China

Seventy-one Chinese air force aircraft including fighter jets and drones have entered Taiwan's air defence identification zone in...

The more united we are, the stronger and safer Taiwan would become," Tsai told a military ceremony on Monday. China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory, said it had conducted "strike drills" in the sea and airspace around Taiwan on Sunday in response to what it said was provocation from the democratically governed island and the US. Of the aircraft, 43 also crossed the Taiwan Strait's median line, an unofficial buffer between the two sides that lies within the defence zone, Taiwan's Defence Ministry said in a report, as Beijing continues military activities close to the Chinese-claimed island.

A passenger checks her phone as an Air China passenger jet taxis past at the Beijing Capital International airport on Oct. 29. China will drop a COVID-19 ...

It did indicate that Chinese would be gradually allowed to travel abroad for tourism again, an important source of revenue for hotels and related businesses in many countries. That is down from as much as three weeks in the past. The restrictions have prevented most Chinese from traveling abroad, limited face-to-face diplomatic exchanges and sharply reduced the number of foreigners in China for work and study.

Hong Kong-listed shares of China's biggest cemeteries operator and funeral service rose to their highest level in more than a year amid a brutal Covid wave.

Health authorities there [re-defined Covid deaths to include only people who die from pneumonia or respiratory failure](https://www.cnbc.com/2022/12/22/china-limits-how-it-defines-covid-deaths-in-official-count.html) — a contrast with most other countries, which count any death where Covid was a factor. [tightened its virus restrictions](https://www.cnbc.com/2022/10/28/covid-cases-controls-spread-in-china.html) after concluding the [National Party Congress](https://www.cnbc.com/2022/10/16/chinas-xi-downplays-need-for-rapid-growth-proclaims-covid-achievements.html) with an ambiguous stance on the continuation of its zero-Covid policy. [debuted in 2013](https://www.cnbc.com/2013/12/18/china-funeral-company-soars-in-hk-debut-leads-spate-of-1st-day-gains.html) with backing from Carlyle Group and hedge fund firm Farallon Investors. [halt the publication of daily infection numbers](https://www.cnbc.com/2022/12/25/china-to-stop-publishing-daily-covid-figures.html). [Fu Shou Yuan International Group](https://www.cnbc.com/quotes/1448-HK) stocks reached a 2022 high at 7.04 Hong Kong dollars a share as of Friday's close — having surged about 80% in two months – as the country [abruptly ended](https://www.cnbc.com/2022/12/23/china-presses-on-in-a-long-reopening-path-from-covid.html) most of its Covid control measures and saw case numbers surge. [reports of a spike in Covid deaths that's straining hospitals and funeral homes](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/hearses-beijing-crematorium-china-reports-no-new-covid-deaths-rcna62708), China's official Covid death toll remains low.

bound travelers waiting for hours board buses to leave for quarantine hotels and facilities from Guangzhou Baiyun Airport in ...

China has pledged to revive consumption and support the private sector in 2023, and economists have said signals are clear that the focus is on boosting gross domestic product, with policy makers likely to target growth of 5% or higher. Easier travel into and out of China is likely to benefit the many countries across the globe that rely on Chinese tourists. Still, the National Health Commission said it will continue to monitor the virus’s spread and vowed to take appropriate measures to suppress the peak of COVID outbreaks. The government said it will facilitate visa applications for foreigners who need to travel to China for everything from businesses and studies to family reunions, while outbound tourism, which dwindled to almost nothing during the pandemic, will resume in an orderly fashion. The country has already ramped up the share of ICU beds from less than 4 per 10,000 people to 10.6 in about a month time while another 70,000 beds across the country can be converted for intensive care, Jiao Yahui, a senior NHC official overseeing hospitals said in a separate People’s Daily interview published on Tuesday. People arriving in China will only be required to obtain negative COVID test results within 48 hours of departure, according to a statement from the National Health Commission.

In more than three decades working in emergency medicine, Beijing-based doctor Howard Bernstein has never seen anything like this.

"That is most of the patients have not been vaccinated." "They want the medicine like a replacement of the vaccine, but the medicine does not replace the vaccine," she said. Dr Jutard-Bourreau, who — like Dr Bernstein — had been working in China for around a decade, fears the worst of this wave in Beijing is yet to come. "A lot of [patients] got admitted to the hospital. "The hospital is just overwhelmed from top to bottom," said Dr Bernstein, a doctor at the Beijing United Family Hospital. - There are fears that the worst of this wave in Beijing is yet to come

The measure, to take effect from 8 January, is part of China's about-turn on its zero-Covid policy.

