Archive for ‘Wuhan’

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23/01/2020

Coronavirus: Wuhan shuts public transport over outbreak

Wuhan, a Chinese city of eleven million people, has temporarily shut down its public transport as it tries to halt the outbreak of a new strain of virus.

Those living in the city have been advised not to leave, in a week when millions of Chinese are travelling for the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday.

The respiratory illness has spread to other parts of China, with some cases in other countries including the US.

There are more than 500 confirmed cases and 17 people have died.

Known for now as 2019-nCoV, the virus is understood to be a new strain of coronavirus not previously identified in humans. The Sars (severe acute respiratory syndrome) virus that killed nearly 800 people globally in the early 2000s was also a coronavirus, as is the common cold.

All the fatalities so far have been in Hubei, the province around Wuhan.

Meanwhile, after a day of discussions in Geneva, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) emergency committee has announced it will not yet declare a “global emergency” over the new virus.

Director general Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus said more information was needed about the spread of the infection. The committee of health experts will meet again on Thursday.

A global emergency is the highest level of alarm the WHO can sound and has previously been used in response to swine flu, Zika virus and Ebola.

What measures have been announced?

From Thursday, all flights and passenger train services out of Wuhan have been stopped.

Bus, subway and ferry services all shut down from 10:00 local time (02:00 GMT).

A special command centre in Wuhan set up to contain the virus said the move was meant to “resolutely contain the momentum of the epidemic spreading”.

Map of Wuhan transportThose living in Wuhan had already been told to avoid crowds and minimise public gatherings.

State news agency Xinhua said tourist attractions and hotels in the city had been told to suspend large-scale activities while libraries, museums and theatres were cancelling exhibitions and performances.

A Lunar New Year prayer-giving ceremony at the city’s Guiyuan Temple, which attracted 700,000 people last year, has also been cancelled.

The hashtag “Wuhan is sealed off” was trending on Chinese social media website Weibo.

One user said worries about food and disinfectant made it feel like “the end of the world”, while another said they were on the “verge of tears” when Chinese officials announced the shut-down.

The WHO’s Dr Ghebreyesus described the latest measures as “very strong” and said they would “not only control the outbreak, they will minimise spread internationally”.

Chinese officials said the country was now at the “most critical stage” of prevention and control.

“Basically, do not go to Wuhan. And those in Wuhan please do not leave the city,” said National Health Commission vice-minister Li Bin in one of the first public briefings since the beginning of the outbreak.

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Like shutting down London before Christmas

By James Gallagher, BBC health and science correspondent

Wuhan is starting to look like a city in quarantine.

Officials had already warned residents not to leave the city and visitors not to come.

Now the reported public transport ban – which includes flights – slams many of the routes in and out of the city shut.

A man wears a mask on the subway on January 22, 2020 in Wuhan, Hubei province, ChinaImage copyright GETTY IMAGES
Image caption Subways in Wuhan will be temporarily shut

It is a significant attempt to stop the spread of this new virus, which we now know can spread from person to person.

Limiting transport will cut the chance of the virus reaching other cities in China and other countries around the world.

This all comes just as millions of people are travelling across China for the week-long holiday that is Lunar New Year.

If you’re struggling for context – imagine shutting down London in the week before Christmas.

The big question left is the roads – and whether any of Wuhan’s 11 million inhabitants will be able to simply drive away.

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What’s the picture globally?

Officials in Hong Kong reported the territory’s first two cases on Wednesday and one case was reported in the nearby city of Macau.

The patient in Macau is said to be a businesswoman who arrived from Wuhan over the weekend.

The first US case was confirmed on Tuesday. President Donald Trump said the situation was “totally under control” and that he trusted the information being provided by Chinese authorities.

Map: Confirmed cases in China and around the world
There have been three cases in Thailand, one in Korea, one in Japan and one in Taiwan.

Although only about 500 cases have been confirmed, calculations by scientists at the MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis at Imperial College London suggest there are 4,000 people sick with the virus in Wuhan.

What do we know about the virus?

The virus originated in a seafood market in Wuhan that “conducted illegal transactions of wild animals”, authorities said. The market has since been shut down.

There is also evidence of human to human transmission with the new virus spreading to family members and healthcare workers.

But understanding how easily and how often the virus spread between people is one of the major outstanding questions in this outbreak.

