Thursday, March 25, 2021

Mongolians to conquer Mars, study local SARS-CoV-2 variant with Japanese assistance



News (1)


Mars comprehensive training academy to be built in Mongolian Gobi


Reporter : Anudari.M / Publisher : Montsame News Agency 



A group of Mongolians have launched the Mars V project. They are in their second year of implementing the project to build Comprehensive Training Academy for Survival and Adaptation and Space Exploration and Development Free Zone in the Mongolian Gobi.

 

It is estimated that the development would bring annual revenue of MNT 20 billion to the country. Mongolia has the coldest Gobi in the world where temperatures drop to -42C, which closely resembles Mars, as proved by international scientists. Conquering planet Mars has become a short-term goal for the humankind. Mars V project team aims to create an environment for training Mars visitors, which is crucial to fulfilling the collective dream of ruling the galaxy. This has great economic benefits. Over 200 young people are conducting the project study with 2,800 volunteers.

 

It is feasible to develop tourism as part of the Mars V project as the Gobi environment could give the feeling as if one was on Mars. With this, flying into space and visiting a different planet will no longer be a rare opportunity presented only to astronauts. The project team emphasized that the unique scenery can be found only in the Mongolian Gobi.

 

“Humans are planning to send a manned mission to Mars. The Mars visitors have to be trained in the place most similar to Mars. That place is the Mongolian Gobi. We are the ‘closest’ to Mars. We are offering something we have to the world and will build a training base for the Mars visitors and another base for adaptation. Our country has limited capacity to do what other countries do for global competition, but it would be beneficial to the country’s economy and scientific development if we play to our strengths," Mars-V Project Executive Director G.Amgalanbayar said.

 

The project team is currently conducting a regional study across six aimags.


News (2)


Mongolia reports another 437 newly confirmed covid cases on 26 March 2021


Publisher : Montsame News Agency / https://www.montsame.mn/mn/read/257799 / Direct translation


PCR tests have performed on the coronavirus in 437 people over the past 24 hours. This is a sharp increase of 50 percent from 25 March, when the number of cases of coronavirus infection reported domestically in one day was the highest.


A total of 14,936 people were tested on 25 March at the NCCD, district laboratories and aimag laboratories.


Of the new covid cases, 370 were reported in Ulaanbaatar and 67 in rural areas. Specifically, 5 cases were reported in Khuvsgul aimag, 6 in Darkhan-Uul aimag, 18 in Orkhon, 3 in Dornogovi, 26 in Tuv aimag, 3 in Uvurkhangai and 6 in Khentii aimag.


As a result, the total number of confirmed cases of coronavirus infection in Mongolia on 26 March is 6332. Of these, 5,796 cases were registered domestically, 5,287 in Ulaanbaatar, and 509 in aimags and localities.


In the last 24 hours, 106 people have been discharged from the hospital, bringing the total number of people healed to 4,150.


NCCD, Military Central Hospital, “Mother and Child and Women's Center-2”, Sukhbaatar, Songinokhairkhan, Tuv, Khuvsgul, Darkhan-Uul, Uvs, Uvurkhangai and Arkhangai aimag general hospitals are treating 1462 people due to coronavirus infection, of which 1243 are mild and 194 are 18 are in critical condition and six are in critical condition.


J. Baigalmaa, Head of the NCCD's Surveillance and Research Department, said, “The sharp increase in the positive percentage of tests indicates that the spread of infection is quite wide. Therefore, citizens should minimize social contact, avoid gathering with friends and colleagues, do not go out unless absolutely necessary, do not visit homes, and do not receive people at home, and strictly follow the infection control regime. I also recommend spending your weekends at home. "


News (3)


285 new cases of COVID-19 reported on 25 March 2021


Reporter : Unurzul.M / Publisher : Montsame News Agency


The daily COVID-19 press briefing by the Ministry of Health for March 25 reported that in the past 24 hours 13,456 people were tested at the laboratories nationwide and 285 new coronavirus cases were confirmed. 


In specific, 267 cases were detected in Ulaanbaatar while 18 cases were confirmed in seven aimags; Zavkhan-1, Bayankhongor-1, Dornogobi -2, Tuv-2, Orkhon-3, Darkhan-Uul -7 and Arkhangai -2.

 

The total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Mongolia now has reached 5895, with 4,044 recoveries. Today, 1391 patients are receiving treatment at the National Center for Communicable Diseases, Central Military Hospital, Second Clinic for Maternal and Child Health, and hospitals in the aimags.


News (4)


Next generation sequencing laboratory to be established in April


Reporter : Batchimeg.B / Publisher : Montsame News Agency


With support from the World Health Organization, a comprehensive laboratory equipped with next generation sequencing (NGS) or viral whole-genome sequencing machines is to be established at the National Center for Communicable Diseases in April.


Within the frame of it, three specialists of virology laboratory of the center will depart for Japan tomorrow, March 25 to be involved in training on SARS-CoV-2 whole genome sequencing at the National Institute of Infectious Diseases in Tokyo, Japan.


The training has purposes to identify the spread of new variant of SARS-CoV-2 in Mongolia and to study clinical symptoms to be shown in cases of being infected with the new variant of the virus and its impact to vaccine efficacy.


During their study in Japan, the specialists will conduct genomic research on SARS-CoV-2 clusters in Mongolia in collaboration with Japanese scholars. In other words, they will study what variant of coronavirus infection is dominant in Mongolia.

News (5)

MIAT Mongolian Airlines' relief flights in summer 2021

Report by : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA


The Mongolian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on 25 March 2021 that it plans to change the schedule of MIAT Mongolian Airlines' relief flights and repatriate about 2,100 Mongolians wishing to return home in April on a total of 12 special relief flights.

In particular, there will be seven special flights to Seoul, two to Tokyo, two to Frankfurt and one to Istanbul. For example, 160 citizens will be repatriated from Seoul, via Incheon on 1 April 2021, and 160 Mongolians will be repatriated from Narita on 6 April. It is planned to pick up 160 people from Seoul, South Korea on 7 July and 250 people from Istanbul, on 10 July 2021.

