China

BEIJING, March 13 (NNN-ANADOLU) — The death toll in China from the novel coronavirus outbreak has risen to 3,179, the country’s National Health Commission said Friday.

The agency said seven more people died in the last 24 hours while eight new cases were detected by authorities, bringing the total number of confirmed cases close to 80,813.

Six of the deaths occurred at the epicenter of the outbreak, Hubei province, and one in Shandong province.

13 March 2020; AFP: A Chinese government campaign to cast doubt on the origin of the coronavirus pandemic is fuelling a row with the United States, with a Beijing official promoting conspiracy theories and Washington calling it the "Wuhan virus".

The spat comes as China tries to deflect blame for the contagion and reframe itself as a country that took decisive steps to buy the world time by placing huge swathes of its population under quarantine.

BEIJING, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Amid the COVID-19 outbreak, certain U.S. politician's practice of shifting blame to China is immoral and irresponsible, and will not help prevent and control the epidemic in the United States, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said Thursday.

"We urge the U.S. official to respect facts and the common understanding of the international community," Geng told a press briefing. "Every minute wasted on smearing and complaining would be better spent on enhancing domestic response and international cooperation."

BEIJING, Mar 12 (APP): Asian Development Bank (ADB) will make available $200 million through its Supply Chain Finance Program for companies manufacturing and distributing medicines and other items needed to combat the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

Companies manufacturing and distributing products, including medicines and personal protective equipment, are increasingly strained as production and distribution ramp up to address COVID-19, according to a news release issued here on Thursday.

Beijing, Mar 12 (PTI) The coronavirus cases continue to drop sharply in China which has reported 11 new fatalities, taking the death toll to 3,169, while in the worst-hit Wuhan, the confirmed cases for the first time dropped to single digit with eight new infections, amid a surge in "imported COVID-19 cases" in the country.

China's National Health Commission, (NHC) said on Thursday it received reports of 15 new confirmed cases of novel coronavirus and 11 deaths on the Chinese mainland on Wednesday.

BEIJING (Reuters) - Auto sales in China plunged 79% in February, marking their biggest ever monthly decline, with demand pummeled by the coronavirus outbreak.

Sales in the world’s biggest auto market tumbled to 310,000 vehicles from the same month a year earlier, falling for a 20th straight month, the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) said.

“China’s auto sales for February returned levels not seen since 2005,” said Chen Shihua, a senior association official.

BEIJING, Mar 11 (APP): Terming the current novel coronavirus epidemic’s impact as temporary, a Chinese scholar believed that the construction of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) will continue to advance smoothly as planned.

Beijing, Mar 11 (PTI) China has reported 22 new coronavirus deaths, taking the death toll to 3,158, health officials said on Wednesday, as Chinese President Xi Jinping made his first visit to the worst-hit Wuhan city and lauded the authorities and medical staff for "turning the tide" against the deadly epidemic, saying that the initial success has been made in stabilising the situation.

11 March 2020; AFP: Cathay Pacific on Wednesday said profits plunged in 2019 as it reeled from political unrest in Hong Kong, while it warned financial losses lay ahead owing to the spread of the new coronavirus.

The flagship carrier was battered throughout the second half of last year as violent pro-democracy protests raged for months in Hong Kong, sparked by widespread public anger at Beijing's rule.

BEIJING, Mar 10 (APP): China Tuesday congratulated Ashraf Ghani on his election as President of Afghanistan and said, “China respects Afghan people’s independent choice and decision on the future of their nation.”

“We congratulate Mr. Ghani on his election as president,” Chinese Foreign Ministry’s Spokesperson Geng Shuang said during his regular briefing held here.

He called on parties in Afghanistan to bear in mind the interest of their nation and people consolidate consensus and accelerate the process of reconstruction and peace.