Public anger over the president's handling of the pandemic is one of the areas in which he is most vulnerable. The measure is the latest in a series of restrictions to be lifted as China abandons its zero-Covid policy. China has announced that its requirement for travellers arriving in the country to go into quarantine will end on 8 January.

China is scrapping mandatory quarantine for inbound travellers in a major step towards re-opening after being largely shut off since 2020.

Its containment measures had slowed the $US17 trillion ($25 trillion) economy to its lowest growth rate in nearly half a century, disrupting global supply chains and trade. Containment measures had slowed the $US17 trillion economy to its lowest growth rate in nearly half a century, disrupting global supply chains and trade. Arrangements for foreigners to come to China, such as for work and business will be improved and the necessary visas will also be facilitated, the health authority said.

Doctors and nurses given 'no choice' but to work while infected after influx of cases inundates hospitals.

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Eight days of isolation will no longer be needed, and officials say citizens' ability to travel will be slowly restored.

It did indicate that Chinese citizens would be gradually allowed to travel abroad for tourism again, an important source of revenue for hotels and related businesses in many countries. At one stage there was a requirement to quarantine for three weeks. The restrictions have prevented most Chinese people from travelling abroad, limited face-to-face diplomatic exchanges and sharply reduced the number of foreigners in China for work and study.

China officially said it will end quarantine for inbound travelers — symbolizing an end to its zero-Covid policy that it's held for nearly three years.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed 176 points higher, or 0.5%, to 33,203.93. The core personal consumption expenditures price index for November came in at 4.7%, slightly hotter than expectations on an annualized basis. The Kospi in South Korea gained 0.78% and the Kosdaq climbed 0.77%. "We are more overweight today than I think we've ever been, because we're more confident that's the right call for 2023." [read more here](https://www.cnbc.com/2022/12/27/wall-street-pros-predict-whats-next-for-semiconductor-stocks-in-2023.html). 8 — symbolizing an end to its zero-Covid policy that it's held for nearly three years. [data](https://www.meti.go.jp/statistics/tyo/syoudou/result/pdf/202211S.pdf) released by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. [gains for the S&P and Nasdaq Composite](https://www.cnbc.com/2022/12/22/stock-market-futures-open-to-close-news.html) while posting a weekly loss as recession fears continued to batter investor sentiment. [CNBC Pro subscribers can read more here.](https://www.cnbc.com/2022/12/27/tesla-shares-have-fallen-35percent-this-month-and-short-sellers-piled-on.html) [Nikkei 225](/quotes/.N225/) rose 0.32% and the Topix gained 0.5% as the nation saw [retail sales](https://www.cnbc.com/2022/12/27/japan-retail-sales-up-for-9th-month-led-by-tourism-help.html) up for the 9th consecutive month led by tourism. [Shanghai Composite](https://www.cnbc.com/quotes/.SSEC/) rose 0.64% and the [Shenzhen Component](https://www.cnbc.com/quotes/.SZI/) gained 0.85% while markets in Hong Kong, Australia and New Zealand were closed for Christmas holiday. [announced](https://www.cnbc.com/2022/12/27/china-to-end-quarantine-for-international-travelers.html) overnight it will end quarantine for inbound travelers on Jan.

The new COVID-19 rules from January 8 end the requirement of eight days' isolation, and will also benefit countries that rely on Chinese tourists.

“It has become much less virulent than before and the disease it causes will gradually turn into a common respiratory disease.” The world’s second-largest economy has been largely cut off since early 2020, when China first imposed a blanket ban on overseas travellers. The move puts the country on track to emerge from three years of self-imposed global isolation under a zero-COVID policy that battered the economy and stoked historic public discontent. It would also repurpose quarantine facilities into hospitals for treating COVID-19 patients. China will no longer subject inbound travellers to quarantine from early January. In another sign of downgrading the impact of the virus, the government changed the Chinese name of COVID-19 from “new coronavirus pneumonia” to “new coronavirus infections”.

China will drop quarantine requirements for international arrivals from January 8, in a major step toward reopening its borders that have shut the country ...

