Traveler from SG sparks latest COVID-19 outbreaks in China despite 2 weeks of quarantine - The Online Citizen Asia

The South China Morning Post reported yesterday (13 Sep) that COVID-19 has broken out in China again and this time it is spreading through the Fujian province of China.

Fujian authorities said that the coronavirus was brought in by a traveller who returned from Singapore on 4 Aug. Gene sequencing showed that the infections were caused by the Delta variant. The traveller had been quarantined in Xiamen for 14 days after arrival and tested negative three times after returning to Putian, a city in eastern Fujian province.

Chinese authorities are moving quickly to suppress the latest COVID-19 outbreak in a bid to prevent the coronavirus from spreading beyond the province of Fujian.

The province reported 22 new cases yesterday, compared with 20 a day earlier. It has found 43 locally transmitted cases since Friday (10 Aug) and put 32 asymptomatic carriers under medical observation.

Fujian authorities have also ordered mass testing for students and teachers in the province to be completed within a week. The city of Xiamen has closed off two districts and a hospital after identifying coronavirus patients. Pupils from a Putian primary school were among the first identified COVID-19 patients in the latest outbreak.

The National Health Commission team sent to Fujian said the coronavirus has been detected in communities, schools and factories in Putian. But it was confident that the outbreak can be contained ahead of the upcoming holiday commemorating the Mid-Autumn festival.

Still, more than 30,000 people are said to have left Putian for other parts of the country between late August to September 10, when the first infections in the latest outbreak were reported.

Already, the city of Quanzhou has found 6 people infected. The city has suspended classes and will continue to test people arriving from Putian. People in Quanzhou and Putian are highly linked in work and life.

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2021-09-14 05:56:27Z
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JJ Lin accused of causing new Covid-19 cases in Fujian - AsiaOne

The city of Putian (in the Fujian province of China) recently saw new Covid-19 cases for two consecutive days (Sept 10 and 11) and the origin of the spread was reported to be a traveller from Singapore, who tested positive on Sept 10.

What made things a little more troublesome was that local reports revealed the partial Chinese name of the traveller and it bears a strong similarity to local singer JJ Lin's Chinese name (Lin Junjie).

This caused some netizens to point the finger at the Mandpop singer.

Seemingly in response, on the night of Sept 10, 40-year-old JJ shared on Weibo and Instagram a welfie taken with some friends. He even geotagged the post to show that he was in Singapore.

[embed]https://www.instagram.com/p/CTo9L0tlO49/[/embed]

The next day, JJ published another photo of himself wearing a mask and wrote: "To achieve the ideal state, one's health is the most important."

[embed]https://www.instagram.com/p/CTrukzslRRm/[/embed]

Now those anxious netizens can put away their tinfoil hats because they've got the wrong guy.

bryanlim@asiaone.com

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2021-09-13 10:50:00Z
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Blinken defends Afghan withdrawal at angry US congressional hearing - CNA

WASHINGTON: Secretary of State Antony Blinken beat back criticism of the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan on Monday (Sep 13), at a contentious congressional hearing where at least one Republican called on him to resign.

In testy exchanges with lawmakers, Blinken defended President Joe Biden's decision to pull out and pushed back on accusations that the State Department might have done more to help Americans and at-risk Afghans to be evacuated, blaming the previous administration for lacking a plan.

He repeatedly noted that Republican former President Donald Trump had negotiated the withdrawal agreement with the Taliban, and said President Joe Biden's administration did not consider renegotiating because of threats from the group to resume killing Americans.

"There's no evidence that staying longer would have made the Afghan security forces or the Afghan government any more resilient or self-sustaining," Blinken said.

"We inherited a deadline. We did not inherit a plan," Blinken said, referring to the Trump administration's agreement to remove all US forces from Afghanistan by May 1.

Members of Congress - Biden's fellow Democrats as well as opposition Republicans - have planned hearings since the Taliban seized control of the country last month after a rapid advance.

Blinken appeared on Monday before the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee and was to testify on Tuesday before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the first Biden administration official to testify publicly to lawmakers since the militant group's takeover.

Fireworks had been expected, given the amount of finger-pointing over how the two-decade-long US presence in the country ended. Republicans offered harsh criticism.

"The American people don't like to lose, especially not to the terrorists. But this is exactly what has happened," said Representative Michael McCaul, the panel's top Republican.

McCaul asked why assets like the Bagram Air Base were not maintained and why the administration had not reached surveillance and counterterrorism agreements with neighbouring countries.

"This is a national security threat as China moves in. For all I know they make take over Bagram," McCaul said.

Blinken said the United States was actively working to identify threats.

MANY QUESTIONS

Members of Congress asked a long list of questions about the rapid collapse of the US-backed Afghan government and the Biden administration's scramble to evacuate 124,000 people, including Americans and at-risk Afghans.

Democrats expressed concern about Americans and at-risk Afghans still in Afghanistan who wish to leave, but backed the withdrawal as necessary, if painful, after two decades.

"I would welcome hearing what exactly a smooth withdrawal from a messy chaotic 20-year war looks like," said Representative Gregory Meeks, the committee's chairman.

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2021-09-13 21:02:00Z
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Dogs of war: Afghan mutts find new home after missing US evacuation - CNA

KABUL: In a makeshift training centre at Kabul airport, dozens of dogs that were left behind during last month's chaotic evacuations from Afghanistan have found a new home - and new handlers.

While it is unclear who the dogs belonged to, many were found in the section of the airport that was used by American forces, and some were trained to sniff out explosives, their new handlers say.

They are among the remnants of the two-decade American intervention which ended with the hurried airlift of more than 120,000 people from Kabul as the Taliban returned to power.

Handler Hewad Azizi, who works for a company handling security at the airport, said he went out looking for abandoned dogs as soon as the last US soldier left.

"When I saw (the soldiers leaving) I went to save the dogs," he told AFP at the training centre, which faces hangars that were used for US planes and military equipment.

He found 30 - half of them in the area that was controlled by US forces. More were found in zones that belonged to former Afghan police.

The dogs are now being fed, cared for and trained by Azizi and his colleagues at the security company's training centre, housed in two converted shipping containers separated by a weed-strewn strip of earth.

The United States pulled its final troops out of Afghanistan on Aug 30, ending America's longest war just ahead of the anniversary of the Sep 11, 2001 attacks that prompted the US-led invasion.

"BOMB DOGS"

Hours after the last soldier left, animal rights group PETA said in a statement that 60 bomb-sniffing dogs and 60 other "working dogs" were left behind by the US forces.

The group appealed to President Joe Biden "to take immediate action", warning that the dogs were "suffering in the heat without adequate access to food or water".

The Pentagon quickly denied that US military personnel abandoned some of their dogs at the airport.

"To correct erroneous reports, the US military did not leave any dogs in cages at Hamid Karzai International Airport, including the reported military working dogs," Pentagon spokesman John Kirby tweeted.

Azizi and his colleagues are not sure about the identity of the previous owners. All they are focusing on now is how to put them back to work when the airport returns to normal.

"We have done training with them to find out what they are used for exactly," he explained, adding that they have realised "they are bomb dogs".

Azizi's favourite dog, Rex, a dark brown Malinois, is one of the recent discoveries.

Every day, he takes Rex for a walk in a small deserted area a few metres away from three old Afghan Air Force planes.

In a small stretch of land littered with bullet cases and empty bags of US military meal rations, he hides a box that smells like explosives and sends Rex to find it.

Seconds later, Rex returns with the box and is given a ball to play with as a reward.

"We train them to see how we can use them," explained Mohamad Mourid, a supervisor at the centre which operates under the umbrella of GAAC, the UAE-based company handling ground and security operations at the airport since last year.

"We feed them, give them water, and clean them."

Soon the dogs will be put to work as the airport, which shut for repairs after the evacuations, gradually reopens.

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2021-09-13 10:01:00Z
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Malaysian govt and Pakatan Harapan ink deal on historic bipartisan cooperation - The Straits Times

KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia's government and main opposition bloc Pakatan Harapan (PH) on Monday (Sept 13) inked a historic bipartisan deal, paving the way for significant reforms that could potentially have a lasting impact on institutions and the political landscape.

Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, accompanied by several members of his administration, inked the deal with PH, led by Parti Keadilan Rakyat president Anwar Ibrahim, at a signing ceremony in Malaysia's Parliament, hours after the Lower House sat for the first time under Datuk Seri Ismail's administration.

Mr Ismail said in a statement that the deal - a memorandum of understanding - covered six main areas. 

Among the key areas of reform is to transform administration, empower Parliament and also to strengthen the independence of the judiciary, Mr Ismail said on Monday. 

The deal also outlines that Parliament will not be dissolved before August next year, meaning Malaysia will not face a general election for at least another year. 

More details regarding the contents of the memorandum are expected to be made public later on Monday. 

"The government is confident that this agreement will not only put aside all political differences, but enables national recovery to be done holistically and with inclusivity," Mr Ismail said.

The government and PH announced that an accord had been reached on Sunday after weeks of negotiations between the two sides. 

Despite Mr Ismail beginning to engage PH leaders days into his premiership and before even forming his Cabinet, the deal was threatened a couple of times as Mr Ismail's administration opted not to pursue a vote of confidence to test his majority in Parliament. 

There were also concerns from the opposition following reports that Najib Razak - the former premier convicted of corruption for the 1MDB financial scandal - will be given an adviser role in Mr Ismail's administration.

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2021-09-13 09:32:59Z
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As West ponders aid for Afghanistan, China and Pakistan quick to provide relief - CNA

ISLAMABAD: As international donors gather in Geneva on Monday (Sep 12) to discuss humanitarian relief for Afghanistan under Taliban rule, neighbours China and Pakistan have already reached out with aid and discussions of future assistance.

The economy in the war-torn country is in crisis and a humanitarian crisis is looming, experts say.

Yet the United States and other Western nations are reluctant to provide the Taliban with funds until the militant movement provides assurances that it will uphold human rights, and in particular the rights of women.

The country's roughly US$10 billion in foreign assets, held overseas, are also frozen.

"The understandable purpose is to deny these funds to the de facto Taliban administration," Deborah Lyons, the UN Secretary General's special representative for Afghanistan, told the UN Security Council this week. 

"The inevitable effect, however, will be a severe economic downturn that could throw many more millions into poverty and hunger, may generate a massive wave of refugees from Afghanistan, and indeed set Afghanistan back for generations."

Another possible effect could be to drive Afghanistan closer to its neighbours and close allies Pakistan and China, who have already sent planeloads of supplies to Afghanistan. They have also signalled they are open to ramped-up engagement.

China announced last week it would send US$31 million worth of food and health supplies to Afghanistan, among the first foreign aid pledges since the Taliban took power last month.

Pakistan last week sent supplies such as cooking oil and medicine to authorities in Kabul, while the country's foreign minister called on the international community to provide assistance without conditions and to unfreeze Afghanistan’s assets.

MINERALS AND MILITANCY

Pakistan has had deep ties with the Taliban and has been accused of supporting the group as it battled the US-backed government in Kabul for 20 years - charges denied by Islamabad.

China, with a strong alliance with Pakistan, has also been engaging with the Taliban. Some analysts said it was enticed by the country's mineral wealth, including large reserves of lithium, a key component for electric vehicles.

China has also expressed concern about militancy that could spill over from Afghanistan across its border, which it wants the Taliban administration to help contain.

Beyond humanitarian aid, some experts and officials in the region say China's huge Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) could provide Afghanistan with long-term economic viability.

One possibility is Afghanistan joining the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a central part of the BRI, under which Beijing has pledged over US$60 billion for infrastructure projects in Pakistan, much of it in the form of loans.

"The Taliban would welcome joining CPEC, China would also be very happy," said Rustam Shah Mohmand, Pakistan's former ambassador to Afghanistan.

China has not made any comment on the BRI but Foreign Minister Wang Yi has said Beijing is ready to actively discuss the resumption of China-Afghanistan freight trains and facilitate Afghanistan's interaction with the outside world, especially its access to humanitarian supplies.

Pakistan's foreign office and a Taliban spokesperson did not immediately respond to request for comment.

TALIBAN, CHINA TALK: REPORT

Taliban leaders in recent weeks have said they want good relations with China.

A senior Taliban source said discussions have taken place with China in Doha about possible investment opportunities. China is interested in mining in particular but any activity in the sector will be open to tender, the source said.

"The Taliban welcomes foreign investment that will benefit the country," he said.

Two sources in Afghanistan and Pakistan familiar with the matter said China had been proactively encouraging Afghanistan to join CPEC for years but had been met with a non-committal response from the previous US-backed government.

The Taliban, with a need for economic stimulus and international recognition, seems more keen.

"The best way forward and the immediately available alternative option for Afghanistan's economic development is CPEC, which includes Pakistan and China," said Mushahid Hussain Sayed, a Pakistani senator and former chairman of the China-Pakistan Institute.

"The new administration in Kabul would also be receptive to this and they are keen on it."

For China, though, which already has mining interests in Afghanistan that have struggled to get off the ground, any further investment would come with risks attached, given the uncertain security situation in the country.

"Absolutely the security and stability of Afghanistan is also of importance to China," said Wang Huiyao, president of the Centre for China and Globalisation, a think-tank.

"But also links to Central Asia and the connectivity through the Belt and Road, it's all related for the regional stability and prosperity ...There's a stake there for China."

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2021-09-12 20:40:58Z
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Malaysian govt and opposition reach deal on confidence-and-supply agreement - The Straits Times

KUALA LUMPUR - Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob and Malaysia's main opposition coalition on Sunday (Sept 12) announced a breakthrough in talks for a confidence-and-supply agreement (CSA), saying that a "memorandum of understanding" will be inked when Parliament reopens for the year on Monday.

An accord has been up in the air since it was first broached at a meeting between Pakatan Harapan (PH) chiefs and Mr Ismail on Aug 25, just days after he was sworn into office with a slim majority in Parliament.

The Prime Minister, who is an Umno vice-president, can count on the support of just 114 members of the 222-seat Parliament, where two seats are currently vacant.

His support base is a mirror of that for the previous Perikatan Nasional government led by Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

Mr Muhyiddin's government fell after some Umno MPs withdrew their support for him. They backed Mr Ismail, who was the previous deputy prime minister, as his successor, giving him the same slim majority Mr Muhyiddin had in Parliament.

"With this understanding, focus and priority will be given by both sides to a new political landscape through transformation initiatives and reforms to governance, especially empowering Parliament," said a joint statement on Sunday between a ministerial committee and PH representatives.

Official sources told The Straits Times that the deal will see PH's 89 MPs "abstain or support supply Bills and motions whose failure will be understood as a loss of confidence" for the government.

"For example, if we are genuinely consulted on next year's budget, then there will be support, otherwise, it will just be abstention," a top PH leader said, on condition of anonymity as details are under wraps until the 5pm signing on Monday.

On Friday, Mr Ismail announced that the government would offer a number of reforms, including enacting anti-party hopping laws, lowering the voting age to 18, limiting the term of a premier to a decade and ensuring Bills will be negotiated and jointly agreed on before being tabled in Parliament.

Since the initial meeting a fortnight ago, PH lawmakers had been reluctant to term the deal with the government an "agreement", with various other terminology being considered to avoid the perception of the opposition giving a prime minister from a long-hated foe, Umno, a free pass.

But political scientist Wong Chin Huat told ST that "as long as it is a deal between the government and opposition that guarantees the government's survival on votes on confidence or the budget et cetera, it is a CSA, even if it's called a love letter".

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2021-09-12 15:37:14Z
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