The virus infects the lungs and symptoms start with a fever and cough. It can progress to shortness of breath and breathing difficulties.

Source: The BBC

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23/01/2020

WHO expert panel to decide whether new virus is an emergency

GENEVA (Reuters) – A World Health Organisation panel of experts on the new coronavirus met on Thursday to evaluate whether the outbreak, which has spread from China to several countries, constitutes an international emergency.

The 16 independent experts in disease control, virology, epidemiology and vaccine development were holding a second closed-door meeting at the U.N. agency’s headquarters in Geneva after not reaching a decision on Wednesday.

Didier Houssin, an adviser to France’s national health security agency, is serving as chair. Chinese health authorities made a presentation by teleconference and have allowed a WHO team into the country who are due to report back to the panel.

A news conference was expected later in the day.

Here are some facts about WHO Emergency Committees:

– Director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced on Monday that the WHO had called an Emergency Committee to assess the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) that began in the Chinese city of Wuhan at the end of last year.

– Declaration of a Public Health Emergency of International Concern – known as a “PHEIC” in WHO jargon – is rare.

– The WHO panel’s recommendations, after assessing any evidence of human-to-human transmission and other factors, would be put to Tedros, who would decide whether to declare an emergency.

– Only five emergencies have been declared in the past decade: the H1 virus that caused an influenza pandemic (2009), West Africa’s Ebola outbreak, polio (2014), Zika virus (2016), and the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (2019).

– The WHO’s criteria, laid out in the 2005 International Health Regulations, define a PHEIC as “an extraordinary event which is determined to constitute a public health risk to other states through the international spread of disease and to potentially require a coordinated international response”.

– Such situations are “serious, sudden, unusual or unexpected”, carry cross-border implications and may require immediate international action, its rules say.

– A declaration would lead to boosting public health measures, funding and resources to prevent and reduce international spread.

– It could include recommendations on trade and travel, including airport screening of passengers, although the WHO generally aims to avoid disruptive trade restrictions.

Source: Reuters

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21/01/2020

China virus fears grow as human transmission and fourth death confirmed

BEIJING (Reuters) – With millions of Asians travelling on Tuesday for the Lunar New Year holiday, authorities in China confirmed that a new virus could be spread through human contact, reporting 15 medical staff had been infected and a fourth person had died.

The chilling update on the coronavirus outbreak that began in the central city of Wuhan sent shivers through financial markets, as the World Health Organisation called a meeting for Wednesday to consider declaring an international health emergency.

By the end of Monday the number of confirmed cases in China had climbed to 291, the National Health Commission said. Some 270 were in Hubei province. Wuhan, a city of 11 million people is the provincial capital.

The outbreak was also spreading to other cities, with 15 cases in southern province of Guangdong, five in the capital Beijing and two in Shanghai.

RELATED COVERAGE

  • WHO says expects further spread of new coronavirus in China
  • Death toll from coronavirus outbreak in China’s Wuhan rises to six – state TV

“Information about newly reported infections suggest there may now be sustained human to human transmission,” WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific Takeshi Kasai said in an email statement.

The scare brought back bad memories of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), another coronavirus that broke out in China in 2002/2003, resulting in the death of nearly 800 people in global pandemic.

Health authorities around the world have begun to step up screening of travellers arriving from China. Two cases have already been identified in Thailand, one in Japan and one in South Korea, while the Philippines reported on Tuesday its first suspected case.

Wuhan Municipal Health Commission confirmed a fourth fatality on Tuesday, disclosing that an 89-year-old man who had underlying health issues, including heart disease, died on Jan. 19.

Chinese authorities also confirmed for the first time that the virus could spread through human contact and said 15 medical staff had been infected.

The mounting anxiety was transmitted to regional markets. China’s onshore yuan CNY= fell 0.6%, its biggest daily drop since Aug. 26, 2019, while airline and travel stocks fell across the region.

European shares also slipped on mounting concerns about the impact of the outbreak, with luxury goods firms particularly hard-hit on worries about weaker demand from Chinese consumers.

The virus can cause pneumonia, with symptoms including fever and difficulty in breathing. As those symptoms are similar to many other respiratory diseases, extra screening is needed.

AIRPORT SCREENING

The origin of the virus has yet to be identified, but the primary source is most likely animal, according to WHO. Chinese officials have linked the outbreak to a seafood market in Wuhan.

