TWO SESSIONS TO OPEN IN LATE MAY IN BEIJING

This year's two sessions - China's most important annual political event – will be held in late May in Beijing, according to official releases on Wednesday.

The third plenary session of the 13th National People's Congress, the country's top legislature, will kick off on May 22, while the third plenary session of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the nation's top political advisory body, will start on May 21, the releases said.

The term "two sessions" refers to the annual full session of the NPC, which customarily begins on March 5, and the annual plenary session of the CPPCC National Committee, which should be open on March 3.

Both the sessions this year were postponed in February, as the nation was focusing on fighting the novel coronavirus epidemic at the time.

Every year during the two sessions, about 3,000 national legislators and 2,150 national political advisers travel to Beijing to review work reports of the central government, top judicial authorities and the annual budget, and to bring voices from the grassroots and different social sectors to the central leadership.

BEIJING SLAMS WASHINGTON OVER TRESPASS BY WARSHIP

China on Tuesday condemned trespassing by a United States warship in China's territorial waters and urged Washington to cease military operations detrimental to regional security, peace and stability.

Senior Colonel Li Huamin, spokesman for the People's Liberation Army Southern Theater Command, said that the destroyer USS Barry illegally entered China's territorial waters off the Xisha Islands in the South China Sea on Tuesday without permission from the Chinese government.

The PLA Southern Theater Command deployed air and naval forces to monitor the ship and verify its identity and warned it to leave, Li said.

A similar illegal incursion happened last month, when the USS McCampbell sailed into waters off the Xisha Islands on March 10, and the act was labeled by Beijing as hegemonic behavior.

The provocative practice of the US violated international law and infringed on China's sovereignty and security interests, Li said, adding that it increased security risks in the region and was prone to cause unexpected incidents.

Such moves are incompatible with the international fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and go against the willingness of regional countries to jointly maintain the peace and stability of the South China Sea, he said.

The PLA Southern Theater Command will resolutely fulfill its mission to safeguard national sovereignty and maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea, he added.

Li urged the US to focus more on curbing the novel coronavirus at the domestic level, and to do more to promote international anti-epidemic work.

Also, on Tuesday, the Foreign Ministry urged US politicians to find ways to control the pandemic as soon as possible instead of shifting blame after US President Donald Trump said that he may seek damages from China over the coronavirus outbreak.

Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told reporters that some US politicians repeatedly distort the facts, attempting to deflect attention from their insufficient response to the virus at home.

"Attempts to shift the blame to China will not wipe out China's efforts in combating the virus," Geng said. Such attempts are not conducive to pandemic prevention work in the US, he said, asking certain US politicians to reflect on their nation's own problems.

CHINA RESPONDS TO FALSE CLAIMS ABOUT MEDICAL EXPORT QUALITY

China urges some in the United States to immediately stop making unjustified accusations against its products and slandering China and called them to do something useful to help the US better respond to the epidemic, the Ministry of Commerce said.

The ministry made the remarks after White House trade advisor Peter Navarro on Monday accused China of shipping "low-quality and even counterfeit" novel coronavirus antibody testing kits to the US and of "profiteering" from the outbreak.

Navarro's words are groundless and extremely irresponsible, the ministry's spokesperson said in a statement released on late Tuesday.

Since the outbreak of the global epidemic, China has maintained close communication and cooperation with the certification and registration agencies of various countries, including the US Food and Drug Administration,to ensure China’s exports of anti-epidemic materials meets quality requirements of importers, the spokesperson said.

China has exported tens of millions of novel coronavirus antibody testing kits, the spokesperson said, adding the products have been widely praised by the international community. China has not yet received any feedback from US purchasers and users regarding the quality of testing kits.

The Ministry of Commerce stressed it takes joint efforts to fight against COVID-19, as it is still spreading throughout the world and has become a common enemy of mankind.

China urged certain parties in the US to take action more conducive to cooperation between the two countries in fighting the pandemic.

CHINA LAB REFUTES COVID-19 CONSPIRACY THEORIES AS VIRUS ORIGIN REMAINS UNCLEAR

Conspiracy theories suggesting that the novel coronavirus originated in a laboratory in Wuhan, Central China's Hubei province, have no basis in fact, the head of the lab told Reuters, adding that there were "still no answers" as to the origin of the virus.

The rumors claims that the novel coronavirus, now responsible for more than 200,000 deaths worldwide, was synthesized by the Wuhan Institute of Virology, or WIV, based in the city where the disease was first identified.

Yuan Zhiming, professor at WIV and the director of its National Biosafety Laboratory, said "malicious" claims about the lab had been "pulled out of thin air" and contradicted all available evidence.

"The WIV does not have the intention and the ability to design and construct a new coronavirus," he said in written responses to questions from Reuters. "Moreover, there is no information within the SARS-CoV-2 genome indicating it was manmade."

"More than 70 percent of emerging infectious diseases originated from animals, especially wild animals," Yuan said.

"In recent years, we have seen increasing risks posed by close contact between humans and wild animals, with global climate change and the continuous expansion of human activities," he said.

All seven known human coronaviruses have origins in bats, mice or domestic animals, scientists say.

Yuan also rejected theories that the lab had accidentally released a coronavirus it had harvested from bats for research purposes, saying the lab's biosecurity procedures were strictly enforced.

"High-level biosafety labs have sophisticated protective facilities and strict measures to ensure the safety of laboratory staff and protect the environment from contamination," he said.

Experts overwhelmingly say analysis of the new coronavirus's genome rules out the possibility that it was engineered by humans, as some commentators have suggested, according to The Associated Press.

Nor is it likely that the virus emerged from a negligent laboratory in Wuhan, they say. "I would put it on a list of 1,000 different scenarios," said Nathan Grubaugh of Yale University, who studies the epidemiology of microbial disease.

Scientists say the virus arose naturally in bats.

AIRPORT HUB SET FOR YANGTZE DELTA

China is set to create a world-class airfield complex across the Yangtze River Delta region, according to a blueprint issued by the National Development and Reform Commission on Monday.

The blueprint, focused on high-quality integrated development of the region's transportation by 2025 and published on the NDRC's website, lays a solid foundation to improve the area's infrastructure and supports the integrated development of the area and the nation's economic growth.

According to the blueprint, a number of major projects will be rolled out across the region, including new airports in Jiaxing and Lishui of Zhejiang province, as well as in Wuhu, Bozhou, Bengbu, Suzhou and Chuzhou of Anhui province.

In addition, the blueprint suggests the Yangtze River Delta region better adapt to the international trading environment and global supply chain, improve its airport network and optimize its ports' ability to coordinate.

"The new situation requires the region to better cope with the new international division of labor and better serve the State development strategy; better support and lead the economic mapping and adjustment of the regional population; better promote the construction of a modern industry system and coordination among industries; better explore a new way of eco-first and eco-friendly development; and better master the world's new round of science and technology revolution as well as the latest trend of industry transformation," the blueprint stated.

"The Yangtze River Delta region has already formed an effective transportation network of airports, seaports, railways and roads that have greatly improved the region's attraction in the past few decades, and that is the foundation for future planning and development," said Zhu Ronglin, a regional planning expert from the Development Research Center of the State Council and the NDRC.

Currently, travel between major cities across the region can be accomplished within 1.5 hours, and multiple transportation facilities enable goods to be shipped professionally across the region, according to the guideline.

But in accordance with higher standards of integration, there is still room for the region's transportation system to be improved, such as in the coordination of ports and airports, the service of the Shanghai international shipping center and cross-regional planning and operations.

"A highly efficient network requires closer connection between various transportation tools. That takes comprehensive planning to get different transportation solutions to work together, either for cargo delivery or for passenger travel," said Chen Zhuo, a senior analyst with China Merchants Securities.

Despite the region's outstanding transportation facilities among all city clusters across the nation, the further integration of the Yangtze River Delta region calls for a world-class airfield complex to support transportation from the region to across China and the world, said Yu Hongsheng, a researcher with Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences.

According to Yu, the existing 20-plus airports in the region can hardly meet the demand for air travel for its 300 million people.

"The significance of aviation will be key for China as the nation becomes more and more international and further opens up its economy," Yu said.

Zhu suggested the development of an airfield complex should avoid homogeneous competition to make sure the airports are under coordinated management.

"Different airports should have their own clear function and positioning to differentiate one from another. In the meantime, their management must be well-coordinated, so that aviation transportation can work at high efficiency," Zhu said.

"The high efficiency of the integrated airfield complex is key for the region's economic development and business vitality. Therefore, a fine concrete plan from the central government is extremely important," Yu said.

E-TICKETS IN USE AT ALL HIGH-SPEED RAIL STATIONS

All high-speed and intercity railway stations on the Chinese mainland will allow passengers to use electronic tickets, the country's top railway operator said on Tuesday.

With the adoption of e-ticket service on the high-speed line linking Lanzhou of Gansu province and Urumqi of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region on Wednesday, all 1,075 high-speed stations will allow passengers to check in without a paper ticket, said the China State Railway Group.

The move will streamline boarding procedures and improve services, the company said.

When entering the station and checking in, passengers need only swipe an identification card−a second-generation ID card for Chinese mainland residents, a permanent residence permit for foreign "green card" holders, or a mainland residence permit or travel permit for Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan residents−at the self-service counters.

Those whose ID cannot be read by the machines will be able to check in through the manual channel.

The service was introduced on the island-looping high-speed rail line of Hainan province in November 2018.

It was then promoted to the majority of the high-speed railway stations across the country during the fourth quarter last year.

After going through tests of the robust traffic during the Spring Festival, summer vacation and other holidays, the e-ticket system has been operating safely and steadily while garnering positive passenger feedback, it said.

To date, 736 million e-tickets have been sold, according to the company.

Also, as of Tuesday, disability certificate holders are able to buy discounted train tickets at 12306.cn, the official train ticket booking system.

The system has grouped disabled people with children, students and the military in online accessibility to discounted tickets.

Previously, disabled people had to go to ticket offices for such tickets.

HOSPITAL THAT TREATED VIRUS CASES TO CLOSE

A major hospital in Beijing designated to screen and treat COVID-19 patients from overseas will close on Wednesday, after the last two patients were cured and released on Tuesday.

A total of 2,175 people were tested over the past 44 days at Beijing Xiaotangshan Hospital−which has been used primarily to handle cases during epidemics, including SARS−with 54 confirmed cases hospitalized for treatment, the hospital said in a statement.

The hospital, with more than 1,600 beds, completed renovations on March 8 and began operations on March 16 as the risks of imported infections increased. It was designated to conduct COVID-19 testing on overseas travelers and to treat suspected cases as well as mild confirmed cases.

Medical workers from 22 major hospitals in Beijing were dispatched to the hospital to aid in the testing and treatment of patients. At the height of the imported cases, nearly 400 travelers were tested a day at the hospital after their arrival in Beijing.

With strict epidemic control efforts adopted, COVID-19 outbreaks in Beijing have been effectively contained. No new confirmed cases have been reported in the city over the past 12 days, according to the municipal government.

By Monday, Beijing had reported 174 confirmed COVID-19 cases imported from overseas, with 129 cured and released from hospitals. The rest are receiving treatment, the city's health commission said.

Ma Yingmin, vice-president of Beijing Chaoyang Hospital who was sent to Beijing Xiaotangshan Hospital to help treat patients, said the two patients discharged on Tuesday−an 18-year-old woman and a 50-year-old man−had stayed in the hospital for about a month.

"They were in mild condition, and our therapies were mainly aimed at relieving their symptoms," he said. "Although it was not difficult to provide treatment, they had to stay in the hospital until they tested negative for the virus twice, with a 24-hour interval between the tests."

"I am very excited and happy," the female patient said before leaving the hospital. "In particular, I want to thank the doctors and nurses that took care of me. They were really nice and considerate."

Zhang Wei, a doctor in neurosurgery at Beijing Tsinghua Changgung Hospital, who participated in diagnosis and treatment at Beijing Xiaotangshan Hospital, said the hospital provided a pleasant environment for the patients. Each patient lived in a single room equipped with a shower, she said.

Pan Suyan, director of the Beijing Hospitals Authority, said hospitals in Beijing will continue strict epidemic control and prevention efforts.

With the expected recovery of hospital medical services in Beijing due to demand from locals as well as patients from outside the capital, risks such as cross-infections in hospitals may increase, so high alert is necessary, she said, adding experiences in epidemic control and prevention at Beijing Xiaotangshan Hospital may be promoted in others.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Fear is a disease; hope is its only cure. - Jedi Proverb