwide pandemic.” He agreed with Trump that China was responsible for the pandemic, saying that the “Chinese system was such that they covered it up and even penalized the doctors who pointed it out at the beginning.”
Source: Apple Daily #Sep18
#US #China #TerryBranstad #WuhanVirus #Coronavirus #Pandemic #COVID19 #Diplomacy
https://bit.ly/3cBBjF7
The outgoing American ambassador to China Terry Branstad condemned Beijing’s initial handling of the Wuhan virus outbreak in an interview with CNN on 18 September, noting that “what could have been contained in Wuhan ended up becoming a worldwide pandemic.” He agreed with Trump that China was responsible for the pandemic, saying that the “Chinese system was such that they covered it up and even penalized the doctors who pointed it out at the beginning.”
Source: Apple Daily #Sep18
#US #China #TerryBranstad #WuhanVirus #Coronavirus #Pandemic #COVID19 #Diplomacy
https://bit.ly/3cBBjF7
American-Chinese Writer Slammed as “Pro-American Traitor” on Internet, Says China Uses Her in Propaganda
American-Chinese writer Fan Jiayang has recently taken to Twitter to fight for a waiver that would allow private nurses to care for her mother, suffering from ALS, at the hospital during the epidemic. The incident was widely reported and hotly debated in China with Fan being slammed by Chinese netizens as a “traitor”, “worshipping America,” and “bringing shame to her extended family.” In a New Yorker article, Fan tells the story of how she and her mother have been used by China in its propaganda.
In her article “How My Mother and I Became Chinese Propaganda,” Fan says she was born in Chongqing, China in 1984. When she was two years old, her father was sent to the US to study biology at Harvard University. At the age of eight, she followed her mother, who was a doctor, to America to reunite with him.
A year and a half after Fan arrived in the US, her father had an affair and left her and her mother. To provide Fan with the best education possible, her mother moved to Greenwich, Connecticut to work as a domestic helper in an affluent neighbourhood—just so her daughter could attend a public school and receive a scholarship to attend a prestigious school. Having been through the Great Famine and the Cultural Revolution in China, her mother, as Fan describes, developed her survival instincts out of a “brutal, unsentimental pragmatism.”
Fan eventually graduated from Williams College, became a writer for The New Yorker, and moved to New York City with her mother. In 2011, her mother, then 59, was diagnosed with ALS, which left her paralysed and hospitalized for an extended period of time. Since 2014, she has been unable to breathe on her own and relied on a ventilator at all times. Fan hired a round-the-clock caregiver to take care of her mother. Communication with her would now have to depend on blinking and letter boards.
When the Wuhan virus pandemic broke out in New York City this March, the Henry J. Carter Specialty Hospital, where Fan’s mother was staying, banned visitors like Fan, who now had to rely on the caregiver to care for her mother. As a patient was diagnosed with the virus, the hospital expelled everyone other than medical workers on 9 April. The caregiver Fan hired was among those asked to leave.
Fan then gave a detailed account of the incident on Twitter, stressing that her mother required exclusive care, and posted photos of the situation at the hospital. This drew the attention of a number of legislators in New York. With the help of various people, Fan’s caregiver was able to return to the hospital the following day to continue taking care of her mother.
Fan’s story was soon widely reported in China. The Global Times, a state-run media outlet, said Fan had been targeted by the protesters when covering the demonstrations in Hong Kong for The New Yorker last year. The tabloid then said she described her Chinese-looking face as a “liability” on Twitter following the assignment. Other reports said that Fan’s articles endorsed the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong and that she has “misattributed the origin of the virus to China.” Fan was attacked by a large number of Chinese netizens on WeChat, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, who criticized her for being a traitor and making a living by slandering the motherland. They hurled at her such slurs as “NMSL” (“your mother is dead”) and threatened to burn, rape and abuse her. A photo of Fan and her mother also circulated on the Internet, where netizen China15z0dj wrote, “Your mother’s gonna die, haha. The 1.4 billion of us wish you a reunion with her in hell, haha.”