Now, it will be treated as a Category B disease, in the same category as HIV and bird flu. Big and middle size cities need to quickly transform their “Fangcang”, makeshift centralized Covid quarantine facilities, into designated hospitals with enough health workers staffed, NHC added. “How many people who used to straddle the borders, from overseas students to workers making a living in Africa, had to change their life plans? The scrapping of travel restrictions is also a big relief for Chinese nationals studying or working abroad. On Chinese social media, many celebrated the long-awaited relaxation on international travel. Foreigners have been largely banned from entering China, apart from a limited number of business or family visits.

China's public has mixed emotions about Covid Zero coming to a sudden end, with some people expressing relief and planning their first trips abroad in three ...

China will remove quarantine requirements for inbound travellers from January 8 as the country dismantles the remnants of a zero-Covid regime that closed it ...

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China has ditched reporting its daily Covid case numbers, as bodies pile up in the streets and while the official death toll remains stubbornly, ...

The news outlet cited a local health briefing. [#covid]deaths in [#China]and a threat of new variants. Won't be long before we go into a [#lockdown]if entry protocols for int'l pax are not tightened. I think they’re behind the curve.” Nearly 37 million people in China were estimated to have been infected with Covid-19 on a single day this week 25+ news channels in 1 place. Stream more finance news live & on demand with Flash. China’s decision to dump the daily announcement comes as details of a leaked meeting revealed the country’s true grasp of the situation. [China](https://www.news.com.au/topics/china), a country of 1.4 billion, has fewer cases than in Australia, with a population of 26 million, and which has also been living without strict Covid restrictions for the better part of a year. [largest the world has ever seen](https://www.news.com.au/technology/science/human-body/china-covid19-outbreak-is-the-largest-the-world-has-ever-seen/news-story/c738b51975cc7994829e70711a39da01)” and as many as 248 million people likely contracted the virus in the first 20 days of December. [bodies lying in hallways at hospitals and morgues](https://www.news.com.au/technology/science/matter-of-time-photos-show-bodies-piling-up-in-china-as-covid-cases-explode/news-story/43f940ad0788434d4dae4c212181594c), fever medication and oxygen tanks running out and also desperate calls for retired medical workers to return to hospitals to alleviate some of the pressure. [unprecedented protests across the country](https://www.news.com.au/finance/economy/riots-erupt-in-china-after-deadly-lockdown-building-fire/news-story/bb837a2bcf0b968137a159be69b976ec), causing [Covid-19](https://www.news.com.au/world/coronavirus) to rip through the population.

For many Chinese nationals abroad, who have been unable to return or unwilling to endure the lengthy quarantine, the news meant they could finally go home -- a ...

Last Friday, Bloomberg News and the Financial Times reported that [almost 250 million people](https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/23/china/china-covid-infections-250-million-intl-hnk/index.html) in China may have caught Covid in the first 20 days of December, a figure presented during an internal meeting of China's National Health Commission, according to both outlets. "There is hope after all, I can bear waiting for a little while longer." [India](https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/22/india/india-ramps-up-covid-measures-amid-china-surge-intl-hnk/index.html), which borders China, has ordered travelers from China and several other countries to show proof of a negative Covid test on arrival. When [CNN visited a Beijing crematorium](https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/22/china/china-covid-deaths-crematorium-intl-hnk-mic/index.html) last week, cars lined up to enter, filled with grieving family members who had been waiting more than a day to cremate loved ones who died of Covid. Cases have skyrocketed since China [abandoned zero-Covid](https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/07/china/china-covid-restrictions-explainer-intl-hnk/index.html), with empty streets and packed hospital wards. I feel like I missed everything, I missed the most important points in their lives." not knowing where the end is, not knowing when I can go back," she said. CNN's Selina Wang is in Beijing with the story. Searches for popular destinations increased tenfold within half an hour of the announcement, with many people searching for outbound group tours during the Lunar New Year holiday season in late January, data shows. "And I also missed so many things for my family. "I definitely feel very happy, I can finally see the end." "Finally, everybody can (live) their normal life," said one Chinese national living in New York, who hasn't been home for four years.

China's decision to cease quarantine for inbound travellers from 8 January fuels hopes for the revival of the world's second-largest economy.

International health experts estimate millions of daily infections and predict at least one million Covid deaths in China next year. Asian markets rose on Tuesday on hopes for the revival of the world’s second-largest economy. Official statistics showed only one Covid death in the past seven days, The change means authorities will no longer be compelled to quarantine patients and their close contacts and lock down regions. Some cities have been struggling to secure supplies of anti-fever drugs. Many shops in Shanghai, Beijing and elsewhere have been forced to close in recent days with staff unable to come to work, while some factories have already sent many of their workers on leave for the late January lunar new year holidays.

Doctors and nurses are given 'no choice' but to work while infected after an influx of cases inundates hospitals across the country.

He added that the sudden removal of restrictions had caused “maximum virus spread” and “maximum pressure for hospitals”. It’s our duty and obligation,” she said in a widely spread video clip on WeChat and local TV. [We] have no choice but to carry on working.” Duan Xiaoqing, head nurse of the neurology department at Luoyang No 3 Hospital in central China’s Henan province, said all 38 of her staff had been infected, but they kept working through sore throats and high fevers. A group on messaging app WeChat that Dong set up for patients has “multiplied a dozen times” in membership in the past week. Internal estimates show that 250 million people might have caught the virus in the first 20 days of December. FT reporters, however, have found a sharp increase in activity at Beijing’s crematoriums and have witnessed bodies in hospital COVID-19 wards. “The policy U-turn doesn’t mean we are switching from the hard mode to an easy mode. “I’m not sure how much longer we can carry on without medication and guidance from above.” “No matter how dedicated we are, we have physical and mental limits.” The Financial Times interviewed five doctors and nurses, who reported that working conditions were rapidly deteriorating as COVID-19 infected staff. [decision to abandon its zero-COVID-19 containment strategy](https://www.afr.com/world/asia/how-xi-s-covid-failure-has-put-the-global-economy-at-risk-20221224-p5c8n1) – which used mass testing, quarantines and lockdowns – has allowed the virus to proliferate through China’s largest cities.

President Tsai Ing-wen announces that compulsory military service will be extended from four months to one year, after reporting China's largest-ever ...

"As long as Taiwan is strong enough, it will be the home of democracy and freedom all over the world, and it will not become a battlefield," Ms Tsai told a media conference. President Tsai Ing-wen announced the anticipated decision on Tuesday, in the hope it will avoid Taiwan becoming a "battlefield." Taiwan has announced that it will extend compulsory military service to one year from the current four months due to the increased threat it faces from China.

Conscripts will see the length of their service extended from four months to one year in plans to be outlined by Taiwan's president.

The de facto US embassy in Taiwan welcomed the announcement on conscription reform. China immediately staged military drills around Taiwan in response to Pelosi’s visit. “As long as Taiwan is strong enough, it will be the home of democracy and freedom all over the world, and it will not become a battlefield,” President Tsai Ing-wen told a news conference after a national security council meeting. The new plan will put mandatory recruits on eight-week basic training. “The United States’ commitment to Taiwan and steps Taiwan takes to enhance its self-defence capabilities contribute to the maintenance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and within the region,” the American Institute in Taiwan said. Between war and peace, we insist on peace.

Taiwan's president has announced that compulsory military service will increase from four months to one year from 2024.

Amid increasingly tense relations, polling showed that more than three-quarters of Taiwanese people now believe that four months of military service is too short. On Saturday, Beijing berated Washington for its new US defence spending bill which, with military support earmarked for Taiwan, amplified a “China threat” narrative, according to China’s foreign ministry. Let us show the courage and determination to protect our homeland and defend democracy.” At that time, tensions had eased between Taipei and Beijing. China’s “intimidation and threats against Taiwan are getting more obvious”, Tsai said. Between war and peace, we insist on peace.

Stepping up the fee reduction and expanding the scope of beneficiaries through the roll-out of combined fee reduction measures follow China's policy package ...

The goal is to boost the sense of gain among listed companies, investors, and market participants and shore up market confidence. In addition, Shenzhen Securities Communication Co., Ltd. Stepping up the fee reduction and expanding the scope of beneficiaries through the roll-out of combined fee reduction measures follow China’s policy package aimed to stabilize the economy.

Companies welcomed China's decision to end quarantines for travelers from abroad as an important step to revive slumping business activity.

The government "should have done the job in a more meticulous way," said Lu Haoming, a Beijing architect. "The Chinese government has always followed the principle of science-based and targeted measures," said Wang Wenbin. It said that will "contribute to restoring optimism and reinstating China as a priority investment destination." Also Monday, the government downgraded the official seriousness of COVID-19 and dropped a requirement for people with the virus to be quarantined. Health experts say that is crucial to avoiding a health care crisis. It has ended curbs that confined millions of people to their homes and sparked protests, but hospitals have been flooded with feverish, wheezing patients as the virus spreads.

