PRESIDENT SENDS WORKERS GREETINGS FOR MAY DAY

President Xi Jinping extended sincere greetings to the country's workers of all ethnic groups on Thursday, encouraging them to contribute more to combating COVID-19 as well as promoting economic and social development through their hard work.

Xi made the remark when writing back to the staff of a service-oriented private company in Zhengzhou, capital of Henan province, ahead of International Labor Day, which falls on Friday.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that the employees of Yuanfang Group, guided by the company's Party committee, have been committed to their posts as cleaners and doormen since the start of the novel coronavirus outbreak.

Many of them voluntarily asked to be sent to hospitals in Wuhan to provide assistance in the country's hardest-hit region, he said, praising their contributions for fighting the virus with actual deeds.

Faced with the sudden outbreak, millions upon millions of workers in China, from front-line medical workers to those participating in epidemic prevention of all sorts, from sanitation workers to delivery workers and those who produce epidemic prevention materials, have poured their efforts into fulfilling their tasks and remaining quietly dedicated, Xi said.

Noting that greatness and heroes come from the ordinary people, Xi encouraged the country's working people to maintain firm determination, stay motivated, overcome difficulties and continue to do extraordinary work in their positions.

Among the 60,000 employees of Yuanfang Group, there are more than 500 Party members. Recently, Xue Rong, the company's Party secretary and also a delegate of the 19th CPC National Congress, wrote a letter on behalf of the staff to report to Xi how they have stuck to their jobs and actively participated in epidemic prevention work.

They also expressed their resolution to share responsibility and overcome the current difficulties in the country.

VICE-FM: DON'T USE PROBE TO STIGMATIZE CHINA

China opposes any arbitrary international inquiry into the COVID-19 pandemic that would presume its guilt and politicize its investigation to stigmatize China, Vice-Foreign Minister Le Yucheng said in a recent interview with a major television broadcaster in the United States.

Meanwhile, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Wednesday that the Australian government will continue to push for an independent review into the origins of the coronavirus and China's early handling of the outbreak.

On the same day, the White House ordered US intelligence agencies to find out whether China or the World Health Organization hid information about the virus early on in the outbreak.

Le said in the National Broadcasting Corp interview on Tuesday that China is "candid" and "open" to international investigation, and it supports professional exchanges between scientists.

"What we oppose, however, is unfounded charges against China. One should not accuse China first and then run so-called international investigations just to make up the evidence," he said.

Instead, he said, the international investigation should have a solid basis.

"Why is this investigation only targeting China?" he asked. "Is there any evidence to show that China does have problems? Why isn't there any investigation of other countries?"

Le refuted claims holding China accountable or demanding it make reparations, saying such remarks are a "preposterous political farce".

These is no international law that supports blaming a country simply for being the first to report a disease, neither does history offer any such precedent, he said.

China has made sacrifices in curbing the virus and won precious time for the world's battle against it, Le said, adding that China deserves fair recognition, not groundless accusation.

The unreasonable and legally unfounded demand for Chinese reparations is no different from blackmail, he said, adding that the intention is to shift blame to China for the accusers' own inadequate response.

Noting China is a partner fighting the virus alongside the US, rather than an opponent, Le called upon the two countries to set aside differences and contradictions and cooperate to overcome difficulties.

"Whatever the differences or disagreements between China and the US, they pale when we consider the well-being of the Chinese and American peoples and their shared aspiration for a better future," he said.

HOLIDAY EXPECTED TO BOOST PASSENGER FLOW

China is expected to see an uptick in travel during the five-day May Day holiday as the coronavirus outbreak has leveled off across the country.

However, the flow of travelers will be far below last year's level, according to the Ministry of Transport.

The country will see 117 million passenger trips during the holiday, or 23.36 million trips per day, ministry spokesman Wu Chungeng said at a news conference on Thursday.

Although travel volume has been gradually rebounding, the expected daily figure is only 34.8 percent of last year's daily passenger trip volume, he said, adding that most travelers would drive themselves short-distances within provincial borders.

