China to increase international flights amid rising demand

China's top civil aviation regulator said on Wednesday that it would increase the number of flights from certain countries that meet specific anti-viral requirements and related criteria, as the demand for business and other travel back to China is skyrocketing due to an accelerating pace of work resumption following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Foreign businesses from the US to Europe that operate in the Chinese market are seeking to open more channels such as chartered flights for their employees to return to China, some are even actively pushing for establishing what's known as a "green channel" (fast lane) between China and their home countries, several companies and business groups told the Global Times.

The eagerness and urgency among foreign businesses to bring back their employees and fully resume their operations in China also encapsulate the importance of the Chinese market for US and European businesses highlighting China's fast recovery from the pandemic, even as some Western politicians have been trying to use the global public health crisis to isolate China and smear China's efforts, Chinese experts noted.   

More international flights

Following a major adjustment to the country's pandemic regulations on international flights that paved way for more services, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) said on Wednesday that it has been in talks with "relevant countries" regarding increasing the number of flights and such talks could yield positive results soon.

"Judging from the progress of [the talks], it is hopeful that the number of flights between relevant countries could increase to an appropriate degree," XiongJie, a spokesperson for the CAAC, told a press briefing.

However, Xiong stressed that strict anti-viral efforts are a prerequisite for any resumption of flights, while pointing to four specific previously announced criterion for countries that could resume more flights to and from China. Qualified countries are those that have exported less COVID-19 cases to China, have close economic ties with China, have effective anti-viral capabilities to reduce risks, have an urgency for work resumption and  have already established "green channels" for business travel with China. 

Under the rules, South Korea and Singapore, which already have "green channels" with China could see more flights in and out of the country, analysts said. Other countries such as the US, Japan and some in Southeast Asia and Europe could also see more flights, chartered or otherwise, some insiders say, though some say increasing flights between China and the US could be challenging due to the deteriorating bilateral relationship.

Still, reading between the lines, it is clear that flights between China and the US will be increased, Zheng Hongfeng, CEO of information provider VariFlight, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

Many foreign businesses are seeking all kinds of ways to bring their employees back to China, including appealing to officials back home and in China. Some business groups are also pushing for more "green channels" with China.

In addition to chartered flights, more foreign nationals are also returning to China through normal commercial flights, though the procedures are not so straight forward as employers in China need to obtain invitation letters from local governments for their foreign employees to apply for the required special visa from Chinese embassies overseas.

TIANJIN: 1 asymptomatic infection case developed into confirmed case

Health care workers at the Wuhan Red Cross Hospital

As of June 10th, 18:00, one asymptomatic infection case has been developed into confirmed imported case in the city. So far, of all the 59 imported cases, 56 have been discharged upon recovery and 3 are still hospitalized.

The 59th imported case was developed by the 20th asymptomatic infection case. The patient is a 24-year-old student  who took a flight from New York, US and arrived at Tianjin Binhai International Airport on June 8. 

No imported suspected cases are undergoing test. No new locally transmitted cases or suspected cases were reported.

11 asymptomatic infection cases are undergoing medical observation right now, the health commission said.

天津 | 新增1例境外输入确诊病例！治愈出院1人

6月10日6时至18时，我市新增境外输入新冠肺炎确诊病例1例（中国籍，由无症状感染者转为确诊病例），累计报告境外输入确诊病例59例（中国籍55例、美国籍2例、法国籍1例、菲律宾籍1例），治愈出院56例，在院3例（其中轻型2例、普通型1例）。

第59例境外输入确诊病例，男，24岁，中国籍，居住地美国纽约。患者2月1日抵达美国，在美国纽约大学学习，与他人在校外合租住房。患者曾于3月中旬出现发热，最高体温38℃，伴有咳嗽和味觉、嗅觉消失症状，自行服药后体温降到正常，咳嗽及味觉、嗅觉消失症状逐渐好转，患者自认为感冒，未予进一步诊治。回国前两周活动范围在住所和超市。6月2日乘坐航班（UA1871）抵达洛杉矶，7日自洛杉矶乘坐航班（CA988），于8日抵达天津滨海国际机场。入境时体温36.5℃，申报无疾病症状，经海关检疫排查采样后，即转送至天津市南开区维也纳酒店集中隔离医学观察点。9日患者鼻咽拭子核酸检测呈阳性，由120转送至天津医科大学总医院空港医院进一步排查。入院后结合病史、胸部影像结果、核酸检测阳性结果，经市专家组确诊为我市第20例无症状感染者（境外输入），在空港医院施行隔离医学观察。10日患者自诉间断咳嗽，味觉和嗅觉较前下降，结合患者目前临床症状，经市专家组研判，由无症状感染者转为我市境外输入确诊病例，临床分型为轻型，现已转往海河医院。全程实施闭环管理。

经市专家组讨论，第12例无症状感染者符合出院标准，于今日从空港医院出院，转入集中隔离医学观察点。

Pangolin officially removed from TCM list

The latest version of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia for 2020 does not include pangolins, which means the mammals will no longer be used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).

The move came after China upgraded all species of pangolin from second-class to first-class protected animals on Friday considering their rapidly decreasing numbers due to over-hunting and habitat destruction.

Pangolins are believed to be one of the world's most endangered animals and the world's most illegally trafficked mammal, according to TRAFFIC, an international wildlife trade research organization.

Pangolins are not the first animals whose medicinal standards have been outlawed. Rhinoceros horns and tiger bones are also banned from being used in TCMs after China banned the trade of these goods and related products in 1993.

穿山甲不再入药

在最新出版的2020版《中国药典》（一部）中，穿山甲、马兜铃、天仙藤、黄连差距肝丸等四个品种未被继续收载。穿山甲的鳞片在我国古代可以做中药材，使其成了不法分子牟利的工具。而现代西医表示，穿山甲的鳞片只是角质化的皮肤附属物而已，它的成分和人类的指甲毛发没有本质区别。

李时珍曾在其中医著作《本草纲目》中记载：“穿山甲、王不留，妇人服之乳长流。”在中医理论中，穿山甲的鳞片功能之一便是用来给哺乳期的女性丰富乳汁，然而现代医学理论证明，穿山甲鳞片不过是富含角蛋白，与人类指甲、猪蹄甲的成分相似，其功效并没有那么神奇。

中医赋予穿山甲的神奇功效，使得这一动物长期以来遭到大范围捕猎，以致国内穿山甲数量急剧下降，而为了填补中药市场的货源，甚至有人从国外走私穿山甲，取其鳞片用来制药。一方面，这造成了世界范围内穿山甲物种的灾难，有数据显示，自上世纪70年代至今，国内穿山甲种群数量已经下降了90%，距离灭绝只有一步之遥，同时，猖獗的走私导致全球穿山甲种群也已受到严重威胁，如菲律宾、马来穿山甲已被列为极危物种。

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