france24--2020-04-30--In a deserted Venice, animals take back the canals

This tweet by Copernicus EU , the European Union Earth Observation Programme , shows two satellite images of Venice .
According to the tweet , there is a “ notable difference in boat traffic between 8 February & 19 March , as well as seemingly less turbid/agitated waters ” .
`` New sighting of the octopus ( Octopus vulgaris ) at Piazzale Roma on April 24 at 5pm ” , reads the caption of this second video of the octopus .
Marco Capovilla , 40 , is an environmental activist and Venice resident .
He runs the group Venezia Pulita @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which was launched in 2013.Venice is the fifth most visited city in Europe .
Each year , more than 30 million tourists flock to its narrow streets and crowd its canals .
Its economy is almost entirely dependent on tourism .
Over the past few years , it has become an example of a site completely disfigured by mass tourism.Venice mayor Luigi Brugnaro wants to make this period of respite from tourism a turning point for the town .
Brugnaro , who has long sought to address problems linked to tourism , says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to `` frenzied tours ” , rethink the city ’ s economic model and move towards a more “ intelligent tourism ” .
One of his plans is to enforce a limit on the number of tourists who can visit the city each day.Cruise ships have been banned from the town centre since September 2019 .
City government made this decision two months after a ship crashed into a dock .
Four people sustained minor injuries in the accident .
This incident fueled growing calls to restrict cruise ships , which residents say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impact on the environment .

ITALY
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Usually, millions of tourists visit Venice each year, but in the past few weeks, the city has been utterly transformed. The lockdown imposed across Italy to halt the spread of Covid-19 has emptied the streets. It’s also meant that the water in the canals is clearer than ever, which makes it easier than ever to spot the animals living there. A group of Venetians have been making videos of the calm waters and happy animals in the hopes that they will raise awareness and lead to a more sustainable and environmentally friendly future for the town.
In this video, a cormorant plunges again and again under water so clear that you can see schools of little fish swimming nearby. This video, which was posted by a resident of Venice in late March, has already garnered more than 78,000 views.
Other animals have also taken advantage of the deserted waterways, like these ducks who swam slowly down Venice’s Grand Canal.
Another example is this octopus, who was caught on camera near the Piazzale Roma on April 24.
"It’s the first time in my life that I’ve seen ducks in Venice"
Marco Capovilla, 40, is an environmental activist and Venice resident. He runs the group Venezia Pulita (“Clean Venice”), which was launched in 2013.
The waterways aren’t necessarily polluted, but all of the motor boats that crisscross the city in normal times make them murky. They stir up the sediment and create a lot of noise and movement. All of this scares off a lot of animals. It also prevents us from seeing those who do live there. With lockdown, the boats are no longer circulating and the water is as calm and smooth as a sea of oil. The sediment is deposited on the bottom and the noise has vanished. In short, all of these different factors have come together to make the city a much more pleasant environment for animals.
According to #Venice's ???????? citizens, waters have cleared following the #COVID19 lock-down. But what can we see from #Sentinel2 ?????????????
A notable difference in boat traffic between 8 February & 19 March, as well as seemingly less turbid/agitated waters. What do you think?#EUSpace pic.twitter.com/HnqmjOdDCN Copernicus EU (@CopernicusEU) March 24, 2020
This tweet by Copernicus EU, the European Union Earth Observation Programme, shows two satellite images of Venice. According to the tweet, there is a “notable difference in boat traffic between 8 February & 19 March, as well as seemingly less turbid/agitated waters”.
It’s the very first time in my life that I’ve seen ducks in the Venice canal, even though I was born here and have lived here for 40 years.
The most remarkable appearance was made by an octopus, which was in the water near the Piazzale Roma. Scientists were extremely surprised by its presence; while these animals do live in the Venetian Lagoon, they usually stay far away from town. We don’t really know why it decided to venture all the way into the city.
"New sighting of the octopus (Octopus vulgaris) at Piazzale Roma on April 24 at 5pm”, reads the caption of this second video of the octopus.
Venetians are really happy to see all of these animals; it’s one of the rare “positives” to lockdown. We really hope that these videos will raise general awareness about the environment and the fragility of Venice’s ecosystem. We’d really like the boats to be outfitted with less pollutive motors and for them to actually respect speed limits. We are also trying to raise awareness amongst the population about the household and cosmetic products that they use. Here, wastewater is dumped directly into the canals and some of these products end up polluting the water. We are sure of one thing: when the tourists come back and things get back to normal, the animals will leave and the water will no longer be clear. That’s why it’s urgent to rethink how the town is managed and the type of tourism that we can have without destroying the natural environment
Is Venice moving towards "intelligent tourism"?
Venice is the fifth most visited city in Europe. Each year, more than 30 million tourists flock to its narrow streets and crowd its canals. Its economy is almost entirely dependent on tourism. Over the past few years, it has become an example of a site completely disfigured by mass tourism.
Venice mayor Luigi Brugnaro wants to make this period of respite from tourism a turning point for the town. Brugnaro, who has long sought to address problems linked to tourism, says that he wants to put a stop to "frenzied tours”, rethink the city’s economic model and move towards a more “intelligent tourism”. One of his plans is to enforce a limit on the number of tourists who can visit the city each day.
Cruise ships have been banned from the town centre since September 2019. City government made this decision two months after a ship crashed into a dock. Four people sustained minor injuries in the accident. This incident fueled growing calls to restrict cruise ships, which residents say endanger historic buildings and have a negative impact on the environment.
>> READ ON THE OBSERVERS: Venetians ramp up campaign to say ‘no' to big ships


france24--2020-05-01--Covid-19 lockdowns temper May Day rallies worldwide

People stand on a balcony and make noise to demand more wage justice during a May Day protest , as the spread of the coronavirus disease ( COVID-19 ) continues , in Zurich , Switzerland May 1 , 2020 .
Workers were forced to scale back May Day rallies around the world on Friday because of coronavirus lockdowns , although some pushed on with online events and others hit the streets in face masks .
The traditional festival of the workers ' movement usually attracts millions of people to loud and boisterous marches through the streets – and occasional violent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the date carries extra significance after the Covid-19 outbreak sent the global economy into a historic tailspin and put unprecedented numbers of people out of work .
But with drastic social distancing rules to halt the spread of the disease , labour leaders have opted to postpone the public gatherings or move events online .
With France still under lockdown , workers will mark the day on social networks or by calling from their balconies .
`` This is an opportunity to bear the social demands that we have been defending for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ highlighted , '' said Philippe Martinez , the general secretary of umbrella trade union CGT .
During a speech on Friday to mark May 1 , French President Emmanuel Macron warned that the end of the national lockdown on May 11 would only be a first step as his hard-hit country looks to move out of the crisis created by the outbreak of the coronavirus .
`` May 11 will not be the passage to normal life , '' Macron said .
`` There will be several phases and May 11 will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Greece asked unions to delay public rallies by more than a week , but leading union GSEE called for a general strike to coincide with May Day .
It has also urged demonstrators to `` raise their fist and salute '' health workers and other professionals helping to keep supplies and telecoms running .
Portugal 's main CGTP trade union confederation is planning a gathering of union leaders on the vast esplanade where their traditional May Day parade ends each year .
The group said they would stand four metres from each @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Indonesia 's labour unions have called for an online protest against a pro-business bill aimed at simplifying layoffs , after calling off street rallies .
The Confederation of Indonesian Trade Unions has also organised donation drives to buy facemasks for factory workers and food for workers fired in the downturn sparked by the coronavirus .
'We 've had to get creative' In Finland , labour rallies are traditionally preceded by huge communal picnics in the largest public gathering of the year .
But only a handful of revellers congregated around the Manta statue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ epicentre of the festival that was this year boarded up and patrolled by police enforcing the ban on groupings of more than ten people .
Authorities have instead encouraged Finns to celebrate online this year , with several restaurants across the capital offering live streams of wine tastings or cocktail lessons , and serving up traditional May Day food for home delivery .
`` We 've had to get creative and try and find new ways that we can still interact and create togetherness , '' Helsinki restaurateur Filippo Phoumsavanh told AFP .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ heeding restrictions on public gatherings , with riot police in Hong Kong mobilising ahead of a planned rally by pro-democracy protesters .
The semi-autonomous financial hub was upended by seven months of violent protests last year , hammering its reputation for stability and leaving the city deeply divided .
Small protests have bubbled up in the past week and activists are hoping to use May Day to muster numbers once more .
And in the Philippines , police said they had detained at least three people as small groups of protesters banged on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government aid and safe working conditions , defying a ban on public gatherings .
Around 23 million people -- nearly a quarter of the country 's population -- were facing hunger due to `` no work , no pay '' provisions in their employment contracts but faced arrest for violating quarantine restrictions , Jerome Adonis of the May First Movement labour federation told AFP .