This year's May Day holiday, Friday to Tuesday, has been extended, Wu said, but the public has lost much of its desire to travel as epidemic prevention and control become a long-term norm. Cancellation of non-urgent travel is the current trend.

In the civil aviation sector, 2.9 million trips are expected during the holiday, about 580,000 trips daily, according to the Civil Aviation Administration of China.

Yu Biao, director of the administration's transport department, said on Thursday that daily passenger trips during the May Day holiday may increase by 43 percent compared with the three-day Tomb Sweeping Day holiday in early April. However, this holiday still marks a year-on-year drop of about 66.8 percent.

"The overall passenger load of flights, at no more than 70 percent, will be significantly lower than the same period of previous years," he added.

The railway network is expected to handle a daily average of 5 million passengers during the holiday. Although that is only a third of last year's figure, it shows an apparent increase over earlier days this year, according to the Ministry of Transport.

Railways will operate about 5,700 passenger trains daily from Thursday to Tuesday, an increase of more than 700 trains over the pre-holiday period, and will add more trains in line with passenger flow changes, according to China State Railway Group, the country's top railway operator.

To boost travel, the railway system is offering discounts on over 20 intercity high-speed railway lines, cutting second-class seat prices by up to 45 percent, the rail company said.

With domestic travel on the upswing, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism has called for efforts to ensure safety.

Travel agencies are required to conduct safety assessments of tourist products and tourist routes, to strengthen safety education for tour guides and to review the qualifications of chartered tourist vehicles and their drivers, Luo Shugang, minister of culture and tourism, said at a news conference on Thursday.

Luo also said the ministry will enhance communication and coordination with public security, transportation, health and meteorological departments and intensify inspection for potential safety hazards.

PALACE MUSEUM REOPENS WITH DAILY CAP OF 5,000 VISITORS

After closing for 97 days to contain COVID-19, the Palace Museum in Beijing, also known as the Forbidden City, resumed the reception of visitors on Friday.

To control the flow of people, only 5,000 visitors who booked entry tickets online in advance are allowed in. And only outdoor spaces in the compound are so far available for public visits.

Visitors must have their body temperature checked and scan a QR code to signify their health status prior to entering the UNESCO World Heritage site, also China's formal imperial palace.

PLA SLAMS NAVAL DRILLS IN SOUTH CHINA SEA

The Chinese military opposes foreign powers bolstering their naval presence in the South China Sea, actions that are detrimental to regional peace and stability, a spokesman for the Ministry of National Defense said on Thursday.

The People's Liberation Army will remain highly vigilant and keep monitoring foreign navies' activities in the region, ministry spokesman Senior Colonel Wu Qian said in a news release.

Wu made the remarks amid recent "freedom of navigation" operations by the United States Navy. Since mid-April, the US and Australian navies have conducted joint military exercises in the South China Sea.

"Reality has proved once again that the US is the biggest facilitator of the militarization of the South China Sea and is a troublemaker for the region's peace and stability," Wu said.

"The PLA will remain on high alert, and adamantly safeguard national sovereignty, security, and development interests, as well as the peace and prosperity of the region."

In response to two US Naval Institute articles published early last month that called on the US to encourage the use of privateers to attack Chinese ships by issuing letters of marque−documents authorizing privately owned ships to capture enemy merchant ships−Wu called the idea "an act of piracy".

"These actions are criminal activities explicitly prohibited under international laws and will absolutely receive joint opposition and a severe backlash from the international community," he said.

Wu said that publicly endorsing piracy had exposed the hegemonic ideas and law of the jungle mentality behind the authors, "and the international community should be on guard against these thoughts".

When asked to comment on accusations by Taiwan defense authorities that the Chinese mainland was engaging in military coercion and threats against the island, Wu said Taiwan is part of China and PLA activities around the island are aimed at safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

"Our activities target a few Taiwan secessionists and their activities, not the majority of Taiwan compatriots," he said. "Any form of military resistance against reunification goes against the nation's righteous principles and is doomed to fail."

As for the military's efforts in combating the novel coronavirus pneumonia pandemic, Wu said the PLA had sent medical supplies and experts to many countries, including Iran, Pakistan, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and Lebanon.

