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☆ China Grapples With Respiratory Illness Spike; WHO Says No Unusual Pathogen Found
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

By Andrew Silver and Nicoco ChanSHANGHAI (Reuters) - China called for vigilance on Friday as a surge of respiratory illness hit schools and hospitals and the World Health Organization, which has asked the government for disease data, said no unusual or novel pathogens had been detected. "At this stage, there is nothing to suggest that it may be a new variant of COVID," he said. "I hope that people will not be biased because of the pandemic ... but look at this from a scientific perspective." "It's not that bad, there are more children falling sick now but it's mainly an issue of protection," she said. (Reporting by Andrew Silver and Nicoco Chan in Shanghai and the Beijing Newsroom; writing by Brenda Goh; editing by Robert Birsel)

Persons: Andrew Silver, Nicoco Chan, Bruce Thompson, Emily Wu, Feng Zixun, Brenda Goh, Robert Birsel Organizations: World Health Organization, State Council, State, WHO, Program, Melbourne School of Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Beijing Locations: Nicoco Chan SHANGHAI, China, Beijing, Liaoning, Wuhan, Shanghai

SHANGHAI, Nov 24 (Reuters) - China called for vigilance on Friday as a surge of respiratory illness hit schools and hospitals and the World Health Organization, which has asked the government for disease data, said no unusual or novel pathogens had been detected. The State Council said influenza would peak this winter and spring and mycoplasma pneumoniae infection would continue to be high in some areas in future. "At this stage, there is nothing to suggest that it may be a new variant of COVID," he said. "I hope that people will not be biased because of the pandemic ... but look at this from a scientific perspective." "It's not that bad, there are more children falling sick now but it's mainly an issue of protection," she said.

Persons: Bruce Thompson, Emily Wu, Feng Zixun, Andrew Silver, Nicoco Chan, Brenda Goh, Robert Birsel Organizations: World Health Organization, State Council, State, WHO, Program, Melbourne School of Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Beijing, Thomson Locations: SHANGHAI, China, Beijing, Liaoning, Wuhan, Shanghai

☆ So many kids are falling sick in China that a children's hospital said it saw 13,000 cases in a single day
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Matthew Loh | Kim Schewitz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Northern China is struggling with a wave of respiratory illnesses among its children. Cities like Beijing and Tianjin have been hit hard by cases of flu and pneumonia, hospitals said. Children wait on the stairs at a children hospital in Beijing on November 23, 2023, with some administered with drips. "All the children have respiratory illnesses." Children receive a drip at a children hospital in Beijing on November 23, 2023.

Persons: —, Liu Wei, Liu, imploring, JADE GAO, Mi Feng, they're, It's, JADE GAOJADE, Hu Xijin, Hu, David Heymann, Francois Balloux Organizations: Service, Beijing Aviation General, Management, drips, Getty, Changjiang, Health, Business, Global Times, Health Organization, London School of Hygiene, Tropical Medicine, UCL Genetics Institute Locations: Northern China, Cities, Beijing, Tianjin, China, Tianjian, Wuhan, Hubei, Chongqing, Weibo

☆ WHO asks China for details on respiratory illness outbreaks
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Parents take their children to see a doctor at the pediatric emergency department of a hospital in Shanghai, China, November 14, 2023. CFOTO | Future Publishing | Getty ImagesThe World Health Organization, or WHO, on Wednesday officially requested that China provide detailed information on an increase in respiratory illnesses and reported clusters of pneumonia in children. Chinese authorities stressed the need for enhanced disease surveillance in healthcare facilities and community settings, as well as strengthening the capacity of the health system to manage patients. On Wednesday, WHO said groups including the Program for Monitoring Emerging Diseases reported clusters of undiagnosed pneumonia in children in northern China. WHO said it is unclear if these are associated with the overall increase in respiratory infections previously reported by Chinese authorities, or separate events.

Organizations: Health Organization, Wednesday, National Health Commission, WHO, International Locations: Shanghai, China, Wuhan

☆ China says no unusual pathogens found after WHO queries respiratory outbreaks
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The WHO had asked China for more information on Wednesday after groups including the Program for Monitoring Emerging Diseases (ProMED) reported clusters of undiagnosed pneumonia in children in north China. No unusual pathogens have been detected in the capital of Beijing and the northeastern province of Liaoning. The U.N. health agency had also asked China for further information about trends in the circulation of known pathogens and the burden on healthcare systems. WHO China said it was "routine" to request information on increases in respiratory illnesses and reported clusters of pneumonia in children from member states, such as China. The WHO said that while it was seeking additional information, it recommended that people in China follow measures to reduce the risk of respiratory illness.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, pneumoniae, Ben Cowling, Deena Beasley, Andrew Silver, Jennifer Rigby, Emma Farge, Urvi, Robert Birsel, Miyoung Kim, Josie Kao Organizations: REUTERS, World Health Organization, WHO, International, National Health Commission, FTV News, Hong Kong University, Health Commission, Xinhua, Influenza, Thomson Locations: China, Beijing, Liaoning, Wuhan, WHO China, Taiwan, Los Angeles, Shanghai, London, Geneva, Bengaluru

☆ Omicron, Now 2 Years Old, Is Not Done With Us Yet
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Carl Zimmer | More About Carl Zimmer | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

By November 2021, nearly two years after the coronavirus emerged in Wuhan and spread across the world, the surprises seemed to be over. Researchers in Botswana and South Africa alerted the world that a highly mutated version of the virus had emerged and was spreading fast. Omicron, as the World Health Organization called the variant, swiftly overtook other forms of the virus. In the two years since its emergence, Omicron has proved to be not only staggeringly infectious, but an evolutionary marvel, challenging many assumptions virologists had before the pandemic. “It was almost like there was another pandemic,” said Adam Lauring, a virologist at the University of Michigan.

Persons: virologists, ”, Adam Lauring Organizations: Alpha, World Health Organization, University of Michigan Locations: Wuhan, Botswana, South Africa

☆ Starbucks remains a big winner in China even if a domestic rival sells more coffee there
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Paulina Likos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Starbucks (SBUX) losing its coffee crown in China to a domestic rival does not diminish the opportunity that the American company has in the world's second-largest economy. 2 in China to Luckin Coffee in sales, Jim Cramer said Monday he would be buying Starbucks shares "hand over fist." In its fiscal fourth quarter ending Oct. 1, Starbucks reported that China revenue increased 8% year-over-year to nearly $841 million. By comparison, Luckin reported sales of $986.8 million for its third quarter ended Sept. 30 . SBUX YTD mountain Starbucks YTD Even though its economy and consumers face headwinds post-Covid, China remains a key growth market for Starbucks.

Persons: Jim Cramer, Jim, Luckin, Laxman Narasimhan, Howard Schultz, Jim Cramer's Organizations: Starbucks, Journal, China, CNBC, Wuhan International Plaza, Getty Locations: China, U.S, Wuhan, Hubei province

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Rep. Brad Wenstrup, who leads the House GOP's investigation of the origins of COVID-19, says he won't seek reelection next year. Wenstrup represents Ohio's 2nd Congressional District and was first elected to the House in 2012. Wenstrup, who is also a longtime member of the House Intelligence Committee, has accused U.S. intelligence of withholding key facts about its investigation into the coronavirus. Political Cartoons View All 1240 ImagesWenstrup's announcement came the same day another longtime congressman also said he would not seek reelection next year. They are among nearly two dozen House members to announce they won't be running again in 2024.

Persons: Brad Wenstrup, Wenstrup, Derek Kilmer, Kilmer Organizations: WASHINGTON, — Republican, Congressional District, Army Reserve, House Intelligence, Republicans, Wuhan, of Virology, Democrat Locations: Cincinnati, Washington

☆ Australia's Albanese retraces historic Beijing walk on visit to mend ties
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( Ryan Woo | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese speaks during the bilateral meeting with Indonesia's President Joko Widodo on the sidelines of the 43rd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Jakarta, Indonesia, 07 September 2023. Albanese, who arrived on Saturday, was due to meet President Xi Jinping later on Monday, their second face-to-face talks in a year. At the Temple of Heaven, Albanese posed for a photograph at the circular Echo Wall, the same spot where Australia's then prime minister, Gough Whitlam, stood in 1973, a year after the two countries established ties. China and Australia for decades built a relationship on trade, with China becoming Australia's biggest trading partner with its purchases of Australian food and natural resources. 'PROMISING SIGNS'But Albanese took steps to stabilise relations after he became prime minister in May last year and met Xi on the sidelines of a G20 summit in Indonesia in November.