News (6)

MIAT Mongolian Airlines brings Pfizer-BioNTech SARS-CoV-2 vaccines to Ulaanbaatar 


Report by : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA

On 24 March 2021, MIAT Mongolian Airlines conducted a freighter flight from Incheon to Ulaanbaatar and and brought 5 packages of 149 kilograms of the Pfizer–BioNTech COVID‑19 vaccine – brand named ‘Comirnaty’. 


This is the second delivery from the COVAX Facility, a partnership between the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF as well as civil society organizations, vaccine manufacturers, the World Bank, and others.


According to MIAT Mongolian Airlines, the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine packages were equipped with lithium batteries for the safe transport, and the vaccines were directly delivered to the vaccine storage facility of the National Center for Communicable Diseases in Ulaanbaatar. 


Minister of Health S.Enkhbold previously informed that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines against covid would be administered to organ transplant recipients, patients with chronic diseases, people with HIV and cancer patients. 


Currently, Mongolia has received a total of 499,740 doses of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, including 164,000 doses of AstraZeneca via Indian assistance and COVAX Facility, 300,00 doses of Sinopharm/Verocell vaccine from China, 10,000 doses of Sputnik-V vaccine from Russia and 25,740 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech via COVAX Facility.


News (7)

Russia resumes flights with Germany and other 6 countries from 1 April 2021

Report by : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA

The Russian Novel Coronavirus Epidemic Prevention and Control Headquarters announced on 25 March 2021 that based on the principle of reciprocity, Russia will resume international flights with Germany, Venezuela, Syria, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Sri Lanka from 1 April 2021.

The flights resumed with Germany are Moscow-Berlin, Moscow-Frankfurt, St. Petersburg-Berlin and St. Petersburg-Frankfurt. Russia's restored routes with Venezuela, Syria, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Sri Lanka are Moscow-Caracas, Moscow-Damascus, Moscow-Dushanbe, Moscow-Tashkent, and Moscow-Colombo.

In late March 2020, the Russian government issued an order to suspend all flights to other countries except for flights to and from Moscow and chartered flights for evacuation of overseas Chinese. Starting in August 2020, Russia has successively resumed flights with Turkey, Tanzania, Kazakhstan, South Korea and other countries.

According to relevant Russian regulations, countries that resume flights with Russia should meet that the number of SARS-CoV-2 infections per 100,000 people within 14 days should not exceed 40. The average daily rate of confirmed covid cases within 14 days is less than 1%, and the virus transmission index (refers to the number of covid patients infected before being quarantined) is less than 1.

Recently, the Russian epidemic situation has shown a positive trend. According to the news from the Russian Novel Coronavirus Epidemic Prevention and Control Headquarters on the 25th, in the past day, there were 9221 new cases of new coronavirus infections in Russia, and the cumulative number of infections exceeded 4.492 million.

News (8)

Shijiazhuang's airport resumes passenger flight operations on 26 March 2021

Report by : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA


After more than two months of suspension, Shijiazhuang Airport has resumed passenger flights from 26 March 2021. At the beginning of January this year, all airlines flying to Shijiazhuang Zhengding International Airport cancelled passenger and cargo flights due to the epidemic situation in Hebei at that time.

On 24 January 2021, Shijiazhuang Airport resumed domestic cargo flights. In that evening, China Postal Airlines Nanjing-Shijiazhuang CF900T flight carrying 10 tons of cargo landed at Zhengding Airport. This is the first route restored by Shijiazhuang's airport after the outbreak of the epidemic. This route runs once a day.

At night of 22 March 2021, the Shijiazhuang Airport runway plate replacement project was successfully completed. This entire board replacement is the first full-depth maintenance of the runway. The project lasted 5 days. After that, the safety assurance capability of the runway was further improved, making preparations for the full recovery of flights.

From Hebei Airlines' official website ticket booking query, one can see that from 26 March 2021, Hebei Airlines' flights on multiple routes from Shijiazhuang such as to Chengde have been booked. However, there are still many flights departing from Shijiazhuang that have not yet been opened for passenger booking.

News (9)

Mongolia opens first sports rehabilitation hospital in Ulaanbaatar

Publisher / Images : Montsame News Agency / https://www.montsame.mn/mn/read/258046 / Extract translation


In April, the first major sports health promotion, development and rehabilitation hospital in Mongolia, Almighty Clinic, will be added to the list of hospitals facing the threat of a pandemic that is spreading in Mongolia and the public has become more and more frustrated with covid. The main reason for the opening of this hospital is that the three friends, who were united in their hearts and represented the younger generation, worked together to keep thousands of young Mongolians healthy and to have the right lifestyle and habits.

The founders of the hospital are Kh. Munkhjin, editor-in-chief of the National Post newspaper, B. Sanchir, a member of the hospital and research commission of the Mongolian National Olympic Committee, and B. Battur, a mixed martial artist.

Recently, a campaign was launched on social media to help N. Bilegsaikhan, who is bedridden due to his disability. One of the initiators of the campaign, Kh. Munkhjin, editor-in-chief of the Undesnii Shuudan newspaper, established the Equestrian Military Council during his military service. people know that.

But the social world knows that B. Battur, known in the online world as “Hunter”, as a warrior, encourages many children and young people to do positive things and shows the beauty of sports. B.Battur is the best mixed martial arts athlete of “Zorky’s MMA” club and the audience will not forget that he participated in the MNB show “Mongolian Ninja Warriors” very successfully and won the Asian competition on behalf of Mongolia. Thankfully, such exemplary young people are coming together and paving the way for future generations.

The new hospital is a Sports Rehabilitation Center, but the Almighty Clinic aims to provide indoor, pediatric, rehabilitation and all kinds of diagnostics, as well as to develop sports medicine, which is not well developed in Mongolia.



The rehabilitation hospital is located in the second khoroo of Sukhbaatar district of the capital city. Therefore, it was announced at the opening ceremony that it is starting operations with a capacity to serve a total of 14,000 households in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd khoroo of the district. For example, residents of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd khoroos of the district have full access to specialized medical care. This is because there are no private hospitals in these khoroos. Here are the words of the founders who opened the doors of the new hospital to the public.