“The outbreak of a SARS-like coronavirus in Wuhan is developing into a major potential economic risk to the Asia-Pacific region now that there is medical evidence of human-to-human transmission,” said Rajiv Biswas, Asia Pacific Chief Economist for IHS Markit, in an email statement.

So far, the WHO has not recommended trade or travel restrictions but such measures could be discussed at Wednesday’s emergency meeting.

China’s National Health Commission will also give an update on the outbreak at a press briefing at 10 a.m. (0200 GMT) on Wednesday.

Foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said China will attend the WHO meeting and share relevant information.

“China is willing to deepen its global cooperation and work with the international community to work together to deal with the epidemic,” Geng told reporters at a regular daily briefing.

Airport authorities in the United States as well as most Asian nations also are screening passengers from Wuhan.

Australia on Tuesday said it would screen passengers on flights from Wuhan, while Singapore announced it would quarantine individuals with pneumonia and a history of travel to Wuhan within 14 days prior to the onset of symptoms.

QUEUES FOR MASKS

Wuhan officials have been using infrared thermometers to screen passengers at airports, railway stations and other passenger terminals since Jan. 14.

Zhong Nanshan, head of the National Health Commission’s team of experts investigating the outbreak, said in footage shown by state television on Monday there was no danger of a repeat of the SARS epidemic so long as precautions were taken.

Images of long lines of people queuing to buy face masks were circulating widely on Chinese social media, where the outbreak was one of the top trending topics.

Some online vendors were limiting sales of masks and hand sanitizers as demand surged.

And Shanghai’s market regulator warned on Tuesday that it will punish speculators who hoard masks and other products used for preventing diseases, according to the Shanghai Observer – a web publication backed by a Communist Party newspaper.

Trip.com, China’s top online travel booking platform, said it would refund customers who cancel bookings in Wuhan this month, or whose travel plans are disrupted by quarantines or other regulatory efforts to prevent the spread of the virus.

Source: Reuters

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20/01/2020

China confirms spread of new virus as cases surge

BEIJING (Reuters) – An outbreak of a new coronavirus in China has spread to more cities, Chinese authorities said on Monday, as the number of patients tripled and a third person died, stoking concerns about containment of the illness.

The Daxing health commission in the capital Beijing said it had confirmed two cases of coronavirus, while the southern Guangdong province’s health commission confirmed one case in Shenzhen. They mark the first cases in China beyond the central city of Wuhan where the virus first emerged.

The Wuhan Municipal Health Commission said 136 new cases of pneumonia caused by the coronavirus strain had been found in the city over the weekend, adding to 62 already known cases. A third death occurred on Saturday, the authority said in a statement.

RELATED COVERAGE

  • Masks on, Chinese start holiday travels as alarm mounts over mystery virus
  • South Korea confirms first case of new coronavirus in Chinese visitor

This brings the total number of known cases worldwide to more than 200, underscoring the challenge for health authorities seeking to contain the outbreak. South Korea on Monday reported its first confirmed case of the coronavirus, a 35-year-old female Chinese national who had travelled from Wuhan, the fourth patient to be reported outside China.

Hundreds of millions of Chinese tourists will be traveling domestically and abroad during the Lunar New Year holiday period that starts later this week.

A report by London Imperial College’s MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis estimated that by Jan. 12 there were 1,723 cases in Wuhan City with onset of related symptoms. Chinese health authorities have not commented directly on the report.

CONTAINMENT EFFORTS

Authorities around the globe, including in the United States and many Asian countries, have stepped up screening of travellers from Wuhan. Last week, two cases were reported in Thailand and one in Japan. All three involved people from Wuhan or who recently visited the city.

The virus belongs to the same family of coronaviruses as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), which killed nearly 800 people globally during a 2002/03 outbreak that also started in China.

Its symptoms include fever and difficulty in breathing, which are similar to many other respiratory diseases and pose complications for screening efforts.

China’s National Health Commission said on Sunday it will step up prevention efforts, but acknowledged it still doesn’t know the source of the virus.

Shares in pharmaceutical firms and mask makers in China surged Monday because of the outbreak.

The outbreak was one of the top trending topics on Chinese social media platform Weibo, where many users expressed concerns about their safety.

“Who knows how many people who have been to Wuhan may be unaware that they have already been infected?,” one user said.

