Research, editing : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA
News on disease control, CCP, U.S.
News (1) to (10) / Reporter : Zou Dexi / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2022/05/22/a103435768.html
News (1)
Study: Drinking coffee reduces risk of cirrhosis and liver cancer
Image : Studies have found that habitual coffee drinking can protect the liver and reduce the risk of cirrhosis and liver cancer but it depends on the types of coffee consumed and the frequency. (Shutterstock)
Multiple studies have found that habitual coffee drinking can protect the liver and reduce the risk of cirrhosis and liver cancer but it depends on the types of coffee drunk once a day.
News (2)
Liver cancer the third leading cause of cancer death
According to the World Health Organization, liver cancer is the third leading cause of cancer death in 2020, accounting for 830,000 deaths worldwide. Fatty liver, alcoholic liver, drug-induced hepatitis, and viral hepatitis (hepatitis B and C) can all lead to the development of chronic hepatitis to cirrhosis and eventually to liver cancer.
A study published in the European Journal of Cancer Prevention found that subjects who drank coffee daily had a 34% lower risk of liver cancer over the next 6 to 22 years and a lower risk of cirrhosis over the next 14 to 19 years.
News (3)
U.S. survey: The more coffee drunk, the lower the risk of fatty liver disease
A survey conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) from 2001 to 2008 found that the more coffee Americans drank, the lower the risk of fatty liver disease.
News (4)
Japanese study: Hepatitis B, C patients drinking coffee have lower risk of cirrhosis
Another Japanese study found that drinking coffee in patients with hepatitis B or C was associated with a lower risk of cirrhosis. The study noted that drinking one cup of coffee a day reduced the risk of cirrhosis to 78%; drinking two cups cut the risk in half; drinking four cups cut the risk to 25%.
News (5)
UK study: Low-quality instant coffee could lower risk of liver cancer
A large 2019 study of 470,000 Britons further suggested that even low-quality instant coffee could help reduce the risk of liver cancer. The findings were published in the British Journal of Cancer.
The study followed these subjects for 7.5 years and found that drinking coffee significantly reduced the risk of liver cancer. In terms of different coffee varieties, both instant coffee and freshly ground coffee are effective in preventing liver cancer.
News (6)
The most protective coffee contains chlorogenic acid
The reason why coffee can protect the liver is because coffee contains a variety of antioxidants. For example, chlorogenic acid in coffee can help remove free radicals and inflammatory factors in the body, thereby improving inflammation in the body and protecting cells and tissues.
News (7)
The endorphins secreted by coffee alleviate stress, reduce risk of fatty liver
In modern life, staying up late, mood swings, and stress can lead to liver qi stagnation, fatty liver, and hepatitis. Dr. Lobsang Gyaltsen, a well-known psychosomatic expert and director of the Lausanne Preventive Medical Clinic, pointed out that certain components in coffee can increase the secretion of endorphins, bring people a sense of pleasure, thereby promoting metabolism and reducing the risk of fatty liver.
News (8)
Black coffee from dried and lightly roasted coffee beans best for liver health
As a regular coffee drinker, Dr. Lobsang Gyaltsen recommends using high-quality coffee beans that are naturally dried and lightly roasted. Black coffee made from these beans is best for liver health. Such coffee beans retain more antioxidants, such as chlorogenic acid. Dark roasting destroys the nutritional value of coffee beans, resulting in the loss of chlorogenic acid.
News (9)
Do not drink coffee made from moldy coffee beans
Dr. Gyaltsen also talked about the drying process, which removes moisture from the beans to prevent mold, which can damage the liver and kidneys in coffee made from moldy coffee beans.
News (10)
Cold coffee, sweet coffee and latte coffee bad for liver health, do not drink coffee excessively
Brewing coffee with hot water retains more of the good ingredients, such as chlorogenic acid. Although the delicate flavor of iced coffee is popular, it is not suitable for women with dysmenorrhea. Sugar-sweetened coffee may lead to obesity and worsen liver inflammation. Lattes are also not good for the liver because they contain milk. Milk contains butterfat, and one study found that drinking a latte a day for a month can cause people to gain a pound and lead to fatty liver disease.
While some studies mention that the risk of liver cancer decreases with increased coffee intake, the effect still depends on the individual's constitution. Excessive coffee intake may overstimulate the body's neurotransmission system, leading to symptoms such as heart palpitations, hyperacidity, and insomnia.
Dr. Gyaltsen said he could drink one lightly roasted coffee a day, but two a day would make him uncomfortable. A cup of dark-roasted coffee usually contains more caffeine than light-roasted coffee.
News (11) to (12) / Editor : Wang Xingyu / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2022/05/22/a103435419.html
News (11)
Inside story: The CCP's order to harvest organs from living Falun Gong practitioners comes from Jiang Zemin
Image : The picture shows the CCP's "Organ Harvesting" Mock Torture Exhibition. (The Epoch Times composite image)
On the phone, Bai Shuzhong, the former Minister of Health of the Communist Party of China, confirmed that the order to harvest organs from live Falun Gong practitioners came from "he" -- Jiang Zemin.
"This is a worldwide unrestricted war without gunpowder smoke." Wang Zhiyuan, chairman of the World Organization to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong (abbreviation: WOIPFG), said that after more than 10 years of independent investigation and evidence collection, the CCP has been afraid of exposure for more than 20 years. The mysterious veil of organ harvesting from live Falun Gong practitioners was revealed one by one.
The earliest hands of the decree have come to light through their independent investigation.
On 30 September 2014, the phone rang, and Bai Shuzhong picked up the phone.
The person on the other end of the phone said he was from an inspection department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China. Bai Shuzhong on the other end broke out in a cold sweat after learning the identity of the other party. Hearing questions, he answered them.
Investigator: That’s right. When you were the health minister of the General Post Office, harvesting the organs of detained Falun Gong practitioners and performing organ transplants was a task assigned by Wang Ke, the then Minister of the General Post Office? Or is it a direct order from the Military Commission?
Bai Shuzhong: It was Chairman Jiang at that time!
He said there was an order and said that doing these things was "transplanting organs".
Bai Shuzhong: Later, Chairman Jiang heard that there was an instruction that people would sell kidneys and perform surgery. This, it should be said that kidney transplantation is not only carried out by the military.
Investigator: We also got some information, which means that the Joint Logistics Department was also responsible for detaining a group of Falun Gong detainees' organ donors, right?
Bai Shuzhong: This, at that time, eh, I think at least in my impression, at that time, right! Because after President Jiang's instructions at that time, everyone who opposed Falun Gong has done a lot of work.
Investigator: Do you have any direct relationship between you and these joint logistics divisions 1 and 2, including the 40th division of the joint logistics, the military hospitals they are in charge of?
Bai Shuzhong: The military medical universities of us can control it. Several military medical universities directly under the head office have repeatedly requested it, because at that time Jiang paid great attention to this issue and attached great importance to it.
Investigator: Who takes this issue seriously?
Bai Shuzhong: Jiang! When Jiang was in power.
Obviously, the Chairman Jiang mentioned by Bai Shuzhong was Jiang Zemin, then Chairman of the CCP Military Commission. Bai Shuzhong served as Minister of Health of the General Logistics Department of the People's Liberation Army from August 1998 to 2004, and was awarded the rank of major general in 1994. Jiang Zemin was in office during his tenure. Wang Zhiyuan said that this was also the peak period of the CCP's persecution of Falun Gong and its crimes of organ harvesting against Falun Gong practitioners.
Note: The caller in the recording is not from a censorship department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, but an investigator from the International Organization for the Persecution of Falun Gong.
Wang Zhiyuan talked about Xi Jinping's anti-corruption campaign after he came to power, so everyone was in danger. Bai Shuzhong should have been surprised when he heard the identity of the caller, but after hearing the question, because it was not directly related to him, he must answer any questions.
News (12)
The CCP’s words about transplanting military doctors are terrifying
In five phone calls, Li Guowei, a kidney transplant doctor at the Affiliated Hospital of the Chinese Military Medical University, admitted to using organs from Falun Gong practitioners.
From the end of 2019 to the beginning of 2020, Li Guowei, a kidney transplant doctor at the First Affiliated Hospital of the PLA Air Force Military Medical University (externally known as: Xijing Hospital of the Air Force Military Medical University), received a call from the patient's family seeking a kidney transplant. For Li Guowei, he has received countless calls like this over the years, and he is asking for money again! However, three weeks later, the ordinary phone call made him gradually realize that the situation was beyond his imagination.
On 26 December 2019, Li Guowei received a call from Han Mei, a family member of the patient. When Han Mei asked the hospital to provide donors Falun Gong practitioners, Li Guowei said, "Most people are unwilling to donate now, but now they are willing to donate. There are fewer and fewer people. If the family members don’t agree, you can’t donate even if you have the consent form.”
He mentioned that the Red Cross is "the so-called distribution", "sometimes it's just a word from the officials." Li Guowei also mentioned that the kidney source in Shaanxi is the cheapest, "It should be 100,000 RMB. "
On 10 January 2020, Li Guowei received a call from another family member of the patient, and the next 4 calls were all from this person. This time, Li Guowei admitted that "the Red Cross is actually a pretense." He also said that "for the time being, it is not allowed by the express rules for Falun Gong donors", and Wang Zhiyuan expressed his implication that it was allowed in the past.
"Patient's family": You have to tell the truth, can you really find this thing (Falun Gong donor)?
Li Guowei: I can definitely find it for you. If you look for it, you will definitely be able to find it. It's just that you spend more money and I can find it.
The next day, the call continued.
"Families of patients": Like Falun Gong, some people also have organ problems. They say that they are beaten very badly, and they are told to transform and to write a guarantee. Some people do not write a guarantee. Organs are failing.
Li Guowei: I know what you mean. As long as you are bold, I can take you to the bedside for you to take a look at. When you take it later, you will definitely not see it when you take it, because when you take it, we will not be able to see it. Taken in surgery! ... It's to let you take a look at it when the time comes, to let you see with your own eyes that this person is in his twenties. ...I'm afraid you are too timid to look at it, as long as you dare to look, you can.
At the same time, Li Guowei confirmed that the organ harvesting was also done at Xijing Hospital.
In the 4th call.
"Patient's family members": You have the organ that you have made or taken from Falun Gong, but you can't say that publicly, you can only say that it is high-quality, free of disease, and free of primary disease.
Li Guowei: Yes, yes, it is such a statement, you are right when you say so. (laugh)
"Patient's family": Let's not go around, you can find Falun Gong donors for us, but officially we say that they are high-quality, without primary disease, young, and that's fine?
Li Guowei: Yes, yes, yes!
On 15 January 2020, this was the fifth phone call Li Guowei received. I thought that the dust had settled, and that it was about to be done. When the money was about to get in, the family members of the patients revealed their true identities. They were investigators of the International Organization for Investigating the Persecution of Falun Gong overseas.
Investigators advised Li Guowei to abandon the shadows, cooperate with the investigation, disclose the truth, and atone for his crimes. Li Guowei said, "You don't need to tell me these anti-party theories. China is a one-party system, so you don't need to tell me these!"
Wang Zhiyuan said that the CCP's military and police hospitals are "the main force in the genocide crime of organ harvesting from live Falun Gong practitioners"; the Hospital affiliated to the Military Medical University is a "key enforcement unit".
WOIPFG has made a video of the CCP's independent investigation into the organ harvesting of living Falun Gong practitioners as "Iron Evidence". The investigation and evidence collection of Li Guowei is in the fifth episode. To watch the live video, please click here.
The video of the investigation and evidence collection of Bai Shuzhong, the former Minister of Health of the Communist Party of China, will appear in the 23rd episode and will be broadcast in the near future. Click here for the web version.
News (13)
The junction of Jiangyin and Changzhou in Jiangsu Province has not been unblocked, detonating mass protests
Reporter : Dawn / Editor: Hu Long / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2022/05/22/a103435730.html
Since May, Jiangyin City, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China has taken measures to close the city due to the outbreak of a new round of CCP virus. However, the road at the junction of Jiangyin and Changzhou has not been unblocked, triggering mass protests. In order to prevent people from breaking through the roadblocks, police officers came to the scene.
On 21 May 2022, a number of videos were uploaded on Weibo, showing that a large number of residents gathered at the junction connecting Jiangyin and Changzhou to protest the authorities' delay in lifting the blockade of this key road section. It can be seen on the video screen that the road section was crowded with protesters, and everyone shouted: "Unblock! Unblock!"
In order to prevent the public from breaking through the iron barricades used to block the road, a police car carried a group of police officers to the blockade gate to be on alert. Some of them were shouting to the public with loudspeakers. 【Related Video Links】
It is understood that Jiangyin City began to block and control in the early morning of 4 May. Among them, Zhouzhuang Town, Yunting Street and other places were designated as "blocked and controlled areas", and hard isolation was implemented. Don’t leave home”, the bayonet is on duty 24 hours a day. At the same time, the whole city of Jiangyin is divided into "control areas", and local residents are required to "leave the city when it is not necessary".
However, after Jiangyin City announced the social "clearing" and lifted the city closure measures, the road section connecting Jiangyin and Changzhou has not been unblocked. Students and workers who go to school and work are unable to pass, causing strong dissatisfaction among the people. On 21 May, residents of the Jiangyin border area gathered at the junction to shout and protest, demanding that the authorities lift the lockdown.
A local resident of Jiangyin posted on 22 May 22, "How many people are blocked by the two iron sheets between Jiangyin City and Changzhou! This checkpoint has not stopped since 13 March to today."
A Weibo netizen commented, "The common people have been blocked for too long. It's like a spring. Press down a little bit, and there will always be a moment when it bounces."
Overseas Chinese netizens commented, "If Shanghai can be sealed, there will be no other domestic cities that cannot be sealed. Shanghai is an attitude."
Some netizens commented: "All the Chinese have tasted the iron fist of dictatorship and autocracy one by one, and then, it is up to you. If you want to be a slave and continue, you want to continue in silence, and you can only rely on yourself to change. The outside world has given up the idea of changing CCP China, and China decoupling is the direction of the outside world."
News (14)
Is monkeypox dangerous and why experts are deeply concerned
Editor : Wang Yan / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2022/05/22/a103435497.html / Image : Diagram of a monkeypox patient. (Wikipedia public domain)
Global health officials are sounding the alarm about rising monkeypox cases in Europe and elsewhere. Scientists are trying to find out why the disease, which was primarily found in Africa, is now spreading rapidly around the world.
Over the past week, at least 11 countries outside Africa have reported more than 120 confirmed or suspected cases of monkeypox, a rare viral disease rarely found outside Africa.
Here's what to know about current monkeypox outbreaks and relative risks:
How dangerous is monkeypox?
The risk to the general public from monkeypox is currently low, a U.S. public health official told reporters at a briefing on Friday (May 20).
Monkeypox is caused by the monkeypox virus and can cause symptoms including fever, pain, and a distinctive raised rash.
Monkeypox is in the same virus family as smallpox, but it is much less severe than smallpox. In particular, the West African strain found in one case in the United States had a mortality rate of about 1%. Most people recover fully within two to four weeks, U.S. public health security officials said.
The virus does not spread as easily as the SARS-CoV-2 virus that sparked the global COVID-19 pandemic.
Experts believe the current monkeypox outbreak is spread through close contact with someone who has an active rash. Experts say this should make its spread easier to control once infected people are identified.
"The covi (CCP virus) spreads through the respiratory tract and is very contagious. This does not seem to be the case with monkeypox," Reuters quoted Martin Hirsch of Massachusetts General Hospital as saying.
In the current monkeypox outbreak, many cases are among men who identify as gay, bisexual, etc.
Why are experts deeply concerned?
The virus usually occurs in remote areas of Central and West African countries, near tropical rainforests. However, it is currently breaking out in many countries around the world, which is not an unusual phenomenon. Scientists are trying to understand the origin of the current cases and whether there has been any change in the virus.
Most of the cases reported so far have been in the UK, Spain and Portugal; cases have also emerged in countries such as the US, Belgium, Canada and Australia. Public health officials say more cases are likely in the U.S.
WHO officials have expressed concern that more infections could emerge as people gather for festivals, parties and holidays in the coming summer months.
An article published online May 20 in the journal Nature said monkeypox was detected in people who were not clearly linked to each other, suggesting the virus may have been spreading silently. Epidemiologist Andrea McCollum, who leads the poxvirus team at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, called the fact "deeply concerning."
Unlike SARS-CoV-2, which can spread asymptomatically, monkeypox usually goes unnoticed when it infects people, in part because it causes skin damage. It would be especially troubling if monkeypox could spread asymptomatically, McCollum said, because it would make the virus harder to trace.
In the past week alone, the number of cases detected outside Africa has surpassed the number of cases detected outside the continent since 1970, when the virus was first identified as causing disease in humans, Nature said. This rapid spread has scientists on high alert.
The World Health Organization held an emergency meeting on Friday (May 20) to discuss the recent outbreak of monkeypox.
Another conundrum is why most case clusters include men between the ages of 20 and 50, many of whom are gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM).
How to prevent infection?
The UK has begun vaccinating health care workers who may be at risk for smallpox. The smallpox vaccine also protects against monkeypox. The U.S. government says it has enough smallpox vaccine stockpiled in its Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) to vaccinate all Americans.
In some cases, there are antiviral drugs against smallpox that can also be used to treat monkeypox, a spokesman for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said in a statement.
More broadly, health officials say people should avoid close contact with people with rash illnesses or other medical conditions. People suspected of having monkeypox should isolate and seek medical attention.
What could be behind the surge in cases?
"Viruses are nothing new," said Angela Rasmussen, a virologist at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada's Vaccine and Infectious Diseases group, Reuters reported. Many factors, including increased global travel and climate change, have accelerated the emergence and spread of the virus. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the world is also more vigilant about any kind of new outbreak, she said.
From these preliminary genetic data, researchers can see that monkeypox virus is related to a strain of the virus found primarily in West Africa but exactly how different the strains responsible for the current outbreak are from those in West Africa — and whether the emergence of viruses in different countries is related to each other — remains unknown.
Answers to these questions could help determine whether the sudden increase in cases stems from a mutation that makes the monkeypox virus more spreadable than in the past, and whether each outbreak can be traced back to a single source.
News (15)
EU's first monkeypox quarantine order! 6 suspected cases in the U.S. had been on the same flight as a confirmed monkeypox patient
According to WHO, monkeypox endemic countries are Benin, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Ghana (found only in animals), Côte d'Ivoire, Liberia, Nigeria, Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone, and South Sudan. From 15 December 2021 to 1 May 2022, the Democratic Republic of Congo has reported 1,238 confirmed cases of monkeypox and 57 deaths.
Non-endemic countries that have reported monkeypox infections include Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States; among them, Portugal, Spain, and the United Kingdom have reported more than 20 confirmed cases. In addition, as of press time, Switzerland and Israel have also reported the first cases of monkeypox in their countries.
News (16)
U.S. reports 2 suspected monkeypox cases
According to CCTV, a statement from the Public Health Laboratory of the New York Department of Health and Mental Hygiene on the 20th local time pointed out that after two suspected patients were tested for monkeypox virus, one of them was negative and the other was positive. A final diagnosis will have to wait for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to complete testing. The positive patient is currently in isolation and could become the second known native case of monkeypox in the United States in 2022. On 22 May, local time, the Florida Department of Health said in a news release that state health officials were investigating a suspected case of monkeypox. The suspected case may be related to international travel. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urged Americans not to panic and is also investigating at least six other suspected cases of monkeypox. The six people all took the same flight with a confirmed monkeypox patient earlier this month but they are all asymptomatic and in good physical condition, so the possibility of diagnosis is low.
News (17)
Biden: Monkeypox outbreak needs public attention
According to the US CBS News Network, this Sunday, US President Biden, who was visiting South Korea, was asked by the media how he felt about the monkeypox epidemic that has recently appeared in many European and American countries. Biden responded that once the monkeypox virus spreads, it will cause adverse consequences, so people need to pay attention. Biden also said the U.S. was working on what vaccine would be effective against the virus.
Biden's national security adviser, Sullivan, also answered questions from the media about the monkeypox epidemic on the way to Japan, saying that the United States has a vaccine supply that can be used to deal with the monkeypox epidemic.
