SHANGHAI, China (AFP) — High-profile fixtures of Shanghai’s skyline began to re-open Thursday on a limited basis in a sign of confidence that the coronavirus was being tamed in the Chinese financial center. The 632-meter (2,073-foot) Shanghai Tower — the world’s second-tallest building — and the futuristic Oriental Pearl Tower Radio and Television Tower were among skyscrapers to announce viewing platforms and other public areas had opened again, subject to various restrictions. The Shanghai Museum […]
Tag: china
China slams US for warship sail-by in disputed waters
BEIJING, China (AFP) — Beijing on Wednesday accused the United States of a “provocative” act by sending a warship into disputed territorial waters in the South China Sea. The USS McCampbell missile destroyer sailed near the Paracel Islands on Tuesday without authorization, according to the People’s Liberation Army. The Paracel Islands are a chain of disputed islands and reefs in the South China Sea, claimed by China, Taiwan, and Vietnam. “Under the guise of ‘freedom […]
Beijing orders quarantine for all international arrivals
BEIJING, China (AFP) — Beijing on Wednesday ordered people arriving in the city from any country to go into 14-day quarantine as China reported an increase in imported coronavirus cases, threatening its progress against the epidemic. China has made major strides in its battle against the virus, prompting President Xi Jinping to visit Wuhan, the central city at the heart of the global epidemic, on Tuesday and declare that it has “basically curbed” the spread […]
China quarantine hotel collapse toll rises to 26
BEIJING, China (AFP) — The death toll from the collapse of a coronavirus quarantine hotel in east China rose to 26 on Wednesday, with three more people feared still trapped in the rubble, according to state media. Dozens of people were pulled alive from the wreckage of the six-storey Xinjian hotel in the coastal city of Quanzhou but 26 others were either found dead in the ruins or have since died of their injuries, the […]
Cathay Pacific 2019 profits plunge, predicts virus losses
by Jerome TAYLOR HONG KONG, China (AFP) — Cathay Pacific on Wednesday said profits plunged in 2019 as it reeled from political unrest in Hong Kong, while it warned financial losses lay ahead owing to the spread of the new coronavirus. The flagship carrier was battered throughout the second half of last year as violent pro-democracy protests raged for months in Hong Kong, sparked by widespread public anger at Beijing’s rule. The demonstrations, which saw […]
China to allow some firms to return to work in Wuhan
BEIJING, China (AFP) — Some companies in Wuhan, the Chinese city where the new coronavirus outbreak emerged late last year, are to be allowed to return to work, provincial officials said Wednesday. Businesses involved in providing daily necessities can resume work and production immediately, as can those that are key to “global industrial chains” after getting approval, said the Hubei provincial government. Other companies are expected to resume production only after March 20. Similar rules […]
China reports 22 new virus deaths as imported cases rise
BEIJING, China (AFP) — China reported an increase in imported coronavirus cases Wednesday, fuelling concerns that infections from overseas could undermine progress in halting the spread of the virus. There were 22 more deaths and 24 new cases nationwide, according to the National Health Commission. China has made massive progress in its battle against the virus, prompting President Xi Jinping to visit Wuhan, the central city at the heart of the global epidemic, on Tuesday […]
China quarantine hotel collapse toll jumps to 20
BEIJING, China (AFP) — The death toll from the collapse of a hotel used as a coronavirus quarantine facility in eastern China has risen to 20, authorities said Tuesday, with 10 others still feared trapped in the rubble. Forty-one survivors pulled from the wreckage are injured, the Ministry of Emergency Management said at a press conference Tuesday. The building in the coastal city of Quanzhou had been repurposed to house people who had recently […]
China’s Xi pays first visit to virus epicentre Wuhan
by Noel CELIS / and Laurie Chen in Beijing Agence France Presse WUHAN, China (AFP) — Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Wuhan Tuesday for the first time since the city emerged as the epicentre of the coronavirus epidemic in January — a major sign that officials believe the outbreak is under control. Xi’s visit came as unprecedented quarantine measures that have sealed off Wuhan and the rest of central Hubei province since late January […]
China closes makeshift hospitals as virus cases plunge
BEIJING, China (AFP) — China has closed most of the makeshift hospitals open to receive coronavirus patients in the epidemic’s epicenter as the number of new infections in the country hit a record low. There were 40 new cases nationwide, the National Health Commission said Monday, the lowest number of fresh cases since it started reporting the data in January. Most of the new cases, as well as 22 new deaths, were in Hubei, the […]
China quarantine hotel collapse kills 10
BEIJING, China (AFP) — At least ten people were killed in the collapse of a hotel used as a coronavirus quarantine facility in eastern China, authorities said Sunday, with 23 others still feared trapped in the rubble. Rescuers pulled 48 people from the wreckage, of whom 38 are still alive, the Ministry of Emergency Management said on social media. The building in the coastal city of Quanzhou had been repurposed to house people who recently […]
Updated: China quarantine hotel collapse kills six
BEIJING, China (AFP) — At least six people were killed in the collapse of a hotel used as a coronavirus quarantine facility in eastern China, the Ministry of Emergency Management said Sunday. Rescuers retrieved 43 people from the rubble, of whom 37 are still alive, the ministry said on its firefighting department’s social media account. The coastal city of Quanzhou has recorded 47 cases of the COVID-19 infection and the hotel had been repurposed […]