China’s Global Times, published by the ruling Communist Party’s official People’s Daily newspaper, said in an editorial the government needs to disclose all information and not repeat the mistakes made with SARS. Chinese officials covered up the SARS outbreak for weeks before a growing death toll and rumours forced it to reveal the epidemic.

“Concealment would be a serious blow to the government’s credibility and might trigger greater social panic,” the editorial said.

Source: Reuters

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18/01/2020

New Chinese virus ‘will have infected hundreds’

VirusesImage copyright GETTY IMAGES
Image caption There were six coronaviruses known to infect people before the latest discovery

The number of people already infected by the mystery virus emerging in China is far greater than official figures suggest, scientists have told the BBC.

There have been more than 60 confirmed cases of the new coronavirus, but UK experts estimate a figure nearer 1,700.

Two people are known to have died from the respiratory illness, which appeared in Wuhan city in December.

“I am substantially more concerned than I was a week ago,” disease outbreak scientist Prof Neil Ferguson, said.

The work was conducted by the MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis at Imperial College London, which advises bodies including the UK government and the World Health Organization (WHO).

Singapore and Hong Kong have been screening air passengers from Wuhan, and US authorities announced similar measures starting on Friday at three major airports in San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York.

How were the numbers calculated?

The crucial clue to the scale of the problem lies in the cases being detected in other countries.

While the outbreak is centred on the central Chinese city of Wuhan, there have been two cases in Thailand and one in Japan.

“That caused me to worry,” said Prof Ferguson.

He added: “For Wuhan to have exported three cases to other countries would imply there would have to be many more cases than have been reported.”

It is impossible to get the precise number, but outbreak modelling, which is based on the virus, the local population and flight data, can give an idea.

Wuhan International Airport serves a population of 19 million people, but only 3,400 a day travel internationally.

The detailed calculations, which have been posted online ahead of publication in a scientific journal, came up with a figure of 1,700 cases.

What does it all mean?

Prof Ferguson said it was “too early to be alarmist” but he was “substantially more concerned” than a week ago.

Chinese officials say there have been no cases of the virus spreading from one person to another.

Instead they say the virus has crossed the species barrier and come from infected animals at a seafood and wildlife market in Wuhan.

Prof Ferguson argues: “People should be considering the possibility of substantial human-to-human transmission more seriously than they have so far.

“It would be unlikely in my mind, given what we know about coronaviruses, to have animal exposure, be the principal cause of such a number of human infections.”

Understanding how a novel virus is spreading is a crucial part of assessing its threat.

The WHO’s China office said the analysis was helpful and would help officials plan the response to the outbreak.

“Much remains to be understood about the new coronavirus,” it said. “Not enough is known to draw definitive conclusions about how it is transmitted, the clinical features of the disease, the extent to which it has spread, or its source, which remains unknown.”

WuhanImage copyright GETTY IMAGES
Image caption The outbreak occurred in the city of Wuhan, south of Beijing

What is this virus?

Viral samples have been taken from patients and analysed in the laboratory.

And officials in China and the World Health Organization have concluded the infection is a coronavirus.

Coronaviruses are a broad family of viruses, but only six (the new one would make it seven) are known to infect people.

At the mild end they cause the common cold, but severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars) is a coronavirus that killed 774 of the 8,098 people infected in an outbreak that started in China in 2002.

Analysis of the genetic code of the new virus shows it is more closely related to Sars than any other human coronavirus.

The virus has caused pneumonia in some patients and been fatal in two of them.

What do other experts say?

Dr Jeremy Farrar, director of the Wellcome medical research charity, said: “There is more to come from this epidemic.

“Uncertainty and gaps remain, but it’s clear that there is some level of person-to-person transmission.

Media caption Coronavirus feared to have infected more than initially thought, according to scientists

“We are starting to hear of more cases in China and other countries and it is likely, as this modelling shows, that there will be many more cases in a number of countries.”

Prof Jonathan Ball, from the University of Nottingham, said: “What’s really important is until there has been widespread laboratory testing it is very difficult to put a real number on the cases out there.

“But this is a figure we should take seriously until we know otherwise, 41 animal-to-human ‘spillovers’ is stretching it a bit and there probably is more underlying infection than has been detected so far.”

Source: The BBC

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30/11/2019

China’s Hubei opens scenic high-speed railway

WUHAN, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) — Central China’s Hubei Province on Friday opened a new high-speed railway that connects many of the province’s scenic spots and poverty-stricken areas.