News (18)
EU's first and second monkeypox quarantine orders! Belgium announces 21-day quarantine for monkeypox cases followed by the UK
According to a report by "Russia Today" (RT) on 22 May 2022, the Belgian health department's risk assessment team announced on 20 May that cases of monkeypox infectionin Belgium are required to be quarantined for 21 days. Belgium has thus become the first country in the European Union to require the quarantine of monkeypox cases. Three people in Belgium have been diagnosed with the monkeypox virus, which has emerged in more than a dozen countries in the past week.
According to reports, Belgian virologist Mark Van Lanster revealed on social media that the fourth case of monkeypox was diagnosed on 22 May. Like the previous three cases, the confirmed case is linked to the "Dark Places" event in Antwerp in early May.
"It's important that everyone attending the Festival of Darkness is vigilant for any symptoms," Van Lanster said, suggesting the scale of the outbreak is becoming "more and more clear," adding, This is unprecedented for monkeypox virus." Cases of monkeypox are common in West and Central Africa, and the disease is incurable but usually clears up on its own within a few weeks, the report said.
While the Belgian government warned suspected infected people to self-isolate, it also told them (suspected infected people) to go to hospital emergency rooms to talk to medical experts, the report said. RT believes that this suggestion is more contradictory, and similar suggestions also appeared in the early days of the covid outbreak.
Meanwhile, British holidaymakers have been urged to stay "alert" to the dangers of monkeypox as the number of cases is set to rise today and the Government is urging high-risk contacts to self-isolate for three weeks.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) guidance is now advising high-risk close contacts to self-isolate for 21 days, stay away from work, and avoid contact with immunosuppressed people, pregnant women, and children aged under 12 where possible.
So far the agency has confirmed 20 cases in the UK.
Image : Daily Mail
The UK government said unprotected direct contact or high risk environmental contact includes living in the same house as someone with monkeypox, having sexual contact with them or even just changing their bedding "without appropriate PPE".
When asked about the risk to Britons going to summer festivals and children on sunshine holidays, chief medical adviser for UKHSA Dr Susan Hopkins said, "The risk to the general population [from monkeypox] remains extremely low... People need to be alert to it, and we really want clinicians to be alert to it."
Dr Hopkins warned anyone who feels ill with any symptoms to "stay at home" and urged those with a suspicious rash to 'immediately seek medical care, either by calling your GP or a sexual health clinic' during a BBC interview on Sunday.
She said updated figures for the weekend will be given on Monday as she warned of more cases "on a daily basis".
Meanwhile, Austrian health authorities declared today that the country had recorded its first confirmed case of monkeypox in the capital Vienna, making Austria the latest of 15 nations to confirm outbreaks.
News (19)
Very unusual! Cases with no clear travel link to endemic areas
Image of monkeypox epidemic distribution map on 22 May 2022 : Daily Mail
Epidemiological investigations are ongoing, but no clear travel links to monkeypox-endemic areas have been identified among the reported cases, and cases have been identified primarily among MSM seeking care in primary care and sexual health clinics.
WHO said it was unusual that these current cases had no direct travel link to areas endemic for monkeypox. Monkeypox virus is still circulating, and monkeypox surveillance has previously been limited in non-endemic areas; more cases are expected in the near future as more countries begin monitoring monkeypox outbreaks.
WHO has called for accurate disease information to be provided immediately to susceptible populations to prevent further spread of the virus. Available information indicates that close physical contact with a person infected with MPV who has developed clear symptoms is a high-risk group in which human-to-human transmission of MPV is occurring.
News (20)
The mortality rate is lower, and the West African clade of monkeypox virus has been detected
The case samples obtained so far were confirmed to be infected with the West African clade of monkeypox virus by PCR testing. The genome sequence of a swab sample from a confirmed case in Portugal shows that the monkeypox virus responsible for the current outbreak is very similar to the one exported from Nigeria to the UK, Israel and Singapore in 2018 and 2019.
Monkeypox is a viral zoonotic disease with symptoms very similar to those seen in patients with smallpox in the past. Currently, monkeypox viruses have two clades: the West African clade and the Congo Basin (Central Africa) clade. Compared with the Congo Basin clade, human infection with the West African clade had a lower case fatality rate of 3.6%; the Congo Basin clade was 10.6%.
News (21)
Incubation period is usually 6-13 days, immunosuppressed people may be very severe
According to WHO, the name monkeypox stems from the initial detection of the virus in monkeys by a Danish laboratory in 1958 and the first human case in a child in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1970. Monkeypox is usually self-limiting but can be severe in some individuals, such as children, pregnant women, or people who are immunosuppressed due to other medical conditions.
Human-to-human transmission of monkeypox virus occurs primarily through close contact with contaminated materials such as lesions, body fluids, respiratory droplets, and bedding. Its incubation period is usually 6 to 13 days, but it can also be 5 to 21 days. Multiple animals have been established to be susceptible to monkeypox virus, but the current natural history of monkeypox virus remains uncertain and further research is needed to determine the exact host and how the virus maintains circulation in nature. The WHO mentions that eating undercooked meat and processed products from infected animals is a possible risk factor.
News (22)
WHO: Human-to-human transmission of monkeypox virus, possible transmission from mother to child
Image : Daily Mail
WHO states: "The available information suggests that human-to-human transmission is occurring in people who have had close physical contact with symptomatic cases." In general, human-to-human transmission of monkeypox virus is uncommon. The human-to-human transmission route includes close contact with the respiratory secretions, skin lesions or contaminated items of infected persons, and it usually takes longer face-to-face to transmit respiratory droplets. In addition, monkeypox virus can also be transmitted through mother-to-child and sexual transmission.
News (23)
EU countries to be told to prepare smallpox vaccination plan to overcome the monkeypox epidemic in each country, suspected cases in Greece and Argentina
Reporter : Emily Craig, Daily Mail / https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10844809/EU-health-chiefs-tell-nations-prepare-vaccination-strategies-amid-scramble-contain-monkeypox.html
Image of monkeypox epidemic distribution map as of 23 May 2022 evening : Daily Mail
EU authorities are set to publish a risk assessment, which will advise all member states to draw up an inoculation strategy to control the spread of the tropical virus.
No monkeypox-specific vaccine exists but smallpox jabs, which were routinely offered to Britons until the virus was eradicated four decades ago, are up to 85 per cent effective.
The strategy likely to be recommended is the same one already deployed in Britain. MailOnline last week revealed officials were attempting to contain the spread by vaccinating all close contacts of the 20 confirmed monkeypox cases, including NHS workers.
The strategy, called ring vaccination, involves jabbing and monitoring anyone around an infected person to form a buffer of immune people to limit the disease's spread.
It comes as experts warn nations could bring in travel restrictions to control the spread of the illness, if the World Health Organization (WHO) declares the outbreak an emergency.
Monkeypox is usually only spotted within Africa, but 16 countries — including the US, France and Spain — have all now detected the virus this month. Denmark is latest to confirm an infection, in a man who recently returned from Spain. Greece and Argentina are probing suspected cases.
News (24)
Russia develops monkeypox virus detection kit and has completed laboratory tests
Reporter : Liu Kai / https://news.sciencenet.cn/htmlnews/2022/5/479449.shtm
Image of mature oval-shaped monkeypox viruses : Daily Mail
Researchers of Russia's "Vector" National Science Center for Virology and Biotechnology (hereinafter referred to as "Vector" Center) have developed an automatic test kit (hereinafter referred to as "Test"). box), which can be used to detect orthopoxviruses including monkeypox virus. Laboratory testing of the kit has been successfully completed.
Monkeypox virus and variola virus belong to the genus Orthopoxvirus of the Poxviridae family. The "Vector" Center recently announced that this test kit can successfully detect the orthopoxvirus infected by the experimental animal samples. Laboratory tests conducted in clinical mode have shown that the kits are effective in detecting orthopoxviruses such as vaccinia virus, monkeypox virus, etc. In addition, this test box is equipped with related equipment, easy to analyze samples, and intuitively record the results, so that the test can be carried out under non-laboratory conditions.
According to the World Health Organization, the symptoms of monkeypox virus infection are similar to smallpox, but the clinical severity is less severe, and the incubation period is usually 6 to 13 days, and may be as long as 21 days. Researchers from the "Vector" Center said that due to the "cross-immunity" characteristics of various poxviruses, human vaccination against smallpox is also effective against monkeypox.
According to Russian media reports, the "Vector" Center submitted a registration application for the country's fourth-generation smallpox vaccine to the Russian Ministry of Health on the 18th. The center believes that although humans have long eliminated smallpox, with the thawing of local permafrost in recent years, there is still a risk of the release of smallpox virus that may remain in the permafrost.
Monkeypox is a viral zoonotic disease. Monkeypox virus can be transmitted from animals to humans through close contact. Although human-to-human transmission is not easy, it may also be infected by close contact with patients. The initial symptoms of monkeypox infection in humans include fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, and swollen lymph nodes, which can later develop into a widespread rash on the face and body. Most patients recover within weeks, but others develop severe symptoms and even die.
News (25) to (27) / Reporter : Lin Nan / https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/22/5/22/n13743039.htm
News (25)
Sixth child dies as unidentified child hepatitis spreads in 36 U.S. states
Image : Liver infection with hepatitis virus and drug treatment. (shutterstock)
An outbreak of severe acute hepatitis in children of unknown etiology has spread across the United States, prompting infectious disease experts to urgently seek answers. The child hepatitis has so far killed six children.
The U.S. CDC confirmed a sixth death last week. In the past seven months, the liver disease outbreak has expanded to 36 states and territories, with 180 adolescent patients, the CDC said.
The number of hepatitis cases has risen by 71 in the past two weeks but the CDC said most of these patients may have developed the disease weeks or months earlier.
"Not all cases are recent, and some may ultimately not be relevant to the current investigation," the CDC said in a statement. The agency said testing ruled out some viruses that typically cause hepatitis.
Jay Butler, deputy director of infectious diseases at the CDC, said at the briefing that there were no common patterns of exposure or other infections. Laboratory tests are done to take a closer look at the viral genome and other potential pathogens, such as SARS-CoV-2 (covi, CCP virus) , the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 (covid).
The CDC is closely monitoring whether there is any link between the hepatitis outbreak and covi that killed 1 million Americans.
Melissa Nolan, an assistant professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of South Carolina's Arnold School of Public Health, told USA TODAY that the outbreak is almost certainly not related to the covi vaccine.
"The fact is that a significant number of cases involve children under the age of five who are ineligible for vaccination," Nolan said.
Adenovirus was detected in nearly half of the affected children, a finding with a "strong lead," the CDC said.
Adenoviruses are often associated with much less dangerous diseases, such as pink eye, Nolan noted.
"It's not uncommon for adenoviruses to cause severe liver damage," she said. "It could be a new form of adenovirus. Or it could be something entirely new."
News (26)
More than 300 cases have been accumulated in 20 countries around the world
The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) said in a statement Friday (20 May 2022) that 10 children in Canada have been found to have serious and mysterious cases of child hepatitis in the last five months. All 10 children were hospitalized, and two of them required liver transplants. The children were between the ages of 1 and 13 and were sick between 3 November 2021 and 2 April 2022.
As of 10 May, 74 cases have been identified in the UK. Further investigations are underway to understand the etiology of these cases.
The UK notified WHO in April of 10 cases in central Scotland in children aged between 11 months and 5 years who were healthy before the onset of symptoms. Of the 10 cases, nine developed symptoms in March this year and one in January. Symptoms include jaundice, diarrhea, vomiting, and abdominal pain.
In these cases, laboratory tests ruled out hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E, while in some cases SARS-CoV-2 and/or SARS-CoV-2, and adenovirus. The UK recently observed increased activity of adenovirus co-circulating with SARS-CoV-2 although the role of these viruses in pathogenesis is unclear.
To date, no other epidemiological risk factors have been identified, including recent international travel.
Overall, the etiology of these hepatitis cases remains unknown at this time, and active investigations are ongoing, along with laboratory testing for other infections, chemicals, and toxins in identified cases.
The World Health Organization (WHO) said on 10 May that there have been 348 cases of unknown hepatitis in children in 20 countries around the world, and another 13 countries are investigating 70 possible cases.
According to the current survey results, 70% of children infected with unknown hepatitis tested positive for adenovirus and 18% tested positive for covi.
News (27)
CCP China reports the first inbound cases of BA.2.12.1 and BA.4 infections, covi in Guang'an identified as BA.2.2
Image : STR/AFP via Getty Images
In the past week, the "Weekly Report of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (English)" has successively released a number of the latest research on the Omicron covi subtype variant reported in China and its infected persons.
The article shows that at present, there have been the first cases of BA.2.12.1 infection and BA.4 infection of the new Omicron variant in China from abroad.
In addition, the gene sequencing results of the covid-positive infected person who appeared in Guang'an, Sichuan recently showed that the virus belongs to the BA.2.2 evolutionary branch of Omicron.
News (28)
BA.2.12.1 in Guangzhou originates from Kenya
The first case of imported mutant BA.2.12.1 diagnosed in China is a 27-year-old Chinese male who traveled from Nairobi on 23 April 2022. The international flight arrived at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport in Guangdong Province, when all passengers were transferred to quarantine hotels for 14 days of routine medical observation and were regularly tested. The man tested positive for nucleic acid on 27 April 2022.
The virus gene sequencing results showed that the patient was infected with BA.2.12.1, the first inbound case of BA.2.12.1 infection in China, and he had been fully vaccinated.
On 4 May 2022, the World Health Organization (WHO) reminded to closely monitor BA.2.12.1. Many studies have shown that the spread of BA.2.12.1 is about 23% to 27% faster than that of BA.2. One of the main reasons for the rebound of the epidemic in the region is that at least 17 countries have reported cases of variant BA.2.12.1.
