China injects more than 22 million doses of coronavirus vaccines

BEIJING - China has administered about 22.8 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines, a health official said on Wednesday, as the country steps up its campaign ahead of next month's Lunar New Year holidays and the accompanying flurry of travel.

The world's most populous nation has widened its targeted inoculation scheme since mid-December to include more priority groups facing higher risk of virus exposure, in a bid to prevent any outbreaks in winter and spring.

"Overall, the work is progressing in a smooth and orderly manner," Zeng Yixin, vice director of the National Health Commission, told a news conference, referring to the vaccination effort.

China aims to vaccinate 50 million people before the Lunar New Year in February, state media Global Times said this month.

The nationwide vaccine scheme now prioritizes essential groups such as workers in medical, transport and food services, employees and students going abroad. The elderly and others will have to wait.

However, the Chaoyang district in the capital, Beijing, has already started giving vaccines to citizens outside essential groups.

Some communities in the district of Dongcheng said residents aged between 18 and 59 can sign up for inoculation as long as they have no medical conditions that might make vaccination unsuitable. But they did not say when doses would be available. (Reporting by Roxanne Liu and Ryan Woo; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)

-reuters-

China reports more than 100 new COVID cases as New Year holiday exodus looms

BEIJING - China reported more than 100 new COVID-19 cases for the sixth consecutive day, with rising infections in the northeast fuelling concerns of another national wave when hundreds of millions travel for the Chinese Lunar New Year holiday.

Tough new controls in the city of Gongzhuling in Jilin province, which has a population of around 1 million people, brings the total number of people under lockdown to more than 29 million.

According to the Global Times newspaper, at least 11 regions in the provinces of Hebei, Heilongjiang and Jilin have imposed lockdowns and rolled out extensive testing programmes.

The National Health Commission reported 109 new COVID-19 cases for Jan. 17, unchanged from a day earlier. Of the 93 local infections, 54 were in Hebei, which surrounds Beijing.

Hebei authorities vowed on Monday to punish lockdown violations, including the illegal staging of weddings or funerals, Xinhua news agency said.

Northeastern Jilin province also reported a record 30 new cases, underscoring the risk of new clusters emerging.

Daily increases still remain a fraction of what the country saw at the height of the outbreak in early 2020, but officials are concerned infections could spread rapidly nationwide during China's Lunar New Year holiday in less than a month.

Despite travel restrictions, the China Railway Corporation expects around 296 million railway passenger trips during the Lunar New Year break, compared with 410 million in 2019.

Shanghai is one of many cities providing financial incentives for migrant workers not to travel home.

The manufacturing hub of Yiwu on China's eastern coast is also introducing subsidies, including rent reductions, to encourage workers to stay put during the holiday.

China's statistics bureau chief Ning Jizhe said on Monday that the overall impact of the current COVID-19 resurgence on the country's economy remained controllable.

But though Xinhua warned local governments not to "cry wolf", many have been introducing fresh curbs.

Beijing, which reported two new local infections, now requires travellers from abroad to undergo health monitoring for seven additional days following 21 days of medical observation, Xinhua reported on Saturday.

The city of Gongzhuling said on Monday that it is "strictly forbidden" for anyone to go out unless they are scheduled to get a COVID-19 test at a designated site.

The outbreak in Jilin is believed to have been caused by an infected salesman travelling to and from the neighbouring province of Heilongjiang, the site of a previous cluster of cases.

Xinhua said in a commentary piece on Monday that the new clusters of infection were caused by social activities in rural areas and a lack of awareness at the grassroots level, creating "hotbeds" for the virus's rapid spread.

The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in mainland China is 89,336, while the death toll remained unchanged at 4,635. The data excludes cases from Macau and Hong Kong, which are Chinese cities but report new cases independently, and self-ruled Taiwan which China claims as its own.

World Health Organization (WHO) representatives said on Friday that its investigation team in China has begun discussions with their Chinese counterparts via video conference as they remain in quarantine. 

(Reporting by Beijing and Shanghai newsrooms; additional reporting by Stephanie Nebehay in Geneva; Writing by Se Young Lee and David Stanway; Editing by Christian Schmollinger, Michael Perry and Raju Gopalakrishnan)

- Reuters

Asia shares edge up, Greece uncertainty lingers

SYDNEY - Most Asian share markets were fractionally higher on Monday following a record close on Wall Street, with investors cautiously optimistic the European Union would make progress this week on a debt deal with Greece.

Oil prices extended their bounce as Brent topped $62 a barrel, while the major currencies stayed locked in recent tight ranges.