Persons: Anthony Albanese, Joko Widodo, BAGUS, Albanese, Xi Jinping, Australia's, Gough Whitlam, " Albanese, Xi, We've, Ryan Woo, Robert Birsel Organizations: Australia's, 43rd Association of Southeast Asian Nations, ASEAN, Rights, Australian, Beijing's, Twitter, Huawei Technologies, South China, Thomson Locations: Jakarta, Indonesia, Rights BEIJING, China, Beijing, Australia, Australian, Wuhan, Pacific, United States, Britain, South, Japan, South Korea

☆ Chinese Tesla rival Nio cuts 10% of workforce as CEO predicts 'intense competition'
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Nio's ET5 stands on display at the Central China International Auto Show on May 25, 2023, in Wuhan, China. Chinese electric carmaker Nio plans to cut 10% of its workforce amid "fierce competition," CEO William Li said Friday. This is a tough but necessary decision against the fierce competition." Like many Chinese electric vehicle startups, Nio has been hit by weak consumer sentiment in the world's second-largest economy, stiff competition and a price war kicked off by Elon Musk's Tesla. Nio first resisted any price declines, but ultimately carried one out in June.

Persons: Nio's ET5, William Li, Li, Nio, Elon Musk's Tesla, Xpeng Organizations: Central China International, CNBC, stoke Locations: Wuhan, China

Nov 2 (Reuters) - Air pollution, a global scourge that kills millions of people a year, is shielding us from the full force of the sun. "It's this Catch-22," said Patricia Quinn, an atmospheric chemist at the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), speaking about cleaning up sulphur pollution globally. "If you implement technologies to reduce air pollution, this will accelerate – very significantly – global warming in the short term." The Chinese and Indian environment ministries didn't immediately respond to requests for comment on the effects of pollution unmasking. As the implications of the pollution unmasking become more apparent, experts are casting around for methods to counter the associated warming.

Persons: poring, Patricia Quinn, Paulo Artaxo, Xi Jinping, Xi, El, Yangyang Xu, Xu, unmasking, Laura Wilcox, COVID, Sergey Osipov, Michael Diamond, Jake Spring, David Stanway, Sakshi Dayal, Katy Daigle Organizations: U.S . National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, Reuters, World Health Organization, U.S . Clean, National People's, China Meteorological Administration, El Nino, M University, Britain's University of Reading, India Meteorological Department, India, Clean, Programme, King Abdullah University of Science, Technology, Florida State University, Thomson Locations: India, China, Beijing, 10.34C, Texas, Chongqing, Wuhan, SO2, heatwaves, Xinjiang, INDIA, Europe, Northern China, U.S, Saudi Arabia, Sao Paulo, Singapore, New Delhi

☆ Li Keqiang: Death of China’s former premier offers glimpse into discontent with Xi Jinping
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Cnn Staff | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

CNN —The sudden death of China’s former Premier Li Keqiang has spurred an outpouring of grief and mourning across the country. But for many, it also appears to offer a rare opening to air pent-up discontent with top leader Xi Jinping and the direction he has taken the country. His death, just months after his retirement, shocked the Chinese public. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang review a guard of honor prior to a meeting at the Chancellery on July 9, 2018 in Berlin, Germany. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang visits a hospital in Wuhan on January 27, 2020, days after the city was placed under a complete lockdown to curb the raging Covid-19 outbreak.

Persons: Li Keqiang, Xi Jinping, Li, Xi –, ”, Alfred Wu, Lee, “, Xi, Angela Merkel, Sean Gallup, Zhang Lun, Mao Zedong, Zhang, “ I’ve, Wu, Li Tao, Zhou Enlai, Mao, Hu Yaobang, Fish Leong, ” Zhang Organizations: CNN, Communist, Lee Kuan Yew, of Public Policy, Getty, Studies, University of Cergy, Peking University, Li, AP Party, Communist Party, Xinhua, CPC, Party Locations: Shanghai, China, Singapore, German, Berlin, Germany, Pontoise, France, Communist China, Wuhan, AFP, Yunnan province, Weibo, Malaysian, Hefei, Anhui, Zhengzhou, Henan, Beijing

☆ How 3 stocks tied to China's economy are navigating its uneven post-Covid recovery
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Paulina Likos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

But looking at quarterly numbers and commentary from multinational companies doing business there, the road back for the world's second-largest economy remains uneven. Club name Procter & Gamble (PG) flagged weakness in China when it reported its fiscal first quarter 2024 earnings. SBUX YTD mountain Starbucks YTD Given P & G's remarks, we hope Starbucks is still able to keep its China numbers moving in the right direction. Starbucks' growth in China, its second-largest market after the U.S., is still in its early stages. WYNN YTD mountain Wynn Resorts YTD Commentary from Las Vegas Sands gives us hope that Wynn Resorts might be able to continue last quarter's momentum in gross gaming revenue in Macao.