News (29)
BA.4 in Guangzhou originates from Amsterdam
In addition, on 4 May 2022, China also confirmed a case of imported infection of the mutant BA.4, which is also the first confirmed case of BA.4 in China. The patient arrived in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province from Amsterdam, the Netherlands on 29 April 2022. The nucleic acid test was positive on 30 April, and he was also fully vaccinated.
The weekly report pointed out that BA.4 is setting off a new round of epidemics in South Africa and quickly replacing BA.2. Since the first week of April this year, more than 50% of the cases in South Africa have been infected with BA.4, and this variant strain is very effective against BA.4. Those who received 3 doses of the vaccine had stronger immune escape. At least 20 countries have reported cases of BA.4.
News (30)
Dynamic clearing policy in Guangzhou: Almost all districts carry out normalized nucleic acid testing
Under the situation that the CCP authorities continue to implement the dynamic clearing/zero-covid policy, on 16 May, many places in Guangzhou have begun to block and control, and nucleic acid testing of all employees has been carried out in many districts, including Liwan District, Yuexiu District, Baiyun District, Zengcheng District, Panyu District, Huadu District, Haizhu District, Tianhe District, Huangpu District, etc. From 15 to 31 May 2022, Yuexiu District, Haizhu District, and Panyu District will implement normalized nucleic acid testing.
On 19 May 2022, the Guangzhou Health Commission issued a health notice for people from the province (returning) to Guangzhou, and implemented landing nucleic acid testing twice in three days. Baiyun District divides some areas of Yongping Street into closed control areas, control areas and prevention areas, and implements the management measures of "area closed, no home, door-to-door service" for the closed area. The management measures of "staying out of the area and picking things at different peaks" are implemented for the control area.
Cai Jun (pseudonym) from Baiyun District, Guangzhou told The Epoch Times that China is the only one in the world who wants to clear it, which is very unrealistic.
Cai Jun pointed out that the whole of China has been busy with epidemic prevention in the past two years. The Pearl River Delta, Yangtze River Delta, Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, the three eastern provinces, the Central Plains and other places like the baton have never been broken. If this goes on, the Chinese economy will really collapse.
News (31)
Lockdown in Guangzhou has never stopped
Wang Hao (pseudonym), who lives in Liwan District, Guangzhou, told The Epoch Times that the lockdown in Guangzhou has never stopped. As soon as I was notified of the resumption of work, I started prevention and control again, and I didn’t work for more than two months. "In order to cooperate with the government's ridiculous zero-clearing policy, being called to do nucleic acid testing (testing) in the middle of the night when asleep, being called to do nucleic acid testing while eating, and being called to do nucleic acid testing while taking a shower. The price to pay is too high.”
News (32)
More than 10,000 Chinese locked in Canton Fair Complex, stampedes occurred
Wang Hao said that on 15 May 2022, tens of thousands of people were locked in the Canton Fair Complex, and merchants started selling on the ground. A bucket of doll noodles at 2.5 RMB on the market sold for 25 RMB, plus 35 RMB for boiling water, and a box of doll noodles was sold for 25 RMB is now 60 RMB. When a case in Jindu Mall in Yuexiu District was suddenly found positive, businesses and customers were afraid of being sealed inside, and there was a flood of stampedes.
News (33)
Beijing closes more districts, isolates more residents
The CCP virus epidemic in Beijing continued to spread. On 22 May, the official report said that in the past 24 hours, Beijing had added 94 local infections, and the cases were in Fengtai, Haidian, Fangshan, Dongcheng, Xicheng, Chaoyang, Changping and Daxing districts.
The Beijing authorities announced on 22 May that they will implement 4-point measures to strengthen the prevention and control of the epidemic. Among them, five administrative districts including Chaoyang, Fangshan, Shunyi, Fengtai, and Haidian will implement home office, and communities and villages will be closed for management. The population involved in the closure and control exceeds 10 million. almost half of the city's population. The most influential areas include Chaoyang District, a bustling business district, and Haidian District, which is home to numerous academic institutions.
Local citizens posted a video online saying that the Youyi Community in Haidian District began to gather people for centralized isolation on the evening of the 21st, and by the evening of the 22nd, buses were still gathering to isolate residents.
At the same time, the city's bus and subway operations have also been adjusted. Bus lines in the closed and controlled areas will not stop or stop at stops, subway stations will be closed, and taxis will be restricted from operating in areas. Many commercial establishments are closed.
News (34)
Beijing adds 94 new cases of local infection
On 22 May 2022, at the 342nd press conference on the prevention and control of the novel coronavirus pneumonia (covid) in Beijing, Liu Xiaofeng, deputy director of the Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, introduced that from 0:00 to 15:00 on 22 May, new local covid virus infections were added. There were 67 cases. Since the press conference on 21 May (from 3 pm on 21 May to 3 pm on 22 May), 94 new cases of local covid virus infection (1538 to 1631 infected), 41 cases in Fengtai District, 24 cases in Haidian District, There are 14 cases in Fangshan District, 7 cases in Dongcheng District, 3 cases in Changping District, 2 cases in Xicheng District and Chaoyang District, and 1 case in Daxing District; 1 case of severe type, 14 cases of common type, 66 cases of mild type, and 13 cases of asymptomatic infection; 77 cases of personnel, 17 cases of social screening. All have been transferred to designated hospitals for isolation and treatment, and relevant risk points and personnel have been controlled and placed.
News (35)
Beginning on 23 May 2022, some subway stations in Haidian, Beijing are closed
According to the needs of epidemic prevention and control work, from the first train on 23 May 2022 (Monday) until further notice, the following stations are closed or some entrances and exits are closed, and the transfer stations involved are retaining the transfer function within the stations, specifically:
1-Batong Line: Gongzhufen Station (Exit A, D), Wanshou Road Station (C1, C2, D1, D2), Wukesong Station (C1, C2, D1, D2) ), Yuquan Road Station (C1, C2, D1, D2)
4- Daxing Line: Haidian Huangzhuang Station, Zhongguancun Station, Renmin University Station;
Line 10: Gongzhufen Station (Exit A, D), Suzhou Street Station, Haidian Huangzhuang Station, Zhichun Road Station;
Line 13: Zhichun Road Station;
Line 15: Qinghua East Road Xikou Station, Liudaokou Station;
Line 16: Suzhou Bridge Station;
From the first train on 23 May 2022 (Monday), the following stations will start to check the passenger health code:
1-Batong Line: The remaining entrances and exits of Wanshou Road Station, Wukesong Station and Yuquan Road Station are open;
4- Daxing Line: Peking University East Gate Station, Weigong Village Station;
Line 10: Bagou Station, Zhichunli Station, Xitucheng Station;
Line 15: Beishatan Station;
Line 16: Wanshou Temple Station, Wanquanhe Bridge Station.