Conscripts will undergo more intense training, including shooting exercises, combat instruction used by U.S. forces, and operating more powerful weapons.

Let us show the courage and determination to protect our homeland and defend democracy." Taiwan has complained of delayed U.S. "The United States' commitment to Taiwan and steps Taiwan takes to enhance its self-defense capabilities contribute to the maintenance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and within the region," the American Institute in Taiwan said. While the United States has pressed Taiwan to modernize its military to make it like a "porcupine" - agile and hard to attack - Tsai said there had been no pressure from Washington for these reforms. Conscripts will undergo more intense training, including shooting exercises, combat instruction used by U.S. "As long as Taiwan is strong enough, it will be the home of democracy and freedom all over the world, and it will not become a battlefield," Tsai told a news conference announcing the decision to extend the conscription period, which she described as "incredibly difficult."

Taiwanese flags are seen at the Ministry of National Defence of Taiwan in Taipei, Taiwan, December 26, 2022. Ann Wang/Reuters. Taipei, ...

The island began introducing longer training schedules for its reservists, and its Defense Ministry closely studied the tactics of war in Ukraine to improve battle strategy. But peace does not fall from the sky,” she said. The Taiwanese government and its people do not want it, nor does the international community want it. The spokesperson said the United States “will continue to assist Taiwan in maintaining a sufficient self-defense capability in line with our commitments under the Taiwan Relations Act and our one China policy.” “We need to actively prepare for war to prevent war, and we need to be able to fight a war to stop a war.” [Taiwan](https://www.cnn.com/specials/asia/taiwan) will extend the period of mandatory military service for all eligible men from four months to a year amid rising threats from [China](https://www.cnn.com/world/china), President Tsai Ing-wen said at a news conference in Taipei on Tuesday.

China is dropping COVID quarantine requirements for foreigners and says it will start reissuing some visas — after nearly three years of complete border ...

Compulsory military service will be made more rigorous and pay quadrupled in first tranche of defence reforms.

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Taiwan will extend compulsory military service to one year from four months from 2024 due to the rising...

Let us show the courage and determination to protect our homeland and defend democracy." "The United States' commitment to Taiwan and steps Taiwan takes to enhance its self-defence capabilities contribute to the maintenance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and within the region," the American Institute in Taiwan said. "As long as Taiwan is strong enough, it will be the home of democracy and freedom all over the world, and it will not become a battlefield," Tsai told a news conference announcing the decision to extend the conscription period, which she described as "incredibly difficult".

But Chinese tourists will not have unfettered access to all countries - as some impose restrictions.

You can also get in touch in the following ways: But health centres contacted by The Global Times on Monday said the drug had yet to be delivered. If we're doing this [reopening] anyway - why did I have to suffer all the daily Covid tests and lockdowns this year?" Please include your name, age and location with any submission. It also scrapped a cap on the daily number of flights. This number dropped to 20 million in 2020. "Why can't we wait until this wave passes to open up? "I'm happy about it but also speechless. If you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the Are you hoping to visit China in the new year to see family? Officials in the US are considering new restrictions on travellers from China due to concerns about a surge in cases and a lack of transparency from the Chinese government. The easing of travel rules in China - the last part of the country's zero-Covid policy - comes as the country battles a new wave of infections.

Japan joined India Tuesday in imposing restrictions on Chinese visitors as Beijing relaxed its norms for travellers.

Japan will act flexibly, while watching the development in China, he added, including halting the planned increase of flights between Japan and China “just to be safe.” But Wang appeared to offer subtle criticism of the border measures adopted by Japan and India. Kishida said China’s lack of information-sharing and transparency about the infections made it difficult to assess and figure out safety measures.

The old adage that “misery loves company” took on a whole new scale this year as China, Japan and South Korea suffered bull markets in things to be unhappy ...

Yoon, meantime, is a study in hobbling a presidency out of the gate. Still, it was jarring to see him move to shutter the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family. Kishida spent the waning days of 2022 trying to remind investors he really is an economic change-agent. It reduces the chances for regional cooperation. And perhaps spur increased ingenuity amongst the Chinese people to stay one step ahead of censors as they remind Xi they’re watching. Nor does the It raises questions about whether Xi can take the politically risky steps of increasing the size of the private sector, boosting innovation, raising productivity and building stronger economic muscles. After a squandered 2022 in terms of structural reforms, it is quite unclear whether Xi, Kishida or Yoon has the political capital to right things next year. The biggest protests since students commandeered Tiananmen Square in 1989 pushed Xi to reverse course. But Xi is essentially limping out of 2022. Fallout from the July assassination of mentor, former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, was rivaled only by a parade of scandals involving Kishida Cabinet members. And pundits turning his pledges to lead with “fairness and common sense” into a punchline.

Taiwan will extend compulsory military service from four months to one year from 2024 to combat a rising threat from neighbouring China.

Tsai said various learnings from the Ukraine war had been incorporated into Taiwan’s defence reforms. “Taiwan wants to tell the world that between democracy and dictatorship, we firmly believe in democracy. “The United States’ commitment to Taiwan and steps Taiwan takes to enhance its self-defence capabilities contribute to the maintenance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and within the region,” the American Institute in Taiwan said.

The dollar was flat on Tuesday after China said it would scrap its COVID-19 quarantine rule for inbound travelers - a major step in reopening its borders, ...

NZ Dollar/Dollar Dollar/Sweden Dollar/Norway Aussie/Dollar [stop requiring arriving travelers](/world/china/china-drop-covid-quarantine-rule-inbound-travellers-jan-8-2022-12-26/) to go into quarantine starting Jan. The two currencies are often used as liquid proxies for the Chinese yuan. Dollar/Canadian Sterling/Dollar Euro/Dollar 8, the National Health Commission said on Monday. Dollar/Swiss Dollar/Yen

Under President Xi Jinping, China has invested in state media outlets to influence the opinion of foreign publics, including Canada.

As part of impacting its strategy to influence other countries’ domestic politics, Beijing wants to control the information that both Chinese speakers and non-Chinese speakers in other countries receive about the Communist Party’s actions at home and abroad. Beijing further wants to blunt the power of the United States and other liberal democracies like Canada to shape international affairs or even their own domestic politics, civil society, universities, and media. It wants to use its influence efforts to get publics and opinion leaders in other states to have warmer views of China’s global leadership, which would smooth the way to China exerting more power internationally. China could then use this power to undermine democracies and to shape the world in its image: to promote Beijing’s idea of authoritarian capitalism and a kind of closed, heavily censored internet and media environment. China, in many ways, has supplanted Russia as the authoritarian foreign power most dedicated to meddling inside other countries. While becoming more autocratic at home during Xi Jinping’s rule, Beijing has become much more willing, over the past decade, to throw its weight around inside other states.

The United States government could impose new COVID-19 measures on travellers from China over concerns about the "lack of transparent data" coming from ...

China said on Monday it would stop requiring inbound travellers to go into quarantine starting from January 8 in a major step towards easing curbs on its borders, which have been largely shut since 2020. The United States government could impose new COVID-19 measures on travellers from China over concerns about the "lack of transparent data" coming from Beijing. "There are mounting concerns in the international community on the ongoing COVID-19 surges in China and the lack of transparent data, including viral genomic sequence data, being reported from the PRC," US officials said on Tuesday, using the initials of the People's Republic of China.

Japan announced it will require a negative Covid test for travelers arriving from mainland China starting Dec. 30. China faces a new wave of Covid infections as ...

The U.S. "The U.S. Travelers from China without a valid vaccination certificate will also be required to take a pre-departure test, the notice from Japan's health ministry added. 30 – as China faces a sharp surge in infections nationwide following an abrupt reopening. U.S. - "There are mounting concerns in the international community on the ongoing COVID-19 surges in China and the lack of transparent data," U.S.

The Times examined several videos that showed scenes of desperation and misery at one hospital in northern China. Above, three stills. Sickened patients slump ...

[reclaimed Lyman](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/01/world/europe/lyman-ukraine-russia.html), a city in the neighboring Donetsk Province. [You can find all our puzzles here](https://www.nytimes.com/crosswords). [Data released by local authorities in recent days](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/25/world/asia/covid-spreading-china.html) seem to confirm that the virus is running rampant, with reports of hundreds of thousands of infections recorded daily. Questions abound about the number of [Covid-related deaths](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/23/world/asia/china-covid-death-toll.html) because officials count only those who die from respiratory failure directly linked to a Covid infection. The pardon will cancel the remaining 15 years of his sentence and nullify the unpaid part of his fine, totaling 8.2 billion won ($6.4 million). As concerns about the pandemic recede, communal tables may also make a comeback. Lee, 81, will be released from a hospital in Seoul, where he was treated for chronic illnesses, and will not be returning to prison. [predicted](https://archive.vn/krTrl) half of the city’s 25 million residents would eventually be infected and warned its staff of a “tragic battle” in the coming weeks. It’s one of the most hotly contested places in the fight for the Donbas region. “About 80 to 90 percent of the people around me have been infected,” the physician said. There are reports that physicians are being pulled from eastern provinces to help in Beijing as the capital grapples with an explosive outbreak. Sickened patients slump in wheelchairs and lie on gurneys, waiting for help as the corridors ring with the sounds of coughing.

2022 was supposed to be a triumphant year for China and its leader Xi Jinping, as he began his second decade in power with a pledge to restore the nation to ...

[Protests erupted](https://edition.cnn.com/2022/11/26/china/china-protests-xinjiang-fire-shanghai-intl-hnk/index.html) across the country, on a scale unseen in decades. On university campuses and the streets of major cities, crowds gathered to call for an end to incessant Covid tests and lockdowns, with some decrying censorship and [demanding greater political freedoms](https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/28/china/china-protests-covid-political-freedom-intl-hnk-mic/index.html). [deadly apartment fire](https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/01/china/china-protests-urumqi-fire-deaths-covid-dst-intl-hnk/index.html) in the western city of Urumqi finally ignited public anger that had been simmering for months. [abandoned](https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/01/tech/china-covid-workers-zhengzhou-iphone-factory-hnk-intl) a locked-down Foxconn factory en masse, walking for miles to escape an outbreak at China’s largest iPhone assembling site. The nationwide demonstrations posed an unprecedented challenge to Xi. A [3-year-old boy died](https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/03/china/china-covid-lanzhou-child-death-outrage-intl-hnk/index.html) of gas poisoning in lockdown after he was blocked from being taken promptly to a hospital. Any infected visitors arriving in the country were swiftly identified and their cases contained, allowing the Winter Olympics to run largely free of [Covid](https://www.cnn.com/specials/world/coronavirus-outbreak-intl-hnk) even as the Omicron variant raged around the world. He couldn’t afford to move away from it, the potential surge of infections and deaths posing too great a risk to his authority before he secured his norm-shattering third term at the congress. Amid mounting public frustration, the People’s Daily, the party’s main mouthpiece, insisted zero-Covid is “sustainable” and the country’s “best choice.” The draconian measures triggered wave after wave of outcry, severely eroding public trust in the Shanghai government. Other local governments came away with the lesson that they must curb infections at all cost, before outbreaks spiraled out of control. It also boosted China’s confidence that its well-honed zero-Covid playbook of lockdowns, quarantines, mass testing and contact tracing could build an effective defense against highly transmissible Omicron and contain its spread.

Asia-Pacific markets mostly fell as investors weighed headwinds for the economy in 2023. Hong Kong stocks rose as trade resumed after the Christmas holiday.

[Galaxy Entertainment](https://www.cnbc.com/quotes/27-HK/) rose 1.47% and [SJM Holdings](https://www.cnbc.com/quotes/880-HK/) inched up more than 1.82%. The [2-year Treasury](/quotes/US2Y/) yield rose 8 basis points to last trade at 4.402%. [Shanghai Composite](https://www.cnbc.com/quotes/.SSEC/) rose fractionally and the [Shenzhen Component](https://www.cnbc.com/quotes/.SZI/) fell 0.73%. West Texas Intermediate crude](/quotes/@CL.1/) added $1.37, or 1.7%, to $80.93. [West Texas Intermediate](https://www.cnbc.com/quotes/@CL.1/) futures gained 0.19% to $79.7 a barrel. [Brent crude](/quotes/@LCO.1/) gained $1.55, or 1.9%, to $85.47 a barrel. [Impala Platinum](/quotes/IMP-ZA/) added 31.7%. [ Nikkei 225](https://www.cnbc.com/quotes/.N225/) was down 0.55% and the Topix shed 0.18%. [Brent](https://www.cnbc.com/quotes/@LCO.1/) crude futures rose 0.2% to $84.50 a barrel, while the U.S. Shares of [Contemporary Amperex Technology](https://www.cnbc.com/quotes/300750-CN), also known as CATL, fell 3.39%. [Kospi](https://www.cnbc.com/quotes/.KS11/) fell 2.12% as stocks of heavyweight chipmakers and battery manufacturers priced in the effects of ex-dividend, which shareholders would not be entitled to annual payouts for next year. The [offshore yuan](https://www.cnbc.com/quotes/CNH=) was little changed and last stood at 6.707 against the U.S.

Countries across the globe are implementing or considering measures to test or restrict travelers from China as the country of 1.4 billion abandons its ...

The United States government could impose new COVID-19 measures on travellers from China over concerns about the "lack...

"There are mounting concerns in the international community on the ongoing COVID-19 surges in China and the lack of transparent data, including viral genomic sequence data, being reported from the PRC," US officials said on Tuesday, using the initials of the People's Republic of China. The move comes after Japan, India and Malaysia announced stepped-up rules on travellers from China in the past 24 hours, citing a rise in infections there. The United States government could impose new COVID-19 measures on travellers from China over concerns about the "lack of transparent data" coming from Beijing.

Uncertainty over the true scale of China's infections is fuelling concerns of the emergence of new COVID variants that could spread to other countries.

The new US travel precautions were based on consultations with public health experts and international partners, officials said. It will still take time for Chinese tourist numbers to return to pre-pandemic levels, when they made up the largest group and were some of the biggest spenders. The top five destinations were Singapore, with a 600 per cent increase in bookings, followed by about 400 per cent for South Korea, Hong Kong, Japan and Thailand. Bookings for outbound flights from mainland China jumped 254 per cent on Tuesday morning from the day before, according to Trip.com Group Ltd. China will start issuing new passports and Hong Kong travel permits to mainland residents, the National Immigration Administration said in an announcement on WeChat late on Monday. International health experts estimate millions of daily infections and predict at least one million COVID deaths in China next year. The US is weighing similar steps, the officials said, as a way to prevent further spread. Bookings for inbound flights to mainland China increased by 412 per cent on Tuesday morning from a day earlier, according to Trip.com data. Demand for travel into China is rising too. China is rapidly dismantling its stringent pandemic measures in the face of discontent with COVID-zero rules, triggering outbreaks across the country. China is experiencing the world’s largest COVID-19 outbreak, raising concerns among public-health officials worldwide. This week, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said there were “great discrepancies” in information coming out of the country, fuelling growing concern.

Health workers report huge jump in mostly elderly Covid patients as China adjusts to living largely without virus restrictions.

Zhang Yuhua, an official at the Beijing Chaoyang hospital said patients who have come in recently are mainly elderly people and critically ill with underlying diseases. Most of those who arrived in ambulances were given oxygen tanks to assist with their breathing. When asked about the extra travel requirements imposed by Japan and India, a spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry said on Tuesday “Covid measures should be scientific, moderate and should not affect the normal flow of individuals.” Staff at Huaxi, a large hospital in the south-western Chinese city of Chengdu, said they were “extremely busy” caring for patients with Covid, as they have been ever since curbs were eased on 7 December. “I’ve been doing this job for 30 years and this is the busiest I have ever known it,” said one ambulance driver outside the hospital who declined to be named. The speed at which Covid rules have been scrapped has left China’s fragile health system overwhelmed and prompted countries around the world, which have long been living with the virus, to consider travel restrictions for Chinese visitors.

As China abruptly dropped some of its toughest Covid-19 restrictions – including scrapping quarantine rules for travellers – virologists are watching nervously ...

Dwyer said anyone travelling to China should ensure they are up-to-date with all vaccinations including booster doses, and that they are also vaccinated against influenza which is spreading rapidly in China as well. “And if people have been in China and come back with an illness, they should get a PCR test done. At a briefing on 21 December, Ghebreyesus said; “WHO is very concerned over the evolving situation in China with increasing reports of severe disease”. As he announced the measures, local news agency Kyodo News reported that Kishida said; “Concern has been growing in Japan as it is difficult to grasp the detailed situation”. “So therefore monitoring people returning from China who are sick is going to be important. Dominic Dwyer says a lack of transparency about Covid in China is worrying as “we don’t know what variants are circulating in China at the moment … whether those variants [in China] are any different to what we’ve seen elsewhere.” Japan and India are among the countries that have introduced measures to prevent an influx of cases. In [and] whether those variants are different in terms of their response to vaccination.” US officials are reportedly considering whether additional measures are needed to monitor returned travellers. [tasked with travelling to Wuhan early in 2021](https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/dec/02/traitor-the-australian-researchers-working-under-the-weight-of-pandemic-misinformation) to investigate the origins of the pandemic in a report for the World Health Organization (WHO), said.