Source: Apple Daily #Sep12
#US #HK #China #FanJiayang #TheNewYorker #Internet #Propaganda #WuhanVirus #Coronavirus #Pandemic #COVID19
https://bit.ly/33dCDLi
American-Chinese writer Fan Jiayang has recently taken to Twitter to fight for a waiver that would allow private nurses to care for her mother, suffering from ALS, at the hospital during the epidemic. The incident was widely reported and hotly debated in China with Fan being slammed by Chinese netizens as a “traitor”, “worshipping America,” and “bringing shame to her extended family.” In a New Yorker article, Fan tells the story of how she and her mother have been used by China in its propaganda.
In her article “How My Mother and I Became Chinese Propaganda,” Fan says she was born in Chongqing, China in 1984. When she was two years old, her father was sent to the US to study biology at Harvard University. At the age of eight, she followed her mother, who was a doctor, to America to reunite with him.
A year and a half after Fan arrived in the US, her father had an affair and left her and her mother. To provide Fan with the best education possible, her mother moved to Greenwich, Connecticut to work as a domestic helper in an affluent neighbourhood—just so her daughter could attend a public school and receive a scholarship to attend a prestigious school. Having been through the Great Famine and the Cultural Revolution in China, her mother, as Fan describes, developed her survival instincts out of a “brutal, unsentimental pragmatism.”
Fan eventually graduated from Williams College, became a writer for The New Yorker, and moved to New York City with her mother. In 2011, her mother, then 59, was diagnosed with ALS, which left her paralysed and hospitalized for an extended period of time. Since 2014, she has been unable to breathe on her own and relied on a ventilator at all times. Fan hired a round-the-clock caregiver to take care of her mother. Communication with her would now have to depend on blinking and letter boards.
When the Wuhan virus pandemic broke out in New York City this March, the Henry J. Carter Specialty Hospital, where Fan’s mother was staying, banned visitors like Fan, who now had to rely on the caregiver to care for her mother. As a patient was diagnosed with the virus, the hospital expelled everyone other than medical workers on 9 April. The caregiver Fan hired was among those asked to leave.
Fan then gave a detailed account of the incident on Twitter, stressing that her mother required exclusive care, and posted photos of the situation at the hospital. This drew the attention of a number of legislators in New York. With the help of various people, Fan’s caregiver was able to return to the hospital the following day to continue taking care of her mother.
Fan’s story was soon widely reported in China. The Global Times, a state-run media outlet, said Fan had been targeted by the protesters when covering the demonstrations in Hong Kong for The New Yorker last year. The tabloid then said she described her Chinese-looking face as a “liability” on Twitter following the assignment. Other reports said that Fan’s articles endorsed the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong and that she has “misattributed the origin of the virus to China.” Fan was attacked by a large number of Chinese netizens on WeChat, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, who criticized her for being a traitor and making a living by slandering the motherland. They hurled at her such slurs as “NMSL” (“your mother is dead”) and threatened to burn, rape and abuse her. A photo of Fan and her mother also circulated on the Internet, where netizen China15z0dj wrote, “Your mother’s gonna die, haha. The 1.4 billion of us wish you a reunion with her in hell, haha.”
Source: Apple Daily #Sep12
#US #HK #China #FanJiayang #TheNewYorker #Internet #Propaganda #WuhanVirus #Coronavirus #Pandemic #COVID19
https://bit.ly/33dCDLi
Chinese Student Say "Chinese virus" Harms the World Peace, Professor Gets Suspended.
A Chinese international student at the University of Cincinnati says he was hurt when a professor on campus used the racist term "Chinese Virus" to describe COVID-19, and that it would give Chinese people a poor impression which would harm friendly exchanges and peace around the world.