The railway linking Wuhan, capital of Hubei, with Shiyan, a city in the northwest of the province, has designed maximum speeds of 250 kph and 350 kph in its two sections, according to China Railway Wuhan Group.

The railway passes five cities, home to 46 percent of Hubei’s population. It also snakes into the Qinling Mountains and reaches large expanses of impoverished areas there.

Dubbed the “most beautiful railway” in Hubei, the rail line links four national tourist attractions with the highest 5A-level ratings, including Mount Wudang, known for its many Taoist temples.

Zheng Zongli, a Wuhan resident and passenger on the first train on the line, hailed the railway for slashing travel time between the two cities of Wuhan and Shiyan to about two hours.

“It is so convenient that you can set out in the morning and arrive at Mount Wudang in the afternoon. It used to take more than a day,” he said.

Shi Lilong, chief of the poverty reduction office of Shiyan, said the railway would become a powerful weapon in the local battle against poverty by bringing the mountains and its sceneries closer to tourists, unlocking the tourism potential of the mountainous region.

Source: Xinhua

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01/11/2019

China’s Communist Party promotes man who shaped the fighting future of PLA Navy’s aircraft carriers

  • Rear Admiral Ma Weiming is seen as pioneer of electromagnetic aircraft launch system
  • Experts say Ma’s full membership of Central Committee shows how important sea power is to China’s strategic planning
An artist’s impression of China’s third aircraft carrier, the Type 002, which will incorporate an electromagnetic aircraft launch system developed by Rear Admiral Ma Weiming and his team. source: Photo: Handout
An artist’s impression of China’s third aircraft carrier, the Type 002, which will incorporate an electromagnetic aircraft launch system developed by Rear Admiral Ma Weiming and his team. source: Photo: Handout

China’s Communist Party has elevated the senior naval engineer behind the development of a hi-tech launch system for the country’s next aircraft carriers, showing China’s ambition to increase its naval power.

Rear Admiral Ma Weiming, who is seen as the pioneer of China’s electromagnetic aircraft launch system (EMALS), was named as a full member, from alternate member, of the party’s Central Committee at the party plenary meeting which ended on Thursday.

The plenum sessions – attended by more than 300 full and alternate members of the Central Committee – provide an opportunity for the party’s most senior members to discuss and forge consensus on key policy issues.

Real Admiral Ma Weiming (right) has been elevated to full membership of the Communist Party’s Central Committee. Photo: SCMP
Rear Admiral Ma Weiming (right) has been elevated to full membership of the Communist Party’s Central Committee. Photo: SCMP
Li Jie, a Beijing-based military specialist, said the move showed China’s ambition to continue expanding its naval military power.
“Ma’s promotion signals that Beijing will devote more resources to developing strategic military hardware like large warships and assault landing ships,” he said.

The EMALS is regarded as a breakthrough for the People’s Liberation Army, as it will enable China’s second home-grown aircraft carrier – known as the Type 002 – to launch larger jets with bigger payloads on longer missions.

The system could result in fuel savings of up to 40 per cent. With a higher launch energy capacity, it will also be more efficient than steam catapults, allowing for improvements in ease of maintenance, increased reliability, and more accurate end-speed control and smoother acceleration.

Why Chinese submarines could soon be quieter than US ones
Ma, who comes from Yangzhou in eastern Jiangsu province, graduated from the PLA Naval University of Engineering in Wuhan in 1987 and earned a PhD in electrical engineering from Beijing’s Tsinghua University in 1996.

A specialist in maritime propulsion, electrical engineering and related fields, he has mentored more than 400 masters and doctoral students at the naval university.

He and his team have often been recognised for their work as greater emphasis has been put on research and development amid the country’s military modernisation.

China’s first home-built carrier will use steam catapults and a ski-jump deck to launch aircraft. Photo: Handout
China’s first home-built carrier will use steam catapults and a ski-jump deck to launch aircraft. Photo: Handout

Ma has twice won the National Science and Technology Progress Award and in 2015 was awarded the science and technology achievement prize by the Hong Kong-based Ho Leung Ho Lee Foundation.

According to news reports, in the 1980s Ma spotted a potential flaw with an electrical component China planned to buy from overseas to use on its submarines that would have made the vessels easier to detect. Though the manufacturer denied any such problem, Ma spent five years tweaking the product so that submarines fitted with the part became harder to spot.

