PRESIDENT CONTINUES WITH BUSY DIPLOMATIC AGENDA

President Xi Jinping said on Wednesday that China is willing to bolster coordination and cooperation with all other nations to send a message of solidarity and unity in fighting COVID-19 and to shore up global confidence.

Xi made the remark in a telephone conversation with German Chancellor Angela Merkel ahead of the G20 special summit on the pandemic.

He urged more coordinated macroeconomic policies between different countries to stabilize markets, growth and employment and to guarantee public well-being while ensuring the openness, stability and security of global supply chains.

Xi said it is important to give equal consideration to immediate and long-term issues and coordinate domestic and global impacts of policies and promote the opening of markets.

Merkel said G20 members should step up coordination and cooperation, support each other and take up a leading role in conquering the crisis and stabilizing the global economy.

Xi had a busy diplomatic agenda on Tuesday night as he held phone conversations with the Brazilian, Kazakh and Polish presidents, during which he reiterated China's vision of a community with a shared future for mankind to unite the global coronavirus response.

During the calls, Xi reiterated China's dedication to working together with different countries in safeguarding global public health security and contributing its efforts to curb the global spread of the virus.

He also pledged China's firm support and help to the three countries in fighting COVID-19.

The response to the global public health crisis has further amplified the urgency and importance of building a community with a shared future for mankind, Xi said while speaking with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

Viruses know no borders, and epidemics do not discriminate between races, he said, adding that only through unity and coordination can the international community conquer the pandemic and safeguard the common home of human beings.

The pandemic is only temporary, but cooperation is everlasting, Xi said, adding that while COVID-19 has posed challenges to China-Kazakhstan cooperation, it has also spawned new opportunities.

He called on both nations to expand cooperation in digital economy and healthcare and to foster new sources of growth for bilateral ties.

Tokayev said the Chinese people, under the wise leadership of Xi, have accomplished outstanding achievements in epidemic containment, which also has given confidence and hope to people around the world.

The world has witnessed the remarkable level of China's healthcare system and the high level of professionalism among its medical workers, and China has again showcased its highly efficient governance capacities in dealing with complex difficulties and challenges, he said.

During the conversation with Polish President Andrzej Duda, Xi hailed the people as the true heroes in serving as the source of strength and confidence for China to fight the virus. Xi said the 1.4 billion Chinese people have put up a tenacious fight with great solidarity and steadfast resolve.

Xi also commended the country's medical workers for risking their own safety−even their lives−to save others, saying that their noble spirit touched him deeply.

The country will definitely overcome all difficulties and obstacles and realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation as long as it relies fully on the strength of its people, he said.

CHINA OPPOSES POLITICIZING OF PANDEMIC

China called on the United States on Wednesday to work together with the international community in dealing with the challenge of the novel coronavirus pneumonia pandemic and safeguard global public health security.

The remark by Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang came after US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he would pull back from calling the coronavirus the "Chinese virus" as he had previously done.

Trump used "COVID-19", the official name of the virus, in a tweet on Tuesday.

"The Chinese side has repeatedly stated its position on the origin of the novel coronavirus as well as firm opposition to any statements that stigmatize China," Geng told reporters at a regular news conference in Beijing. "Our position remains unchanged."

Saying that the virus knows no border or race, Geng added that it can only be defeated by concerted efforts from the whole of mankind as it spreads across the world.

Also, on Wednesday, Geng urged Washington to concentrate its efforts on its own matters to prevent the spread of COVID-19 within its borders.

"We urge the US stop politicizing the epidemic, stop attacking and slandering China," he said, responding to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's latest accusation that China denied the world information about the coronavirus.

Geng said China recently responded to Washington's such false allegations by providing a timeline of the COVID-19 notifications and communication between China and the US since the outbreak. He said that China has been sharing information with other countries and regions, including the US, in an open, transparent and responsible manner.

"This has been universally acclaimed by the international community," he said.

China has held nearly 20 video conferences involving experts and officials in more than 100 countries. In them, it has shared its experience and practices in dealing with the epidemic and provided suggestions to other countries.

China will continue to contribute its wisdom, experience and prescriptions for the global fight against COVID-19, Geng added.

PAY GAP IS SHRINKING FOR WOMEN

The active engagement of women in some sectors−the fight against the novel coronavirus pneumonia, for example−has defined their power. However, women are still unequal in terms of salary and rights regarding childbirth, according to the latest reports on employment.

The gender pay gap has long been a problem, not only in China but around the world. However, there are indications that the gap is narrowing thanks to the increasing number of well-educated and well-paid women.

A report by Boss Zhipin, an online recruitment platform headquartered in Beijing, found that for the first time, the gender pay gap shrank over the past three years in urban areas, though women still earn 81.6 percent of what male workers are paid.

Zhaopin, another online recruitment company in Beijing, said in a newly released report that the average monthly salary for women was 17 percent lower than for men in early 2020−narrowing from 23 percent the previous year, though it will continue to be a universal phenomenon.

Female workers are in a predicament in the workplace as they lack leadership in higher-level management and obsess over the imbalance between work and family.

According to the report by Zhaopin, about 9 percent of men take positions as managers, while only 5 percent of women do.

The main reason for the limitations on female workers' earnings is the potential for pregnancy.

"When we interview a young lady, the most common questions will be 'Are you married? When will you plan to have a baby'?" said Lin Jing, who works in a company's human resources department in Beijing.

"It's pretty annoying to some job seekers because it's offensive to their privacy. But that's the reality," she said. "We have to take these situations into consideration as part of labor costs."

The report by Zhaopin also points out that gender discrimination is the most severe challenge women face in employment.

Nearly 60 percent of surveyed females said they were asked their marital status in interviews, and 27 percent were refused positions because of their gender. Further, 6.4 percent of them said they had their positions changed or their pay reduced because they got pregnant.

Zhu Ping, a 30-year-old architect from Shanghai, said that she has persuaded her husband to postpone their plans to have a baby because she is being assessed for a promotion.

"If I get through the company's assessment, I'll be promoted and my salary will be correspondingly increased," she said. "I won't let anything that will distract me happen during this period."

The stereotype that giving birth is always a burden to women also leads to unfair treatment of female workers.

According to Zhaopin's report, about 62 percent of surveyed women with babies said that they want promotions, which indicates that they won't let themselves lose employment value due to marriage or babies. However, over 46 percent of men with children said they believe their wives should sacrifice for their families by quitting jobs.

Different from the perception of men who face barriers to promotion−which they usually ascribe to external elements such as a bad decision by their bosses or their lack of personal relationships−female workers find reasons within themselves, such as being distracted at work because of marriage or babies.

Li Qiang, vice-president of Zhaopin, said that to improve the working environment for female workers, the government can share the burdens−economic and psychological−with the companies, and companies can organize caring associations for women, especially those who are pregnant, to help them better concentrate on work.

He added that emotional intelligence is becoming more important in work, which offers women who usually perform better in communication more opportunities to take steps forward.

HUBEI RETURNS TO LIFE AFTER LOCKDOWN EASED

Hubei province has begun gradually reopening all transport services in areas other than Wuhan since Wednesday to ensure smooth resumption of work and production.

Areas except for Wuhan, the provincial capital, have been reopening railway, waterway and long-distance bus services as well as highways in an orderly manner, said Wang Benju, deputy director of the province's transport department.

Low risk areas in the province have also resumed city transport services including buses, taxis, online ride hailing and ferries, Wang said at a daily news conference.

Wuhan, the hardest-hit city in China by the novel coronavirus outbreak, will resume commercial flights−excluding international flights and flights to and from Beijing−and cargo flights on April 8.Local authorities have also applied to the Civil Aviation Administration of China to reopen air services in other areas as soon as possible, Wang added.

Seventeen stations along Wuhan's rail network will allow arrivals on March 28 and will begin outbound operations on April 8−also the date the city is scheduled to reopen all inbound and outbound bus services.

Wuhan also resumed some public bus services within the city on Wednesday and will start running six subway lines from Saturday.

Migrant workers who hold green health codes−meaning they are healthy and have had no contact with any infected or suspected coronavirus patients−and wish to leave the province to return to work, are encouraged to drive their own vehicles or take long-distance buses.

Hubei has imposed traffic restrictions since Jan 23 and suspended buses, subways, flights, railways and highway services in a bid to keep people at home and curb the spread of the virus.

Staff members from local departments of public security, transportation and epidemic prevention−as well as community’s themselves−have formed joint teams and stationed themselves at every highway entry and exit to strictly prevent unauthorized travel.

Wang said all checkpoints and road barriers placed at junctions will be cleared by Friday, and travelers entering or leaving the province with green health codes are able to travel freely in and out of the province.

Since the outbreak of the epidemic along with the stringent traffic restriction measures, many migrant workers have been stranded at home for more than two months.

Qichun County, Huanggang city, for example, estimates it has about 216,000 people who need to leave the province to return to work. With the restrictions lifted on Wednesday, passengers were seen at a long-distance bus station in the county waiting in line to register their information and have temperatures checked before boarding.

The easing of traffic restrictions came as the province has seen great improvements in controlling the epidemic.

On March 13, all areas except Wuhan have been rated as low and medium risk, and the provincial government started to encourage returning people to work by using chartered bus services traveling directly to destinations.

CHINA FOREIGN TRADE MAINTAINS SOUND MOMENTUM DESPITE COVID-19 IMPACT: TRADE COUNCIL

China's foreign trade sector has the resilience and growth potential to weather the impact of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), a national trade promotion agency said.

With strong competitiveness, a stable industrial chain and rapid development of new business formats, China's foreign trade sector will remain sound growth momentum in the long term, said Gao Yan, head of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT).

While COVID-19 has brought uncertainties to trade development, China has rolled out a string of policies to stabilize the growth of the sector, Gao said in an interview with an official publication under the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

Citing a CCPIT survey on foreign companies operating in China, Gao noted that foreign firms are still bullish on the prospects of the Chinese market.

The epidemic has brought fresh investment opportunities in sectors including medical science and artificial intelligence, Gao noted, adding that investment from countries along the Belt and Road has seen continued growth despite the epidemic.

"The epidemic may prompt investors in relevant countries to seek safer investment destinations, leading to further gathering of international industries in China," Gao said.

The CCPIT will actively promote stable growth of the foreign trade sector, setting up online exhibition platforms to connect companies for business negotiations, Gao said.

CHINA DOMINATES LIST OF EDUCATION INDUSTRY BILLIONAIRES

China has the most billionaires in the world from the education industry, accounting for 63 percent of the total, according to the Hurun Global Education Rich List 2020 jointly released by the Hurun Research Institute and Hurun Education.

Among the top 10, seven came from China, including the top three.

The Hurun Research Institute found 19 billionaires from the field of education, among which 12 came from China. They came from 15 companies, with a total wealth of $55 billion and an average wealth of $2.9 billion. The average age was 55.

Li Yongxin, 44, and his mother Lu Zhongfang, 78, founder of Offcn Education Technology, a private institution that offers training for the civil service exam, have been crowned the richest education entrepreneurs in the world with wealth of 91 billion yuan ($12.8 billion).

Zhang Bangxin, 39, chairman and CEO of Tomorrow Advancing Life Education Group, ranked second with a personal wealth of 62 billion yuan, which increased by nearly 70 percent from last year.

Chen Xiangdong, 49, founder of online education firm Genshuixue, ranked third with 32 billion yuan. Genshuixue's stock price has risen 280 percent since its listing in June last year and has risen 25 percent in the last two months during the coronavirus outbreak.

Beijing is the world capital of education entrepreneurs, with six billionaires living there followed by Hefei with three, and Hong Kong and Bangalore with two each.

There are two female entrepreneurs on the list, accounting for 9.1 percent, lower than the 15.7 percent proportion of female entrepreneurs on the Hurun Global Rich List 2020.

In addition, educational entrepreneurs have relatively high academic qualifications, Hurun said. Three billionaires have doctorates, four have master's degrees and seven have bachelor's degrees.

QINGDAO JIAODONG INTL AIRPORT RESUMES CONSTRUCTION

Qingdao Jiaodong International Airport has resumed construction in Qingdao, East China's Shandong province.

At present, the airport flight area and cargo area have completed final acceptance of construction, the main process for entering and leaving the port is qualified for testing, and the entire project has reached the final stage.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things. He is the one that gets the people to do the greatest things. - Ronald Reagan