Phoebe Zhang
AsiaOne
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Past articles by Phoebe:
'China's Dr Fauci' calls for change in zero-Covid focus as cities roll back strictest curbs, China News
China should no longer aim for zero infections but focus on lowering severe or symptomatic cases, a Shanghai infectious diseases expert regarded as "China's Dr Fauci " has said. The call from Zhang Wenhong – leader of the Shanghai team tackling Covid-19 – comes as repeated signals from Beijing in the past weeks indicate a shift in the country's strict... → Read More
China steps up social media controls to keep out 'harmful' content, China News
Chinese social media and web video platforms must approve all news-related comments before they go online and step up training for censors to keep out "harmful" content, according to new regulations taking effect on Dec 15. The new law, an updated and approved version of the 2017 Regulations on the Administration of Internet Post Comment Services, was publicised by the... → Read More
Chinese city to investigate claim that Covid rules led to miscarriage, China News
As cities across China follow up on Beijing's newly relaxed Covid policies, the southwestern metropolis of Chongqing is investigating reports that a woman had a miscarriage after coronavirus restrictions resulted in treatment delays. The woman reportedly required medical care but was not allowed to leave her locked-down compound in Jiulongpo district on Saturday (Nov 12), leading to the… → Read More
China's zero-Covid policy under growing strain as cases continue to spread across country, China News
Covid-19 infections have been rising sharply across China despite increasingly stringent controls, amid growing public discontent and doubts about whether the zero-Covid approach will work against fast, stealthy Omicron variants. On Wednesday (Nov 9), China reported 8,176 local infections, up from 7,475 a day earlier. Although this is a small case count compared with the rest of the world, it... → Read More
Reunifying with Taiwan only way mainland China can achieve peace: Party, Asia News
Bringing Taiwan back into the fold is the only way Beijing can achieve permanent peace with the island and avoid seeing Taiwan invaded by a foreign power, according to a new book written by top Communist Party ideologues. “Only through complete reunification of the motherland can compatriots on both sides be completely freed from the shadow of civil war and... → Read More
Chinese censors quell Covid-19 criticism sparked by fatal crash, China News
Censors have erased hundreds of public comments on China's social media after a fatal bus crash sparked an outpouring of posts, many of them critical of strict Covid-19 prevention measures. The bus was taking Covid-19 close contacts from their homes in Guiyang, the capital of Guizhou province, to a quarantine facility 260km away when it crashed soon after 2am on... → Read More
Traditional Chinese Medicine can't prevent Covid-19, says renowned expert, China News
China's best-known infectious diseases expert Zhong Nanshan has dispelled the myth that Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) can prevent Covid-19 in the wake of public speculation that a popular online health platform had been suspended for challenging its use to fight the virus. "As of now, there's no drug that's been proven to prevent Covid-19," he told the 18th International Congress... → Read More
Chinese police hunt for suspect in deadly kindergarten attack, China News
Police in eastern China are offering 100,000 yuan (S$20,400) for information about a suspect who allegedly killed three and wounded at least six at a kindergarten. The man, 48-year-old Liu Xiaohui, is a resident of Anfu county in the eastern province of Jiangxi. According to police, Liu stormed into a private kindergarten on Wednesday (Aug 3) morning wearing a cap,... → Read More
Family approval still biggest hurdle for China's trans youths seeking surgery, China News
After Gillian* turned 18, she made a hospital appointment as soon as she could. It was 2017, and China had just updated its medical regulations to allow those aged 18 and over to be formally diagnosed with gender dysphoria — the first step in obtaining gender affirmation surgery. For Gillian, a transgender woman, the ultimate goal was to officially change... → Read More
In Beijing, Covid transport curbs are making it hard to get to hospital, China News
As fears grow that Beijing is heading for a Covid-19 lockdown, the city’s most vulnerable are already struggling to get access to hospital care. The city government on Wednesday announced that parts of Chaoyang, Fangshan and Shunyi districts – where there have been cases of the virus – would be subject to tighter curbs, including taxis and ride-hailing services being... → Read More
