Daily fresh information for you! Happy reading ABC Chinese “Headline” from Monday to Friday! Today is Tuesday, February 28.
Today’s news feed:
Chinese embassies in New Zealand and other three countries announced that rapid screening in China can replace nucleic acid
The Chinese embassies in South Africa, New Zealand and Malaysia have recently issued the latest notices on entry testing to China.
Starting tomorrow (March 1), passengers on direct flights to China from South Africa, New Zealand and Malaysia can use antigen tests (including rapid self-tests with kits) instead of nucleic acid tests.
Passengers to China should pay attention to:
- remote detection: Take a nucleic acid test within 48 hours before boarding the plane or use an antigen kit to test yourself. Those with negative results can go to China, and those with positive results can go to China after turning negative
- custom declaration: After obtaining a negative test result, passengers can fill out the “People’s Republic of China Exit/Entry Health Declaration Card” through the WeChat mini-program “Customs Passenger Fingertip Service”, the Handy Customs APP or the web version (https://htdecl.chinaport.gov.cn) ” to declare
- Airlines do not need to check nucleic acid test certificates and antigen test results before boarding
- Passengers are still required to wear masks and take personal protection during the flight
- After entering the country, passengers need to complete the customs clearance procedures with the customs health declaration code. Customs will conduct sampling inspections in accordance with a certain proportion.Passengers with positive test results need to be quarantined at home or in residence or seek medical treatment
It is understood that the Chinese embassies in Australia, the United States, South Korea and other countries have not updated the entry test notice, and passengers going to China still need to provide a negative nucleic acid test certificate 48 hours before the trip.
Japan to ease travel restrictions on Chinese travelers
(AP: By Han Guan)
Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroshi Matsuno stated on Monday (February 27) that the new crown epidemic prevention restrictions for passengers entering from China will be relaxed from Wednesday (March 1), and all passengers entering from China must be tested. It is a random sampling test, but passengers still need to provide a negative pre-departure test certificate.
Matsuno said the change was due to a drop in the rate of COVID-19 infections among inbound travelers from China.
Flights from China will also be able to land at more Japanese airports, Matsuno said. Currently, direct flights from China can only land at Narita, Haneda, Kansai and Chubu Centrair International Airport.
In addition, some Japanese media quoted government sources as saying that Japan may exempt passengers from Hong Kong and Macau from any entry screening or pre-departure negative certificate.
Recently, Taiwan, South Korea and some EU countries have successively announced the relaxation of new crown quarantine measures for travelers from China this week.
Since January 5, Australia has required passengers from China, Hong Kong, Macau and other places to provide proof of negative COVID-19 tests 48 hours before departure before they can enter the country.
ABC Chinese has contacted the Australian Department of Health to ask whether this entry requirement will be relaxed. Last Friday, the Australian Department of Health responded that this rule remains unchanged.
Hong Kong to completely lift mask order from tomorrow
The Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Li Jiachao, announced that Hong Kong’s mask order will be completely canceled tomorrow. This means that masks are not required to be worn indoors or outdoors in Hong Kong, including on public transport.
Li Jiachao said that the cancellation of the mask order is because the data shows that the epidemic situation in Hong Kong is under control, and the mutation of the virus does not pose a major threat, and the winter flu and respiratory infections are coming to an end.
However, Li Jiachao said that high-risk places, such as hospitals, can use “administrative instructions” to require staff and visitors to wear masks.
Australia’s Avalon air show opens with deadly drones, China and Russia not invited
The Australian International Air Show and Aerospace and Defense Expo (commonly known as the Avalon International Air Show, Avalon International Air Show) was launched today (February 28) in Avalon, southwest of Melbourne, Victoria.
Nearly 800 companies and 56 international delegations participated in this air show. The Chinese and Russian militaries were not invited to participate.
“The Ministry of Defense has not invited representatives of the Chinese and Russian militaries to Avalon 2023,” the Australian Defense Department confirmed to the ABC.
Last year, then-Australian Navy chief Vice Admiral Mike Noonan also rescinded invitations to China and Russia to attend the Sydney Naval Conference. At the time, Australia’s relations with Russia and China were deteriorating.
This year’s airshow is the first since 2019 and the largest in the Avalon Airshow’s 30-year history. The airshow will be open to the public from Friday to Sunday (March 3-5).
New lethal drone designed by Australia debuts for the first time
A new deadly drone designed by Australia will be shown publicly for the first time at the air show.
This armed drone is capable of carrying a lethal payload of over 100kg. Technical details about the drone are still being kept under wraps, but the ABC understands the deadly drone could be produced in Australia within three years.
During the last Avalon Air Show in 2019, the “Loyal Wingman” (Loyal Wingman) UAV secretly developed by Boeing of the United States, the Royal Australian Air Force and the Ministry of Defense was also displayed for the first time. The man-machine is officially named “MQ-28A Ghost Bat”.
The Australian Air Force has been researching acquiring armed drones for about 20 years. Last year, the Morrison government canceled the $1.3 billion SkyGuardian mass-destruction armed drone project. The U.S. military launched the lethal “Reaper” drone more than 20 years ago.
Royal Australian Air Force Commander Air Marshal Rob Chipman has hinted at an imminent push to acquire large numbers of low-cost lethal drones to help the Defense Force deal with better-equipped strategic opponents on a larger scale.
Lieutenant General Chipman said Australia was taking a closer look at the equipment used on the Ukrainian battlefield. “Low-cost drones and loitering munitions are widely used, and they also provide ISR[情报、监视和侦察]And firepower, the effect is very good. “
“While they cannot replace the role of contemporary fighters, they may serve as a useful complement.”
US approves sale of anti-radar missiles to Australia
Meanwhile, the US has approved the sale of anti-radar missiles to Australia for about A$750 million.
Prior to this, Australia asked to buy 63 missiles, as well as some training missiles.
The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (US Defense Security Cooperation Agency) said in a statement that the missiles will “enhance Australia’s ability to respond to current and future threats” and “disable adversaries from using its air defense systems, thus improving Australia’s tactical aircraft. survivability.”
Chinese state media reports China has resumed imports of Australian cotton
China has recently resumed imports of Australian cotton, according to the Chinese state-run Global Times.
A manager surnamed Chen of a cotton trading agency in Qingdao told the Global Times on Monday (February 27) that several thousand tons of Australian cotton had recently arrived at Qingdao Port and delivered to Chinese customers.
“The relevant procedures started in December last year. But compared with three years ago before bilateral relations were frozen, Australian cotton imports are still very small,” Chen said. According to him, the resumption of cotton trade between the two countries is still in its early stages, as some Chinese companies are still taking a wait-and-see approach to Australian cotton.
The article reported that China is the world‘s largest cotton consumer and was once the export destination for 70% of Australia’s cotton. Official figures from Chinese customs show China imported 20,000 tonnes of Australian cotton in 2022, compared with nearly 400,000 tonnes in 2019. This equates to a 95% drop over the past three years.
Due to the deterioration of relations between the two countries, China has imposed sanctions on several Australian export products since 2020. It resumed the import of Australian coal for the first time this month, and it is reported that the export of live lobster to China is also expected to resume in March.
Previously, many English-language media had reported this news, but it has not been confirmed by the Chinese side.
Huaxing Capital Director Bao Fan Reportedly Missing is Cooperating with the Investigation
Bao Fan, the founder and chairman of Huaxing Capital Holdings, who was reported missing 10 days ago, recently received new news that he has been cooperating with the authorities’ investigation since February 16.
The company’s board of directors said in an online announcement that they had learned that Bao Fan was currently cooperating with the investigation by relevant Chinese authorities. The announcement also stated that the company’s executive committee (members include the company’s two executive directors Xie Yijing, Wang Lixing and other management of the company) will continue to be responsible for the daily management and operation of the group.