Kh.Munkhjin, founder of Almighty Clinic, said: “There is no specialized sports rehabilitation hospital in Mongolia yet. However, we understand that we are starting to lead in this direction rather than becoming a big sports hospital. We are starting to think that it is a men's hospital in addition to sports rehabilitation. Also, in Khoroos 1, 2 and 3 of Sukhbaatar district, private hospitals are rare and Family Group Practices are overcrowded, so only men can apply for all tests such as blood, urine, ultrasound, etc., rather than sports. For me, from a more business point of view, I wanted to build a private hospital in this area. He also liked sports because he liked sports. International experience shows that athletes often have their own doctor when participating in competitions. But we don't have that. So a number of young people came together to establish this hospital in order to introduce such a thing in the field of sports."

B.Sanchir, Founder and General Practitioner of Almighty Clinic Hospital, said, “The aim is to develop sports medicine, which is not well developed in Mongolia. In addition, they see themselves as the beginning of a brand new Aerocity General Hospital in the Khushigt Valley, a satellite city of Ulaanbaatar. Therefore, in addition to providing services in line with our activities, we will prepare content that provides health education and information to our youth and people. Sports medicine is a very complex science. Our hospital provides essential rehabilitation and rehabilitation services for professional athletes. Public sports are developing a lot among the people. Related health services will be provided during public sports. The laboratory plans to perform all types of blood and urine tests, biochemical tests, hepatitis B and C virus, Helicobacter pylori, and coagulopathy tests. The famous French "Phoenix" is introducing a rehabilitation device in its medical service. Therapeutic technology is a device that won the Nobel Prize. We have started to introduce such treatment services and can serve 300-400 people a day."

One of the founders, B. Battur, a “hunter”, said, “The key to happiness is to be healthy. Therefore, I am very happy to be working in this field through our hospital to help the society and young people to form a healthy lifestyle and be healthy and happy. The advantage of our hospital is sports therapy and rehabilitation of joint injuries. The biggest problem facing society today is cancer. The best way to prevent this is to have the right lifestyle. Therefore, we will work to spread a healthy lifestyle through this hospital.

The founders said they had established a sports hospital to encourage young people to lead a healthy lifestyle through their medical services. This is the message of a new generation that is optimistic about the future of our country, imagining it and working for it. 

News (10)

Zhang Wenhong secretly supports the CCP’s mandatory vaccination, saying that fear of vaccination is a "human nature problem"

Reporter : Xiao Jing / Editor: Xiaohui / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2021/03/25/a103081595.html / Translation, editing : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA

Since SARS-CoV-2 (CCP virus) domestic vaccine came out, its effectiveness and safety have been questioned by the outside world. Recently, various local governments of the Chinese Communist Party began to force people to vaccinate. Zhang Wenhong, director of the Department of Infectious Diseases at Shanghai Huashan Hospital, said on Wednesday (24 March) that people’s fear of vaccinations was a “human nature problem”, which triggered a large number of netizens to criticize.

On Wednesday, Zhang Wenhong said when talking about the mentality of people who dare not get a vaccine: "This is not a vaccine problem, but a human nature problem." He also gave an example, "When you can't get a lot of things, you will always look forward to it; When you can get it, especially for free, you suddenly think: Why give it to me?"

As soon as the above remarks came out, they posted hot searches on Weibo, triggering a large number of netizens to retort, ​​"Speaking of voluntary vaccination, now moral kidnapping? How can this rise to a human nature problem?" "What does it have to do with human nature? Pure worry. The side effects, since they are voluntary, what human nature do you want to talk about?" "I'm not married yet and have no children. I can't be afraid of getting this vaccine so early? What are the human issues? The vaccine just came out, and the virus is still mutating. Think about it? If you want to fight, you can fight. If you don’t want to fight, you don’t fight. What about humanity?"

Some netizens also questioned, "Why can't we see the news of how serious the side effects of a child in Shanghai are after the vaccine?" "Up to now, there has been no clinical trial data of the vaccine, and some ambiguous words are always used to describe the effect of the vaccine. By publishing the data directly, won’t many people’s worries be eliminated?” “Does it really help to increase the vaccination rate if you put this to human nature?”

Some netizens also said, "This kind of media report is to deliberately provoke the incident. After screaming for a long time, no one will fight, and then start to kidnap with rhythm and morality, let the vaccinated people scold those who don't want to be vaccinated, and rush everyone to vaccinate." "The head of state should be vaccinated first."

At present, the Chinese Communist Party media People's Daily has closed the comment area for messages on this topic, and nearly 20,000 netizens' messages are no longer available.

In fact, since the launch of the Chinese-made vaccine for the CCP virus, there have been frequent cases of serious adverse reactions and even deaths.

According to previous media reports, Hong Kong started a large-scale injection of the domestic CCP virus vaccine (CoronaVac) at the end of February. As of 14 March, at least 7 people are known to have died after being vaccinated. According to the first phase summary report on vaccine safety surveillance released by the Hong Kong Department of Health, as of 8 March, at least 56 people worldwide have died after being vaccinated with Kexing vaccine.

Earlier this month, a woman in Tongzhou District, Beijing, broke the news on Weibo that her husband had developed a large red rash after receiving a domestic vaccine, causing pain and itching all over, and a high fever. The doctor said that the symptom could not be ruled out related to vaccination. The woman also revealed that her husband was not the only one who had the same symptoms.

In addition, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan was vaccinated with the Sinopharm Sinovac SARS-CoV-2 vaccine on 18 March 2021, but was diagnosed as positive for the CCP virus two days later.

Just before the Pakistani Prime Minister was diagnosed with the diagnosis, similar news came out on the mainland. An inspector from the Eighth Hospital of Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province was diagnosed with the disease on the 18th. According to his colleagues, the inspector had completed 2 doses of vaccination.

In an interview with Radio Free Asia (RFA), many people on the mainland bluntly stated that the safety, effectiveness, and side effects of domestic vaccines are the reasons why they are reluctant to vaccinate.

Mr. Chen, a Guangdong resident, pointed out that many people do not believe in the safety of domestic vaccines. He said that in the past ten years, there have been too many vaccine victims, especially children, who have suffered too many cases. "People can't believe the domestic vaccine, so I haven't gotten the vaccine yet."