Please plan your trip in advance. For further queries, call the subway service hotline 96123 or 96165 for consultation. The authorities apologize for the inconvenience caused.
News (36)
From 23 May 2022, the online car-hailing in the upgraded control area of Beijing Haidian will not be dispatched
A reporter from Beijing Daily learned from the Municipal Transportation Commission that, in accordance with the requirements of epidemic prevention and control, on the basis of the previous operation adjustment, the newly upgraded buses and subways in the Haidian District will start from the first bus on 23 May (Monday), and taxis will be available. (including online car-hailing) From 0:00 on 23 May (Monday), the following operational measures are taken:
1. Malianwa area
Bus: Passing through 1 station in the Malianwa control area of Haidian District, the measures of stopping the station will be adopted, involving 3 bus lines.
Subway: Malianwa Station, Anheqiao North Station, and Nongda South Road Station have been closed in the early stage, and no adjustments will be made this time.
2. The surrounding area of Yousheng Building
Bus: The 18 stations passing through the control area of Yousheng Building in Haidian District will take measures to drop the station, involving 28 bus lines.
Subway: On the basis of the closed Wudaokou Station in the previous period, the Zhichun Road, Qinghua East Road West Exit Station, and Liudaokou Station will be closed, and the transfer station can be transferred within the station.
3. The West District of Zhongguancun and the surrounding areas of Youyi Community
Bus: 14 stations passing through Zhongguancun West District of Haidian District and Youyi Community Management and Control Area will take measures to drop stations, involving 35 bus lines.
Subway: Increase the closure of Zhongguancun Station, Haidian Huangzhuang Station, Renmin University Station, Suzhou Bridge Station, Suzhou Street Station, and transfer stations can be transferred within the station.
4. The surrounding area of Puhui Nanli Community and the south of Fuxing Road, west of the West Third Ring Road, and the area enclosed by the border of Haidian District
Bus: 40 stations passing through the control area of Wanshou Road Sub-district, Haidian District, take measures to drop the station, involving 39 bus lines.
Subway: On the basis of the closed Lianhuaqiao Station in the early stage, the four subway stations of Yuquan Road Station, Wukesong Station, Wanshou Road Station and Gongzhufen Station are not closed, but only the south exit (among which Gongzhufen Station is closed to the west side. exit).
Taxi (including online car-hailing): Online car-hailing platforms in Haidian District’s newly upgraded and controlled area are not allowed to issue orders, and cruise cars are not allowed to pick up or drop off passengers.
At the same time, increase the investment in the transportation capacity of the emergency fleet for citizens' medical treatment and medical staff's travel caring support fleet, and do a good job in the emergency guarantee for the citizens of Haidian District to seek medical care.
News (37)
Emergency notice issued by multiple districts in Beijing: Report immediately if you have been to Oriental Plaza recently
On 22 May 2022, Beijing Chaoyang District Center for Disease Control and Prevention issued an emergency notice:
Those who worked in or visited Dongfang Plaza in Dongcheng District from 12 to 20 May 2022, please take the initiative to report to the community (village) where they belong, or call the Chaoyang CDC hotline 87789709 to report. At the same time, I and my family members do not go out at home.
Previously, Beijing Dongcheng District, Xicheng District, and Daxing District have issued relevant notices.
News (38)
Beijing: Colleges and universities are the key parts of epidemic prevention and control, and closed management must be strictly in place
On May 22, at the 342nd press conference on the prevention and control of the novel coronavirus pneumonia in Beijing, Xu Hejian, deputy director of the Publicity Department of the Municipal Party Committee, director of the Municipal Government Information Office, and spokesperson of the municipal government, introduced that colleges and universities are responsible for the prevention and control of the epidemic. For key parts, the closed management must be strictly in place, and epidemic prevention measures must be implemented to every point and every person; teachers and counselors should go to the students to do a good job of the students; make good use of the school doctor to do a good job in nucleic acid testing and health monitoring.
Refs: http://www.minhangshi.com/m/h5/detail/11361281, https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2022/05/22/a103435674.html, http://www.minhangshi.com/m/h5/detail/11361317
News (39)
Protein gel helps treat type 1 diabetes
Reporter : Li Muzi / https://news.sciencenet.cn//htmlnews/2022/5/479086.shtm / Image : Microscopic image of a microgel with protein Fas ligands on its surface. Credit: Esma Yolcu
Transplanting pancreatic cells, along with protein-releasing microgels, into type 1 diabetic monkeys improved their blood sugar control and the transplanted cells were not rejected. A related paper was recently published in Science Advances.
People with type 1 diabetes must inject insulin to regulate blood sugar because their immune systems mistakenly attack beta cells in the pancreas, which normally produce the glucose-lowering hormone insulin. Transplanting islet beta cells from a donor allows people with type 1 diabetes to produce their own insulin but the recipient needs to take immunosuppressive drugs for life to prevent the cells from being rejected. This weakens their immune systems, putting them at greater risk of infection and cancer.
In search of an alternative treatment, Ji Lei and colleagues at Harvard Medical School injected seven monkeys with a natural agent called streptozotocin, which kills pancreatic beta cells and induces 1 type diabetes. After 12 days, the scientists removed islets from healthy monkeys and mixed them with the microgel. The cells and microgels were then transplanted onto tissue layers in the monkey's abdomen.
Four of the monkeys received microgels filled with Fas ligand (FasL), a natural protein that kills overactive immune cells, and a protein called streptavidin (SA), which FasL can be "sticked" to the microgel. The gel is premixed with islet cells, which allows it to slowly release FasL onto the transplanted cells in the body, preventing them from being rejected.
The remaining 3 monkeys received islet transplantation along with "empty" microgels without FasL or SA. All seven monkeys received supplemental insulin for the first 28 days, as well as 3 months of treatment with the anti-rejection drug rapamycin.
Over the next six months, the monkeys that received the SA-FasL microgels produced the same levels of insulin as they did before they developed diabetes, at least on an empty stomach, the researchers said. The monkeys had normal postprandial insulin secretion of 80 to 90 percent, so they only needed small supplements occasionally.
"These monkeys also had normal liver and kidney function, which shows that the treatment is safe and there are no signs of transplant rejection," Ji Lei said. "Usually we have to use very aggressive treatment and multiple drugs, but in this case, we do not have."
Four monkeys who received the microgel without SA-FasL rejected islet transplants within a few weeks of surgery.
Co-author Haval Shirwan of the University of Missouri said their goal is to one day provide hospitals with an "off-the-shelf technology" that would allow surgeons to implant the microgel at the same time as islet transplantation. He hopes human trials can begin within two years.