Three catapult launchers spotted in image of China’s new aircraft carrier

Beijing-based military expert Zhou Chenming said Ma’s promotion could be seen as a national endorsement of his work on EMALS.

“Ma was elected as a Central Committee member because the party and the country recognise the strategic importance of his work as China is expanding into a naval power with a huge maritime interest to protect,” he said.

Zhou, however, said Ma’s promotion was made two years ago, but he could not be formally made a full member until a vacancy opened up this year.

Source: SCMP

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28/10/2019

Military World Games of “historic” and “peace” close in Wuhan

(SP)CHINA-WUHAN-7TH MILITARY WORLD GAMES-CLOSING CEREMONY

Xu Qiliang, president of the 2019 Military World Games organizing committee and also vice chairman of China’s Central Military Commission, declares the 7th CISM Military World Games close during the closing ceremony of the Games in Wuhan, capital of central China’s Hubei Province, Oct. 27, 2019. (Xinhua/Xiao Yijiu)

WUHAN, Oct. 27 (Xinhua) — Xu Qiliang, president of the 2019 Military World Games organizing committee, also vice chairman of China’s Central Military Commission, declared the Games close on Sunday in Wuhan, central China, to wrap up the biggest ever “Olympics for the military”.

Chinese Vice Premier Sun Chunlan, also president of the Wuhan Military World Games organizing committee, thinks highly of the organization of the Games and the performances of worldwide athletes.

“We have experienced a successful, wonderful and unforgettable military games in the lastest 10 days. This is a military gala of sharing friendship and safeguarding peace,” said Sun at the closing ceremony.

“This Games have showcased the spirits of the military personnel, which uphold perseverance, challenging limits and striving for better. This Games are full of wonders and achievements and are set to leave China’s marks in its history,” she added.

According to Sun, seven world records had been set and 85 International Military Sports Commission (CISM) affiliated records had been broken here in the tournament, as athletes rated it as a high-level international event, which featured 67 Olympic and world champions.

After 10-day competitions, host China collected 133 golds and 239 medals in total, the first time for a country to grab 100 plus golds. The traditional powerhouse Russia obtained 51 golds and 161 medals in all as an evident runner-up in medal tally, followed by Brazil, the host for 2011 Games, with 21 golds and 88 medals. France, Poland and Germany lined up from fourth to sixth places, all clinching 10 plus golds.

Herve Piccirillo, CISM president, hailed the Games as great success and tagged it with two key words “historic” and “peace” on Friday, lauding its material and spiritual legacy to the host city and the world.

“These are games that will mark the history of military competitions and develop new practices in the future,” said Piccirillo in an interview with Xinhua.

The president picked the word “historic” for its history-making participation of nearly 10,000 military personnel, investment for games organization, mobilization of volunteers and passion from Chinese people.

Explaining the word “peace”, he said, “because the message that is carried by a whole people, because beyond the games, it is all the Chinese people who are spreading this message of solidarity and peace, which corresponds to ‘friendship through sport’, the motto of the CISM.”

The 52-year-old Frenchman repeated his praise on the Games on Sunday at the closing ceremony, saying “the Military World Games leaves Wuhan unparalleled tangible and intangible heritage for the future generations.”

Piccirillo applauded the Athletes’ Village and sports facilities built for the Games. “Athletes’ Village represents the effectiveness of the city government’s effort to balance between urban development and environmental protection,” said he. “The multiple sports venues built in line with highest standards in the world can serve any future international sports event that Wuhan may step up to host.”

It’s the first time all competitions for the Games had been staged in a single city. The size of the host city, as well as its diversified terrain and abundant water resources, made it possible in Wuhan, where 35 sports venues were built or renovated to meet international standards.

A 30-building Village was built to accommodate the athletes and coaches, which is also the first attempt in the Games’ 24-year history.

Piccirillo expressed his sincere thanks to the organizers and volunteers for their contributions and services to the promotion of military sports, commenting “you have completed your jobs excellently.”

“I would like to thank the governments of China, Hubei province, and Wuhan city for enabling us all, valid and disabled, to share the common value of the military under the banner of inclusiveness, equality, universal love and sharing, and this is the greatest success of the event,” said Piccirillo.

“All these will not have been possible without the conscientious efforts of the organizing committee. The volunteers have made our stay in Wuhan better, easier and more convenient.”