The practice of forced vaccinations by governments at all levels of the Chinese Communist Party has also aroused criticism from the public. Ms. Song, a resident of Daxing District in Beijing, disclosed that the local neighborhood committee had begun to force residents to vaccinate a month ago in order to "complete the target."

"All units are forced to vaccinate. If you don’t get vaccinated, you will not be able to work. We are all forced to vaccinate, no matter how old you are." Ms. Song went on to point out: "You said it’s a good thing, why don’t they get vaccinated? Every unit has a bonus. Make up the number to get the bonus, do you treat people as animals?"

Ms. Wang from Zhejiang said that because of doubts about the safety of domestic vaccines, many people refused to inject them. For example, she said, "A boy in his 20s beaten him two days ago and he was lethargic for more than a week, and he was still lethargic." However, the authorities have issued indicators to compel vaccination for all people.

Many mainland netizens also said that their units have already started compulsory vaccination and included them in the year-end assessment project.

News (11) to (20) / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2021/03/26/a103081790.html / Extract translations, editing : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA

News (11)

Covid tally of the world on 25 March 2021

As of 3 pm on 25 March 2021, the number of newly diagnosed covid cases worldwide is 634,085, and the total number of confirmed cases reached 125.87322 million, and the total number of deaths was 2.763,046 people.

News (12)

Biden makes his first appearance in 65 days

At 1.30 pm Eastern time today (25th), Biden, who has been in office for 65 days, finally held his first official press conference on the 66th day. It seems that he is in a good spirit today.

Like President Xi, Biden took a small book. Biden first talked about the results achieved in the epidemic. Then, in the order of the list, click the reporter's name and ask the reporter to ask questions.

The topic mainly revolved around the immigration issue. Biden blamed his predecessor for the immigration issue at the US-Mexico border and criticized Trump for shutting down the previous immigration mechanism.

Some reporters asked him why the immigrants came to the United States, how to resolve those who stay or leave, and how to divide them. Biden said the immigrants did not come because he became the master of the White House. He said that the border increased by 31% in 2019, and it has been growing in the first two months of this year, and it has been the same every year.

He accused Trump of dismantling the previously existing mechanism and shutting down the beds. He said his government is rebuilding this mechanism.

A reporter asked about US-China relations and the CCP’s persecution of human rights. Biden said that he has a very good relationship with Xi Jinping. As early as Obama's time, he contacted Xi Jinping as the vice president.

Biden said that Xi Jinping is very smart, and they had a two-hour conversation between them. He explained to Xi Jinping that the United States does not want to conflict, but there will be competition between the United States and China, and he hopes that China will trade fairly.

Biden said his government will deal with China in an efficient manner. He plans to invest 2% of GDP in science, including medical care, artificial intelligence and quantum computing, so that China cannot surpass the United States.

Biden said that the United States is not opposed to China. His dialogue with EU leaders is to discuss with the alliance how to counter the CCP. The United States and democracies work together to make the CCP abide by international rules.

Biden said that the conversation with Xi Jinping was straightforward. Americans care about freedom and human rights. If the CCP persecutes human rights, the United States will continue to keep the world concerned about this matter and so on.

Biden’s remarks are basically nothing new. In his previous speeches on different occasions, he also made similar remarks. Basically, all problems are caused by the predecessor, and he has made a lot of achievements in the two months since he took office. After 65 days of preparation, the 78-year-old is still nothing amazing.

But another thing he said may arouse people's interest. He said he would seek re-election in 2024.

Biden said, "My plan is to run for re-election. This is my expectation." However, Biden seemed to be a little uncomfortable about some of the later questions about the election. He said, "I said that was my expectation. Look, I don't know where you are from. I believe in destiny, but I can't be sure what will happen in three and a half years."

It seems that Biden is still a little skeptical about his body, at least not completely sure. Otherwise, he should confidently tell people that he will continue to seek re-election but Biden did not say that.

Biden's first official press conference did not actually leave any impression on people.  From the statistical data, many people still seem not interested in Biden. During his meeting with reporters, only 6,000 people watched C-SPAN online, of which 313 liked it, but 924 liked it.

It is reported that the White House assistant and Biden conducted simulation exercises in advance.

News (13)

Trump's social media can be expected

Let's look at the situation of former President Trump. After Trump was banned by Twitter, he has been less vocal. Three sources told Axios that Trump is considering developing his own social media network.

The source said that Trump is considering cooperating with existing application vendors, one of which is an application called FreeSpace. This is an application launched by Apple and Google on February 1st this year, including many mature social media network functions.

"New York Post" reported today that this platform allows users to create personal files, activities with others, and group messaging.

One of the sources said that in addition to FreeSpace, Trump is still considering other options, but none have been finalized. More meetings will be held this week.

But there is another news that may also cause the loss of Twitter users. My pillow owner Mike Lindel, who is nicknamed "Pillow Brother" by netizens, said that in 10 to 14 days, he will launch a social networking site. But there is still a static web page called "Frank".

In the Eric Metax radio program the day before yesterday (23rd), Pillow said that he has been secretly creating his own social media platform and has invested millions of dollars in order to allow people to speak freely. He said he will become the CEO of the website.

Brother Pillow introduced that this website has the functions of Twitter and YouTube, and is a complex of print, radio and television. People can post videos, live webcasts, chat online and so on.

We do not know if Trump has any plans to cooperate with Pillow Brothers. But regardless of whether they cooperate or not, people will have at least one platform where they can speak freely in the future. This will break the monopoly of Twitter and Facebook, and may even have a fatal impact on these social platforms.

Many Twitter users have long said that they will move where Trump goes. Once they find other options, they will immediately throw off Twitter. So it is conceivable that whether Trump develops his own social media network or not, many fans will be taken away.

News (14)

Mainland public opinion stirs up a frenzy, artists terminate cooperation

Turning on the computer this morning, major websites are reporting news about major brands such as Nike, H&M, and Xinjiang Cotton. There are also many well-known artists who have terminated their cooperation with these apparel companies.