Workers were forced to scale back May Day rallies around the world on Friday because of coronavirus lockdowns, although some pushed on with online events and others hit the streets in face masks.
People stand on a balcony and make noise to demand more wage justice during a May Day protest, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues, in Zurich, Switzerland May 1, 2020.
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The traditional festival of the workers' movement usually attracts millions of people to loud and boisterous marches through the streets – and occasional violent confrontations with police forces.
This year the date carries extra significance after the Covid-19 outbreak sent the global economy into a historic tailspin and put unprecedented numbers of people out of work.
But with drastic social distancing rules to halt the spread of the disease, labour leaders have opted to postpone the public gatherings or move events online.
With France still under lockdown, workers will mark the day on social networks or by calling from their balconies.
"This is an opportunity to bear the social demands that we have been defending for a long time and that the crisis has highlighted," said Philippe Martinez, the general secretary of umbrella trade union CGT.
"Even if today we are confined, our demands are not," added Yves Veyrier, head of the Force Ouvriere union, speaking on France Inter radio.
04:31
During a speech on Friday to mark May 1, French President Emmanuel Macron warned that the end of the national lockdown on May 11 would only be a first step as his hard-hit country looks to move out of the crisis created by the outbreak of the coronavirus.
"May 11 will not be the passage to normal life," Macron said. "There will be several phases and May 11 will be one of them."
In a message on his Twitter account, the French president lauded the traditional May Day parades and French workers, urging unity and solidarity during these tough times.
Call to delay rallies
In Greece, the government asked unions to delay public rallies by more than a week, but leading union GSEE called for a general strike to coincide with May Day.
It has also urged demonstrators to "raise their fist and salute" health workers and other professionals helping to keep supplies and telecoms running.
On International Workers’ Day, remember:
🚨3.7 million key workers earn less than £10 an hour.
🚨2.5 million women key workers earn less than £10 an hour.
🚨7 in 10 care workers earn less than £10 an hour.
The people keeping Britain going deserve a pay rise. #MayDay — TradesUnionCongress (@The_TUC) May 1, 2020
Portugal's main CGTP trade union confederation is planning a gathering of union leaders on the vast esplanade where their traditional May Day parade ends each year.
The group said they would stand four metres from each other and waved flags and placards.
Indonesia's labour unions have called for an online protest against a pro-business bill aimed at simplifying layoffs, after calling off street rallies.
The Confederation of Indonesian Trade Unions has also organised donation drives to buy facemasks for factory workers and food for workers fired in the downturn sparked by the coronavirus.
'We've had to get creative'
In Finland, labour rallies are traditionally preceded by huge communal picnics in the largest public gathering of the year.
But only a handful of revellers congregated around the Manta statue in the market square, the traditional epicentre of the festival that was this year boarded up and patrolled by police enforcing the ban on groupings of more than ten people.
Authorities have instead encouraged Finns to celebrate online this year, with several restaurants across the capital offering live streams of wine tastings or cocktail lessons, and serving up traditional May Day food for home delivery.
"We've had to get creative and try and find new ways that we can still interact and create togetherness," Helsinki restaurateur Filippo Phoumsavanh told AFP.
Not all members of the public are heeding restrictions on public gatherings, with riot police in Hong Kong mobilising ahead of a planned rally by pro-democracy protesters.
The semi-autonomous financial hub was upended by seven months of violent protests last year, hammering its reputation for stability and leaving the city deeply divided.
Small protests have bubbled up in the past week and activists are hoping to use May Day to muster numbers once more.
And in the Philippines, police said they had detained at least three people as small groups of protesters banged on empty pots and held up placards demanding government aid and safe working conditions, defying a ban on public gatherings.
Around 23 million people -- nearly a quarter of the country's population -- were facing hunger due to "no work, no pay" provisions in their employment contracts but faced arrest for violating quarantine restrictions, Jerome Adonis of the May First Movement labour federation told AFP.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP and REUTERS)
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france24--2020-05-01--WHO calls on Africa to remain vigilant as some countries ease lockdowns

The World Health Organization ( WHO ) called on African countries Thursday to maintain tough measures to combat the spread of the coronavirus as some countries began easing lockdowns including South Africa , which has recorded Africa 's highest Covid-19 death toll .
Faced with Covid-19 , many African countries have implemented partial or total containment measures to stop the spread of Covid-19 .
These measures have helped slow the spread of Covid but it remains a considerable threat to public health , said Dr Matshidiso Moeti , WHO regional director for Africa , in a statement .
It is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ detection and testing measures to end the pandemic , she said .
If governments abruptly end these measures , they risk losing the gains that have been made so far against Covid-19 , the WHO warned .
“ Deciding when and how to lift these measures is extremely challenging , ” Moeti said in a video post on Twitter .
“ There is always a need to balance.
” “ We hope that these decisions are made having taken into account overall the balance between enabling economies to continue to grow and stopping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have profound long-term impact on the economies.
” South Africa began to gradually loosen its strict coronavirus lockdown on Friday , allowing some industries to reopen after five weeks of restrictions that plunged its struggling economy deeper into turmoil .
The economy of Africa 's most industrialised nation was already teetering when the lockdown kicked into gear on March 27 to contain the spread of infections .
To combat the economic destruction , the government has adopted a gradual and phased approach to reopen the country from May 1 .
Around 1.5 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the next phase under strict health conditions , according to Trade and Industry Minister Ebrahim Patel .
Winter clothing , textile and packaging manufacturing are among the industries permitted to reopen factories .
Restaurants will also open , but only for takeaway deliveries .
Controversial bans on the sale of cigarettes and alcohol will remain in effect .
Some outside activities such as cycling , walking and running will be allowed , but for just three hours in the morning .
Social distancing and wearing masks in public and at workplaces will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dlamini-Zuma warned `` companies that breach regulations will be forced to close '' .
President Cyril Ramaphosa took the decision to stagger the easing of the lockdown restrictions in a bid to strike a balance between protecting public health and the economy .
`` Our people need to eat .
They need to earn a living , '' Ramaphosa said .
`` Companies need to be able to produce and to trade , they need to generate revenue and keep their employees in employment . ''
South Africa 's economy was in recession @ @ @ @ @ @ @ debts before the pandemic arrived .
The country 's number of confirmed infections has risen to 5,647 since March 5 when the first case was detected .
It also has recorded Africa 's highest Covid-19 death toll , with 103 fatalities .

The World Health Organization (WHO) called on African countries Thursday to maintain tough measures to combat the spread of the coronavirus as some countries began easing lockdowns including South Africa, which has recorded Africa's highest Covid-19 death toll.
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Faced with Covid-19, many African countries have implemented partial or total containment measures to stop the spread of Covid-19.
These measures have helped slow the spread of Covid but it remains a considerable threat to public health, said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO regional director for Africa, in a statement.
It is important to maintain strong surveillance, case detection and testing measures to end the pandemic, she said. If governments abruptly end these measures, they risk losing the gains that have been made so far against Covid-19, the WHO warned.
“Deciding when and how to lift these measures is extremely challenging,” Moeti said in a video post on Twitter. “There is always a need to balance.”
“We hope that these decisions are made having taken into account overall the balance between enabling economies to continue to grow and stopping the spread of a pandemic that can have profound long-term impact on the economies.”
Responding effectively to the #COVID19 pandemic means making tough decisions. Political leaders have to strike a balance between actions to control the pandemic & the impact of the measures on the lives of their people & national economies. pic.twitter.com/SwGIPKS9mk — Dr Matshidiso Moeti (@MoetiTshidi) April 30, 2020
South Africa began to gradually loosen its strict coronavirus lockdown on Friday, allowing some industries to reopen after five weeks of restrictions that plunged its struggling economy deeper into turmoil. The economy of Africa's most industrialised nation was already teetering when the lockdown kicked into gear on March 27 to contain the spread of infections.
To combat the economic destruction, the government has adopted a gradual and phased approach to reopen the country from May 1.
Around 1.5 million workers in selected industries return to work in the next phase under strict health conditions, according to Trade and Industry Minister Ebrahim Patel.
Winter clothing, textile and packaging manufacturing are among the industries permitted to reopen factories. Restaurants will also open, but only for takeaway deliveries. Controversial bans on the sale of cigarettes and alcohol will remain in effect.
Some outside activities such as cycling, walking and running will be allowed, but for just three hours in the morning.
Social distancing and wearing masks in public and at workplaces will be mandatory.
Cooperative Governance Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma warned "companies that breach regulations will be forced to close".
President Cyril Ramaphosa took the decision to stagger the easing of the lockdown restrictions in a bid to strike a balance between protecting public health and the economy.
"Our people need to eat. They need to earn a living," Ramaphosa said.
"Companies need to be able to produce and to trade, they need to generate revenue and keep their employees in employment."
South Africa's economy was in recession and reeling from low growth and high debts before the pandemic arrived.
The country's number of confirmed infections has risen to 5,647 since March 5 when the first case was detected. It also has recorded Africa's highest Covid-19 death toll, with 103 fatalities.
06:38
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
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france24--2020-05-01--Irish low-cost airline Ryanair cuts up to 3,000 jobs over Covid-19 woes

Irish low-cost carrier Ryanair said on Friday it planned to axe 3,000 pilot and cabin crew jobs , or 15 percent of staff , with air transport paralysed by coronavirus .
Dublin-based Ryanair added in a statement that most of its flights would remain grounded until at least July and predicted it would take until summer 2022 at the earliest before passenger demand recovers .
The airline now expects to operate less than one percent of its scheduled flights in April , May and June .
`` The Ryanair Airlines will shortly notify their trade unions about its restructuring and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from July 2020 , '' the group said in a statement .
`` These plans will be subject to consultation but will affect all Ryanair Airlines , and may result in the loss of up to 3,000 mainly pilot and cabin crew jobs , unpaid leave , and pay cuts of up to 20 percent , and the closure of a number of aircraft bases across Europe until traffic recovers . ''
The cost-cutting measures at the airline , which employs 18,000 staff worldwide , will be implemented `` as a direct result @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it added .
Chief Executive Michael O'Leary has meanwhile agreed to extend his 50-percent pay cut for the remainder of the financial year to March 2021 .
`` Today we are announcing cuts of just over 15 percent , of which we have to lose regrettably about 3,000 mainly pilots and cabin crew over the next three to four months , '' O'Leary told Bloomberg TV .
`` That 's because this year we are now facing carrying less than a 100 million passengers against an original budget of 154 million passengers ... @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We expect to be allowed by the European governments to go back in July or from July onwards .
What we are facing now is a historic decline in air traffic in Europe for the next 12-18 months . ''