PLA medical teams had also held seminars with peers from Pakistan, Singapore and Russia.

HUAWEI, CHINA MOBILE DELIVER WORLD'S HIGHEST 5G SERVICE

The world's highest 5G base station at an altitude of 6,500 meters entered operation on Thursday afternoon, with China Mobile and Huawei together taking 5G connectivity to a new height by bringing the network to the summit of Mount Qomolangma.

Together with the launch of the gigabit optical fiber network at the altitude of 6,500 meters, Huawei has enabled China Mobile to run its dual gigabit network the "Roof of the World".

The move once again showcased the technological prowess of China in rapidly commercializing the superfast technology and it will better help scientific research, environmental monitoring, high-definition live broadcasting and other activities on the highest mountain.

Huawei said it has offered its end-to-end solutions in the construction of China Mobile's dual gigabit network, where base stations were built in Mount Everest Base Camp at the altitude of 5,300 meters, the Transition Camp at 5,800 meters, and the Forward Camp at 6,500 meters. Huawei's 5G AAU and SPN technologies are applied at these base stations, where network maintenance and optimization are done by a dozen network specialists stationed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in regions at altitudes of 5,300 meters and above to ensure smooth network operations.

BACK TO THE GRIND

With the novel coronavirus outbreak largely contained in China, work and production have gradually resumed in many sectors. Construction work for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games and the second phase of the National Convention Center project resumed in February. To ensure the safety of the workers, stringent measures such as temperature readings, face masks and controlled meal services have been implemented at the sites. A total of 24 out of 25 construction projects have resumed in downtown Beijing and the capital's Yanqing district. Beijing will be the first city in the world to host both the summer and winter Olympic Games. China Daily's photographer Kuang Linhua has captured these images of projects.

EMPLOYMENT MARKET COULD SEESAW DURING PANDEMIC

The job market could experience fluctuations this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, making it even harder for vulnerable groups such as migrant workers to find work.

These workers have already been hit hard by the revolution in information technology.

In previous years, the domestic job market has been greatly influenced by the creation and application of robots and artificial intelligence, used mainly for efficiency, skills and knowledge, rather than physical strength.

According to a report by the World Economic Forum in 2018, machines were used for 29 percent of the manual work that year, with the proportion predicted to rise to 42 percent by 2022.

Demand among companies for automated production reportedly increased earlier this year as the viral outbreak affected the movement of large numbers of people, the majority of them migrant workers. Companies mainly relying on machinery considered themselves fortunate.

Ye Song, director of the production department at Jinyuming Food Co in Huangshan city, Anhui province, which produces and exports tea, said, "We used to employ 120 people to pack tea, but this number fell to around 40 with the introduction of a packaging machine in 2016."

He said the city has been categorized as an area with a low risk of infection, and with the workshop being in an enclosed area, it is much easier to manage 40 people during the outbreak, rather than 120.

"The machines also mean better production quality and greater efficiency. This is cost-effective in the long term," Ye said.

He added that one worker can pack 144 kilograms of tea a day, while an automated production line can handle 5 metric tons of tea daily, with just seven workers manning the line. "After we started using machines, our costs were reduced by 400 yuan ($57) per ton," Ye said.

The company first considered introducing an automated packing line when it was finding it difficult to recruit enough younger workers, he added.

"Most of our workers used to be in their 50s, and they found it hard to find jobs outside their hometown, especially the women," he said.

"Working conditions at factories are basic, making such employment less attractive to a younger labor force. As a result, we had to reduce our dependence on manual workers.

"Skills are another problem. It takes less time for the younger workers,I mean people in their 30s or 40s−at my company to learn how to operate machines, giving them an advantage over older employees."

The emphasis placed on skills during the information technology revolution has focused more public and government attention on reshaping the jobs market to meet increased demand among employers.

In December, a report by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of Population and Labor Economics said the emergence and development of new technologies requires job seekers to be skilled in communications and social behavior. Demand for skills in repetitive jobs has fallen, the report said.

Workers also need to have linguistic skills and the ability to operate a computer, rather than merely being able to complete a specific task.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Morality is of the highest importance - but for us, not for God. - Albert Einstein