In the hot searches on Weibo in mainland China, among the top 50 articles, there are 26 related topics about Xinjiang cotton and various boycotts, and it properly occupies the top 10 positions.

Many well-known foreign brand apparel companies stated that they banned cotton products produced in Xinjiang, including Muji, Uniforms, Adidas, and many other brands. These brands are all members of the international non-profit organization "Better Cotton Development Association BCI", which has more than 200 brands.

The hottest speculation today is Nike. Its spokesperson, Wang Yibo, has announced the termination of all cooperation with Nike and stated that it will "protect the interests of the motherland."

In addition, there are at least dozens of artists who have cut their seats with co-brands. For example, Liu Yifei, Eason Chan, Peng Yuyan, Yang Mi, Di Lieba terminated the cooperation with Adidas; Li Xian, Yang Yang, Liu Haoran, Xu Guanghan, Liu Wen terminated the cooperation with Puma; Wang Yuan terminated the cooperation with Uniqlo and so on. In addition, King of Glory cancelled the cooperation with Burberry; Chengdu Joy City took off the H&M brand.

The People's Daily also issued a long picture, all of which are voices from many domestic brands. Including Li Ning, Anta, Xtep, Hailan House, etc. have declared that they "support Xinjiang Cotton."

In addition, the China Consumers Association expressed its serious concern about the H&M incident, and the Cotton Association’s postings also appeared on Weibo hot searches. The Cotton Association stated in a statement that several international clothing brands declared that the ban on cotton products in Xinjiang would have a bad impact, resolutely oppose any restrictions imposed by Western countries, and "urging them to stop wrong practices" and so on.

It can be seen that these internationally renowned brands are encountering resistance in the mainland. There must be a reason for this. What caused the boycott in mainland China?

News (15)

The Chinese Communist Party condemned fiercely because of an old statement

The Voice of America reported today that Swedish clothing brand H&M issued a statement saying it refused to use Xinjiang cotton. The statement stated that it is deeply concerned about reports from civil society organizations and media reports. These include allegations of forced labor and religious discrimination against ethnic minorities in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The statement emphasized that H&M does not cooperate with any garment manufacturing factories in Xinjiang, nor does it purchase raw materials and products from Xinjiang.

After the news came out, the Ministry of Commerce of the Communist Party of China stated that the so-called forced labor in Xinjiang was "a mere illusion," and the pure and flawless Xinjiang cotton would not allow any slander. Oppose external forces' interference in Xinjiang affairs, oppose lies and false information, etc.

Subsequently, the mainland e-commerce platform JD.com took the lead in delisting all related products of H&M; the Communist Youth League quoted Yang Jiechi’s “famous saying”, claiming that “Xinjiang cotton does not eat this set”; the CCP CCTV commented that H&M was “eat Chinese food and hit China bowl".

Mainland actors Huang Xuan and Song Qian respectively stated through their studios that they no longer have any cooperative relationship with H&M. They claimed that "national interests are above all else" and opposing any "smearing and spreading rumors", etc.

The Internet is more lively, and H&M's mainland Weibo account has almost been flooded. Many mainland netizens asked them to "get out of the Chinese market." Some netizens also said, "Keep it for yourself."

Yesterday (24 March) night in Asian time, H&M posted a response statement on its official Weibo. It means that the H&M Group has always adhered to the principles of openness and transparency in its management, ensuring that suppliers comply with the business code of conduct, and does not represent any political stance. They expressed that they have always respected Chinese consumers and so on.

Many netizens said that they "don't understand" this statement from H&M. People's Daily commented that although the Chinese market is large, it does not welcome any malicious slander. Claiming that international interests are above everything else, "eating and smashing the bowl" is doomed to wishful thinking. Hu Xijin posted on the global website that H&M refused to apologize in response, and that "Chinese netizens are even more angry."

As of today (25th) morning, on map apps such as AutoNavi Maps and Baidu Maps, no H&M store locations could be found. The app stores of Huawei, Tmall, Pinduoduo, VIVO, and Tencent App Store have all removed H&M Mall App.

The statement from H&M is not the latest. This statement was issued on 20 March 2020. Unexpectedly, it was turned over by now and caused an uproar.

Regarding H&M’s statement last year is now being hyped, the spokesperson of the Chinese Communist Party’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Hua Chunying, said today that she did not pay attention to when the company concerned issued the statement. However, the statement drew a strong reaction from Chinese netizens, not allowing foreigners to eat or drink.

Hua Chunying once again represented the Chinese people and claimed that "the Chinese people are friendly and open, but the public opinion of China cannot be deceived or violated." She also took out two photos of American black slaves picking cotton, alleging that the United States "has also had forced labor."

News (16)

The CCP passes on the crisis

Under the storm of H&M's public opinion, mainland brands Li Ning and Anta, which are condemning the ranks, have successfully reaped benefits. Today's stock price has soared, and the turnover has also soared. Some market analysts said that this wave of boycott has catalyzed the patriotic enthusiasm of mainland netizens, causing them to switch to domestic products, thereby stimulating stock prices.

Having said that, the problem can already be seen. The entire condemnation of the boycott of H&M was completely manipulated by the CCP behind the scenes. The CCP first turned out the old accounts, and then the official pointed out the direction, coupled with the guidance of the CCP's official media and public opinion, and supplemented by the influence of "red patriotic" entertainers, which led to a storm of resistance from public opinion.

Friends who have been following mainland politics for a long time should be familiar with it. This is not the first time that China has broken out a wave of boycotts. Ten years ago, because of the Diaoyu Islands incident, the CCP manipulated a wave of boycotts of Japanese goods. At that time, many "Patriots" took to the streets and smashed private cars of Japanese brands such as Toyota and Honda.

In 2017, because South Korea deployed the THAAD anti-missile system, the CCP manipulated the anti-Korea and anti-Rakuten boycott of Korean goods. Two years ago, because luxury brands such as Coach listed Hong Kong and Taiwan as separate countries, the CCP led a boycott of these brands.

The CCP has manipulated netizens in half-darkness in the past few times. This time, the CCP stood on the table and publicly called on the people to boycott it. Moreover, the Chinese Communist Party’s official media’s strong wording made the current wave of boycotts even more swift and violent.

My friend Qin Peng believes that this is a typical way the CCP manipulates public opinion and public opinion. The CCP’s goal is to use such a method to kill chickens and curse monkeys, create a chilling effect, make other multinational companies self-discipline their words and deeds, and at the same time transfer domestic contradictions.

Everyone should understand that the CCP has violated human rights, forced labor and implemented a policy of genocide in Xinjiang. Related human rights organizations have collected more than 30,000 witness statements. 

Western countries have repeatedly mentioned to the CCP the various crimes committed by the CCP in Xinjiang. However, the CCP has repeatedly denied it, and under the leadership of President Xi’s Accelerator, it has conducted war wolf diplomacy with the outside world to see who bites whom. Seeing the increasing threat from the CCP, Western countries finally made up their minds to confront the CCP and impose sanctions on the CCP.

The French La Croix pointed out that Western countries’ opposition to the CCP has “never been so unanimous”. The unhappy talks between the United States and China and the sanctions imposed by the international community, especially the EU's increasingly tougher ones, have made Beijing strongly aware that the CCP has been severely isolated. It is almost impossible to restore the former diplomatic relations in the short term. .

Xie Tian, ​​chair professor at the Aiken School of Business at the University of South Carolina, told Free Asia that the current sanctions imposed by Western countries have hit the CCP’s pain point. Although the level of CCP officials under sanctions is not high and the number is not large, the impact of the sanctions is very large. The entire international community is paying attention, which makes the CCP very uncomfortable.

Xie Tian pointed out that although the CCP is pulling Russia and North Korea to contend with the West, the CCP is clear in its heart, and the Chinese people also know that neither of these two regimes can be trusted. Russia is at odds with each other, and North Korea wants to get some money from China. So Beijing is very embarrassed and very uncomfortable, and now it is being roasted on the fire. In order to get rid of the embarrassment and divert international attention and domestic pressure, they can only instigate nationalism again and launch the people to fight a "people's war."

News (17)

Online scolding is work, shopping is life

However, there is a very interesting phenomenon. The CCP's "People's War" is to teach these international brands of clothing. However, the "Apple Daily" reported today that Nike sales in China "only increased but not decreased," and H&M still had people queuing.

According to the report, in an H&M store in Hohhot, many customers are still queuing to pay today. There are still a large number of Nike products for sale on the well-known electronic business platform "Dewu App", and the transaction volume is "only increasing but not decreasing", "someone refreshes the purchase interface every minute."

A Weibo user posted that he saw Nike products on the "Dewu App" that "sell super fiercely" that morning. Weibo also attached two pictures, showing a large number of users waiting for payment.

Some netizens commented in a comment below, saying, "Laughing to death, this is the Internet boycott." Some netizens said, "Several people in my circle of friends are caring, looking forward to Nike's discount. Look at the patriotism on Weibo, offline is really hard to say." Others said, "I only know sniper celebrities, but I still want to buy them. I think how hard it is."

In the H&M store in Xidan Joy City, Beijing, many customers also shopped in the store last night, and many customers were queuing outside the fitting room. A clerk revealed that it is not clear about the company's statement of boycotting Xinjiang products, and the physical store has not been affected.

Apple Daily stated that the body is the most honest. Criticizing H&M and Nike is work, and queuing in front of the door to shop is life.

The queues really made the CCP quite angry. After so much tossing, there are still so many people who ignore the CCP's slack. However, there is another thing that makes the CCP angry. The CCP may be farther away from Taiwan.

News (18)

Taiwan's successful self-made long-range missiles are ready for mass production

On 25 March 2021, Taiwan’s Vice President of the Chinese Academy of Sciences Leng Jinxu revealed that the Republic of China has successfully designed and manufactured a land-based missile with long-range strike capabilities, and three long-range strike missiles are under development.

Leng Jinxu's disclosure of these circumstances was based on the "four-year general review of national defense" announced by the Ministry of National Defense. Today in the Legislative Yuan, the Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee invited the Minister of National Defense Qiu Guozheng to make a special report. Among them, it mentioned that the national army’s future goal of army building is "long-range strike", and it will continue to develop air-launched missiles and long-range remote attack weapons that can greatly increase the range, so as to extend the depth of defense operations and build heavy resistance.

Qiu Guozheng said that the development of long-range attack capabilities is a priority for Taiwan’s national defense. "Expect to achieve long-distance, precise and maneuverable." The Defense Minister pointed out that Taiwan’s National Zhongshan Academy of Sciences has never stopped this research and development.

Then Leng Jinxu revealed the above situation. He also pointed out that Taiwan currently has a long-range land-based missile that can be mass-produced. There are also three missile scientific research projects, but it is inconvenient to disclose information because of the confidentiality of the range and other information.

This is the first time that Taiwan has admitted that they are developing long-range attack capabilities and their technical level has reached the level of mass production. Nobody knows how the Beijing authorities will feel when they know this news. They may be very angry because it means that the CCP's "unification" dream may always be a dream, or a broken dream.

The Mainland Affairs Council of Taiwan also released the latest poll on its attitudes towards cross-strait related issues. Among them, 88.2% of the people in Taiwan expressed opposition to the "One Country, Two Systems" proposal put forward by the CCP, and 74.9% of them disagreed with the "92 Consensus" of the "One China Principle" and other positions. As many as 82.8% of people clearly stated that they support the government to defend itself, defend national sovereignty and Taiwan’s democracy.

News (19)

13 people killed by poisonous spiders in Australia

After several days of rain, the state of New South Wales in eastern Australia had its worst flooding in 60 years. Although the torrent has gradually subsided, local residents are facing a new threat. Due to the flood, the most poisonous "funnel web spiders" in the world flooded into residents' homes to take refuge. At least 13 people have been poisoned and killed by spiders.

The Australian Reptile Park reminds people that after heavy rains and floods, the most well-known spiders may run into houses to hide in order to avoid floods.

Park director Faulkner pointed out that not only did people leave their homes due to the incredible flooding, but also the funnel-web spiders were forced to leave their habitats to escape to dry areas. "Unfortunately, this may mean that they will soon enter the homes."