Irish low-cost carrier Ryanair said on Friday it planned to axe 3,000 pilot and cabin crew jobs, or 15 percent of staff, with air transport paralysed by coronavirus.
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Dublin-based Ryanair added in a statement that most of its flights would remain grounded until at least July and predicted it would take until summer 2022 at the earliest before passenger demand recovers.
The airline now expects to operate less than one percent of its scheduled flights in April, May and June.
"The Ryanair Airlines will shortly notify their trade unions about its restructuring and job loss program, which will commence from July 2020," the group said in a statement.
"These plans will be subject to consultation but will affect all Ryanair Airlines, and may result in the loss of up to 3,000 mainly pilot and cabin crew jobs, unpaid leave, and pay cuts of up to 20 percent, and the closure of a number of aircraft bases across Europe until traffic recovers."
Ryanair:
✈ 3,000 job losses
✈ Will be summer 2022 before business gets back on track;
✈ Michael O’Leary takes 50% pay cut for next year;
✈ Other staff to take 20% pay cut;
✈ In talks with Boeing to cancel orders already made. pic.twitter.com/MMqYcQfeax — Kevin Doyle (@KevDoyle_Indo) May 1, 2020
The cost-cutting measures at the airline, which employs 18,000 staff worldwide, will be implemented "as a direct result of the unprecedented COVID-19 crisis", it added.
Chief Executive Michael O'Leary has meanwhile agreed to extend his 50-percent pay cut for the remainder of the financial year to March 2021.
"Today we are announcing cuts of just over 15 percent, of which we have to lose regrettably about 3,000 mainly pilots and cabin crew over the next three to four months," O'Leary told Bloomberg TV.
"That's because this year we are now facing carrying less than a 100 million passengers against an original budget of 154 million passengers... The situation is grim."
"We expect to be allowed by the European governments to go back in July or from July onwards. What we are facing now is a historic decline in air traffic in Europe for the next 12-18 months."
(AFP)
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france24--2020-05-01--France maps Covid-19 impact to aid in easing lockdown

French health authorities on Thursday provided a map illustrating zones where the coronavirus is actively circulating and imposing a heavy burden on healthcare services .
French health authorities on Thursday released a map showing the areas of the country that are the most affected by the virus .
The map is set to serve as a reference when the country eases lockdown measures after May 11 .
The hard-hit northeastern part of France , including the entire greater Paris area , has been placed in a “ red zone ” as the map is based on an estimate of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the burden being sustained by intensive care units at local hospitals .
The government said “ green zones ” will be able to lift some restrictions more rapidly .
Health minister Olivier Véran said final decisions will be made next week based on how the map evolves .
National health agency director Jérôme Salomon said the virus 's spread continues to slow down in the country with the number of Covid-19 patients in intensive care decreasing for the third straight week .
France , one of the world ’ s hardest-hit countries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the disease at hospital and in nursing homes .
In the Île-de-France region , which encompasses the greater Paris area and where more than 6,000 people have died in hospital due to Covid-19 , another 10,900 infected patients remain hospitalised including at least 1,600 in intensive care .

French health authorities on Thursday released a map showing the areas of the country that are the most affected by the virus. The map is set to serve as a reference when the country eases lockdown measures after May 11.
French health authorities on Thursday provided a map illustrating zones where the coronavirus is actively circulating and imposing a heavy burden on healthcare services.
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The hard-hit northeastern part of France, including the entire greater Paris area, has been placed in a “red zone” as the map is based on an estimate of the circulation of the coronavirus and the breadth of the burden being sustained by intensive care units at local hospitals.
The government said “green zones” will be able to lift some restrictions more rapidly.
#Coronavirus | Indicateurs de l’activité épidémique
Carte de la circulation active du #COVID19 :
🔴 + de 10%
🟠 6 - 10%
🟢 0- 6%
✅ Connaître les recommandations santé : https://t.co/0I8koxwBRQ
📲 Suivre les indicateurs de l’activité épidémique : https://t.co/AgaEUYBU4c pic.twitter.com/fQRtppY75k — Ministère des Solidarités et de la Santé (@MinSoliSante) April 30, 2020
Health minister Olivier Véran said final decisions will be made next week based on how the map evolves.
National health agency director Jérôme Salomon said the virus's spread continues to slow down in the country with the number of Covid-19 patients in intensive care decreasing for the third straight week.
France, one of the world’s hardest-hit countries, has reported more than 24,000 deaths from the disease at hospital and in nursing homes.
In the Île-de-France region, which encompasses the greater Paris area and where more than 6,000 people have died in hospital due to Covid-19, another 10,900 infected patients remain hospitalised including at least 1,600 in intensive care.
(FRANCE 24 with AP)
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france24--2020-05-01--World should follow S. Korea's example on Covid-19 fight, UN chief says

The United Nations chief said he hopes many countries in the world will follow the “ remarkable example ” of South Korea , which he said has been “ extremely successful ” in addressing the coronavirus pandemic and is planning to tackle climate change in its recovery from COVID-19 .
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres pointed to Thursday 's announcement “ that there was no new case in the Republic of Korea , ” the country ’ s official name .
At the same time , he said , South Korea has presented plans for “ a very ambitious green deal ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including a ban on new coal-fired plants and a reduction of emissions from existing coal-fired plants .
“ We hope that this example of the Republic of Korea will be followed by many other countries in the world , ” Guterres said at a news conference .
The Koreas Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement early Thursday that four cases in the previous 24 hours , all imported , took the country ’ s total to 10,765 , with 247 deaths and 9,059 recoveries .
South Korea ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after it recorded hundreds of new cases every day between late February and early March .
It has subsequently relaxed some of its social distancing guidelines and is expected to ease up on more restrictions in the coming days if the downward trend continues .
South Korea had its first confirmed coronavirus case Jan. 20 , the same day as the United States .
But unlike the U.S. , officials there used a test focused on the same gene targets as the World Health Organization ’ s recommended test , according to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government then quickly allowed private sector labs to produce it .
As a result , a nation with less than one-sixth the population of the United States mobilized to test more than 20,000 people a day .
South Korea also instituted drive-through testing centers , allowing quicker identification of those who were infected but might not be displaying symptoms , thus slowing the emergence of new cases to a more manageable level .
By comparison , the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention decided to develop its own test , focusing on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ WHO used .
The test was reportedly flawed and according to CDC data only 472 patients had been tested nationwide on Feb. 29 , with just 22 cases confirmed .
The result was that while South Korea was able to manage its caseload , the rate of U.S. infections soared .
Guterres said recovery from the pandemic “ needs to go hand-in-hand with climate action , '' just as South Korea is doing now .
He called on governments to ensure that spending to revitalize their economies gives priority to the creation of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ low-carbon energy sources .
“ Taxpayers ’ money should not be used to subsidize fossil fuels or bail out polluting , carbon-intensive industries , '' the U.N. chief said .
“ Now is the time to put a price on carbon and for polluters to pay for their pollution . ''

The United Nations chief said he hopes many countries in the world will follow the “remarkable example” of South Korea, which he said has been “extremely successful” in addressing the coronavirus pandemic and is planning to tackle climate change in its recovery from COVID-19.
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Secretary-General Antonio Guterres pointed to Thursday's announcement “that there was no new case in the Republic of Korea,” the country’s official name.
At the same time, he said, South Korea has presented plans for “a very ambitious green deal” for its recovery from the pandemic, including a ban on new coal-fired plants and a reduction of emissions from existing coal-fired plants.
“We hope that this example of the Republic of Korea will be followed by many other countries in the world,” Guterres said at a news conference.
The Koreas Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement early Thursday that four cases in the previous 24 hours, all imported, took the country’s total to 10,765, with 247 deaths and 9,059 recoveries.
South Korea’s caseload has been slowing in recent weeks after it recorded hundreds of new cases every day between late February and early March. It has subsequently relaxed some of its social distancing guidelines and is expected to ease up on more restrictions in the coming days if the downward trend continues.
South Korea had its first confirmed coronavirus case Jan. 20, the same day as the United States.
But unlike the U.S., officials there used a test focused on the same gene targets as the World Health Organization’s recommended test, according to the website of a test manufacturer. The government then quickly allowed private sector labs to produce it.
As a result, a nation with less than one-sixth the population of the United States mobilized to test more than 20,000 people a day. South Korea also instituted drive-through testing centers, allowing quicker identification of those who were infected but might not be displaying symptoms, thus slowing the emergence of new cases to a more manageable level.
By comparison, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention decided to develop its own test, focusing on three gene targets distinct from what the WHO used. The test was reportedly flawed and according to CDC data only 472 patients had been tested nationwide on Feb. 29, with just 22 cases confirmed.
The result was that while South Korea was able to manage its caseload, the rate of U.S. infections soared.
Guterres said recovery from the pandemic “needs to go hand-in-hand with climate action," just as South Korea is doing now.
He called on governments to ensure that spending to revitalize their economies gives priority to the creation of “green jobs" and use of low-carbon energy sources.
“Taxpayers’ money should not be used to subsidize fossil fuels or bail out polluting, carbon-intensive industries," the U.N. chief said. “Now is the time to put a price on carbon and for polluters to pay for their pollution."
(AP)
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france24--2020-05-01--At least 10 existing drugs could weaken Covid-19, study says

Lab technicians load filled vials of investigational coronavirus disease ( COVID-19 ) treatment drug remdesivir at a Gilead Sciences facility in La Verne , California , U.S. March 18 , 2020 .
At least 10 different drug compounds ranging from cancer therapies to antipsychotics and antihistamines may be effective at preventing the new coronavirus from multiplying in the body , according to a multidisciplinary study conducted by a team of scientists in the United States and France .
The researchers mapped the human proteins the virus interacts with inside the body when it infects cells and makes copies of itself @ @ @ @ @ @ @ block the virus from using those proteins .
The result showed that 47 compounds in cell cultures had the desired effect , at least 10 of which are already in approved drugs or being studied for diverse conditions , but could be repurposed against COVID-19 , the illness caused by the new coronavirus .
Researchers have been rushing to develop experimental therapies as well as to repurpose existing drugs to treat patients with COVID-19 and communities are pinning high hopes on Gilead Sciences Inc 's experimental antiviral drug , remdesivir .
In the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nature on Thursday , candidates for repurposing included allergy medicine ingredients including clemastine , the antipsychotic haloperidol , and malaria drug hydroxychloroquine .
The study also revealed why hydroxychloroquine is often found to have toxic effects on the heart .
The malaria drug , which has been repeatedly touted by U.S. President Donald Trump , binds to a receptor on human cells , which the virus needs to infect the cell .
But hydroxychloroquine also hits a particular protein in the heart tissue , which could explain the drug 's effect on heart @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by U.S. and EU health regulators .
The team also found that an experimental chemical , PB28 , was 20-times more potent than hydroxychloroquine in targeting the receptor , but had far less affinity for the heart protein .
The hormone progesterone was also found to act against the virus , which might shed some light on the reasons that men appear to be more susceptible to COVID-19 and more often suffer severe complications .
Another compound found to have antiviral activity was plitidepsin , used in Madrid-based PharmaMar 's experimental cancer therapy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 trials in Spain .
`` Some of our drugs and compounds are many times more potent than remdesivir , at least in a laboratory setting , '' study author Nevan Krogan of the University of California San Francisco , said in a media briefing .
Gilead 's remdesivir could be the closest to regulatory approval after initial trial results on Wednesday found that the drug helped patients recover more quickly .
The team said it would continue testing the candidates they have identified and use the same methods to further study the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

At least 10 different drug compounds ranging from cancer therapies to antipsychotics and antihistamines may be effective at preventing the new coronavirus from multiplying in the body, according to a multidisciplinary study conducted by a team of scientists in the United States and France.
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The researchers mapped the human proteins the virus interacts with inside the body when it infects cells and makes copies of itself, then looked for compounds that could block the virus from using those proteins.
The result showed that 47 compounds in cell cultures had the desired effect, at least 10 of which are already in approved drugs or being studied for diverse conditions, but could be repurposed against COVID-19, the illness caused by the new coronavirus.
Researchers have been rushing to develop experimental therapies as well as to repurpose existing drugs to treat patients with COVID-19 and communities are pinning high hopes on Gilead Sciences Inc's experimental antiviral drug, remdesivir.
In the new study, published in the journal Nature on Thursday, candidates for repurposing included allergy medicine ingredients including clemastine, the antipsychotic haloperidol, and malaria drug hydroxychloroquine.
The study also revealed why hydroxychloroquine is often found to have toxic effects on the heart.
The malaria drug, which has been repeatedly touted by U.S. President Donald Trump, binds to a receptor on human cells, which the virus needs to infect the cell.
But hydroxychloroquine also hits a particular protein in the heart tissue, which could explain the drug's effect on heart rhythms - a side effect recently flagged by U.S. and EU health regulators.
The team also found that an experimental chemical, PB28, was 20-times more potent than hydroxychloroquine in targeting the receptor, but had far less affinity for the heart protein.
The hormone progesterone was also found to act against the virus, which might shed some light on the reasons that men appear to be more susceptible to COVID-19 and more often suffer severe complications.
Another compound found to have antiviral activity was plitidepsin, used in Madrid-based PharmaMar's experimental cancer therapy Aplidin that is currently being tested in COVID-19 trials in Spain.
"Some of our drugs and compounds are many times more potent than remdesivir, at least in a laboratory setting," study author Nevan Krogan of the University of California San Francisco, said in a media briefing.
Gilead's remdesivir could be the closest to regulatory approval after initial trial results on Wednesday found that the drug helped patients recover more quickly.
The team said it would continue testing the candidates they have identified and use the same methods to further study the biology of the disease for more insights.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-04-30--Worth the risk? Sweden bets on herd immunity

Just how big a gamble did Sweden take when it bucked the trend in Scandinavia and opted never to lock @ @ @ @ @ death toll now far exceeds that of its less populated neighbours , with the virus @ @ @ @ @ homes .
The payoff , argue the Swedes , is that more than an estimated @ @ @ @ @ is now immune to the coronavirus .
Herd immunity was never an option in France @ @ @ @ @ overrun with patients .
In past pandemics , citizens never considered lockdown as an option @ @ @ @ @ us about the present crisis ?

Worth the risk? Sweden bets on herd immunity
42:25 THE DEBATE © FRANCE 24
Just how big a gamble did Sweden take when it bucked the trend in Scandinavia and opted never to lock down the country? Its death toll now far exceeds that of its less populated neighbours, with the virus most notably tearing through nursing homes. The payoff, argue the Swedes, is that more than an estimated one quarter of the population is now immune to the coronavirus. Herd immunity was never an option in France, where hospitals were quickly overrun with patients. In past pandemics, citizens never considered lockdown as an option. What can history teach us about the present crisis?


france24--2020-05-01--Ten Egyptian soldiers killed or injured in North Sinai blast, says army

Egyptian policemen driving on a road leading to the North Sinai provincial capital of El-Arish on July 26 , 2018 .
Egypt 's army said on Thursday that 10 soldiers were either killed or wounded in a blast targeting an armoured vehicle in the restive northern Sinai .
The attack occurred south the city of Bir al-Abed in the troubled North Sinai region , the epicentre of a long-running Islamist insurgency spearheaded by a local affiliate of the Islamic State group .
Army spokesman Tamer al-Rifai said the 10 casualties included an officer but did not provide details on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack , which occurred during the Islamic holy fasting month of Ramadan .
Egypt 's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi extended his condolences to the victims on Twitter .
Security forces have for years been battling to contain the insurgency in the turbulent North Sinai which intensified following the military 's 2013 ouster of Islamist President Mohamed Morsi .
Scores of soldiers and police were killed in militant attacks especially in the turbulent region over the years .
In February 2018 , Egyptian security forces launched a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mainly focused on the North Sinai region .
More than 845 suspected militants have been killed in the region along with more than 60 security personnel , according to army figures .

Egypt's army said on Thursday that 10 soldiers were either killed or wounded in a blast targeting an armoured vehicle in the restive northern Sinai.
Egyptian policemen driving on a road leading to the North Sinai provincial capital of El-Arish on July 26, 2018.
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The attack occurred south the city of Bir al-Abed in the troubled North Sinai region, the epicentre of a long-running Islamist insurgency spearheaded by a local affiliate of the Islamic State group.
Army spokesman Tamer al-Rifai said the 10 casualties included an officer but did not provide details on the number of those killed or wounded.
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, which occurred during the Islamic holy fasting month of Ramadan.
Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi extended his condolences to the victims on Twitter.
Security forces have for years been battling to contain the insurgency in the turbulent North Sinai which intensified following the military's 2013 ouster of Islamist President Mohamed Morsi.
Scores of soldiers and police were killed in militant attacks especially in the turbulent region over the years.
In February 2018, Egyptian security forces launched a nationwide, large-scale operation against militants, mainly focused on the North Sinai region.
More than 845 suspected militants have been killed in the region along with more than 60 security personnel, according to army figures.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-05-01--Legendary drummer and Afrobeat pioneer Tony Allen dies in Paris

Legendary Nigerian drummer Tony Allen , who created afrobeat along with his old bandmate Fela Kuti , died suddenly at the age of 79 in Paris on Thursday , his manager told AFP .
`` We do n't know the exact cause of death , '' manager Eric Trosset said , adding it was not linked to the coronavirus .
`` He was in great shape , it was quite sudden .
I spoke to him at 1:00 pm ( 1100 GMT ) , then two hours later he was sick and taken to Pompidou hospital where he died .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ director of Fela Kuti 's band Africa '70 in the 1960s and 1970s .
During that time the pair created afrobeat , combining West African musical styles such as highlife and fuji music with American imports jazz and funk .
Afrobeat went on to become one of the totemic genres of 20th century African music .
Over Allen 's thrilling beat , Fela laid out his revolutionary and pan-African message , which led him to become one of the abiding icons of the struggle for freedom across the continent .
Allen and Fela @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '70 , before parting ways after a mythic 26-year collaboration .
Such was the hole that Allen left in his band , Fela needed four drummers to replace him .
Allen taught himself to play drums from the age of 18 , drawing inspiration from American jazz greats Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker as well as contemporary African music .
He remained hugely influential and beloved by generations of musicians .
British musician and producer Brian Eno has called Allen `` perhaps the greatest drummer who ever lived '' .
Allen was the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Bad & the Queen , also featuring Blur singer Damon Albarn and The Clash bassist Paul Simonon , which released its second album in 2018 .
He lived in the Paris suburb Courbevoie .

Legendary Nigerian drummer Tony Allen, who created afrobeat along with his old bandmate Fela Kuti, died suddenly at the age of 79 in Paris on Thursday, his manager told AFP.
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"We don't know the exact cause of death," manager Eric Trosset said, adding it was not linked to the coronavirus.
"He was in great shape, it was quite sudden. I spoke to him at 1:00 pm (1100 GMT), then two hours later he was sick and taken to Pompidou hospital where he died."
Allen was the drummer and musical director of Fela Kuti's band Africa '70 in the 1960s and 1970s.
Rest In Power to Tony Allen, The Godfather of Afrobeat Rhythms. Thank you for giving us the sound that would change our lives and our destiny as a people. pic.twitter.com/UXcoN3yF5k — Jidenna (@Jidenna) May 1, 2020
During that time the pair created afrobeat, combining West African musical styles such as highlife and fuji music with American imports jazz and funk. Afrobeat went on to become one of the totemic genres of 20th century African music.
Over Allen's thrilling beat, Fela laid out his revolutionary and pan-African message, which led him to become one of the abiding icons of the struggle for freedom across the continent.
>> Flashback: Tony Allen, Putting the 'beat' in Afrobeat
Allen and Fela recorded around 40 albums together in Africa '70, before parting ways after a mythic 26-year collaboration.
Such was the hole that Allen left in his band, Fela needed four drummers to replace him.
Allen taught himself to play drums from the age of 18, drawing inspiration from American jazz greats Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker as well as contemporary African music.
#RIP Tony Allen. Allen was the drummer and musical director of Fela Kuti's band Africa '70 from 1968 to 1979, and is one of the primary co-founders of the genre of Afrobeat music. #TonyAllen #Fela #Drummer pic.twitter.com/EwOBrvkTHm — Alain Mabanckou (@amabanckou) April 30, 2020
He remained hugely influential and beloved by generations of musicians.
British musician and producer Brian Eno has called Allen "perhaps the greatest drummer who ever lived".
Allen was the drummer in the supergroup The Good, the Bad & the Queen, also featuring Blur singer Damon Albarn and The Clash bassist Paul Simonon, which released its second album in 2018.
He lived in the Paris suburb Courbevoie.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-05-01--'You Are the Champions': Locked-down rockers Queen record health worker anthem

Rock band Queen and singer Adam Lambert are raising money for health workers fighting COVID-19 with new single `` You Are The Champions '' , an updated version of classic hit `` We Are The Champions '' recorded on mobile phones under lockdown .
The track is for `` all those in the frontline , all around the world ... the people who are risking their lives to save us and save our families , '' guitarist Brian May told Reuters in a video conference call interview from his home in London .
The single came to life when May @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his part , inviting the public to jam .
He then urged drummer Roger Taylor and Lambert , who tours with the band in the place of late singer Freddie Mercury , to join in .
The band discussed whether to update the lyrics .
In the end , Lambert swapped in `` you '' for `` we '' in the final verse , and left the rest of the words unchanged .
It was an unusual move for Queen to alter even a single word of a classic song written by Mercury @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But I think this is the type of event that warranted such a change .
And it really , because it 's such a well-known title , changing that one word makes a huge impact , '' Lambert told Reuters from his home in Los Angeles .
The lyrics still stand as the ideal anthem for the fight against coronavirus , he added : `` It 's really a song about overcoming obstacles .
It 's a song about , you know , defying the odds .
And I think that 's what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Taylor 's wife filmed him adding drums from his home in the English county of Cornwall .
He listened to May 's track on headphones and played along while watching on a computer .
`` It was quite tricky because Brian was just playing without a metronome or anything , '' Taylor confided to Reuters .
The musicians and Mercury 's estate are donating their proceeds to a World Health Organization fund for health workers .
The music video shows footage of frontline workers around the world , including Taylor 's daughter , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in West London .
`` People feel it in themselves , '' May said of Mercury 's song .
`` They feel this challenge .
They want to be the best .
They want to win .
And the song just has it .
So it 's become a wonderful way of expressing triumph and determination in the face of something very difficult . ''
The band was meant to be on the road now but had to postpone a 27-date UK and European tour .
May said it was `` heartbreaking '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 400,000 tickets , and the band hopes to reschedule for next year .

Rock band Queen and singer Adam Lambert are raising money for health workers fighting COVID-19 with new single "You Are The Champions", an updated version of classic hit "We Are The Champions" recorded on mobile phones under lockdown.
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The track is for "all those in the frontline, all around the world... the people who are risking their lives to save us and save our families," guitarist Brian May told Reuters in a video conference call interview from his home in London.
The single came to life when May posted a video online of himself playing his part, inviting the public to jam. He then urged drummer Roger Taylor and Lambert, who tours with the band in the place of late singer Freddie Mercury, to join in.
The band discussed whether to update the lyrics. In the end, Lambert swapped in "you" for "we" in the final verse, and left the rest of the words unchanged. It was an unusual move for Queen to alter even a single word of a classic song written by Mercury more than 40 years ago.
"But I think this is the type of event that warranted such a change. And it really, because it's such a well-known title, changing that one word makes a huge impact," Lambert told Reuters from his home in Los Angeles.
The lyrics still stand as the ideal anthem for the fight against coronavirus, he added: "It's really a song about overcoming obstacles. It's a song about, you know, defying the odds. And I think that's what we're doing right now."
Taylor's wife filmed him adding drums from his home in the English county of Cornwall. He listened to May's track on headphones and played along while watching on a computer.
"It was quite tricky because Brian was just playing without a metronome or anything," Taylor confided to Reuters.
The musicians and Mercury's estate are donating their proceeds to a World Health Organization fund for health workers. The music video shows footage of frontline workers around the world, including Taylor's daughter, Dr Rory Taylor, a family doctor in West London.
"People feel it in themselves," May said of Mercury's song. "They feel this challenge. They want to be the best. They want to win. And the song just has it. So it's become a wonderful way of expressing triumph and determination in the face of something very difficult."
The band was meant to be on the road now but had to postpone a 27-date UK and European tour. May said it was "heartbreaking" to call off shows after fans bought 400,000 tickets, and the band hopes to reschedule for next year.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-05-01--N. Korea's state news agency KCNA claims premier Kim Jong-un made a public appearance

( FILE PHOTO ) North Korean leader Kim Jong Un speaks as he takes part in a meeting of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Workers ' Party of Korea ( WPK ) in this image released by North Korea 's Korean Central News Agency ( KCNA ) on April 11 , 2020 .
North Korean state media published pictures Saturday of leader Kim Jong Un making his first public appearance in nearly three weeks , following intense speculation that he was seriously ill or possibly dead .
The images from the Rodong Sinmun newspaper showed Kim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Friday in Sunchon , near the capital Pyongyang , along with other senior officials including his sister and close adviser Kim Yo Jong .
Reuters could not independently verify the KCNA report .
KCNA reported that Kim cut a ribbon at the ceremony on Friday and those attending the event `` burst into thunderous cheers of 'hurrah ! '
for the Supreme Leader who is commanding the all-people general march for accomplishing the great cause of prosperity . ''
Kim expressed satisfaction about the production system of the fertilizer factory , saying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ progress of the country 's chemical industry and food production , KCNA said .
Kim was accompanied by several senior North Korean officials , including his younger sister Kim Yo Jong , KCNA said .
U.S. President Donald Trump said after the KCNA report that he will have something to say about Kim at the appropriate time .
There has been speculation about Kim 's health after he missed the birth anniversary celebrations of state founder Kim Il Sung on April 15 .
The day is a major holiday in North Korea and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the mausoleum where his grandfather lies in state .
Earlier , a source familiar with U.S. intelligence analyses and reporting said that U.S. agencies believed that Kim Jong Un is not seriously ill and that he still very much remains in power .
`` We think he 's still in charge , '' the source said on condition of anonymity .
The source could not immediately confirm the KCNA report .
The White House and State Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment .

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made his first public appearance in 20 days as he celebrated the completion of a fertilizer factory near Pyongyang, state media said Saturday, ending an absence that had triggered global rumors that he may be seriously ill.
In a photo purporting to be of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, the premier attends the completion of a fertiliser plant, together with his younger sister Kim Yo Jong, north of the capital, Pyongyang, on May 2, 2020.
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The North’s official Korean Central News Agency reported that Kim attended the ceremony Friday in Sunchon with other senior officials, including his sister Kim Yo Jong, who many analysts predict would take over if her brother is suddenly unable to rule.
State media showed videos and photos of Kim wearing a black Mao suit and constantly smiling, walking around facilities, applauding, cutting a huge red ribbon with a scissor handed by his sister, and smoking inside and outside of buildings while talking with other officials.
Seemingly thousands of workers, many of them masked, stood in lines at the massive complex, roaring in celebration and releasing balloons into the air. A sign installed on a stage where Kim sat with other senior officials read: “Sunchon Phosphatic Fertilizer Factory; Completion Ceremony; May 1, 2020.”
There were no clear signs that Kim was in discomfort. He was shown moving without a walking stick, like the one he used in 2014 when he was recovering from a presumed ankle surgery. However, he was also seen riding a green electric cart, which appeared similar to a vehicle he used in 2014.
It was Kim’s first public appearance since April 11, when he presided over a ruling Workers’ Party meeting to discuss the coronavirus and reappoint his sister as an alternate member of the powerful decision-making Political Bureau of the party’s Central Committee. That move confirmed her substantial role in the government.
Speculation about his health swirled after he missed the April 15 birthday celebration for his late grandfather Kim Il Sung, the country’s most important holiday, for the first time since taking power in 2011.
The possibility of high-level instability raised troubling questions about the future of the secretive, nuclear-armed state that has been steadily building an arsenal meant to threaten the U.S. mainland while diplomacy between Kim and President Donald Trump has stalled.
Some experts say South Korea, as well as its regional neighbors and ally Washington, must begin preparing for the possible chaos that could come if Kim is sidelined by health problems or even dies. Worst-case scenarios include North Korean refugees flooding South Korea or China or military hard-liners letting loose nuclear weapons.
“The world is largely unprepared for instability in North Korea,” said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul. “Washington, Seoul and Tokyo need tighter coordination on contingency plans while international organizations need more resources and less controversy over the role of China.”
South Korea’s Unification Ministry, which deals with inter-Korean affairs, confirmed Kim’s visit to the fertilizer factory and said it was part of his efforts to emphasize economic development. The ministry called for discretion on information related to North Korea, saying that the “groundless” rumors of past weeks have caused “unnecessary confusion and cost” for South Korea’s society and financial markets.
South Korea’s government, which has a mixed record of tracking Pyongyang’s ruling elite, repeatedly downplayed speculation that Kim, believed to be 36, was in poor health following surgery.
The office of President Moon Jae-in said it detected no unusual signs in North Korea or any emergency reaction by its ruling party, military and cabinet. Seoul said it believed Kim was still managing state affairs but staying at an unspecified location outside Pyongyang.
The KCNA said workers at the fertilizer factory broke into “thunderous cheers” for Kim, who it said is guiding the nation in a struggle to build a self-reliant economy in the face of “head wind” by “hostile forces.”
The report didn’t mention any direct comment toward Washington or Seoul.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump declined to comment about Kim’s reappearance but said he would “have something to say about it at the appropriate time.”
Unhealthy habits
State media reported Kim was carrying out routine activities outside public view, such as sending greetings to the leaders of Syria, Cuba and South Africa and expressing gratitude to workers building tourist facilities in the coastal town of Wonsan, where some speculated he was staying.
It wasn’t immediately clear what caused Kim’s absence in past weeks. In 2014, Kim vanished from the public eye for nearly six weeks and then reappeared with a cane. South Korea’s spy agency said he had a cyst removed from his ankle.
Analysts say his health could become an increasing factor in years ahead: he’s overweight, smokes and drinks, and has a family history of heart issues.
If he’s suddenly unable to rule, some analysts said his sister would be installed as leader to continue Pyongyang’s heredity dynasty that began after World War II.
But others question whether core members of North Korea’s elite, mostly men in their 60s or 70s, would find it hard to accept a young and untested female leader who lacks military credentials. Some predict a collective leadership or violent power struggles.
Following an unusually provocative run in missile and nuclear tests in 2017, Kim used the Winter Olympics in South Korea to initiate negotiations with Washington and Seoul in 2018. That led to a surprising series of summits, including three between Kim and Trump.
But negotiations have faltered in past months over disagreements in exchanging sanctions relief and disarmament steps, which raised doubts about whether Kim would ever fully deal away an arsenal he likely sees as his strongest guarantee of survival.
Kim entered 2020 vowing to build up his nuclear stockpile and defeat sanctions through economic “self-reliance.” Some experts say the North’s self-imposed lockdown amid the coronavirus crisis could potentially hamper his ability to mobilize people for labor.
(AP)
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france24--2020-05-01--Can the unmasking of China’s Covid-19 ‘mask diplomacy’ stem Beijing’s global power grab?

The Covid-19 outbreak found China uniquely positioned for a global soft power grab with its “ mask diplomacy ” supply of medical equipment .
But then a drip of anti-Beijing headlines followed by an aggressive diplomatic onslaught unravelled the gains .
The race for world power dominance is now up for grabs .
On April 14 , French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian summoned China ’ s ambassador , Lu Shaye , over a coronavirus fake news article on the Chinese embassy website .
And a few Asia experts in Canada could barely contain their glee .
Canadians had experienced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ diplomacy – or lack thereof – while he was Beijing ’ s envoy in Canada and gained national notoriety for accusing Ottawa of “ white supremacy ” for calling for the release of two Canadian nationals arrested in China during the Huawei scandal last year .
In his new post as China ’ s ambassador to France , Lu was at it again .
In the controversial embassy “ article ” , an anonymous Chinese diplomat claimed French care workers had abandoned the elderly to die in nursing homes .
It also accused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus , head of the World Health Organization ( WHO ) .
Both the allegations were false .
So when Le Drian summoned Lu , Canadian experts on Twitter were keenly monitoring the developments in Paris .
“ As Canadians , we both miss and don ’ t miss Lu Shaye , China ’ s rude and highly undiplomatic envoy to Ottawa before he was dispatched to Paris .
For us , he epitomized everything that ’ s wrong with the CCP , ” said J. Michale Cole from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Communist Party .
The French dressing down had been weeks in the making .
“ The embassy in Paris had been putting out these kind of communiqués , articles , quotes which were terrible , the classic propaganda of lies and insults required by [ Chinese President ] Xi Jinping ’ s diplomats in 'fighting spirit ' , ” said Dorian Malovic , Asia editor of French daily , La Croix , and author of several books on China .
“ These were , of course , on Twitter accounts , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in China , what is forbidden inside China is used outside to counter criticism of Beijing ’ s handling of the Covid-19 outbreak , ” said Dorian Malovic , Asia editor of French daily , La Croix , and author of several books on China .
But the French foreign ministry summons did little to halt Beijing ’ s diplomatic offensive .
A week later , the German interior ministry said Chinese diplomats had approached German officials to encourage them to make positive statements on Beijing ’ s handling of the coronavirus crisis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ positive messages on state-controlled social media has worked inside China .
But Beijing has been unable to control the international narrative amid mounting demands for an independent international investigation into the origins of the virus and questions over China ’ s handling of the outbreak .
The tide of opinion changed just as China ’ s “ mask diplomacy ” – sending planeloads of medical supplies to hard-hit countries like Italy and France – was taking off .
“ China thought it was coming out on top from the crisis by sending planes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Beijing thought it could reap the benefits from being the only power with the capability for this .
It ’ s a very weird thing that it has instead provoked a backlash , ” said Pierre Haski , a veteran French journalist and longtime former Beijing correspondent and editor of the book , “ The Diary of Ma Yan ” .
The daily drip of bad press for China from across the world is turning into a flood .
In the US , the Republican and Democratic presidential candidates are battling over who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the Trump campaign running “ Beijing Biden ” ads as Joe Biden ’ s team responds with , “ Trump rolled over for the Chinese ” ripostes .
Trump meanwhile has insisted he has seen evidence that Covid-19 originated in a lab in Wuhan , but he has offered no details and US intelligence agencies have not backed up his claim .
Outside the Beltway , headlines on substandard Chinese medical goods are pouring in from Japan , Finland , Germany , Belgium , Spain , Canada and India , to name @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to these complaints – particularly from East and South Asian countries – has been harsh , accusing India ’ s top medical body , for instance , of being “ irresponsible ” for advising against the use of “ faulty ” testing kits exported from China .
When Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison called for an international investigation into the outbreak , Beijing ’ s excoriating ripostes included a Communist Party tabloid comparing Australia to “ chewing gum stuck on the sole of China ’ s shoes ” .
Perhaps the most surprising @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a continent Beijing has used as a petri dish to test its global soft-power grab .
In a rare diplomatic dust-up , the governments of several African countries – including Nigeria , Ghana , Kenya and Uganda – summoned Chinese ambassadors last month to receive formal protests over the racist treatment of their nationals in China .
Media reports have also focused on Beijing ’ s silence on any Africa debt relief , following the Covid-19 rescue measures announced by the International Monetary Fund ( IMF ) and World Bank .
As the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ power , China is at a pivotal point with its economic might – including market size and manufacturing base – squared off against the power of public opinion .
Cornered by international criticisms on several fronts , Beijing ’ s “ offense is the best form of defence ” response has taken aim at the democratic system of government by highlighting the inefficient responses of elected leaders scrambling to cope with the crisis .
Europe – with its internal divisions and precarious go-between position of trying to negotiate US might amid the competition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as the soft underbelly for this attack .
Beijing ’ s diplomatic campaign has been particularly brazen in France and it has continued despite Le Drian ’ s summoning of the Chinese ambassador .
Another article ( in French ) posted on the Chinese embassy website on April 26 , for instance , offers explanations for “ Why the Covid-19 outbreak is so politicised ” .
They include an ineffective European response to the crisis , which it claims has led “ some Westerners ... to distrust liberal democracy .
In the response @ @ @ @ @ @ @ characteristics has demonstrated its ability to concentrate resources in the service of great achievements.
” In the US , where the stakes are high and the Trump administration ’ s erratic policies are a diplomatic minefield , China ’ s ambassador in Washington , Cui Tiankai , an old-school Beijing diplomat , has adopted a careful , measured line .
The onus has therefore fallen on Europe ’ s leaders to respond to the Chinese PR and disinformation campaign .
The question now is whether they are willing to rise up to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the Covid-19 outbreak , on the one hand , and domestic business interests eyeing China ’ s resources during an economic recession .
Aware of these stakes in the post-coronavirus era , Beijing is relying on its new breed of ferocious diplomats , dubbed “ wolf warriors ” after a 3-D blockbuster starring a muscle-bound Chinese commando who saves his people by killing American baddies in Africa and Southeast Asia with his bare hands .
China ’ s “ wolf warrior ” diplomats emerged last year after President Xi issued a memo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fighting spirit ” in the war for global influence .
The alpha male of the pack , Zhao Lijian , cut his teeth in Pakistan as deputy chief of mission at the embassy in Islamabad , when he engaged in a war of words with former US national security adviser Susan Rice over China ’ s mass incarceration of Uighur Muslims .
Upon his return to Beijing , Zhao was rewarded with a promotion to foreign ministry spokesman , in which post he has kept up the offensive , including a suggestion that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ biological war strike against China .
The 55-year-old Chinese ambassador to France is another celebrated pack member .
Lu ’ s aggressive track record during his Canadian posting was so well established that in June 2019 , when his appointment as ambassador to France was announced , the Paris-based Reporters Without Borders issued a statement warning the incoming envoy not to “ try to intimidate the media of the country where he is posted ” .
The anti-China backlash following the Covid-19 outbreak has renewed the pressure on China ’ s envoy in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ permanent member of the UN Security Council – to bare his diplomatic claws .
But the strategy , according to some experts , appears to be backfiring .
“ This propaganda narrative is totally counterproductive for Western nations , especially now that the world knows China lied on the virus , ” explained Malovic .
China ’ s myriad problems , from its crackdowns on free speech to the difficulties of doing business in the one-party state , are well known .
But the fallout from the pandemic crisis is sparking a re-examination @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with China on Beijing ’ s unyielding terms .
“ People already knew about China ’ s quality problem .
French businessmen in China privately complain all the time about how difficult it is to do business there .
Now with the faulty , substandard tests , masks and ventilators , it ’ s going downhill for China and it ’ s a big challenge to get back credibility , ” said Malovic .
The pandemic ’ s disruption of supply chains has also forced countries and companies to reexamine China ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Japan , for instance , has earmarked $ 2.2 billion of its economic stimulus package to help its manufacturers shift production out of China .
The decision is a major blow for Beijing as China is Japan ’ s biggest trading partner while Japan ranks third on the list of China ’ s top export destinations .
Trump ’ s trade war with Beijing had already led some international businesses to re-evaluate their dependence on China , with “ companies actively rethinking their supply chain , either convincing their Chinese partners to relocate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or by opting out of sourcing from China altogether ” , noted a recent article in Forbes .
In Europe , the coronavirus crisis may give a boost to voices calling for less dependency on China for security reasons , noted Erik Brattberg , of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace , and Philippe Le Corre , of the Harvard Kennedy School .
“ The European Commission has already issued new guidelines for the implementation of a common EU investment screening framework specifically mentioning the protection of critical European medical assets .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the post 2008 financial crisis , which led to opportunistic Chinese investments in key European infrastructures , ” noted Brattberg and Le Corre writing in The Diplomat .
The pandemic has also cast a spotlight on Chinese breaches of bilateral agreements , which partnering countries have been reluctant to disclose fearing a backlash from Beijing against their investments and nationals in China .
Franco-Chinese cooperation on a maximum security biological laboratory in Wuhan has come under particular scrutiny following US media reports of Washington ’ s concerns , dating back to 2018 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ facility .
While there is no evidence the Covid-19 outbreak emerged from the Wuhan Class 4 pathogens ( P4 ) laboratory , media reports have exposed China ’ s cooperation breaches on the project .
In a recent investigative report , public radio station France Culture detailed how a team of 50 French scientists who were supposed to provide training and expertise at the P4 laboratory for a five-year period starting in 2017 never made it to Wuhan .
This happened two years after French billionaire businessman Alain Mérieux resigned as co-chairman of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In a 2015 interview with Radio France , Mérieux said he quit because the P4 project had turned into “ a very Chinese tool – it belongs to them , even though it was developed with technical assistance from France ” .
The breaches never stopped the project from proceeding , Malovic suggests , due to the lack of unity and competition among Western – particularly European – powers , for investment and partnership projects in China .
“ Every high-level businessman says yes , there are many problems , but if we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it , the Germans will or the Americans will , ” explained Malovic .
“ China is very adept at playing the divisions within the EU , ” he noted .
The bloc is nevertheless aware of the need for unity on China ’ s unfair trade practices .
Last year , in a major departure from Brussels ’ softly-softly position on Beijing , the European Commission called China “ an economic competitor in pursuit of technological leadership and a systemic rival promoting alternative models of governance ” in an EU strategy briefing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ open to Beijing , anger over China ’ s handling of the coronavirus outbreak has been mounting in Italy .
The latest crisis could provide an opportunity for Europe to re-calibrate its China policies .
“ The virus is a big blow to China – they won ’ t easily escape this whatever they do , ” Malovic noted .
But few are willing to bet on a complete geopolitical overhaul just yet .
“ We ’ ll have the answer after the US presidential election , ” said Haski .
“ If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a tough ride .
If it ’ s Biden , the issues won ’ t change , but you may have a more consensual attempt to restore bilateral discussions and that could diffuse the more nationalistic aspects of China ’ s rhetoric.
” The Covid-19 crisis nevertheless has sparked a “ global change of attitude ” to China , according to Haski , which will be marked by “ more suspicion and vigilance to all issues that have been known for years ” .
But European countries such as France will have to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Haski .
“ There is a big Chinese community in France and no one wants to have anti-Asian racism as in the US , ” said Haski , referring to the rise of attacks against Asian Americans following Trump ’ s use of the term “ Chinese virus ” .
France is home to Europe ’ s largest Chinese diaspora – estimated at between 600,000 to 700,000 – and witnessed a surge in anti-Asian racism in March , when the extent of the coronavirus crisis and allegations of a Chinese cover-up started to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Courier Picard , for instance , faced an outcry for its inflammatory headline , `` Alerte jaune '' ( Yellow alert ) , forcing the paper to quickly apologise .
That sparked a campaign by French-Asians ( including members of the significant Vietnamese and Cambodian diasporas ) on social media sites using the hashtag “ JeNeSuisPasVirus ” ( I ’ m not a virus ) .
“ Everybody in government will be very careful about the atmosphere in France .
Everybody wants to avoid a climate of stigmatisation , ” said Haski .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ months to come will be to calibrate a targeted , effective response to the “ wolf warrior ” attacks by Chinese officials while avoiding a backlash against Asian immigrant groups on their soils .

