In Beijing, the vaccinated qualify for buy-one-get-one-free ice cream cones. In northern Gansu province, a county government published a 20-stanza poem extolling the virtues of the jab. In the southern town of Wancheng, officials warned parents that if they refused to get vaccinated, their children’s schooling and future employment and housing were all at risk.

China is deploying a medley of tactics, some tantalizing and some threatening, to achieve mass vaccination on a staggering scale: a goal of 560 million people, or 40% of its population, by the end of June.

China has already proved how effectively it can mobilize against the coronavirus. And other countries have achieved widespread vaccination, albeit in much smaller populations.

But China faces a number of challenges. The country’s near-total control over the coronavirus has left many residents feeling little urgency to get vaccinated. Some are wary of China’s history of vaccine-related scandals, a fear that the lack of transparency around Chinese coronavirus vaccines has done little to assuage. Then there is the sheer size of the population to be inoculated.

To get it done, the government has turned to a familiar tool kit: a sprawling, quickly mobilized bureaucracy and its sometimes heavy-handed approach. This top-down, all-out response helped tame the virus early on, and now the authorities hope to replicate that success with vaccinations.

Already, uptake has skyrocketed. Over the past week, China has administered an average of about 4.8 million doses a day, up from about 1 million a day for much of last month. Experts have said they hope to reach 10 million a day to meet the June goal.

“They say it’s voluntary, but if you don’t get the vaccine, they’ll just keep calling you,” said Annie Chen, a university student in Beijing who received two such entreaties from a school counselor in about a week.

Worried about possible side effects, Chen had not planned to sign up. But after the counselor warned that she could soon face restrictions on access to public places, she relented — in part because she felt bad for him.

“The counselor seemed to think his job was pretty hard, too. He sounded exhausted,” she said.

Public anxiety about the vaccines emerged early. One survey in February, co-authored by the head of China’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention, found that less than half of medical workers in the eastern province of Zhejiang were willing to be vaccinated, many citing fear of side effects. By mid-March, China had administered only about 65 million doses for a population of 1.4 billion.

Even with the recent surge in vaccinations, China still lags far behind dozens of other countries. Though China has approved five homegrown vaccines, it has administered 10 shots for every 100 residents. Britain has administered 56 for every 100; the United States, 50.

Prominent doctors have warned that China’s sluggish pace threatens to undermine the country’s successful containment measures.

“China is at a very critical moment,” Zhong Nanshan, a top respiratory disease expert, said in a recent interview with the Chinese news media. “When other countries have been very well vaccinated, and China still lacks immunity, then that will be very dangerous.”

The warnings have been accompanied by a sweeping propaganda campaign and copious consumerist bait.

On Monday, the Wangfujing shopping district in Beijing was teeming with bargains for the vaccinated. A Lego store offered a free kit to assemble a chick emerging from an egg. A street stall touted a 10% discount on tea. A state-run photo studio even advertised a discount on wedding photos.

The promotion seemed to be working at one vaccination center, where people lined up for two-for-one soft serve at a bright yellow McDonald’s ice cream truck parked outside.

Wang Xuan, an employee inside the truck, described how the advertisement caught the attention of one passerby.

“He went straight inside to get the vaccine and then came out to us to buy ice cream,” Wang said.

Other localities have opted for more stick than carrot (or ice cream).

In Chongqing, a company notice ordered workers between 18 and 59 without underlying health conditions to be vaccinated by the end of April, or be “held accountable,” though it did not elaborate. A government bulletin in the city of Haikou, in Hainan, said companies with less than 85% vaccination rates would be issued a warning and could be suspended for “rectification.”

The city of Ruili, in southwestern China, last week became the first to adopt mandatory vaccination for eligible residents, after a small outbreak there. An official said the city expected to vaccinate the entire population of more than 200,000 people in five days by running vaccination sites 24 hours a day.

Some social media users have complained that the pressure campaigns restrict their right of choice. But Tao Lina, a vaccination expert and former immunologist at the Shanghai Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said it was justifiable to impose somewhat punitive measures in the name of public health.

“At this time, overly emphasizing freedom of choice is not a good idea,” Tao said. “Look at America: They wanted to choose not to wear face masks. That seems like a kind of freedom, but then what happened?”

Governments and companies in other countries have also adopted what some see as coercive measures. The Italian prime minister recently issued a decree requiring vaccinations for health care workers. A waitress in New York City was fired for refusing vaccination. Many countries are considering issuing vaccine passports for entry into public facilities.

Still, even China’s state-owned media has acknowledged that some local officials have been overzealous in their enforcement.

Xinhua, the state news agency, published an opinion piece last week denouncing “one-size-fits-all, simple and crude methods” that it said could engender even more public opposition.

“These harmful developments are in reality the product of a small number of regions and companies that are anxious to complete their vaccination responsibilities,” it said. (The Wancheng government later apologized for its warning about children’s futures.)

It’s unclear how many of the promised restrictions are being enforced. Wu Kunzhou, a community worker in Haikou, the city where businesses were threatened with suspension, said he had marked a few businesses with red posters.

“Company that does not meet vaccination standards,” the posters said.

But there were no accompanying fines, and he said he could not force anyone to get vaccinated.

“The main thing is, there are orders from above,” Wu said.

Some residents have remained staunchly opposed to vaccination, despite the barrage of messaging.

Lu Xianyun, a 51-year-old construction industry employee in Guangzhou, cited a number of revelations in recent years of children in China being injected with faulty vaccines.

“I don’t trust them,” he said of the vaccine manufacturers.

Local officials have also issued conflicting guidance on the safety of vaccination for pregnant women. Some have reassured women trying to conceive that they should sign up, while others have urged those women to delay pregnancy.

Tao said officials had not done enough to instill public confidence in the vaccines. He said that he could think of only one prominent official, Dr. Zhang Wenhong — often compared to China’s Dr. Anthony Fauci — who had been publicly vaccinated. It doesn’t help that Chinese vaccine companies have been slow to share clinical trial data.

“If our country wants to improve public enthusiasm,” Tao said, “it would be best to share videos of leaders, cadres and Communist Party members getting vaccinated.”

In Beijing, the vaccinated qualify for buy-one-get-one-free ice cream cones. In northern Gansu province, a county government published a 20-stanza poem extolling the virtues of the jab.

In Beijing, the vaccinated qualify for buy-one-get-one-free ice cream cones. In northern Gansu province, a county government published a 20-stanza poem extolling the virtues of the jab. In the southern town of Wancheng, officials warned parents that if they refused to get vaccinated, their children’s schooling and future employment and housing were all at risk. China is deploying a medley of tactics, some tantalizing and some threatening, to achieve mass vaccination on a staggering scale: a goal of 560 million people, or 40% of its population, by the end of June. China has already proved how effectively it can mobilize against the coronavirus. And other countries have achieved widespread vaccination, albeit in much smaller populations. But China faces a number of challenges. The country’s near-total control over the coronavirus has left many residents feeling little urgency to get vaccinated. Some are wary of China’s history of vaccine-related scandals, a fear that the lack of transparency around Chinese coronavirus vaccines has done little to assuage. Then there is the sheer size of the population to be inoculated. To get it done, the government has turned to a familiar tool kit: a sprawling, quickly mobilized bureaucracy and its sometimes heavy-handed approach. This top-down, all-out response helped tame the virus early on, and now the authorities hope to replicate that success with vaccinations. Already, uptake has skyrocketed. Over the past week, China has administered an average of about 4.8 million doses a day, up from about 1 million a day for much of last month. Experts have said they hope to reach 10 million a day to meet the June goal. “They say it’s voluntary, but if you don’t get the vaccine, they’ll just keep calling you,” said Annie Chen, a university student in Beijing who received two such entreaties from a school counselor in about a week. Worried about possible side effects, Chen had not planned to sign up. But after the counselor warned that she could soon face restrictions on access to public places, she relented — in part because she felt bad for him. “The counselor seemed to think his job was pretty hard, too. He sounded exhausted,” she said. Public anxiety about the vaccines emerged early. One survey in February, co-authored by the head of China’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention, found that less than half of medical workers in the eastern province of Zhejiang were willing to be vaccinated, many citing fear of side effects. By mid-March, China had administered only about 65 million doses for a population of 1.4 billion. Even with the recent surge in vaccinations, China still lags far behind dozens of other countries. Though China has approved five homegrown vaccines, it has administered 10 shots for every 100 residents. Britain has administered 56 for every 100; the United States, 50. Prominent doctors have warned that China’s sluggish pace threatens to undermine the country’s successful containment measures. “China is at a very critical moment,” Zhong Nanshan, a top respiratory disease expert, said in a recent interview with the Chinese news media. “When other countries have been very well vaccinated, and China still lacks immunity, then that will be very dangerous.” The warnings have been accompanied by a sweeping propaganda campaign and copious consumerist bait. On Monday, the Wangfujing shopping district in Beijing was teeming with bargains for the vaccinated. A Lego store offered a free kit to assemble a chick emerging from an egg. A street stall touted a 10% discount on tea. A state-run photo studio even advertised a discount on wedding photos. The promotion seemed to be working at one vaccination center, where people lined up for two-for-one soft serve at a bright yellow McDonald’s ice cream truck parked outside. Wang Xuan, an employee inside the truck, described how the advertisement caught the attention of one passerby. “He went straight inside to get the vaccine and then came out to us to buy ice cream,” Wang said. Other localities have opted for more stick than carrot (or ice cream). In Chongqing, a company notice ordered workers between 18 and 59 without underlying health conditions to be vaccinated by the end of April, or be “held accountable,” though it did not elaborate. A government bulletin in the city of Haikou, in Hainan, said companies with less than 85% vaccination rates would be issued a warning and could be suspended for “rectification.” The city of Ruili, in southwestern China, last week became the first to adopt mandatory vaccination for eligible residents, after a small outbreak there. An official said the city expected to vaccinate the entire population of more than 200,000 people in five days by running vaccination sites 24 hours a day. Some social media users have complained that the pressure campaigns restrict their right of choice. But Tao Lina, a vaccination expert and former immunologist at the Shanghai Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said it was justifiable to impose somewhat punitive measures in the name of public health. “At this time, overly emphasizing freedom of choice is not a good idea,” Tao said. “Look at America: They wanted to choose not to wear face masks. That seems like a kind of freedom, but then what happened?” Governments and companies in other countries have also adopted what some see as coercive measures. The Italian prime minister recently issued a decree requiring vaccinations for health care workers. A waitress in New York City was fired for refusing vaccination. Many countries are considering issuing vaccine passports for entry into public facilities. Still, even China’s state-owned media has acknowledged that some local officials have been overzealous in their enforcement. Xinhua, the state news agency, published an opinion piece last week denouncing “one-size-fits-all, simple and crude methods” that it said could engender even more public opposition. “These harmful developments are in reality the product of a small number of regions and companies that are anxious to complete their vaccination responsibilities,” it said. (The Wancheng government later apologized for its warning about children’s futures.) It’s unclear how many of the promised restrictions are being enforced. Wu Kunzhou, a community worker in Haikou, the city where businesses were threatened with suspension, said he had marked a few businesses with red posters. “Company that does not meet vaccination standards,” the posters said. But there were no accompanying fines, and he said he could not force anyone to get vaccinated. “The main thing is, there are orders from above,” Wu said. Some residents have remained staunchly opposed to vaccination, despite the barrage of messaging. Lu Xianyun, a 51-year-old construction industry employee in Guangzhou, cited a number of revelations in recent years of children in China being injected with faulty vaccines. “I don’t trust them,” he said of the vaccine manufacturers. Local officials have also issued conflicting guidance on the safety of vaccination for pregnant women. Some have reassured women trying to conceive that they should sign up, while others have urged those women to delay pregnancy. Tao said officials had not done enough to instill public confidence in the vaccines. He said that he could think of only one prominent official, Dr. Zhang Wenhong — often compared to China’s Dr. Anthony Fauci — who had been publicly vaccinated. It doesn’t help that Chinese vaccine companies have been slow to share clinical trial data. “If our country wants to improve public enthusiasm,” Tao said, “it would be best to share videos of leaders, cadres and Communist Party members getting vaccinated.”

How will China vaccinate 560 million people? Start with free ice cream

In a fresh outbreak of Coronavirus, China's Ruili city has reported 16 new cases since Tuesday. The govt in an aggressive step to curb the outbreak aims to vaccinate nearly 300,000 people within 5 days.

Covid outbreak in China's Ruili near Myanmar

China reported more than 100 new COVID-19 cases for the sixth consecutive day, with rising infections in the northeast fuelling concerns of another national wave ahead of a major holiday season.

The National Health Commission said in a statement on Monday that a total of 109 new COVID-19 cases were reported on Jan. 17, unchanged from a day earlier. Of the 93 local infections, 54 were reported in Hebei province that surround Beijing. Northeastern Jilin province reported a record 30 new cases, underscoring the risk of new clusters emerging.

Daily increases still remain a fraction of what the country saw at the height of the outbreak in early 2020, but authorities are implementing an aggressive package of measures including the lockdown of more than 28 million people in order to keep the disease from bringing the country to another painful standstill.

Beijing, which reported two new local infections, will begin requiring travellers from abroad to undergo health monitoring for seven additional days following 21 days of medical observation, the official Xinhua news agency reported on Saturday.

The city of Gongzhuling in Jilin province has also imposed strict new controls over its population, shutting down all but essential stores. It said in a notice that it is "strictly forbidden" for anyone to go out unless they are scheduled to get a COVID-19 test at a designated site.

The outbreak in Jilin is believed to have been caused by an infected salesman travelling to and from the neigbouring province of Heilongjiang, the site of a previous cluster of cases.

The number of new asymptomatic cases, which China does not classify as confirmed cases, fell to 115 from 119 cases a day earlier.

The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in mainland China is 89,336, while the death toll remained unchanged at 4,635. The data excludes cases from Macau and Hong Kong, which are Chinese cities but report new cases independently, and self-ruled Taiwan which China claims as its own.

The World Health Organization (WHO) team currently in China has already begun its investigations into the origins of the global pandemic.

WHO representatives said on Friday that they have begun discussions with their Chinese counterparts via videoconference as they remain in quarantine.

China reported more than 100 new COVID-19 cases for the sixth consecutive day, with rising infections in the northeast fuelling concerns of another national wave ahead of a major holiday season.

China reported more than 100 new COVID-19 cases for the sixth consecutive day, with rising infections in the northeast fuelling concerns of another national wave ahead of a major holiday season. The National Health Commission said in a statement on Monday that a total of 109 new COVID-19 cases were reported on Jan. 17, unchanged from a day earlier. Of the 93 local infections, 54 were reported in Hebei province that surround Beijing. Northeastern Jilin province reported a record 30 new cases, underscoring the risk of new clusters emerging. Daily increases still remain a fraction of what the country saw at the height of the outbreak in early 2020, but authorities are implementing an aggressive package of measures including the lockdown of more than 28 million people in order to keep the disease from bringing the country to another painful standstill. Beijing, which reported two new local infections, will begin requiring travellers from abroad to undergo health monitoring for seven additional days following 21 days of medical observation, the official Xinhua news agency reported on Saturday. The city of Gongzhuling in Jilin province has also imposed strict new controls over its population, shutting down all but essential stores. It said in a notice that it is "strictly forbidden" for anyone to go out unless they are scheduled to get a COVID-19 test at a designated site. The outbreak in Jilin is believed to have been caused by an infected salesman travelling to and from the neigbouring province of Heilongjiang, the site of a previous cluster of cases. The number of new asymptomatic cases, which China does not classify as confirmed cases, fell to 115 from 119 cases a day earlier. The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in mainland China is 89,336, while the death toll remained unchanged at 4,635. The data excludes cases from Macau and Hong Kong, which are Chinese cities but report new cases independently, and self-ruled Taiwan which China claims as its own. The World Health Organization (WHO) team currently in China has already begun its investigations into the origins of the global pandemic. WHO representatives said on Friday that they have begun discussions with their Chinese counterparts via videoconference as they remain in quarantine.

China reports 109 new COVID-19 cases as infections persist in northeast

India has placed an order of 7-8 million PPEs and 1,000 ventilators from China and the Indian mission in China are in touch with Chinese authorities regarding the identification of bonafide suppliers.&nbsp;

Speaking exclusively to WION'sPrincipal diplomatic correspondent Sidhant Sibal, Indian ambassador to China, Vikram Misri said at the height of the outbreak in China, New Delhi "had offered and provided medical assistance" to the country as well. He also spoke about how the mission coordinated the evacuation plan of over 750 Indians and foreigners and how diplomats in the mission are dealing with the crisis.&nbsp;

WION: How can India and China cooperate in dealing with the COVID-19 crisis?

Vikram Misri: In the context of the COVID-19 crisis, there is considerable space for India and China to cooperate in controlling the spread of this pandemic and there are immediate, short-term as well as medium and long term aspects to our cooperation.

When China was at the height of dealing with this outbreak, we had offered and provided medical assistance. Now, India is in the process of commercially procuring a large number of these supplies.&nbsp;

China happens to be one of the largest producers of a number of these products. Thus, in the immediate short-term there is an opportunity for both countries to cooperate in facilitating our procurement of medical equipment and products from China in a stable and orderly manner.

We have been in touch with Chinese authorities regarding the identification of bonafide suppliers. That quality materials are available at reasonable and stable prices and that these are enabled to be transported in an efficient and timely manner to India is a priority.

At the same time, there are a number of Chinese companies whose products have been sold in the past to India and whose products have been licensed for import into India by the concerned Indian regulatory authorities.

However, recent regulations have restricted the number of companies from China that could export to India.

Given the fact that some products are already licensed for import into India, it would be a welcome step for the concerned authorities such as the National Medical Product Authority to expedite the registration of those companies and products that already have a large number of orders in the pipeline from India.

In the medium to longer-term, as both India and China are repositories of large pools of scientific and technological manpower, there is scope for both countries to cooperate on the Research and Development (R&amp;D) aspects of dealing with COVID-19 virus, apart from other public health issues. It would be mutually beneficial to intensify engagements between our biologists, epidemiologists, scientists and relevant national institutes in these fields.

WION: What is the quantum of the medical and protective supplies being procured from China?

Vikram Misri: India and China are cooperating on the procurement of the much needed medical equipment and products by our health care fraternity in India.

These include medical kits and equipment, ventilators, testing kits, PPEs, etc. China happens to be one of the largest producers of a number of these products, and the two governments have been in touch with each other to ensure stable and orderly purchase and procurement of these items.

The embassy has so far placed orders for around 7 to 8 million PPEs and about a 1000 ventilators. More orders are in the pipeline and at various stages of procurement. This is an extremely dynamic process, and it would not be appropriate for me at this time to get into the specifics of all the numbers.

WION: The role played by the Indian mission in Beijing and consulates in various parts of the country from evacuation in February to now?

Vikram Misri: The embassy of India in Beijing and our Consulates-General in Shanghai, Guangzhou and Hong Kong have been playing a role in India’s response to the COVID-19 crisis.

As the outbreak first took place here, our initial concern and attention was focused on the welfare of Indians in China.

We had been closely following the developments here since January, and, on 23 January 2020, set up dedicated 24x7 hotlines and email desks for Indians looking for advice and information on the evolving epidemic situation. Thereafter, as Hubei province went into lockdown, we facilitated the evacuation of over 750 Indian and foreign nationals stranded there and wishing to return home. &nbsp;

Our hotlines continue to be operational. Consular officers also remain directly engaged with members of the community.

I myself recently had an interaction via video conference with representatives of the Indian community from across the country on 17 April 2020.

Our Mission and Consulates continue to remain committed to extending consular services and ensuring the welfare of the Indian community in China during these challenging times.

As the number of cases has increased in India, we have been actively involved in the procurement process for essential medical and protective supplies that India needs to fight the virus, including, as stated earlier, ventilators, testing kits, PPEs, etc.

We are now at the start of what promises to be an extremely intense logistical exercise. As the orders get ready to be shipped, we will have flights taking off on almost a daily basis from Shanghai and Guangzhou. We are engaged with Chinese officials on all aspects of this process, including flight clearances, customs clearances of goods, etc.

WION: How are the Indian diplomats faring. How tough have the past few months been?

Vikram Misri: A critical aspect in all our work has been to ensure that none of our diplomats and staff posted here in Beijing or in the Consulates fall sick.

Speaking for the Mission here in Beijing, I can say that we put in place stringent best practices for preventing infection. These were scrupulously followed by all and I am happy to note that we have been successful in preserving the good health of all of our colleagues so far.

This is an unprecedented situation for most of us and things have been generally tough on the personal and professional front.

But the way I see it, as I am sure most of my colleagues do as well, is that the work that we are doing right now is fundamental to ensuring India’s successful response to the COVID-19 crisis, and this call to duty is not a privilege available to all in the ordinary course of events.

We, therefore, hope to do our best and prove equal to the challenge. 
&nbsp;

India has placed an order of 7-8 million PPEs and 1,000 ventilators from China and the Indian mission in China are in touch with Chinese authorities regarding the identification of bonafide suppliers.

India has placed an order of 7-8 million PPEs and 1,000 ventilators from China and the Indian mission in China are in touch with Chinese authorities regarding the identification of bonafide suppliers. Speaking exclusively to WION'sPrincipal diplomatic correspondent Sidhant Sibal, Indian ambassador to China, Vikram Misri said at the height of the outbreak in China, New Delhi "had offered and provided medical assistance" to the country as well. He also spoke about how the mission coordinated the evacuation plan of over 750 Indians and foreigners and how diplomats in the mission are dealing with the crisis. WION: How can India and China cooperate in dealing with the COVID-19 crisis? Vikram Misri: In the context of the COVID-19 crisis, there is considerable space for India and China to cooperate in controlling the spread of this pandemic and there are immediate, short-term as well as medium and long term aspects to our cooperation. When China was at the height of dealing with this outbreak, we had offered and provided medical assistance. Now, India is in the process of commercially procuring a large number of these supplies. China happens to be one of the largest producers of a number of these products. Thus, in the immediate short-term there is an opportunity for both countries to cooperate in facilitating our procurement of medical equipment and products from China in a stable and orderly manner. We have been in touch with Chinese authorities regarding the identification of bonafide suppliers. That quality materials are available at reasonable and stable prices and that these are enabled to be transported in an efficient and timely manner to India is a priority. At the same time, there are a number of Chinese companies whose products have been sold in the past to India and whose products have been licensed for import into India by the concerned Indian regulatory authorities. However, recent regulations have restricted the number of companies from China that could export to India. Given the fact that some products are already licensed for import into India, it would be a welcome step for the concerned authorities such as the National Medical Product Authority to expedite the registration of those companies and products that already have a large number of orders in the pipeline from India. In the medium to longer-term, as both India and China are repositories of large pools of scientific and technological manpower, there is scope for both countries to cooperate on the Research and Development (R&D) aspects of dealing with COVID-19 virus, apart from other public health issues. It would be mutually beneficial to intensify engagements between our biologists, epidemiologists, scientists and relevant national institutes in these fields. WION: What is the quantum of the medical and protective supplies being procured from China? Vikram Misri: India and China are cooperating on the procurement of the much needed medical equipment and products by our health care fraternity in India. These include medical kits and equipment, ventilators, testing kits, PPEs, etc. China happens to be one of the largest producers of a number of these products, and the two governments have been in touch with each other to ensure stable and orderly purchase and procurement of these items. The embassy has so far placed orders for around 7 to 8 million PPEs and about a 1000 ventilators. More orders are in the pipeline and at various stages of procurement. This is an extremely dynamic process, and it would not be appropriate for me at this time to get into the specifics of all the numbers. WION: The role played by the Indian mission in Beijing and consulates in various parts of the country from evacuation in February to now? Vikram Misri: The embassy of India in Beijing and our Consulates-General in Shanghai, Guangzhou and Hong Kong have been playing a role in India’s response to the COVID-19 crisis. As the outbreak first took place here, our initial concern and attention was focused on the welfare of Indians in China. We had been closely following the developments here since January, and, on 23 January 2020, set up dedicated 24x7 hotlines and email desks for Indians looking for advice and information on the evolving epidemic situation. Thereafter, as Hubei province went into lockdown, we facilitated the evacuation of over 750 Indian and foreign nationals stranded there and wishing to return home. Our hotlines continue to be operational. Consular officers also remain directly engaged with members of the community. I myself recently had an interaction via video conference with representatives of the Indian community from across the country on 17 April 2020. Our Mission and Consulates continue to remain committed to extending consular services and ensuring the welfare of the Indian community in China during these challenging times. As the number of cases has increased in India, we have been actively involved in the procurement process for essential medical and protective supplies that India needs to fight the virus, including, as stated earlier, ventilators, testing kits, PPEs, etc. We are now at the start of what promises to be an extremely intense logistical exercise. As the orders get ready to be shipped, we will have flights taking off on almost a daily basis from Shanghai and Guangzhou. We are engaged with Chinese officials on all aspects of this process, including flight clearances, customs clearances of goods, etc. WION: How are the Indian diplomats faring. How tough have the past few months been? Vikram Misri: A critical aspect in all our work has been to ensure that none of our diplomats and staff posted here in Beijing or in the Consulates fall sick. Speaking for the Mission here in Beijing, I can say that we put in place stringent best practices for preventing infection. These were scrupulously followed by all and I am happy to note that we have been successful in preserving the good health of all of our colleagues so far. This is an unprecedented situation for most of us and things have been generally tough on the personal and professional front. But the way I see it, as I am sure most of my colleagues do as well, is that the work that we are doing right now is fundamental to ensuring India’s successful response to the COVID-19 crisis, and this call to duty is not a privilege available to all in the ordinary course of events. We, therefore, hope to do our best and prove equal to the challenge.

In touch with China for indentification of bonafide suppliers, says Indian envoy to China Vikram Misri

The virus epic center china has reported 21 new confirmed cases of coronavirus and only one is from the worst-hit province of Hubei. The Chinese health authority has also confirmed 13 new deaths.

Coronavirus pandemic over in China?