Ma Guoqiang, Party secretary of Wuhan city, paid tributes to the participants across the world, saying they have been “writing down a brand-new page in the history of world military sports,” and honored their performances at the event.

“Military athletes from 109 countries have come here and given their full and best plays in the competitions. They have not only demonstrated excellent sports skills, but also showed high morale,” said Ma at the ceremony.

He also praised the athletes with disabilities, noting they have exemplified the military dignity and showcased the power of life with their firm determination and great perseverance.

Ma underlined the theme of “peace” delivered from the Games and the sign of goodwill from China. “Peace is an eternal theme and a shared aspiration of the human society, as well as an unremitting pursuit of the Chinese people,” said Ma.

“This Games, as a sign of goodwill from the Chinese government, the Chinese armed forces, and the Chinese people, convey our yearning and blessing for peace. We hope the Games, like bright sunshine, can dispel the darkness of war and build a bridge of friendship to promote exchanges between civilizations.”

The 2019 Games has attracted the largest number of athletes and presented the most sports in history. Nearly 10,000 soldiers from 109 nations have competed for 329 gold medals in events from athletics, football, swimming, and basketball to parachuting, lifesaving, aeronautical and naval pentathlons.

It’s the first time the Games are open to the public, instead of being confined to barracks. Over 600,000 tickets had been sold, according to the Games executive committee, with men’s basketball, women’s volleyball, swimming and diving in highest demand.

The Games will also leave Wuhan with huge benefits to infrastructure improvements, new subway lines, and environmental upgrades. Over the past three years, the city renovated 1,300 kilometers of its urban roads and saw its metro network reach 330 kilometers in total length. Meanwhile, a total of 360,000 trees were planted.

First held in 1995 in Rome, the Military World Games are a multi-sports event for military personnel organized by the CISM.

Source: Xinhua

Posted in Athletes' Village, Central Military Commission, Central Military Commission (CMC), Chinese Vice Premier, close, historic, hubei province, International Military Sports Commission (CISM), Military World Games, Olympics for the military, peace, President, sports facilities, Sun Chunlan, Uncategorized, vice chairman, Vice Premier Sun Chunlan, Wuhan, Xu Qiliang | Leave a Comment »

20/10/2019

Xi meets delegates to PLA logistic support force Party congress, senior officers in Hubei

CHINA-HUBEI-WUHAN-XI JINPING-MEETING (CN)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, meets with delegates to the first Party congress of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Joint Logistic Support Force in Wuhan, capital of central China’s Hubei Province, Oct. 18, 2019. (Xinhua/Li Gang)

WUHAN, Oct. 19 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday met with delegates to the first Party congress of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Joint Logistic Support Force and senior officers stationed in central China’s Hubei Province, respectively.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, extended congratulations on the convening of the congress and sincere greetings to all the delegates and service personnel in the joint logistic support force.

The congress opened Wednesday in Wuhan, during which the delegates discussed the development of the joint logistic support force since its establishment and the plan for the next five years.

When meeting with senior officers stationed in Hubei, Xi extended sincere greetings to all officers and soldiers of the armed forces stationed in the province.

Xi encouraged them to faithfully perform their duties, forge ahead with determination, push for new progress in all work, and contribute to the realization of the Chinese dream of national rejuvenation and the dream of a strong military.

Source: Xinhua

Posted in Chairman of the Central Military Commission, Chinese President Xi Jinping, congratulations, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, hubei province, Joint Logistic Support Force, national rejuvenation, People's Liberation Army (PLA), strong military, The Chinese Dream, Uncategorized, Wuhan | Leave a Comment »