China concealed the epidemic and eventually led to a global spread of the virus, with the United States leading the list of countries with the highest number of confirmed cases and deaths. An Engineering Professor at the University of Cincinnati, John Ucker, delivered an email to a student earlier, stating that He would not give a score to students who are diagnosed with the "Chinese virus". The student's classmate posted the screenshot of the email on Twitter with 34,000 retweets and 166,000 likes. Comments on the post were polarized - calls for the school to take action on Ucker, and showing support for the use of the wording in question.
#COVID19 #WuhanVirus #ChineseVirus #UniversityofCincinnati #JohnUcker #ChineseOverseasStudent #TwitterPost
Source: Apple Daily #Sep29
https://hk.appledaily.com/international/20200929/67UAOJX3KRFVRP7DBJGX7EWBGA/
A Chinese international student at the University of Cincinnati says he was hurt when a professor on campus used the racist term "Chinese Virus" to describe COVID-19, and that it would give Chinese people a poor impression which would harm friendly exchanges and peace around the world.
China concealed the epidemic and eventually led to a global spread of the virus, with the United States leading the list of countries with the highest number of confirmed cases and deaths. An Engineering Professor at the University of Cincinnati, John Ucker, delivered an email to a student earlier, stating that He would not give a score to students who are diagnosed with the "Chinese virus". The student's classmate posted the screenshot of the email on Twitter with 34,000 retweets and 166,000 likes. Comments on the post were polarized - calls for the school to take action on Ucker, and showing support for the use of the wording in question.
#COVID19 #WuhanVirus #ChineseVirus #UniversityofCincinnati #JohnUcker #ChineseOverseasStudent #TwitterPost
Source: Apple Daily #Sep29
https://hk.appledaily.com/international/20200929/67UAOJX3KRFVRP7DBJGX7EWBGA/
Virologist Urged the International Community to Force the CCP Revealing the Truth in her Report
Li-Meng Yan, a former researcher at the School of Public Health of the University of Hong Kong and a Chinese virologist who had fled to the United States, and her research team have published a second report on COVID-19 on Thursday (Oct 8). The report pointed out that using template virus owned by a laboratory of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), virus like SARS-CoV-2, that lead to COVID-19, can be created within six months. The team also believed that the government used data fabrication to cover up the true origin of SARS-CoV-2, further implicates that the laboratory modification there is beyond simple gain-of-function research. It could be the result of “unrestricted bioweapon”, her team said.
The report stated that SARS-CoV-2 has two possible origins, either from natural evolution or laboratory. In the team's last report, it was found that the virus' genome has some unusual features. They suggested that it is a result of sophisticated laboratory modification rather than natural evolution. In this latest report, the team tried to justify further that SARS-CoV-2 is a laboratory modified virus with biological evidence.
#China #COVID19 #WuhanVirus #LiMengYan #SARSCov2 #Bioweapon #VirusLaboratory #UnrestructedBiowarfare
Source: Stand News #Oct09
https://bit.ly/375hqFR
Li-Meng Yan, a former researcher at the School of Public Health of the University of Hong Kong and a Chinese virologist who had fled to the United States, and her research team have published a second report on COVID-19 on Thursday (Oct 8). The report pointed out that using template virus owned by a laboratory of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), virus like SARS-CoV-2, that lead to COVID-19, can be created within six months. The team also believed that the government used data fabrication to cover up the true origin of SARS-CoV-2, further implicates that the laboratory modification there is beyond simple gain-of-function research. It could be the result of “unrestricted bioweapon”, her team said.
The report stated that SARS-CoV-2 has two possible origins, either from natural evolution or laboratory. In the team's last report, it was found that the virus' genome has some unusual features. They suggested that it is a result of sophisticated laboratory modification rather than natural evolution. In this latest report, the team tried to justify further that SARS-CoV-2 is a laboratory modified virus with biological evidence.
