Quarantine is lifted, but caution lingers for Wuhan residents
Despite the lifting of restrictions in Wuhan, the original epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak, residents in the central Chinese city remain cautious as they fear infection from asymptomatic patients. Beijing (dpa) – Wang Tianchen, a Wuhan resident and coronavirus survivor, will finally be able to go outside after a gruelling two months spent inside hospitals and isolation facilities. But he has no interest in doing so. "I'll continue to stay at home," Wang tells dpa over t
Beijing Has Defeated Coronavirus. What It Was Like Living In The Locked-Down City For Two Months
Beijing (Forbes) - On Jan. 23, we were preparing for the weeklong Lunar New Year holiday – when businesses across China shut down and everyone travels to be with their families. News about a mysterious form of pneumonia that had originated in the central industrial hub of Wuhan and spread across China was incessant in the days leading up to the holiday. However, the expectation was that the central government would take minimal measures in order to not disrupt holiday-related
Hogging plates: China's diners still want pork despite price rise
Pork prices have doubled in China, but that won’t stop families enjoying the traditional dumplings on Lunar New Year. Beijing, China (Al Jazeera) - On Lunar New Year's eve, families across China will gather for a lavish dinner of foods with symbolic meanings: noodles to bring longevity, fish for good fortune, peaches to ensure fertility, and red fruit such as apples and tangerines for good luck. Reigning supreme, requiring the most labour and sure to bring unmatched comfort a
The Capital of Xinjiang Is Now in Turkey
Ethnic cleansing of Uighurs in China has forced an exodus to Istanbul—and a desperate effort to keep their culture alive. ISTANBUL (Foreign Policy)—On a Sunday morning in April, 9-year-old Nefise Kerim dragged her older sister, Saniya, to a bookstore in Istanbul’s Zeytinburnu neighborhood. The girl’s brown eyes scoured the bookshelves full of colorful tomes depicting an Arabic script. Kerim wanted to come after she had seen an announcement on Facebook that a new magazine for
China prepares giant military parade for October 1 celebrations
Pigeons caged, dogs banned and Internet slowed as China prepares to mark 70 years of Communist rule Beijing, China (Al Jazeera) - Wu Xiaoliang gushes about the tanks and missiles that are set to roll through the streets of central Beijing on October 1 to mark 70 years of Communist rule, in what will be China’s largest-ever military parade and a show of the country's strength. The 32-year-old horticulturist is a fan of a popular military drama on television, The King of Land B
Living in the Unknown
“Fiction movie writers wouldn’t be able to imagine and write about the suffering of the Uighur people.” Habibullah has lost contact with his sister, while Hatice doesn’t know anything about her husband. This is the reality for many Uighurs, China's ethnic Muslim minority, who've fled the country to escape alleged internment and surveillance. Our latest immersive documentary highlights the fears and hopes of Uighur Muslims in Istanbul, Turkey who live free, but in limbo. #Uigh
Organizers say nearly 2 million marched in record Hong Kong protest
Hong Kong (dpa) - Nearly 2 million people took to the streets of Hong Kong to rally against a controversial extradition bill on Sunday, organizers said, in the largest protest since the city returned to Chinese rule in 1997. The figure was announced on Sunday night as thousands of people remained on the streets of Hong Kong, filling major highways and stopping traffic in the government district. Sunday's protest is even larger than a similar one held last weekend when organiz
'Stand together': support surges in China for student accusing JD.com tycoon of rape
Hashtag campaign on social media gathers force after Liu Jingyao sued Richard Liu for sexual assault in US Beijing (The Guardian) - China’s internet users have rallied behind a student who is pursuing a civil case against billionaire retail tycoon Richard Liu, whom she accuses of rape. Twenty-one-year-old University of Minnesota student Liu Jingyao, who has agreed to be named, has accused the JD.com chief executive of getting her drunk at a dinner and later raping her in her
‘Seldom uses front door’: report reveals how China spies on Muslim minority
Authorities use an app to collect personal data on Uighurs as part of a vast surveillance network, Human Rights Watch says Beijing (The Guardian) - Using too much electricity or having acquaintances abroad are among a list of reasons that prompt authorities in China’s western Xinjiang region to investigate Uighurs and other Muslims who might be deemed “untrustworthy” and sent to internment camps, according to a Human Rights Watch report. The report, released on Thursday, anal
Memories of trauma, torture follow Xinjiang camp survivors
China says the internment camps in its Xinjiang region are "vocational training centres" that teach skills to ethnic minority populations. But survivors speak of torture, beatings and abuse inside the camps, which will haunt them long after they got out. Almaty, Kazakhstan (dpa) – Kairat Samarkan examined the dark room. He could hear the breathing of 15 men asleep on mattresses laid on the floor. He was tasked with overseeing his cellmates for the next two hours to make sure