Bao Fan was reported missing on February 16. According to public information, his last public appearance was at the “2022 Future Science Awards Ceremony” in early December 2022.
On the evening of the 16th, the company also announced that the group’s board of directors learned that the company was temporarily unable to get in touch with Bao Fan, who is the chairman of the company’s board of directors, executive director, chief executive officer and controlling shareholder.
At the opening of the market on February 17, the share price of Huaxing Capital Holdings once plummeted, and it once plummeted 50% in the intraday market. As of the close of February 24, Huaxing Capital Holdings was quoted at HK$7.1, with a market value of HK$4 billion.
Bao Fan’s disappearance is the latest in a string of high-profile disappearances of senior executives at Chinese companies amid a sweeping anti-corruption drive spearheaded by President Xi Jinping.
In 2015 alone, at least five executives went missing without prior notice to their companies, including Guo Guangchang, the executive director and chairman of Fosun International and one of its co-founders, who Fosun later said was working on Assist in the investigation of a personal matter.
Bao Fan is the controlling shareholder of Huaxing Capital, which he founded in 2005 as a team of two to match venture capitalists and private equity investors with start-ups hungry for capital.
According to the disclosure of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, Bao Fan is currently the largest shareholder of Huaxing Capital Holdings.
Known in the corporate world for his well-connected connections, Bao has been involved in mergers of tech companies, including Didi and Kuaidi, Meituan and Dianping, and travel platform Ctrip and Qunar.
Corporate profits outpace wages again. Are Australian businesses driving inflation?
While wages for Australian workers are growing at their fastest pace in a decade, corporate profits are growing even faster, according to official figures.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) releases quarterly figures on how much business profits and workers’ pay have grown.
In its latest fourth-quarter figures, the company’s operating profit rose 10.6% on a seasonally adjusted basis from the last three months of last year, for an annual gain of 16%.
Investment firm JPMorgan described it as a figure that was “significantly stronger” than its expectations.
The latest figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics also show higher corporate profits are being generated across the economy, not just in the resources sector.
Jim Stanford of the Australia Institute said there was no doubt that the energy sector had been the sector in the economy that benefited the most from high inflation. He believes that 69% of the current high inflation situation is related to corporate profits.
Meanwhile, Australian Bureau of Statistics figures show wages and salaries rose just 2.6 per cent in the fourth quarter of last year and 11.6 per cent for the year.
Commonwealth Bank economist Belinda Allen said the wages data showed wage growth was starting to decelerate.
She said: “The second quarter of 2022[工资]The growth rate was 3.4%, which fell to 3% in the third quarter, and this growth rate fell again in the fourth quarter of last year. “
The Australian Federation of Trade Unions (ACTU) has accused Australian businesses of a “greedy price spiral” for keeping inflation high.
A drifting bottle that a little girl in Canberra put two years ago was found in NSW recently
As an avid ocean swimmer, NSW south coast resident Scott Gutterson (Scott Gutterson) is used to seeing rubbish in the ocean.
Swimming at (Murrays Beach) in Jervis Bay (Jervis Bay) recently, he found a small clear glass bottle covered in mussels floating on the water.
At first he thought it was another piece of garbage thrown into the ocean, but after a closer look, he realized that it was not an ordinary object.
He told ABC Illawarra he was surprised when he saw a note inside the bottle.
“I was so excited and wanted to open it right away, but I wanted to surprise my wife and kids.”
It turns out that the letter in the bottle was written by a little girl named Vicky on December 4, 2020. She was only 10 years old at the time and lived in the northeast of Canberra. The place where the drift bottle was released was Newcastle, New State. (Newscastle) at sea.
The letter also included the mobile phone number of the little girl’s father. One day, Vicky’s father, Ted, got a call from Gutsen.
This Easter, Vicky’s father plans to take Vicky to meet the Gutsen family who found the note in the drift bottle.
That’s all for today’s ABC Chinese “Headline”, I wish you a happy day!
Loading…