The Covid-19 outbreak found China uniquely positioned for a global soft power grab with its “mask diplomacy” supply of medical equipment. But then a drip of anti-Beijing headlines followed by an aggressive diplomatic onslaught unravelled the gains. The race for world power dominance is now up for grabs.
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On April 14, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian summoned China’s ambassador, Lu Shaye, over a coronavirus fake news article on the Chinese embassy website. And a few Asia experts in Canada could barely contain their glee.
Canadians had experienced the whiplash of Ambassador Lu’s diplomacy – or lack thereof – while he was Beijing’s envoy in Canada and gained national notoriety for accusing Ottawa of “white supremacy” for calling for the release of two Canadian nationals arrested in China during the Huawei scandal last year.
In his new post as China’s ambassador to France, Lu was at it again. In the controversial embassy “article”, an anonymous Chinese diplomat claimed French care workers had abandoned the elderly to die in nursing homes. It also accused French lawmakers of using a racist slur against Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, head of the World Health Organization (WHO). Both the allegations were false.
So when Le Drian summoned Lu, Canadian experts on Twitter were keenly monitoring the developments in Paris.
“As Canadians, we both miss and don’t miss Lu Shaye, China’s rude and highly undiplomatic envoy to Ottawa before he was dispatched to Paris. For us, he epitomized everything that’s wrong with the CCP,” said J. Michale Cole from the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, referring to the Chinese Communist Party.
As Canadians we both miss and don't miss Lu Shaye, #China's rude and highly undiplomatic envoy to Ottawa before he was dispatched to Paris. For us, he epitomized everything that's wrong with the #CCP. And he's at it again, this time in the Ville Lumière. https://t.co/HVkguPNsWh pic.twitter.com/dVJvi4WPFs — J Michael Cole (寇謐將) (@JMichaelCole1) April 15, 2020
The French dressing down had been weeks in the making. “The embassy in Paris had been putting out these kind of communiqués, articles, quotes which were terrible, the classic propaganda of lies and insults required by [Chinese President] Xi Jinping’s diplomats in 'fighting spirit',” said Dorian Malovic, Asia editor of French daily, La Croix, and author of several books on China.
“These were, of course, on Twitter accounts,” he continued. “While Twitter is banned in China, what is forbidden inside China is used outside to counter criticism of Beijing’s handling of the Covid-19 outbreak,” said Dorian Malovic, Asia editor of French daily, La Croix, and author of several books on China.
But the French foreign ministry summons did little to halt Beijing’s diplomatic offensive. A week later, the German interior ministry said Chinese diplomats had approached German officials to encourage them to make positive statements on Beijing’s handling of the coronavirus crisis.
The policy of “encouraging” positive messages on state-controlled social media has worked inside China. But Beijing has been unable to control the international narrative amid mounting demands for an independent international investigation into the origins of the virus and questions over China’s handling of the outbreak.
The tide of opinion changed just as China’s “mask diplomacy” – sending planeloads of medical supplies to hard-hit countries like Italy and France – was taking off.
“China thought it was coming out on top from the crisis by sending planes with face masks and medical equipment. Beijing thought it could reap the benefits from being the only power with the capability for this. It’s a very weird thing that it has instead provoked a backlash,” said Pierre Haski, a veteran French journalist and longtime former Beijing correspondent and editor of the book, “The Diary of Ma Yan”.
The daily drip of bad press for China from across the world is turning into a flood. In the US, the Republican and Democratic presidential candidates are battling over who is “weaker on China”, with the Trump campaign running “Beijing Biden” ads as Joe Biden’s team responds with, “Trump rolled over for the Chinese” ripostes. Trump meanwhile has insisted he has seen evidence that Covid-19 originated in a lab in Wuhan, but he has offered no details and US intelligence agencies have not backed up his claim.
Outside the Beltway, headlines on substandard Chinese medical goods are pouring in from Japan, Finland, Germany, Belgium, Spain, Canada and India, to name a few.
China’s response to these complaints – particularly from East and South Asian countries – has been harsh, accusing India’s top medical body, for instance, of being “irresponsible” for advising against the use of “faulty” testing kits exported from China. When Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison called for an international investigation into the outbreak, Beijing’s excoriating ripostes included a Communist Party tabloid comparing Australia to “chewing gum stuck on the sole of China’s shoes”.
China threatens to stop Australian wine and beef imports in response to Canberra's bipartisan call for an independent inquiry into the origins of and response to #COVID19.
This speaks for itself really. https://t.co/DK5Tx2GHdt — Ashley Townshend (@ashleytownshend) April 27, 2020
Perhaps the most surprising PR defeats have come from Africa, a continent Beijing has used as a petri dish to test its global soft-power grab. In a rare diplomatic dust-up, the governments of several African countries – including Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya and Uganda – summoned Chinese ambassadors last month to receive formal protests over the racist treatment of their nationals in China. Media reports have also focused on Beijing’s silence on any Africa debt relief, following the Covid-19 rescue measures announced by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank.
As the pandemic shifts the tectonic plates of global power, China is at a pivotal point with its economic might – including market size and manufacturing base – squared off against the power of public opinion.
Cornered by international criticisms on several fronts, Beijing’s “offense is the best form of defence” response has taken aim at the democratic system of government by highlighting the inefficient responses of elected leaders scrambling to cope with the crisis.
Europe – with its internal divisions and precarious go-between position of trying to negotiate US might amid the competition for global markets – has been identified as the soft underbelly for this attack.
Beijing’s diplomatic campaign has been particularly brazen in France and it has continued despite Le Drian’s summoning of the Chinese ambassador. Another article (in French) posted on the Chinese embassy website on April 26, for instance, offers explanations for “Why the Covid-19 outbreak is so politicised”. They include an ineffective European response to the crisis, which it claims has led “some Westerners ... to distrust liberal democracy. In the response to the epidemic, socialism with Chinese characteristics has demonstrated its ability to concentrate resources in the service of great achievements.”
In the US, where the stakes are high and the Trump administration’s erratic policies are a diplomatic minefield, China’s ambassador in Washington, Cui Tiankai, an old-school Beijing diplomat, has adopted a careful, measured line. The onus has therefore fallen on Europe’s leaders to respond to the Chinese PR and disinformation campaign. The question now is whether they are willing to rise up to the challenge and balance popular demands for transparency on the Covid-19 outbreak, on the one hand, and domestic business interests eyeing China’s resources during an economic recession.
‘Wolf warrior’ envoys answer President Xi’s call
Aware of these stakes in the post-coronavirus era, Beijing is relying on its new breed of ferocious diplomats, dubbed “wolf warriors” after a 3-D blockbuster starring a muscle-bound Chinese commando who saves his people by killing American baddies in Africa and Southeast Asia with his bare hands. China’s “wolf warrior” diplomats emerged last year after President Xi issued a memo calling on envoys to show more “fighting spirit” in the war for global influence.
Video screen showing scenes from the movie " Wolf Warrior 2" in Beijing in August 2017. AFP - GREG BAKER
The alpha male of the pack, Zhao Lijian, cut his teeth in Pakistan as deputy chief of mission at the embassy in Islamabad, when he engaged in a war of words with former US national security adviser Susan Rice over China’s mass incarceration of Uighur Muslims.
Upon his return to Beijing, Zhao was rewarded with a promotion to foreign ministry spokesman, in which post he has kept up the offensive, including a suggestion that the Covid-19 epidemic was a US army biological war strike against China.
The 55-year-old Chinese ambassador to France is another celebrated pack member. Lu’s aggressive track record during his Canadian posting was so well established that in June 2019, when his appointment as ambassador to France was announced, the Paris-based Reporters Without Borders issued a statement warning the incoming envoy not to “try to intimidate the media of the country where he is posted”.
Businesses rethinking supply dependence
The anti-China backlash following the Covid-19 outbreak has renewed the pressure on China’s envoy in France – the EU’s only permanent member of the UN Security Council – to bare his diplomatic claws.
But the strategy, according to some experts, appears to be backfiring.
“This propaganda narrative is totally counterproductive for Western nations, especially now that the world knows China lied on the virus,” explained Malovic.
China’s myriad problems, from its crackdowns on free speech to the difficulties of doing business in the one-party state, are well known. But the fallout from the pandemic crisis is sparking a re-examination of the pros and cons of engaging with China on Beijing’s unyielding terms.
“People already knew about China’s quality problem. French businessmen in China privately complain all the time about how difficult it is to do business there. Now with the faulty, substandard tests, masks and ventilators, it’s going downhill for China and it’s a big challenge to get back credibility,” said Malovic.
The pandemic’s disruption of supply chains has also forced countries and companies to reexamine China’s competitive advantage as a manufacturing hub.
Japan, for instance, has earmarked $2.2 billion of its economic stimulus package to help its manufacturers shift production out of China. The decision is a major blow for Beijing as China is Japan’s biggest trading partner while Japan ranks third on the list of China’s top export destinations.
Trump’s trade war with Beijing had already led some international businesses to re-evaluate their dependence on China, with “companies actively rethinking their supply chain, either convincing their Chinese partners to relocate to southeast Asia to avoid tariffs, or by opting out of sourcing from China altogether”, noted a recent article in Forbes.
In Europe, the coronavirus crisis may give a boost to voices calling for less dependency on China for security reasons, noted Erik Brattberg, of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and Philippe Le Corre, of the Harvard Kennedy School. “The European Commission has already issued new guidelines for the implementation of a common EU investment screening framework specifically mentioning the protection of critical European medical assets. The EU is also wary of a repeat of the post 2008 financial crisis, which led to opportunistic Chinese investments in key European infrastructures,” noted Brattberg and Le Corre writing in The Diplomat.
Wuhan lab, a ‘Chinese tool’
The pandemic has also cast a spotlight on Chinese breaches of bilateral agreements, which partnering countries have been reluctant to disclose fearing a backlash from Beijing against their investments and nationals in China.
Franco-Chinese cooperation on a maximum security biological laboratory in Wuhan has come under particular scrutiny following US media reports of Washington’s concerns, dating back to 2018, of inadequate security measures at the facility.
While there is no evidence the Covid-19 outbreak emerged from the Wuhan Class 4 pathogens (P4) laboratory, media reports have exposed China’s cooperation breaches on the project. In a recent investigative report, public radio station France Culture detailed how a team of 50 French scientists who were supposed to provide training and expertise at the P4 laboratory for a five-year period starting in 2017 never made it to Wuhan.
This happened two years after French billionaire businessman Alain Mérieux resigned as co-chairman of a joint commission supervising the project. In a 2015 interview with Radio France, Mérieux said he quit because the P4 project had turned into “a very Chinese tool – it belongs to them, even though it was developed with technical assistance from France”.
Beijing playing EU divisions
The breaches never stopped the project from proceeding, Malovic suggests, due to the lack of unity and competition among Western – particularly European – powers, for investment and partnership projects in China. “Every high-level businessman says yes, there are many problems, but if we don’t do it or sell it, the Germans will or the Americans will,” explained Malovic.
“China is very adept at playing the divisions within the EU,” he noted.
The bloc is nevertheless aware of the need for unity on China’s unfair trade practices. Last year, in a major departure from Brussels’ softly-softly position on Beijing, the European Commission called China “an economic competitor in pursuit of technological leadership and a systemic rival promoting alternative models of governance” in an EU strategy briefing.
While Rome has traditionally been more open to Beijing, anger over China’s handling of the coronavirus outbreak has been mounting in Italy. The latest crisis could provide an opportunity for Europe to re-calibrate its China policies. “The virus is a big blow to China – they won’t easily escape this whatever they do,” Malovic noted.
But few are willing to bet on a complete geopolitical overhaul just yet. “We’ll have the answer after the US presidential election,” said Haski. “If Trump wins, China is in for a tough ride. If it’s Biden, the issues won’t change, but you may have a more consensual attempt to restore bilateral discussions and that could diffuse the more nationalistic aspects of China’s rhetoric.”
The Covid-19 crisis nevertheless has sparked a “global change of attitude” to China, according to Haski, which will be marked by “more suspicion and vigilance to all issues that have been known for years”.
Avoiding anti-Asian racism
But European countries such as France will have to be careful about their messaging, noted Haski. “There is a big Chinese community in France and no one wants to have anti-Asian racism as in the US,” said Haski, referring to the rise of attacks against Asian Americans following Trump’s use of the term “Chinese virus”.
France is home to Europe’s largest Chinese diaspora – estimated at between 600,000 to 700,000 – and witnessed a surge in anti-Asian racism in March, when the extent of the coronavirus crisis and allegations of a Chinese cover-up started to emerge.
A local newspaper, Le Courier Picard, for instance, faced an outcry for its inflammatory headline, "Alerte jaune" (Yellow alert), forcing the paper to quickly apologise. That sparked a campaign by French-Asians (including members of the significant Vietnamese and Cambodian diasporas) on social media sites using the hashtag “JeNeSuisPasVirus” (I’m not a virus).
“Everybody in government will be very careful about the atmosphere in France. Everybody wants to avoid a climate of stigmatisation,” said Haski.
The challenge for European governments in the months to come will be to calibrate a targeted, effective response to the “wolf warrior” attacks by Chinese officials while avoiding a backlash against Asian immigrant groups on their soils.
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