Persons: China — Estee Lauder, —, Nicolas Hieronimus, Andre Schulten, Let's, Estee Lauder, Lauder YTD, Estee, We're, there's, Wells, WYNN, Wynn, Jim Cramer's, Jim Cramer, Jim Organizations: Starbucks, Wynn Resorts, Vegas Sands, L'Oreal, Procter, Gamble, Deutsche Bank, Wynn, HSBC, CNBC, Wuhan International Plaza, Getty Locations: China, Sands, Macao, Asia, Hainan province, U.S, Dubai, Wynn Macau, Wuhan, Hubei province

☆ BMW says diversifying risks does not mean it is leaving China
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Sheila Chiang | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

WUHAN, CHINA - MAY 25: (CHINA OUT) Attendees wear protective masks as they look around the at BMW Ix3 during 2023 Central China International Auto Show on May 25, 2023 in Wuhan, Hubei province, China. More than 80 brands took part in the 2023 Central China International Auto Show which started on Thursday. (Photo by Getty Images)German automaker BMW Group said that diversifying its supply chains away from China does not mean it is leaving the country completely. "Especially the BMW Vision Neue Klasse, it will not be a small volume. BMW is not leaving China, he said, adding that free trade is "fundamental to our business model."

Persons: Oliver Zipse, CNBC's Martin Soong, Annalena Baerbock Organizations: BMW Ix3, China International, Getty Images, BMW Group, BMW, Neue, Japan, Neue Klasse, Tesla Locations: WUHAN, CHINA, Wuhan, Hubei province, China, Germany

The potential timing of those sales is uncertain, as similar agreements in the past have sometimes led to immediate announcements of large U.S. export sales while other times they have not. Soybean Export Council (USSEC) on Tuesday were also unusually thin as neither volumes nor commodities were specified as normal. Therefore, large daily sales announcements from the U.S. Department of Agriculture are not guaranteed to follow. Some of the other biggest daily soybean sales also immediately followed signings. U.S. soybean export sales to China, October 12Karen Braun is a market analyst for Reuters.

Persons: Stringer, Karen Braun, Matthew Lewis Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, China, Export, U.S . Department of Agriculture, Brazil, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Wuhan, Hubei, Rights NAPERVILLE , Illinois, Iowa, U.S, Beijing, China, China’s U.S

☆ Japanese carmaker Mitsubishi ending production in China, world's biggest car market
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Michelle Toh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Hong Kong CNN —Mitsubishi Motors will stop producing vehicles in China, in the latest sign of retreat by foreign automakers in the world’s biggest car market. Following weeks of speculation, the Japanese carmaker confirmed Tuesday that it would wind down local manufacturing and exit a long-running joint venture in mainland China. The move came days after Stellantis, home to brands such as Jeep and Chrysler, moved to withdraw further from China, too. Stellantis continues to sell imported vehicles in China through dealerships. The Japanese firm will pour up to €200 million ($212 million) into Ampere, helping it push further into the European market.

Persons: ” Mitsubishi, “, Stellantis, Dongfeng, Ampere Organizations: Hong Kong CNN — Mitsubishi Motors, Mitsubishi, Guangzhou Automobile Group Company, GAC, Chrysler, Dongfeng Motor, Peugeot, Renault Locations: China, Hong Kong, Wuhan, Xiangyang, French