Related paper information: https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abm9881
News (40)
Five things to know about Biden's Indo-Pacific economic framework
Editor : Li Hong / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2022/05/23/a103435964.html
Image : On 22 May 2022, U.S. President Joe Biden arrived at Miyokota Air Force Base in Fussa City, Tokyo, where he was welcomed by Japanese Foreign Minister Fangzheng Lin. Biden will release the U.S. Indo-Pacific economic framework during his visit to Japan. (Saul Loeb/AFP)
U.S. President Biden is visiting Japan on Sunday (22 May), during which he has officially launched the "Indo-Pacific Economic Prosperity Framework" (also known as the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework), the framework It is believed that Washington wants to unite its allies and strengthen its economic presence in the Indo-Pacific region to counter the economic policies of Beijing's influence.
The tailored Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) is designed to counter Beijing’s influence while protecting American workers but the IPEF is not a free trade agreement. This framework is different from the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and the CCP’s Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), as they were known in the past.
So far, some Asian governments have responded positively to the (IPEF), and some countries, including Japan and South Korea, have expressed interest in joining.
Here are five things we need to know about the Indo-Pacific economic framework, synthesizing the Nikkei Asian Review article and other content.
1. Why is the United States developing the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework?
President Biden proposed the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) concept during the East Asia Summit in October 2021, saying the framework would focus on the digital economy, supply chain resilience, decarbonization, infrastructure and worker work standards.
The Indo-Pacific economic framework is not a traditional free trade agreement, U.S. Trade Representative Dai Qi told a Senate Finance Committee hearing in March. IPEF also includes the establishment of sustainable food systems and science-based agricultural regulatory measures, as well as regulatory practices and trade facilitation.
Wendy Cutler, deputy director of the Asia Society Policy Institute and former deputy U.S. trade representative, told the Nikkei that the IPEF will be "a tool for U.S. economic re-engagement in the Indo-Pacific" and hopes it will "helps fill the void created by the U.S. withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)."
After the United States withdrew from the TPP, the previous 11 countries, led by Japan, continued to advance the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. In 2021, Beijing applied to join the CPTPP. The UK and Taiwan are also applying to join the CPTPP.
Meanwhile, Beijing is also a member of the 15-member Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), which took effect in January. The United States is not a member of RCEP.
In other words, the United States now lacks an economic framework platform to engage in the Indo-Pacific region, where Beijing is not only a member of the region itself, but also a member of the free trade agreement.
The 11 CPTPP member countries include: Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam. RCEP includes ten ASEAN countries, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.
2. Why did the US not rejoin the CPTPP?
While the Biden administration has rolled back some of Trump's tariffs on U.S. allies, it has also made it clear that the U.S. will not revisit the CPTPP. Dai Qi said free trade agreements were "very 20th century" tools. At a congressional hearing in March, Day said such free trade agreements have led to a "considerable backlash" among Americans, who are concerned about the offshoring and outsourcing of U.S. jobs.
The Nikkei said the Biden-Harris administration is "middle-class foreign policy" that wants to make ordinary American citizens see greater benefits from U.S. trade and diplomacy.
On this, the Biden-Harris administration is in line with the Trump administration before it, both of which have argued that unchecked trade liberalization would hurt American workers.
3. How is IPEF different from CPTPP and RCEP?
Unlike the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) does not address tariff reductions. The United States wants to seek cooperation with other countries on strategic pillars such as supply chain resilience and the digital economy.
Nikkei said the IPEF is like a more tailored mechanism that seeks the benefits of trade partnerships while also shielding the United States from the downsides of trade liberalization.
Of course, because it is not a traditional free trade agreement, IPEF does not need to go through years of negotiation, let alone the approval of the participating countries' congresses.
Cutler told the Nikkei that the IPEF would be "step-by-step".
“I hope it will go a long way to filling the vacuum we created when we left the TPP. Maybe, over time, the U.S. will realize that more work needs to be done and we will be closer to a TPP-like model.” She said.
4. Which Asian countries are likely to join IPEF?
Japan has welcomed IPEF. The Nikkei said Biden launched the framework during his visit to Japan, reflecting his high hopes that Asian allies will participate in the framework.
U.S. Cabinet members, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and Trade Representative Dai Qi, were present.
The Nikkei said that although Japan still insists that the United States joins the CPTPP as the best option, the return of the United States to the regional trade stage this time is also a welcome development.
South Korea, as well as some Southeast Asian countries such as Singapore and the Philippines, have also expressed interest in IPEF.
In a statement, the Philippine Department of Trade and Industry said: "The IPEF's objective provisions - such as advancing resilience, inclusiveness and competitiveness, as well as technology, innovation, digital economy, energy transition, climate goals and equitable growth - are aligned with the Philippine's Trade priorities are aligned.”
Thailand's cabinet on Tuesday approved a statement informing the U.S. that they would participate in the negotiations.
However, some countries are taking a wait-and-see approach. Japan's Fuji TV reported on Wednesday that India and Indonesia expressed reservations about joining the IPEF. Indonesian President Joko Widodo told the US-ASEAN summit in Washington last week that cooperation under the IPEF "must be inclusive".
Still others question the benefits of IPEF. Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Cheng said at an online event on 11 May at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a think tank in Washington, that the specific content of the IPEF is unclear. "We are ready to discuss with the United States to further understand what these pillars are," he said.
Some experts said that the labor and environmental standards of IPEF may become an important factor that inhibits ASEAN countries from joining.
5. What impact might IPEF have on Asian economies? How did the CCP react?
In the afternoon of Monday (23 May 2022) local time, a press conference on the "Indo-Pacific Economic Framework" advocated by President Biden will be held at the Izumi Garden Gallery in Roppongi, Tokyo.
Matthew Goodman, a trade expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, told Reuters that the White House appears to have decided to make the IPEF launch (ceremony) more of an open party where everyone is invited, a real Work will start Monday morning.
“If the (U.S.) government wants to involve countries, it will ultimately have to provide more tangible benefits,” he said.
US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters on Air Force One that Taiwan would not be involved in the IPEF launch, but the US was looking to deepen economic ties with Taiwan.
Jayant Menon, a visiting researcher at the Regional Economics Research Program at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS), a Singapore-based think tank, told the Nikkei that the focus on IPEF's push to improve supply chain resilience is actually code for a restructuring of offshore work, an "attempt to squeeze China out of the supply chain.”
One concern, he added, is that the IPEF is not a free trade agreement, will it be sustainable? Can a successor government continue after the Biden administration?
In any case, the militant CCP has seen the IPEF as a threat. Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said without naming the United States during a video meeting with his counterpart in Cambodia, the rotating ASEAN chair, that someone had introduced the "Cold War mentality" into Asia and incited "campaign confrontation." He said CCP will boycott.
On Sunday, Wang Yi held talks with Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto in Guangzhou. In his speech, Wang Yi was extremely dissatisfied with Biden's trip to Asia, according to a statement issued by the Chinese Foreign Ministry. He said that the "Indo-Pacific strategy" concocted by the United States is under the banner of "freedom and openness", but it is keen to "group gangs" to engage in "small circles". The U.S. claims to "change China's surrounding environment" with the aim of "attempting to contain China (the CCP)."
No comments:
Post a Comment