China: Headlines

Beijing reports 6 new coronavirus cases

China’s new COVID-19 cases rise on infections from abroad, reversing four straight days of declines.

“Beijing’s city government reported six new confirmed cases of coronavirus involving individuals who came from Italy and the United States,” said the Chinese state television.

The report mentioned five of the new coronavirus patients, whose infection were confirmed on Tuesday by the government of the Chinese capital, travelled from Italy and one patient came from the United States. It was not specified whether the individuals were Chinese nationals or foreigners.

The death toll from the outbreak in mainland China had reached 3,158 as of the end of Tuesday, up by 22 from the previous day.

20 Dead at the collapse of China quarantine hotel

The hotel, located in the southeast Chinese port city of Quanzhou, Fujian province collapsed on Saturday night.

The death toll from the collapse of a hotel used as a coronavirus quarantine facility in eastern China has risen to 20, with 10 others still feared trapped in the rubble, as according to the authorities.

While forty-one survivors were pulled from the wreckage with injuries.

China says disease “curbed” in Wuhan and Hubei

President Xi Jinping has visited the city of Wuhan, the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak, sending a message that Beijing has the situation under control.

The visit was Mr. Xi first visit to the city since the outbreak began.

According to state media, Mr Xi arrived in Wuhan on Tuesday to inspect epidemic prevention and control work in the province.

During the visit, Mr Xi declared that the spread of the diseased had been “basically curbed” in Hubei province and Wuhan.

“Initial success has been made in stabilising the situation and turning the tide in Hubei and Wuhan,” said Mr Xi.

China: Business News

China expels Wall Street Journal journalists for article it deemed racist

China has ordered three foreign journalists of the Wall Street Journal to leave the country over an opinion piece it said was “racist”.

The article published on 3 February criticised the country’s response to the deadly coronavirus outbreak.

The article in question was entitled “the sick man of Asia”, a derogatory term used to describe China in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries. At the time, the phrase referred to internal divisions and the country’s weak position compared to global powers.

According to the New York Times, members of the Wall Street Journal’s own staff deemed the headline to be offensive and had requested that it be changed.

China’s decision came a day after the US State department tighten rules on the Chinese state media organisation operating in the US, classifying them as foreign missions.

China might be getting back to business soon

In China, where the coronavirus outbreak first started, the government has taken drastic steps to minimise human interaction and slow the spread of disease.

And as of now, with the official figures appearing to show that the crisis there may have stabilised for the time being, more people are seen heading back to their workplace.

However, questions remain just as how far Asia’s economic giant really is from resuming anything like “normal” business activity.

China Correspondent Stephen McDonell reports from Beijing where government officials are trying to reassure the population that all will soon be well.