In fact, there are already countless spiders hiding in the houses. CNN quoted witnesses as saying that before the flood, thousands of spiders had climbed up walls and fences, and then rushed into the house. Part of the spiders that hadn't had time to escape "crossed their bodies all over the field." Williams, who lives in Mark City, said that she had never seen such a scene in her life.

According to reports, the funnel web spider is a well-known locally venomous spider and one of the most well-known spiders in the world. If bitten by it, there will be severe pain at first, leaving clear marks on the body surface, and then within an hour, symptoms of poisoning will appear. At least 13 people have been bitten and killed.

Therefore, the authorities reminded the local people to take protective measures and stay away from these poisonous spiders as much as possible. If they cannot deal with the creatures, call the staff of the Reptile Park to help.

News (20)

The good in human nature

There are many stories about the good in human nature. These stories have not gone through any artificial axe, but these stories are very touching. We have also received feedback from many netizens. Many people said that after reading these stories, the goodness in their human nature have inspired them.

A friend from Singapore who is an "iron fan" who watches "News Highlights" every day. He said that in the past two weeks, when listening to the "goodness of human nature", he would be moved inexplicably and sometimes cry.

He stated in the e-mail that his grandfather was the eldest son in the family, and in the old man’s mind, “there are three unfilial piety, and no one is the greatest” but his grandmother only gave birth to five daughters, thinking that not having a son is unfilial.

Under the influence of this thought, his grandfather decided when he was 80 years old to return to Hainanto marry another, hoping to have a son. So he spent a sum of money and asked his relatives in Hainan to help him get introduced to a son. As a result, a woman was introduced, but that woman was only two months older than the grandfather's eldest grandson. This eldest grandson is our netizen.

The netizen said that not long after his grandfather went to get married in Hainan, he heard that the "grandmother" gave birth to an "uncle." but he also heard that the "new grandmother" took away his grandfather's money, spent the whole day having fun, and had a close boyfriend. No one in the family believed that the child was born to grandfather.

Later, the grandfather was ill. He called and wrote letters to Singapore for money all day long. So the netizen's aunt went to Hainan to take a look. When she came back, he saw the photos of his grandfather. Grandfather was skinny and skinny, and eventually passed away.

The netizen said in his emails that because of these circumstances, he had a particularly bad impression of mainlanders. In addition, the attitude of many mainlanders in Singapore is very arrogant, and those colleagues from the mainland brag about how good and powerful the mainland is all day long, that makes the netizen hate them even more.

The netizen said that after watching "The Goodness of Human Nature", some of his views have changed. He now believes that although mainland China is ruled by the CCP, "there are still good Chinese people." He said that he firmly believes, "Good is rewarded for good, and evil is rewarded for evil. It is not that it is not repaid, but the hour has not come."

Everyone is born with good in human nature. It's just that under the pollution of the day after tomorrow, the goodness of nature is covered with some dust. As long as the dust is wiped off, the goodness in human nature will shine.

Let us work together to awaken more of the good in human nature. 

News (21)

Human Rights Council condemns North Korea for human rights violations, North Korean representative responded to tactics imitating the CCP

Reporter : Li Zhaoxi / Editor : Li Jia / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2021/03/25/a103081358.html / Direct translation

On Tuesday (23rd), the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) passed a resolution condemning North Korea’s human rights violations for the 19th consecutive year. 19) In the event of a pandemic, North Korea must "timely assist" vulnerable groups.

The 47-member Human Rights Council adopted the resolution by consensus at its 46th session in Geneva.

The latest resolution is led by the European Union and co-sponsored by the United States, Japan, Australia and other countries. It is consistent with previous resolutions, condemning North Korea’s serious human rights violations and urging those responsible for violations to be held accountable.

This year’s resolution emphasizes the importance of international organizations entering North Korea to deliver necessary humanitarian supplies to help vulnerable people in the pandemic. At the same time, the resolution urged North Korea to open its borders and allow humanitarian aid organizations to deliver urgently needed supplies, such as food, medicine, and agricultural supplies.

The latest resolution also expressed greater concern about the human rights situation in North Korea, stating that the situation in North Korea may deteriorate further due to the pandemic of the Chinese Communist Party virus. The resolution also emphasized the urgency of the reunification of family members separated during the 1950-1953 Korean War, and increased concerns about the violation of the rights of prisoners of war and their descendants who have not yet returned.

Regarding this new resolution, North Korea imitated the tactics of the CCP and issued a "severe condemnation." According to South Korea’s "Herald Business" (The Herald Business) on Wednesday, North Korea’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office in Geneva, Han Tae Song (transliteration), said he refused to accept this "nothing to do with the real promotion and protection of human rights resolution."

Han Taesong claimed that the UN human rights resolution "infringes upon our sovereignty," and that North Korea "strongly condemns" the "dirty political provocation" of the resolution.

He also condemned the "hostile" policy of human rights sanctions imposed by the European Union on Monday. The North Korean diplomat said, “It must be remembered that the EU ignores our repeated warnings and continues to persevere in futile anti-national human rights riots, which will lead to unimaginable catastrophic consequences.”

Han Tae-song also said that Europe is learning from the United States. "The human rights clown performance of the European Union is reminiscent of a copy of a certain country."

The resolution condemning Pyongyang’s human rights violations has been passed for 19 consecutive years. On Monday, the Council of the European Union just imposed sanctions on individuals and entities in North Korea and the Chinese Communist Party. The blacklist includes the Minister of the Ministry of National Security and Security of the DPRK and Lee Sung-cheol, the Counselor of the Ministry of Security of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

News (22)

Mongolia President pardoned mothers and children convicted of minor crimes

Publisher : Montsame News Agency / https://www.montsame.mn/mn/read/258257 / Direct translation



Based on Article 38, Paragraph 1, Clause 8 of the Constitution of Mongolia, Article 15.2 of the Law on the President of Mongolia, and Article 6.14, Paragraph 1 of the Criminal Code, the President of Mongolia Khaltmaa Battulga issued a decree on 8 March 2021. 21 mothers with infants and many children convicted of minor crimes for the first time on the occasion of Women's Day pardoned citizens.