#China #COVID19 #WuhanVirus #LiMengYan #SARSCov2 #Bioweapon #VirusLaboratory #UnrestructedBiowarfare
Source: Stand News #Oct09
https://bit.ly/375hqFR
Brazilian Federal Government Unwilling to Buy Chinese Vaccines, Only Buying Products Developed by British Pharmaceutical Companies and Oxford University
In an interview with local Brazilian media on 14th October, Sao Paulo State Health Secretary Jean Gorinchteyn confirmed that the Brazilian federal government had not appropriated funds to purchase the Wuhan Virus vaccine (CoronaVac) from China. Clinical trials of CoronaVac are being conducted in Brazil and the Butantan Institute of Sao Paulo State is in collaboration with research and development.
Gorinchteyn had also stated that in an earlier Ministry of Health meeting, the Brazilian federal government had confirmed they would only purchase vaccines jointly developed by British pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca and Oxford University and were not planning on purchasing CoronaVac. Besides the guaranteed purchase of 61 million doses of the Oxford vaccines that the Brazilian federal government had already committed to, authorities are unwilling to purchase additional vaccines, but did not explain the reason why funds were not appropriated to buy the Chinese vaccine.
#WuhanVirus #Brazil #vaccines #AstraZeneca #CoronaVac #Oxford #UK
Source: Stand News #Oct16
In an interview with local Brazilian media on 14th October, Sao Paulo State Health Secretary Jean Gorinchteyn confirmed that the Brazilian federal government had not appropriated funds to purchase the Wuhan Virus vaccine (CoronaVac) from China. Clinical trials of CoronaVac are being conducted in Brazil and the Butantan Institute of Sao Paulo State is in collaboration with research and development.
Gorinchteyn had also stated that in an earlier Ministry of Health meeting, the Brazilian federal government had confirmed they would only purchase vaccines jointly developed by British pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca and Oxford University and were not planning on purchasing CoronaVac. Besides the guaranteed purchase of 61 million doses of the Oxford vaccines that the Brazilian federal government had already committed to, authorities are unwilling to purchase additional vaccines, but did not explain the reason why funds were not appropriated to buy the Chinese vaccine.
#WuhanVirus #Brazil #vaccines #AstraZeneca #CoronaVac #Oxford #UK
Source: Stand News #Oct16
立場新聞 Stand News
【武漢肺炎】巴西聯邦政府不願買中國疫苗 只會採購英藥廠與牛津研發產品 | 立場報道 | 立場新聞
周三 (14/10) ,巴西聖保羅州衞生部部長 Jean Gorinchteyn 接受當地傳媒訪問時確認,聯邦...
Sri Lankan Minister Defends Another Loan from China, Says “China Happens to Have the Cash”
Sri Lanka is seeking a loan of 700 million US dollars (approximately 5.4 billion Hong Kong dollars) from China. As the opposition and dissidents expressed their concerns about the government’s reliance on China, the Minister of Money, Capital Market and Public Enterprise Reform Minister Ajith Nivard Cabraal defended the loan by saying that it was because “it’s China that happens to have the cash now.”
In an interview with The Hindu, Cabraal said, “In different times in world history, different countries have been the ones who have had the most amount of cash. And now it happens to be China, so China will naturally invest all over the world.…I think we should all respect that.”
Despite the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) estimate that Sri Lanka’s GDP would shrink by 7% this year due to the Wuhan virus pandemic, Cabraal was optimistic about the financial situation in Sri Lanka. He said that the country was seeking different ways to repay its debts, including getting more loans from China, securing a currency swap mechanism with China and India, and issuing samurai and panda bonds.
The Director of the CCP’s Central Foreign Affairs Commission Yang Jiechi is visiting Sri Lanka this month. Following the 500 million US dollars (approximately 3.9 billion Hong Kong dollars) that China gave Sri Lanka just this March to fight the Wuhan virus, the South Asian country is discussing another loan with the Chinese delegation. The country has so far borrowed over 5 billion US dollars (approximately 38.8 billion Hong Kong dollars) from China.
#SriLanka #China #AjithNivardCabraal #YangJiechi #Finance #Diplomacy #WuhanVirus #COVID19 #Pandemic
Source: Apple Daily #Oct20
https://bit.ly/2IZzZkv
Sri Lanka is seeking a loan of 700 million US dollars (approximately 5.4 billion Hong Kong dollars) from China. As the opposition and dissidents expressed their concerns about the government’s reliance on China, the Minister of Money, Capital Market and Public Enterprise Reform Minister Ajith Nivard Cabraal defended the loan by saying that it was because “it’s China that happens to have the cash now.”
In an interview with The Hindu, Cabraal said, “In different times in world history, different countries have been the ones who have had the most amount of cash. And now it happens to be China, so China will naturally invest all over the world.…I think we should all respect that.”
Despite the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) estimate that Sri Lanka’s GDP would shrink by 7% this year due to the Wuhan virus pandemic, Cabraal was optimistic about the financial situation in Sri Lanka. He said that the country was seeking different ways to repay its debts, including getting more loans from China, securing a currency swap mechanism with China and India, and issuing samurai and panda bonds.
The Director of the CCP’s Central Foreign Affairs Commission Yang Jiechi is visiting Sri Lanka this month. Following the 500 million US dollars (approximately 3.9 billion Hong Kong dollars) that China gave Sri Lanka just this March to fight the Wuhan virus, the South Asian country is discussing another loan with the Chinese delegation. The country has so far borrowed over 5 billion US dollars (approximately 38.8 billion Hong Kong dollars) from China.
#SriLanka #China #AjithNivardCabraal #YangJiechi #Finance #Diplomacy #WuhanVirus #COVID19 #Pandemic
Source: Apple Daily #Oct20
https://bit.ly/2IZzZkv
Brazil Halts the Final Stage China Vaccine Trial, Claims Serious Adverse Reaction
The Brazilian National Health Surveillance Agency on Monday announced that it has suspended the clinical trials of China's Sinovac COVID-19 vaccines, citing "serious adverse reactions" that occurred during the testing last month (29 October), But the authority did not provide further details, nor explained why it took more than a week to announce the problem.
Sinovac Biotech has been cooperating with Butantan, an institute at the State of Sao Paulo, to develop COVID-19 vaccines, called CoronaVac. The institute was surprised by ANVISA's decision, said it said was investigating the incident and will held a press conference on Tuesday morning local time.
#China #Brazil #SaoPaulo #SinovacBiotech #Butantan #CoronaVac #ANVISA #COVID19 #WuhanVirus #Vaccine
Source: Stand News #Nov10
https://bit.ly/2H6uwYI
The Brazilian National Health Surveillance Agency on Monday announced that it has suspended the clinical trials of China's Sinovac COVID-19 vaccines, citing "serious adverse reactions" that occurred during the testing last month (29 October), But the authority did not provide further details, nor explained why it took more than a week to announce the problem.
Sinovac Biotech has been cooperating with Butantan, an institute at the State of Sao Paulo, to develop COVID-19 vaccines, called CoronaVac. The institute was surprised by ANVISA's decision, said it said was investigating the incident and will held a press conference on Tuesday morning local time.
#China #Brazil #SaoPaulo #SinovacBiotech #Butantan #CoronaVac #ANVISA #COVID19 #WuhanVirus #Vaccine
Source: Stand News #Nov10
https://bit.ly/2H6uwYI
Chinese Research says India and Bangladesh is the Virus Origin, WHO: "Highly Speculative"
Wuhan Virus Pandemic broke out in Wuhan last year in late December. The total number of COVID-19 confirmed cases is approaching 62 million across the world so far.
China has been claiming in recent month that the source of the pandemic may be from the United States, France or even Italy, denying the allegation of 'Wuhan Virus originates in China'. Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences publishes a report through Social Science Research Network (SSRN), indicating that the Wuhan Virus "probably" comes from India and Bangladesh, transmitted from monkeys to human, and discovered in Wuhan after half a year. However, the report has not undergone any peer review and, therefore, cannot be considered as a rigorous academic finding.
