Beijing sweats in extreme 40 degrees-plus heat for record third day
Beijing, ChinaReuters Beijing topped 40 degrees Celsius on Saturday for a record third day as the Chinese capital sweltered in extreme heat, while uncommonly high temperatures for June grilled an area the size of California in northern China. At 1:51pm, the temperature measured by Beijing’s benchmark weather station in its southern suburbs briefly soared above […]
No joke: China’s backlash against stand-up stirs fear of comedy clampdown
Beijing/Shanghai, China Reuters One joke by a Chinese comedian about the nation’s military has spurred online uproar, a $US2 million fine, a police probe, a sweep of cancelled shows and fears for the survival of Chinese stand-up comedy, a rare refuge for somewhat free speech. A person walks past a show venue of stand-up comedy […]
Hong Kong Bishop hopes for closer ties with Beijing diocese
Beijing, China AP Hong Kong’s Roman Catholic bishop said in a historic trip to Beijing that he hopes the dioceses of the two cities will have more exchanges and cooperation, local media reported Thursday amid signs of Sino-Vatican strains. Bishop Stephen Chow made the remarks during a Mass that was also attended by his counterpart in Beijing, […]
“Era has passed” as Beijing subway drops mandatory COVID mask rule
Beijing, China Reuters Beijing’s subway has dropped mandatory mask requirements for travellers, local media reported on Sunday, days after a Chinese health expert said the threat of COVID-19 to humans is no longer at a serious level. The mask move is in line with broader measures by China, which said last week it was now […]
Sandstorms, dangerous pollution return to Beijing
Reuters Thick sandstorms will hit Beijing and several provinces through Wednesday, and Chinese forecasters have advised citizens of respiratory dangers and very low visibility while travelling, state media reported. The capital Beijing has seen regular air pollution and an unseasonal number of sandstorms over the past few weeks. A woman poses for pictures near the […]
Li Qiang, Xi confidant, takes reins as China’s premier
Beijing, ChinaReuters Four years before Li Qiang gained notoriety as the force behind the two-month COVID-19 lockdown of Shanghai, the man who became China’s premier on Saturday worked quietly behind the scenes to drive a bold revamp of the megacity’s sclerotic stock market. Li’s back-channelling – sources said he bypassed the China Securities Regulatory Commission, […]
Hearses queue at Beijing crematorium, even as China reports no new COVID deaths
Beijing, China Reuters Dozens of hearses queued outside a Beijing crematorium on Wednesday, even as China reported no new COVID-19 deaths in its growing outbreak, sparking criticism of its virus accounting as the capital braces for a surge of cases. After widespread protests, the country of 1.4 billion people this month began dismantling its unpopular […]
“We’re going to be free”: Chinese cheer as COVID curbs are loosened
Beijing, ChinaReuters China on Wednesday announced the most sweeping changes to its resolute anti-COVID regime since the pandemic began three years ago, loosening rules that curbed the spread of the virus but sparked protests and hobbled the world’s second-largest economy. The relaxation of rules, which includes allowing infected people with mild symptoms to quarantine at […]
Beijing drops COVID testing burden as wider easing beckons
Beijing, ChinaReuters Residents of China’s capital were allowed into parks, supermarkets, offices and airports without a negative COVID-19 test on Tuesday, the latest in a mix of easing steps nationwide after unprecedented protests against a tough zero-COVID policy. “Beijing readies itself for life again,” read a headline in the government-owned China Daily newspaper, adding that […]
Clashes in Shanghai as COVID protests flare across China
Shanghai/Beijing, ChinaReuters Hundreds of demonstrators and police clashed in Shanghai on Sunday night as protests over China’s stringent COVID restrictions flared for a third day and spread to several cities in the wake of a deadly fire in the country’s far west. The wave of civil disobedience is unprecedented in mainland China since President Xi […]