In particular, 31 convicts in prisons 407, 461, 419, 445, 429, and 425 of the Judicial Decision Enforcement Agency were pardoned and released from prison.

News (23)

The status of women in Mongolia

Reporter : Anudari.M / Publisher : Montsame News Agency


Minister of Labor and Social Development A.Ariunzaya took part in ministerial roundtables and general debates of the 65th virtual session of the Commission on the Status of Women,a functional commission of the United Nations Economic and Social Council dedicated exclusively to gender equality and advancement of women, held on March 15 to 26. 

 

The Minister presented some of the government’s measures, emphasizing that the number of women in high ranking positions has been increased through legal improvement aimed at ensuring women’s participation in decision-making and the adoption of electoral gender quotas.


One of the highlights of the session was that Mongolia made a voluntary report on women’s empowerment and sustainable development on March 23. Minister A.Ariunzaya presented the report on behalf of the government of Mongolia, saying, “As a country that fully supports actions designed to ensure observance of international human rights standards and principles, Mongolia has been ratifying international agreements and treaties on women’s rights and gender equality and making legal improvements in compliance with them.”  Noting the achievements made in improving the legal framework as well as the efforts aimed at the implementation of the improvements, the Minister said that ministries and local departments are implementing subprograms to ensure gender equality and necessary budget allocations and institutional capacity building efforts are underway.


News (24)


Taiwan Mainland Affairs Commission poll: Nearly 90% of the people in Taiwan oppose "One Country, Two Systems"


Report by : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA


The latest poll released by the Mainland Affairs Council of Taiwan on 25 March 2021 shows that 74.9% of the people in Taiwan disagree with the "92" consensus, 88.2% of the people of Taiwan opposed the CCP’s approach of achieving the current cross-strait reunification with "one country, two systems". The Mainland Affairs Council of Taiwan then urged the CCP to respect reality and promote the positive development of cross-strait relations through mutual exchanges with Taiwan.


According to a report by the Central News Agency, the Mainland Affairs Council of Taiwan conducted a poll of 1,078 adults over the age of 20 in Taiwan by telephone from 19 to 23 March, and announced the results of the poll on 25 March (Thursday).


According to the poll, 85.8% of the respondents said that they support maintaining the status quo in the Taiwan Strait; 84.7% of the respondents support that the people of Taiwan decide Taiwan’s future and cross-strait relations, and maintain Taiwan’s long-term stability. 82.8% of the interviewees expect the Taiwan government to do a good job of self-defense, safeguard national sovereignty and Taiwan’s democracy.


76.5% of the interviewees supported Tsai Ing-wen’s emphasis on having meaningful dialogue with the CCP under the principle of equal dignity. 81.8% of the people support Tsai Ing-wen's proposal that after the epidemic is effectively controlled, normal and orderly exchanges with the mainland will gradually resume. 82% of the people support the Tsai Ing-wen government’s approach of taking a positive view of cross-strait exchanges and gradually resuming cross-strait exchanges.


79.4% of the interviewees support the Taiwan government's safety management of mainlanders coming to Taiwan; 75.8% of the interviewees support the government to remind the Taiwanese of the risks of investing in the mainland.


The poll also showed that 77.2% of the respondents believed that the CCP was unfriendly to the Taiwanese government, and 60.6% of the people believed that the CCP was unfriendly to the people of Taiwan. 75.5% of the people support the Taiwan government's call for the CCP to stop suppressing the freedom of Hong Kong people and maintain a high degree of autonomy in Hong Kong.


After the poll results came out, the vice chairman and spokesperson of the Mainland Affairs Council Qiu Chuizheng said that the Taiwan government adheres to the policy of defending national sovereignty and Taiwan's democracy and is committed to maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.


He called on the Chinese Communist Party to face up to reality and Taiwan's public opinion, abandon its attempt to impose its political framework on Taiwan through military intimidation, resolve cross-strait differences through mutual respect and pragmatic dialogue, and promote the positive development of cross-strait relations.


News (25)


Results of Phase I and Phase II Clinical Trials of CCP's Recombinant Protein Novel Coronavirus Vaccine Released

 


Reporters : Ruifeng Dong and Haitao Xu / http://news.sciencenet.cn/htmlnews/2021/3/455055.shtm / Translation, editing : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA


China has approved a recombinant protein subunit novel coronavirus vaccine for emergency use. The results of Phase I and Phase II clinical trials were recently published in the international medical journal "The Lancet · Infectious Diseases" . The results showed that the safety of the vaccine was good. 97% of the participants who received 3 doses of 25 micrograms vaccine produced neutralizing antibodies that can block the live virus, and the level of neutralizing antibodies exceeded the serum of recovered patients.


The vaccine was developed by the Institute of Microbiology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in conjunction with Anhui Zhifeilongkoma Biopharmaceutical Co., Ltd. It was evaluated and approved by relevant departments for emergency use on 10 March 2021.


According to reports, a total of 950 healthy adults between the ages of 18 and 59 were recruited in the domestic two-phase clinical trials of the vaccine, using a randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled trial protocol. The test evaluates the safety and immunogenicity of the vaccine, including adverse events and serious adverse events, antibody titers, neutralizing antibody titers, and seroconversion rate.


The results showed that no serious vaccine-related adverse events occurred. After 2 doses of vaccine, 76% of people can produce neutralizing antibodies. After 3 doses of vaccine, 97% of people can produce neutralizing antibodies.


Currently, the vaccine is undergoing international multi-center phase III clinical trials in Uzbekistan, Indonesia, Pakistan and Ecuador, and was approved for registration in Uzbekistan on March 1.


Recombinant protein subunit vaccines express and purify pathogen antigen proteins in engineered cells through genetic engineering, and then prepare them into vaccines. Different from inactivated vaccines and adenovirus vector vaccines, this is a novel coronavirus vaccine developed by a new technical route.


Up to now, China has 4 SARS-CoV-2 vaccines on the market conditionally, and one novel coronavirus vaccine has been approved for emergency use.

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Picture : The error in Changi app

 Picture, copyright by : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA