China: Daily Scan, March 29, 2022

Senior provincial official under probe: Xinhuanet
March 29, 2022

Hao Chunrong, vice governor of northeast China’s Liaoning Province, is under investigation for suspected serious violations of discipline and law. The probe is being conducted by the Communist Party of China Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission, according to a statement released on Tuesday. Click here to read…

BRICS int’l journalism online training program concludes: Xinhuanet
March 28, 2022

An online journalism training program for media professionals from BRICS countries concluded Monday. Lasting three months, the BRICS International Journalism Online Training Program saw seasoned journalists and renowned academics from Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa give lectures to 25 trainees from the five countries, covering topics including BRICS cooperation, news reporting and the Beijing Winter Olympics, among others. Click here to read…

Chinese FM to chair 3rd meeting of foreign ministers of countries neighboring Afghanistan: Xinhuanet
March 28, 2022

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi will host the third meeting of foreign ministers of the countries neighboring Afghanistan in Tunxi, Anhui Province, from March 30 to 31. Foreign ministers or representatives of Pakistan, Iran, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan will attend the meeting, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin announced on Monday. Click here to read…

China reduces personal income tax for parents of children under 3: Xinhuanet
March 28, 2022

China has announced tax-relief policies for parents rearing children under 3 years old, according to a State Council circular issued on Monday. Starting Jan. 1, 2022, the individual taxable income of such parents can be reduced by a total of 1,000 yuan (157 U.S. dollars) per month for each baby, said the circular. Click here to read…

China launches smart platform for education public services: March 28, 2022

A national smart platform was launched Monday to provide a range of education-related public services, according to China’s Ministry of Education. The platform, www.smartedu.cn, integrates China’s platforms for primary and middle school education, vocational education and higher education, and the platform for employment services for college graduates. It will provide users with a wide array of courses and education services. Click here to read…

China to boost green development of Belt and Road: Quishi
March 29, 2022

China will promote the green development of the Belt and Road, strengthening international cooperation on the issue, the country’s top economic planner said Monday. China aims to enhance cooperation in multiple areas with the countries along the Belt and Road by 2025 and form a green development pattern for the initiative by 2030, according to a guideline issued by the National Development and Reform Commission and three relevant departments. Click here to read…

Ministry to push legislation on climate: China Daily
March 29, 2022

China has made progress on preparing a law dedicated to tackling climate change, a senior official with the Ministry of Ecology and Environment said. Li Gao, director of the ministry’s Climate Change Department, added that the ministry will accelerate efforts to promote the legislative process, and incorporate mechanisms for dealing with the global climate crisis into other laws. Click here to read…

Service sector in Guangdong to get relief: China Daily
March 29, 2022

Provincial government offers tax cuts, subsidies amid ongoing outbreaks Specific policy measures will be implemented to maintain the sustainable growth of the catering, retail, tourism, transportation and civil aviation sectors in Guangdong province amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, according to a circular issued by the provincial government on Friday. Click here to read…

Tibet marks 63 years since democratic reform: China Daily
March 29, 2022

People from all walks of life took part in activities to mark the 63rd Serfs’ Emancipation Day in the Tibet autonomous region on Monday. More than 1,000 people attended a flag-raising ceremony at Potala Palace Square in Lhasa, the regional capital, on Monday morning to celebrate the region’s democratic reform. Click here to read…

China’s quest for new ways to handle Omicron: People’s Daily
March 29, 2022

As the highly transmissible Omicron variant continues to pose risks and concerns over the social and economic costs of the protracted epidemic grow, several major Chinese cities have embarked on a quest for an improved anti-epidemic approach that can both ensure dynamic zero-COVID targets and minimize disruptions to social and economic activities, with the latest approach of phased closed-off management – instead of citywide measures – imposed by Shanghai, the country’ financial hub, starting on Monday. Click here to read…

Capital of China’s Jilin province apologises for food shortages due to COVID curbs: Reuters
March 29, 2022

The Chinese city of Changchun, capital of the COVID-hit northeastern province of Jilin, on Tuesday apologised to its 8.5 million residents for food shortages related to shutdowns and disruption caused by COVID-related containment measures. Click here to read…

Half of Shanghai locked down: Taipei Times
March 29, 2022

Millions of people in Shanghai were yesterday confined to their homes as the eastern half of China’s financial hub went into lockdown to curb the country’s biggest ongoing COVID-19 outbreak. The move, announced late on Sunday, caused a run on grocery stores by residents who have become exasperated with authorities’ inability to snuff out the outbreak despite nearly three weeks of increasingly disruptive measures. Click here to read…

Coronavirus: a city divided, as China’s financial hub Shanghai goes into lockdown: South China Morning Post
March 29, 2022

China’s financial hub Shanghai started a snap two-stage coronavirus lockdown on Monday, restricting a zone to the east of the Huangpu River that includes the Pudong New Area – home to about 5.7 million people. Click here to read…

China’s private firms see Russia as land of opportunity, up for grabs amid West’s exodus: South China Morning Post
March 29, 2022

From car parts to food and household cleaners, smaller private firms in China are seeking ways to capitalise on the “void” left by a mass exodus of high-profile Western brands from the Russian market. But the outlook for state-owned companies and banks is a little foggier.
Western sanctions over the war in Ukraine have sent the likes of Ford, Coca-Cola and other iconic brands heading for the exit in Russia. This has created opportunities for Chinese firms, despite warnings from the United States and its allies over providing assistance to help circumvent the various bans and restrictions imposed on Russia. Click here to read…