17/10/2019

Xi Jinping to open Military World Games in China as PLA goes on charm offensive

  • Soldiers from 140 countries are expected to take part in 10-day sporting event in Wuhan, Hubei province
  • It coincides with the Xiangshan Forum, where Beijing may seek to reinforce its position on issues like the South China Sea and US arms sales to Taiwan
More than 100 horses have arrived in Wuhan for the equestrian and modern pentathlon events of the Military World Games, which begin on Friday. Photo: Handout
More than 100 horses have arrived in Wuhan for the equestrian and modern pentathlon events of the Military World Games, which begin on Friday. Photo: Handout
President Xi Jinping is expected to open the Military World Games in central China on Friday, setting the stage for a People’s Liberation Army charm offensive as it seeks to strengthen ties with foreign forces and exert its influence.
China is hosting the 10-day sporting event in Wuhan, Hubei province, and soldiers from 140 countries are expected to take part. It will coincide with the three-day Xiangshan Forum – China’s equivalent of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore – to be held on the outskirts of Beijing from Sunday.
It comes after China staged a lavish military parade in Beijing to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the People’s Republic on October 1, showcasing some of the PLA’s most advanced weapon systems and strategic weaponry.
A Chinese military insider on Tuesday said Xi was expected to kick off the games in Wuhan – a symbolic move by the president as he seeks to boost the PLA’s international profile.
China has built a new athletes’ village in Wuhan that can accommodate 10,000 people. Photo: Handout
China has built a new athletes’ village in Wuhan that can accommodate 10,000 people. Photo: Handout

“[China sees] the Military World Games as a platform to promote international military diplomacy and an opportunity for the PLA to build its international image through sporting events,” the insider said.

It will be the first time China hosts the Military World Games, which is the second-biggest multi-sport event after the Olympics and is also held every four years.

To host the mega event, China has built a new athletes’ village in Wuhan that can accommodate the 10,000 military athletes who will compete. This year’s games will have the largest number of events ever, with badminton, table tennis, tennis and men’s gymnastics included for the first time.

The US Armed Forces will send about 300 athletes to Wuhan, according to state-run Xinhua. One of them is Mark Juliano, an archer and taekwondo player, who told the news agency: “You developed world-class venues and I can’t wait to experience the games.”

The Chinese president has high hopes for the PLA athletes at this year’s Military World Games, according to an insider. Photo: Handout
The Chinese president has high hopes for the PLA athletes at this year’s Military World Games, according to an insider. Photo: Handout

The military insider said Xi had high hopes that the PLA would win gold in some of the events.

“The Russians are known to be very good at some sports but the PLA has yet to earn a reputation in any particular sport,” the insider said. “Xi hopes that the home ground advantage will give the PLA the edge this time.”

Another Beijing-based military source said the top brass had put great emphasis on the success of three events this year – the National Day parade, Military World Games and the Xiangshan Dialogue.

The source said it would be the biggest Xiangshan Forum since China began holding the event more than a decade ago, and dozens of senior foreign defence officials and military leaders invited to the games in Wuhan would also take part in the forum.

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Set up in 2006, China uses the forum to play host to foreign military experts and leaders and discuss security and defence issues in the Asia-Pacific region. It is widely seen as an effort by Beijing to compete with the Asia Security Forum in Singapore, also known as the Shangri-La Dialogue after the hotel where it is staged.

The theme of this year’s Xiangshan Forum is “Maintaining international order and promoting peace in the Asia-Pacific”. Military observers said Beijing was likely to use it as an opportunity to reinforce its position on issues like the South China Sea and US arms sales to Taiwan.

Defence Minister Wei Fenghe criticised the US for damaging ties with China at last year’s Xiangshan Forum. Photo: Xinhua
Defence Minister Wei Fenghe criticised the US for damaging ties with China at last year’s Xiangshan Forum. Photo: Xinhua
During his speech at the event last year, Chinese Defence Minister Wei Fenghe criticised the US for damaging ties with China and pushing its containment strategy against the country.

Yao Yunzhu, a retired PLA major general and a delegate at the forum, said this year’s event would give the PLA an opportunity to explain its strategy to foreign militaries, including the US.

“The relationship between the PLA and its American counterpart has been stable over the past year despite tensions between Beijing and Washington over issues such as trade,” Yao said.

“But that military relationship has been stable thanks to the efforts of the two militaries to keep their communication open, as well as improving their crisis management mechanism,” she added.

Another forum delegate, Zhu Feng, dean of the international relations school at Nanjing University, said smaller countries in the region would use the forum to raise their concerns over the impact of tensions between China and the US on the region’s long-term stability.

Source: SCMP

Posted in 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC), advanced weapon systems, archer, Asia Security Forum, badminton, Beijing, celebrate, charm offensive, China alert, equestrian events, gymnastics, hubei province, Military World Games, Nanjing University, Olympics, open, PLA, President Xi Jinping, Shangri-La Dialogue, Singapore, South China Sea, strategic weaponry., table tennis, taekwondo player, Taiwan, tennis, Uncategorized, US Armed Forces, US arms sales, Wuhan, Xiangshan forum | Leave a Comment »

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