Data from Japan showed the economy emerged from recession in the final quarter of last year, though growth of 0.6 percent was short of market forecasts.

Investors still seemed encouraged and the Nikkei firmed 0.6 percent in early trade.

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan recouped a small initial loss to inch ahead.

The index boasted its highest close since late October on Friday but is bumping up against a major band of chart resistance in the 484 to 486 area.

Australia's main index eased 0.2 percent, while South Korean shares rose by a matching amount.

Holidays will be a feature this week with the United States off on Monday and much of Asia celebrating the Lunar New Year. China's markets are off from Feb. 18 right through to the 24th.

The Eurogroup of finance ministers meets in Brussels later Monday to try to find common ground with Greece' new government, in talks that could drag on for some time.

Greece said on Sunday it was confident of reaching agreement in negotiations with its euro zone partners, but reiterated it would not accept harsh austerity strings in any debt pact.

Markets have generally assumed a compromise would eventually be found, given the alternative might be a disastrous Greek exit from the euro.

The S&P 500 ended at a record high on Friday, as energy shares gained with oil prices, while the Nasdaq hit a 15-year high helped by technology stocks.

The Dow gained 0.26 percent, while the S&P 500 added 0.41 percent and the Nasdaq 0.75 percent. The FTSEuroFirst index of 300 leading shares closed up 0.64 percent, helped by upbeat growth data from Germany.

Without a clear outcome on Greece, there is little conviction to buy or sell the euro. As a result, the common currency has been drifting in a slim $1.1262-1.1534 range in the last few weeks. It was last flat at $1.1400.

Against the yen, the euro was a touch softer at 135.00, off a three-week peak of 136.70 reached last Thursday. The dollar slipped to 118.59 yen, recoiling from a one-month high of 120.48 set last Wednesday.

The main mover on Monday was sterling, which scaled a six-week peak following recent hawkish-sounding comments from the Bank of England. The pound climbed as far as $1.5435 in early trade, from around $1.5407 late on Friday.

In commodities, oil was supported by signs that deeper industry spending cuts may curb excess supply. Brent crude rose 42 cents to $61.94 per barrel, while U.S. crude added 34 cents to $53.12 per barrel.

source: interaksyon.com

Asian shares skid, but dollar regains some traction

MANILA - Asian shares stumbled on Tuesday though the dollar regained firmer footing, after disappointing data cast doubt on the strength of the U.S. economy and gave investors little reason to hope for stability in emerging markets after their recent rout.

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan fell about 1.4 percent, touching its lowest level since early September at one point and flirting with its biggest one-day decline since August. But the greenback's descent took a breather, with the dollar index gaining 0.2 percent to 81.164.

Hong Kong shares, reopening on Tuesday after the Lunar New Year holiday, caught up with plunges elsewhere. Mainland Chinese markets remained shut for the holiday and will reopen on Friday.

"Experienced emerging market investors would be looking at this selldown with great interest, looking to pick up quality names on the dip, but they are still in the minority for now," said Erwin Sanft, Standard Chartered's Hong Kong-based China equity strategist.

Japan's Nikkei stock average lost 3.3 percent, extending its declines into a fourth session, breaking below the key technical 200-day moving average for the first time since November 2012 and bringing losses for this year to around 13 percent.

That makes it the worst performer among major developed markets since the start of 2014, with the S&P 500 down 5.8 percent and the pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 down 3.3 percent. The sharp drop came even after the Bank of Japan bought 123 billion yen ($1.21 billion) worth of exchange traded funds this year as of February 3 to support the equities market.

Data showing U.S. manufacturing activity slowed sharply last month dealt a heavy blow to markets already worried that the U.S. Federal Reserve's decision to taper its asset purchases would lead to capital flight from emerging markets.

"Investors should steer clear of risk assets over the short term as the turmoil does not look like it will be over anytime soon," Mitul Kotecha, the Hong Kong-based head of global foreign exchange strategy for Credit Agricole, said in a note to clients.

"A combination of tapering, a confluence of country- specific emerging market concerns and weaker growth in China provide the backdrop for a volatile few weeks, if not longer, ahead," Kotecha added.

The yield on benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury notes stood at 2.589 in Asian trading, after falling as low as 2.582 percent on Monday, the lowest since November 1.

January's sharp fall in U.S. output activity came on the back of the biggest drop in new orders in 33 years, while construction spending barely rose in December, suggesting the U.S. economic recovery is more tenuous than some investors had believed.

The data pushed the benchmark S&P 500 index into its worst single-day drop in seven months, while the CBOE volatility index soared 16.5 percent to close at its highest level since December 2012.

That helped send the dollar as low as 100.77 yen and the euro as low as 136.37 yen, levels neither pair had touched since late November.

In Asian trading, the dollar took back some lost ground, adding about 0.3 percent to buy 101.24 yen, while the euro rose 0.1 percent on the day to 136.75 yen.

The Australian dollar rallied after the Reserve Bank of Australia dropped its easing bias in the first policy review of the year, encouraging markets to increase the chance of an interest rate hike.

The Aussie was last up 1.5 percent at $0.8877 after the RBA also toned down its rhetorical campaign for a weaker currency.

On the commodities front, U.S. oil edged up slightly to $96.62 a barrel, after plunging $1.09 on Monday, as the weaker-than-expected U.S. factory data fanned fears about demand in the world's largest economy.

March Brent crude firmed slightly to $106.04 a barrel after two straight sessions of losses.

The stock market selloff added to the safe-haven appeal of gold, with spot gold steady on the day at $1,259.15 an ounce, after gaining 1.1 percent on Monday.

But three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange edged down to $7,034.75 a tonne after earlier hitting a two-month low and on track for its tenth straight losing session.

source: interaksyon.com

Raucous celebrations as Asia greets Year of Snake

BEIJING - A billion-plus Asians ushered in the Year of the Snake on Sunday with a cacophony of fireworks, after a Chinese televised gala featuring megastars including Celine Dion kicked off a week of festivities.

From Australia to South Korea, millions of people travelled huge distances to reunite with their families for Lunar New Year -- the most important holiday of the year for many in Asia -- indulging in feasts and celebrations.

As the clock struck midnight, Beijing's skyline lit up with color as residents braved freezing temperatures to set off fireworks, traditionally believed to ward off evil spirits -- a scene repeated across China.

But the capital' streets were eerily quiet on Sunday, with nine million out of 20 million residents returning to their ancestral homes for the festival, according to the state-run China Daily.

This year also saw a sharp reduction in the sale of fireworks as heavy smog in recent weeks has fuelled fears that Beijing's notorious air pollution levels could touch dangerous highs during the festival.

More than 260,000 boxes of fireworks were sold in the city in the days leading up to the New Year, a 37 percent drop compared to last year's sales, after the smog left citizens "worried", the Beijing News reported.

State broadcaster CCTV aired its annual gala variety show during the countdown to the New Year -- which rakes in hundreds of millions of viewers -- featuring a gamut of iconic stars including Celine Dion who sang in Mandarin.

Dion performed the classic Chinese folk song "Jasmine Flower" in a duet with local idol Song Zuying, before launching into her global hit "My Heart Will Go On" from the Hollywood blockbuster Titanic.

Celebrations were also reported aboard Chinese patrol ships in waters surrounding East China Sea islands known as Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China, which are at the center of a bitter territorial row with Japan.

According to reports, the dispute had led to a ban on sales of fireworks labelled "Tokyo Explosion", though a stall in southern Beijing visited by AFP was still offering them on Saturday.

In China the snake has traditionally been seen as a symbol of wisdom, wealth and longevity, but it is considered less auspicious than other animals in the 12-year Chinese Zodiac such as the Dragon.

In Taiwan temples were thronged with the faithful seeking blessings, with President Ma Ying-jeou seen handing out traditional "red envelopes" with money (a token Tw$1) to well-wishers in Taipei.

People also rushed to lotto booths to buy special Lunar New Year lottery tickets with a jackpot of Tw$200 million ($6.89 million).

Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong used the occasion to exhort his compatriots to extend a baby boom in the just-passed Year of the Dragon, which saw a 7.4 rise in the birth-rate amid rising complaints over the number of foreign workers.

"We gladly welcomed more babies during the Dragon Year and hope that this continues into the Year of the Snake," he said.

In the semi-autonomous southern Chinese city of Hong Kong, thousands of people are expected to watch the annual night parade Sunday, at which illuminated floats will be showcased in a giant outdoor party with the city's iconic Victoria Harbour as the backdrop.

In Sydney fireworks overnight welcomed the Lunar New Year though the city's major event, the annual Twilight Parade featuring some 3,500 performers, will not be held until next weekend.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard wished the country's 900,000 people of Chinese ancestry a "healthy and prosperous Year of the Snake" on Twitter. Ministers in her government said it was an important celebration of Australian diversity.

The New Year typically marks the largest annual movement of people as millions of people across China and other Asian countries squeeze into packed trains and buses to journey home to spend the season with their families.

source: interaksyon.com