☆ EV brand Beyonca signs investment deal with Saudi Arabian group
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Beyonca's GT Opus 1 concept car is unveiled during an event at the electric vehicle (EV) start-up's headquarters in Beijing, China October 30, 2022. REUTERS/Florence Lo/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBEIJING, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Electric vehicle brand Beyonca, backed by Renault (RENA.PA) and Dongfeng Motor (0489.HK), said on Monday that it signed an investment agreement with Riyadh-based Al Faisaliah Group Holding Company. At the signing ceremony at Dongfeng Motor's headquarters in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, Beyonca also inked a strategic cooperation deal with QG FZE-LLC regarding investment opportunities in the Middle East, according to the EV brand. Reporting by Beijing newsroom; Editing by Jamie FreedOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Florence, Beyonca, QG, Jamie Freed Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Renault, HK, Al, Group Holding, Beijing, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Rights BEIJING, Riyadh, Wuhan

☆ Jon Stewart's show on Apple TV+ is reportedly coming to an end amid disagreements around China and AI
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( Aaron Mok | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Jon Stewart's Apple TV+ show "The Problem" has ended over editorial disputes, NYT reported. Sources told the Times that Apple execs were concerned over show topics regarding China and AI. AdvertisementAdvertisementJon Stewart's show on Apple TV+ is reportedly hitting the chopping block over creative differences, The New York Times first reported. Apple told Stewart he needed to be "aligned" with the company on the topics he chooses to discuss, but Stewart wanted full creative autonomy over his series, sources told The Hollywood Reporter. In turn, Stewart and Apple reportedly both agreed to go their separate ways.

Persons: Jon Stewart's, Apple execs, —, Stewart, Jon Stewart, Apple, Rich Klubeck, didn't, Stewart —, Stephen Colbert's, Tim Cook, Cook, BuzzFeed, Wang Wentao Organizations: Times, Apple, Service, New York Times, Hollywood, Research, CNBC Locations: China, Wuhan, Beijing, Chengdu .

☆ China’s economy will be hobbled for years by the real estate crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Absorbing this “excess capacity” in the property sector will inevitably hurt China’s economic growth, according to Garcia-Herrero. The money from the sales funded their breakneck expansion, making real estate moguls some of the country’s richest people. The strategy largely worked until about three years ago when the Chinese government cracked down on excessive borrowing by the real estate industry because it was worried about the risk of financial instability. But overall, the property sector has contracted severely as it adjusts to a collapse in demand. “A fundamental rewiring of China’s economy will necessitate a focus on developing new industries, improving productivity, and bolstering rental markets,” said analysts from Stanford University and the ASPI.

Persons: ”, Alicia Garcia, Herrero, Garcia, they’re, Evergrande, Xu Jiayin, Xi Jinping, ” Mark Williams, Sheana Yue, Zichuan Huang, “, — Michelle Toh Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Investment, Asia Pacific, Getty, Bank, International Monetary Fund, IMF, Regulators, Capital Economics, People’s Bank of China, Oxford Economics, Stanford University, Asia Society Policy Institute, Oxford Locations: China, Hong Kong, Beijing, Natixis, Wuhan, China's, Hubei, Japan

☆ China moves to strengthen innovation in smart driving
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIJING, Oct 2 (Reuters) - China will back firms in the smart vehicle supply chain to form groups dedicated to spreading innovation, state media said on Monday, as it races to hammer out standards for assisted and autonomous driving functions by 2025. China will support firms in forming "innovation consortia", that enable them to learn from each other's strengths in order to achieve technological breakthroughs, the official Xinhua news agency said. Citing Xin Guobin, vice minister of industry and information technology, the agency added that China aims to speed its formulation and revision of key standards. Vehicles in this category can handle driving functions, but the driver must always be prepared to take over when road conditions change. China aims to master the core technologies of advanced autonomous driving and eventually put driverless vehicles on its roads in the effort to become the leading industry player worldwide.

Persons: Xin Guobin, Ryan Woo, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: Xinhua, Vehicles, HK, Baidu, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, China, Shenzhen, Wuhan, Chongqing, Beijing, United States

☆ China launches first cross-sea bullet train line near Taiwan Strait
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A bullet train speeds during its debut near a railway station in Shanghai January 28, 2007. A bullet train departed from Fuzhou, the capital of east China's Fujian province Thursday morning, setting up the opening of the 277-km (172-mile) Fuzhou-Xiamen-Zhangzhou railway, Xinhua reported. China Railway Siyuan Survey and Design Group Co Ltd designed the railway project. China recently announced details of its plan to turn Fujian into a zone for integrated development with Taiwan, which sits opposite the province. Separately, earlier this week China unveiled its first commercial suspended monorail line in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province.

Persons: Aly Song, Bernard Orr, Christian Schmollinger Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, China State Railway Group Co, China Railway Siyuan Survey, Design, China Daily, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, CHINA, Rights BEIJING, China, Fujian, Taiwan Strait, Fuzhou, Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Xinhua, Taiwan, Wuhan, Hubei province, Beijing

☆ China's economic troubles have left some cities so cash-strapped they're resorting to bizarre fines, skipping bills, and slashing health coverage
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Jennifer Sor | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Some Chinese cities are majorly cash-strapped as the economy grapples with debt and deflation. Local governments have resorted to handing out bizarre tickets and shirking bills to make money. That's led some cities to start imposing bizarre fines in the hopes of scraping together enough cash to meet their obligations. The state-funded China's Endangered Species Fund, for instance, says it hasn't received cash from the government for about half a year. Experts have warned of a bleak future ahead for China's economy, which is straddled with big debt loads, a deflation problem, and still-sluggish demand from its two-year COVID-lockdown.

Persons: shirk, That's, hasn't Organizations: Service, CNN, Yuekai Securities, Species Fund, New York Times Locations: Wall, Silicon, Guangdong, China, Beijing, Shanghai, Weibo, Wuhan

☆ The CIA Politicizes Intelligence on China and Covid
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( John Ratcliffe | Cliff Sims | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Review & Outlook: More evidence that the coronavirus may have escaped from the Wuhan Institute of Virology catches up to those who derided the possibility of a man-made Chinese origin. (02/27/23) Images: AP/Reuters Composite: Mark KellyA Central Intelligence Agency whistleblower claims that the CIA rigged a report on the origins of Covid-19 to exonerate China. According to the allegation, the most senior member of a seven-member CIA analysis team “was the lone officer to believe COVID-19 originated through zoonosis.” His six colleagues thought the intelligence and science “were sufficient to make a low confidence assessment” that the disease came from a lab leak.

Persons: Mark Kelly, “, ” Organizations: Wuhan Institute, Virology, Reuters, Central Intelligence Agency, CIA Locations: China, zoonosis

☆ China's capital city is letting the public take fully driverless robotaxis — and has bigger rollout plans, startup Pony.ai says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Vcg | Visual China Group | Getty ImagesBEIJING — China's capital city is taking swift steps to allow robotaxi businesses to grow. As of Tuesday, the suburban Beijing city district of Yizhuang is officially letting local robotaxi operators — primarily Baidu and startup Pony.ai — charge fares for fully autonomous taxis, with no human staff inside. "We have very high confidence ... maybe only in three years, our full driverless vehicles are going to be running over the whole Beijing city," he said in an interview with CNBC on Monday. Out of more than 200 robotaxis that Pony.ai operates in the region, only about ten are currently fully driverless, Zhang said. Beijing city did not immediately respond to a CNBC request for comment.

Persons: Ning Zhang, Beijing's, Zhang, Yin Yong, Pony.ai, Baidu, Alphabet's Waymo, Pony.ai's Zhang, —, Leswing, Lora Kolodny Organizations: Visual China, Getty, BEIJING, Baidu, CNBC, Daxing International, robotaxis, General Motors, California Department of Motor Vehicles, Beijing Daxing, Google Locations: Beijing, Yizhuang, Pony.ai, Yizhuang district, Daxing, U.S, San Francisco, California, China, Shenzhen, Wuhan, Chongqing, Guangzhou, Shanghai

☆ WHO chief pushes China for ‘full access’ to determine COVID’s origins, Financial Times reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

"We're pressing China to give full access, and we are asking countries to raise it during their bilateral meetings — to urge Beijing to co-operate," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told the newspaper. The WHO chief's comments come as health authorities and pharmaceutical companies across the world have been racing to update vaccines to combat newer emerging coronavirus variants. Ghebreyesus has for long been pressing China to share its information about the origins of COVID-19, saying that until that happened all hypotheses remained on the table. The virus was first identified in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December 2019, with many suspecting it spread in a live animal market before fanning out around the world and killing nearly 7 million people. Reporting by Kanjyik Ghosh in Bengaluru Editing by Tomasz JanowskiOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Esa Alexander, Kanjyik Ghosh, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: World Health Organization, WHO, REUTERS, Financial Times, Thomson Locations: Cape Town , South Africa, Beijing, China, Wuhan, Bengaluru

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