Chinese ex-journalist jailed for insulting Korean war 'martyrs', China News
Former investigative journalist Luo Changping has been sentenced to seven months in prison and ordered to make a public apology for insulting Chinese soldiers portrayed in a blockbuster movie about the Korean war. The Sanya Suburb People's Court in southern Hainan province announced the sentence on Luo on Thursday (May 5) for "infringing the reputation and honour of national martyrs",... → Read More
Chinese tour guides turn to 'cloud tourism' as Omicron empties scenic spots, Lifestyle News
Yang Changqing has been up and down Huangshan (Yellow Mountains) dozens of times in the past week. One time, he climbed to the top of the 1,864m (6,115 feet) range - and began to sing on camera. Another time, he got to the centre of a walking bridge and launched into a popular bodybuilding routine to attract online viewers. But... → Read More
Disaster or zero Covid-19? China has no choice for now, top health official says, China News
China must insist on a “dynamic zero-Covid ” policy or risk disaster because of the low vaccination rate among the elderly and a lack of medical resources, according to the country’s top Covid-19 strategy official. Addressing a media panel in Beijing on Friday (April 25), Liang Wannian, head of the expert panel leading the country’s Covid-19 response, said the policy... → Read More
Shanghai's accidental group-buying heroes: Getting food through in the Covid-19 crisis, China News
It’s 10 pm in Shanghai and film producer Frank is hard at work. Instead of looking through scripts or coordinating a shoot, he is trawling through numbers on a spreadsheet, working out what essentials to get next. When he places the next order for his residential compound, vegetables will be the top priority. “There are 57 votes for vegetables, 52... → Read More
China's health code algorithms leave some confused, shunned or stranded, China News
When Beijing resident William Wei tried to go for a run with his wife at the Olympic Green last month, he could not enter the park. He was scanning the health QR code at the entrance — a routine measure to ensure all entrants are coronavirus-free — when a pop-up appeared on his phone stating he might have crossed paths... → Read More
Shanghai nurse dies of asthma after emergency department closed for Covid-19 disinfection, China News
A nurse in Shanghai died of an asthma attack after Covid-19 restrictions at the hospital she worked for prevented her from getting treatment there. Nurse Zhou Shengni, who worked at Shanghai East Hospital, suffered acute asthma on Wednesday and her family drove her to the hospital that evening, but the accident and emergency department was closed for disinfection under outbreak... → Read More
Rumours and fears as China tech hub Shenzhen under pressure to contain coronavirus outbreak, China News
As new coronavirus cases reach fresh highs in Hong Kong, the neighbouring city of Shenzhen is also feeling the pressure to contain its worst outbreak fuelled by a new Omicron sub-variant. To help prevent transmission, Shenzhen has put cross-border drivers under greater scrutiny. From Tuesday (March 1), drivers must show a negative nucleic acid test result from within the previous... → Read More
Backlash in China over vulgar social media mocking of Ukraine conflict, China News
Chinese authorities have called for caution over online comments about Russia's invasion of Ukraine amid concerns that public internet sentiment stoked anger towards citizens abroad. The conflict is hotly debated on Chinese social media, with some internet users sympathetic towards the plight of Ukrainians and others mocking the conflict and cheering on Russia's aggression. A number of users… → Read More
Study of Chinese mRNA vaccine candidate shows booster raises effectiveness against Omicron, China News
A new study has shown that a Chinese mRNA vaccine candidate saw a significant drop in its ability to neutralise the Omicron strand of the coronavirus compared to its effectiveness against a wild-type strain with no major mutations – but that a booster could readily induce the production of the neutralisation antibody. The vaccine, ARCoV, which is being jointly developed... → Read More
China's other big vaccine battle: HPV shots and the extremes women have to go to get them, China News
Despite working in a hospital, surgical nurse Sophie Li found getting protected against the human papillomavirus (HPV) a "difficult victory". Three years ago, just before hitting the national cut-off age of 26 to receive a wide-spectrum HPV vaccine, Li and a friend had an insider tip-off that the local epidemic prevention station was offering a small batch of vaccines. They... → Read More