Mike Ryan, an Epidemiologists at the WHO, said on 27 November, 2020 that it is "highly speculative" to say the coronavirus not emerged from China. Ryan said at a video meeting in Geneva, "From a public health perspective, it is clear that the Epidemiology investigation should begin at where the human cases first emerged, followed by understanding the cases outbreak and the outbreak process." He added that the WHO had always intended to send researchers to the Wuhan food market to probe the virus origins further.
However, until now, no experts from WHO has been to Wuhan for on-site research. During the mission in July, experts only stayed in Beijing for three weeks. While being asked if any experts would go to Wuhan for the investigation, Director-General of WHO, Tedros, finally confirmed the visit, which would be the first time since the pandemics have started for a year.
#WuhanVirus #COVID19 #China #India #Bangladesh #WHO #MikeRyan #Tedros #ShanghaiInstitutesforBiologicalSciences #SocialScienceResearchNetwork #SSRN
Source: Stand News #Nov28
https://bit.ly/37iQfqu
Wuhan Virus Pandemic broke out in Wuhan last year in late December. The total number of COVID-19 confirmed cases is approaching 62 million across the world so far.
China has been claiming in recent month that the source of the pandemic may be from the United States, France or even Italy, denying the allegation of 'Wuhan Virus originates in China'. Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences publishes a report through Social Science Research Network (SSRN), indicating that the Wuhan Virus "probably" comes from India and Bangladesh, transmitted from monkeys to human, and discovered in Wuhan after half a year. However, the report has not undergone any peer review and, therefore, cannot be considered as a rigorous academic finding.
Mike Ryan, an Epidemiologists at the WHO, said on 27 November, 2020 that it is "highly speculative" to say the coronavirus not emerged from China. Ryan said at a video meeting in Geneva, "From a public health perspective, it is clear that the Epidemiology investigation should begin at where the human cases first emerged, followed by understanding the cases outbreak and the outbreak process." He added that the WHO had always intended to send researchers to the Wuhan food market to probe the virus origins further.
However, until now, no experts from WHO has been to Wuhan for on-site research. During the mission in July, experts only stayed in Beijing for three weeks. While being asked if any experts would go to Wuhan for the investigation, Director-General of WHO, Tedros, finally confirmed the visit, which would be the first time since the pandemics have started for a year.
#WuhanVirus #COVID19 #China #India #Bangladesh #WHO #MikeRyan #Tedros #ShanghaiInstitutesforBiologicalSciences #SocialScienceResearchNetwork #SSRN
Source: Stand News #Nov28
https://bit.ly/37iQfqu
The US, Japan and Other Allies of Taiwan Give Speech at WHA in Support of Taiwan
The World Health Assembly (WHA) has held its online conference earlier this week. The US previously urged the WHA to invite Taiwan to participate as an observer, but the appeal was rejected by the World Health Organization (WHO). Nonetheless, the US, Japan, and a number of countries with diplomatic ties with Taiwan spoke up for Taiwan during their speeches at the conference. The Central News Agency (from Taiwan) reported that during the speeches that supported Taiwan, the assembly stopped the live broadcasting twice, citing the reason that they were irrelevant to the agenda.
During the conference, Garrett Grigsby, Director of the Office of Global Affairs in the US Department of Health and Human Services, expressed that Taiwan has made impressive achievements in combatting the COVID pandemic. He said that it would be beneficial to the response to the pandemic if WHO members could understand and take reference from Taiwan’s experience. Instead, WHO’s blocking of Taiwan from participating in the conference as an observer was counterproductive. Grigsby emphasised that while each country worked to strengthen its capacity under the pandemic, countries should also share information about the pandemic and develop a transparent global architecture to detect threats early and prevent the further spreading of the virus.
#US #Japan #Taiwan #TaiwanAllies #WHA #WHO #COVID19 #WuhanVirus #Pandemic #GarrettGrigsby #Grigsby #WorldHealthAssembly #WorldHealthOrganization
Source: Stand News #Nov11
https://bit.ly/37HHXaG
The World Health Assembly (WHA) has held its online conference earlier this week. The US previously urged the WHA to invite Taiwan to participate as an observer, but the appeal was rejected by the World Health Organization (WHO). Nonetheless, the US, Japan, and a number of countries with diplomatic ties with Taiwan spoke up for Taiwan during their speeches at the conference. The Central News Agency (from Taiwan) reported that during the speeches that supported Taiwan, the assembly stopped the live broadcasting twice, citing the reason that they were irrelevant to the agenda.
During the conference, Garrett Grigsby, Director of the Office of Global Affairs in the US Department of Health and Human Services, expressed that Taiwan has made impressive achievements in combatting the COVID pandemic. He said that it would be beneficial to the response to the pandemic if WHO members could understand and take reference from Taiwan’s experience. Instead, WHO’s blocking of Taiwan from participating in the conference as an observer was counterproductive. Grigsby emphasised that while each country worked to strengthen its capacity under the pandemic, countries should also share information about the pandemic and develop a transparent global architecture to detect threats early and prevent the further spreading of the virus.
#US #Japan #Taiwan #TaiwanAllies #WHA #WHO #COVID19 #WuhanVirus #Pandemic #GarrettGrigsby #Grigsby #WorldHealthAssembly #WorldHealthOrganization
Source: Stand News #Nov11
https://bit.ly/37HHXaG
The Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro Continued to Criticize China's Vaccine with Low Effectiveness
The Sao Paulo State in Brazil planned to use the Wuhan Virus vaccine developed by Sinovac from China. But President Jair Bolsonaro continued to judge this vaccine, saying that its effectiveness was seemingly low.
Bolsonaro made a Christmas speech on the internet on Thursday saying "The effectiveness of the vaccine which used by Sao Paulo State is relatively low”. But he did not make further explanations. He also indicated earlier that he would not inject this vaccine.
Source from: Apple Daily #Dec25
https://hk.appledaily.com/international/20201225/XZOOEURQHBBHDENNGW6GVJMTQQ/
#Brazil #China #WuhanVirus #Vaccine #Sinovac #JairBolsonaro #COVID19
The Sao Paulo State in Brazil planned to use the Wuhan Virus vaccine developed by Sinovac from China. But President Jair Bolsonaro continued to judge this vaccine, saying that its effectiveness was seemingly low.
Bolsonaro made a Christmas speech on the internet on Thursday saying "The effectiveness of the vaccine which used by Sao Paulo State is relatively low”. But he did not make further explanations. He also indicated earlier that he would not inject this vaccine.
Source from: Apple Daily #Dec25
https://hk.appledaily.com/international/20201225/XZOOEURQHBBHDENNGW6GVJMTQQ/
#Brazil #China #WuhanVirus #Vaccine #Sinovac #JairBolsonaro #COVID19
Confidential document says Beijing refuses to fund local CDC, bureaucracy causes collapse of the medical system and loss of epidemic prevention and fighting function
The initial outbreak of Wuhan COVID-19 in China has spread globally. The leaked documents received by CNN not only reflect China's mishandling of the epidemic but also reveal that China's health care system has been riddled with problems for a prolonged period of time and that when the epidemic escalated, officials and medical personnel generally took it lightly, further contributing to the global outbreak of the virus.
After SARS in 2003, the Chinese authorities spent 167 million USD (about 1.3 billion HKD) to set up a notification system. Theoretically, the system allows regional hospitals or disease prevention centres to directly report outbreaks to the central government and share relevant information with the entire country. However, according to a report in the paper, the system itself slowed down, and other bureaucratic constraints have further impeded information flow.
Compared to major cities, such as Beijing and Shanghai, Wuhan's medical system received relatively few resources. An audit report completed last October pointed out that Hubei Province's disease prevention centre was underfunded. The lack of proper testing equipment and motivated medical staff, especially in the early stages of the outbreak when they still used SARS-era equipment, was completely neglected by the Chinese Bureaucracy.
#China #SARS #COVID19 #Pandemic #Epidemic #WuhanVirus #CNN #MedicalSystem #MedicalStaff
Source: Apple Daily #Dec01
https://hk.appledaily.com/international/20201201/BPEWL3L7FZC3RFGNWLBEWQ5P7M/
The initial outbreak of Wuhan COVID-19 in China has spread globally. The leaked documents received by CNN not only reflect China's mishandling of the epidemic but also reveal that China's health care system has been riddled with problems for a prolonged period of time and that when the epidemic escalated, officials and medical personnel generally took it lightly, further contributing to the global outbreak of the virus.
After SARS in 2003, the Chinese authorities spent 167 million USD (about 1.3 billion HKD) to set up a notification system. Theoretically, the system allows regional hospitals or disease prevention centres to directly report outbreaks to the central government and share relevant information with the entire country. However, according to a report in the paper, the system itself slowed down, and other bureaucratic constraints have further impeded information flow.
Compared to major cities, such as Beijing and Shanghai, Wuhan's medical system received relatively few resources. An audit report completed last October pointed out that Hubei Province's disease prevention centre was underfunded. The lack of proper testing equipment and motivated medical staff, especially in the early stages of the outbreak when they still used SARS-era equipment, was completely neglected by the Chinese Bureaucracy.
#China #SARS #COVID19 #Pandemic #Epidemic #WuhanVirus #CNN #MedicalSystem #MedicalStaff
Source: Apple Daily #Dec01
https://hk.appledaily.com/international/20201201/BPEWL3L7FZC3RFGNWLBEWQ5P7M/
WHO Experts Went to Wuhan to Investigate the Origin of COVID but were Refused for Entry. Tedros: Very disappointed
WHO stated on 5th January that China had not approved the entry of the expert group for the investigation on the origin of Wuhan Virus. WHO Director-General Tedros rarely indicated that he was very disappointed with China and stated that two experts have already set off to Wuhan but reported that Chinese officials did not approve their entry permit. He emphasised that China and the WHO had a joint agreement in December last year on this investigation arrangement.
Tedros said at a press conference in Geneva, “I was very disappointed with this news. I have contacted senior Chinese officials, and have also indicated again that this mission was prioritised in the WHO and the international team.” He clearly stated that WHO is “eager to complete the task as soon as possible”, and China has even assured him that Beijing will speed up internal procedures and let the expert team make an arrangement as soon as possible.
#China #WHO #WuhanVirus #TedrosAdhanomGhebreyesus #Tedros #COVID19
Source from: The Stand News #Jan06
https://bit.ly/2Y1X7mJ
WHO stated on 5th January that China had not approved the entry of the expert group for the investigation on the origin of Wuhan Virus. WHO Director-General Tedros rarely indicated that he was very disappointed with China and stated that two experts have already set off to Wuhan but reported that Chinese officials did not approve their entry permit. He emphasised that China and the WHO had a joint agreement in December last year on this investigation arrangement.
Tedros said at a press conference in Geneva, “I was very disappointed with this news. I have contacted senior Chinese officials, and have also indicated again that this mission was prioritised in the WHO and the international team.” He clearly stated that WHO is “eager to complete the task as soon as possible”, and China has even assured him that Beijing will speed up internal procedures and let the expert team make an arrangement as soon as possible.
#China #WHO #WuhanVirus #TedrosAdhanomGhebreyesus #Tedros #COVID19
Source from: The Stand News #Jan06
https://bit.ly/2Y1X7mJ
立場新聞 Stand News
【武漢肺炎】世衞專家赴武漢查病毒起源 遭拒絕入境 譚德塞:非常失望 | 立場報道 | 立場新聞
世衛周二(5 日)指,中國至今仍未批准專家組入境調查武漢肺炎起源。世衞總幹事譚德塞更罕有地表示,對中國感到非常...