Page 12 - Beijing

Beijing and Tianjin scrap mandatory Covid-19 tests for public transport

Several Chinese cities like Beijing, Tianjin, Chengdu and Shenzhen on Saturday scrapped the mandatory COVID-19 tests for public transport, as authorities softened their stance on the stringent Zero-COVID policy amid a spate of anti-government protests across the country. Residents in Chengdu and Guangzhou no longer require to show Covid test results when entering most public places, the official media reported on Saturday. On Friday, authorities in Beijing announced that 48-hour valid nucleic acid tests are no longer needed on buses and subways starting next Monday. Passengers must, however, still keep their masks on, they said. Shopping malls in Beijing will be open starting from December 3, although some still cannot provide dine-in services, for which a 48-hour test is required. The marginal lifting of curbs came after last weekend's protests in several cities, including in Shanghai and Beijing against the draconian Zero-COVID lockdowns that are disrupting people's livelihoods.

City Council rejects China's plan to build new embassy near Tower of London

China originally bought the site for £255 million ($311 million) in May 2018, with the view of replacing its current embassy in the Marylebone neighborhood

Beijing sees record Covid cases at 5,006 as China wows small easing steps

The total number of infections in Beijing are still a relatively small number for a city of 22 million, but they've been enough to send panic through China's capital

China adjusts Covid-19 restrictions in city with key Apple iPhone plant

As of Nov 30, Zhengzhou will remove so-called mobility controls -- a euphemism for lockdown -- and replace them with "normal Covid-combating measures

China defends zero-Covid policy amid massive protests; Reports 40k cases

China on Monday dismissed concerns over its controversial zero-COVID policy in the face of unprecedented demonstrations, which have spread to Beijing even as it reported close to 40,000 coronavirus cases and authorities scrambled to contain the fresh surge in infections and protests against the Xi Jinping regime. The protests, which comes nearly a month after President Xi was elected as the ruling party's top leader for a third consecutive term, have spread to Shanghai, Beijing and many parts of the country in the last few days against the stringent policy under which cities and localities are kept under prolonged lockdowns and isolations. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian also defended the arrest of a BBC journalist covering the demonstrations in Shanghai, maintaining that the scribe did not present his media credentials. "What you mentioned does not reflect what has happened," Zhao told a media briefing when asked, given the widespread display of anger and frustration

Fear of quarantine camps, not Covid-19 pandemic, is shutting Beijing down

Going out in the capital of Beijing means having to scan a QR code to enter venues like shops and restaurants, or to even take public transportation

As China intensifies Covid-19 lockdowns, India gradually opens up

Data shows that spike in one country has not coincided with a rise the other

Panic-buying witnessed in Beijing as city adds new Covid quarantine centres

Residents of China's capital were emptying supermarket shelves and overwhelming delivery apps Friday as the city government ordered accelerated construction of COVID-19 quarantine centres and field hospitals. Uncertainty and scattered, unconfirmed reports of a lockdown on at least some Beijing districts have fuelled the demand for food and other supplies, something not seen in the city for months. Daily cases of COVID-19 across the country are hitting records, with 32,695 reported Friday. Of those, 1,860 were in Beijing, the majority of them asymptomatic. Improvised quarantine centres and field hospitals hastily thrown up in gymnasiums, exhibition centres and other large, open indoor spaces have become notorious for overcrowding, poor sanitation, scarce food supplies and lights that stay on 24 hours. Most residents of the city have already been advised not to leave their compounds, some of which are being fenced in. At entrances, workers clad head to toe in white hazmat suits stop

Covid surge in Beijing triggers panic buying, lockdown-like restrictions

The case increase, which has escalated from under 100 infections a day a fortnight ago, is leading to stepped-up controls in Beijing, a city of 22 million

China widens Covid curbs, Apple factory unrest adds to economy worries

In Beijing, malls and parks were shut and once-bustling areas of the capital resembled ghost towns as authorities urged people to stay home

China Covid-19 cases near record high since pandemic began: Report

Over 28,000 new infections reported nationwide; Beijing shuts businesses, schools in hard-hit districts, tightens rules for entering the city

Beijing is tackling its air pollution problem; Why can't New Delhi?

The return of smog season in India's capital has again left residents asking why nothing has changed; the answer may be largely political

Rupee sheds 0.2% to dollar as Covid worries trigger slump in yuan

Talk of persistent rate hikes by US Fed officials also drags rupee lower

Beijing under semi-lockdown as new coronavirus cases rise in China

The coronavirus situation in China has become grim again with the number of COVID-19 cases rising to over 25,000, including more than 500 in Beijing, prompting the city officials to advise millions of residents to stay home this weekend and undergo daily testing. Beijing wore an eerie look on Saturday with most of its residents staying home after several districts in the city on Friday issued advisories to people, calling for less cross-district personnel flow and avoid unnecessary trips during the weekend. An official from Chaoyang district, the worst-hit area and also the most populous district in the city, told residents to stay indoors during the weekend. The sprawling district houses all top government offices, commercial hubs and thousands of residential communities. The district government of Chaoyang also advised residents not to leave the area unless necessary, and if they do, they must provide negative nucleic acid test results taken within 48 hours, official media here .

China's Covid-19 restrictions hit oldest Jixiang theatre in Beijing

Performances have been suspended at one of Beijing's oldest and most renowned theaters as part of a new wave of shop and restaurant closures in response to a spike in COVID-19 cases in the Chinese capital. The Jixiang Theater in the downtown Wangfujing shopping district was originally built in 1906 and recently moved to its present location on the 8th floor of a shopping mall that also houses shops and a fast food restaurant. It is famed for performances of Peking opera and other traditional art forms. Performances were due to resume Nov. 27, but such dates for re-opening have frequently been extended. China reported 24,263 new cases Saturday, 515 of them in Beijing. The vast majority were asymptomatic. Despite that, lockdowns and other strict control measures have been put in place around the country, with many Beijing residents sent notices advising them not to leave home unless absolutely necessary. Restaurants, malls and shops deemed non-essential have been closed and foot tra

Beijing's rise expected to bring UK's interest in Himalayan region: Report

'PRC has carried out measures to stem the flow of Tibetan refugees who come into Nepal by crossing the Himalayas'

Covid curbs increased in China factory hub Guangzhou as outbreak balloons

In-person classes in eight of the city of some 19 million people's 11 districts will be halted from Thursday, officials said late Wednesday

Covid cases in Beijing hit five-month high; Guangzhou district shut

The capital reported 78 new infections Wednesday, the most since May 22

China's daily Covid cases jump to six-month high as outbreaks flare

The country reported 5,436 cases for Sunday, up 27% from the day before to the most since May 2, when Shanghai was in the midst of its months-long lockdown.

In shift away from China, Apple adds a new iPhone 14 supplier in India

That move makes Pegatron the second Apple supplier to produce the iPhone 14 in the country, people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg News