Beijing may target British companies if 10 Downing Street sanctions China
The British government has been urged to make a "smart choice" and not to burn bridges by continuing to provoke China. Otherwise, it will face severe consequences of souring UK-China ties, officials and observers warned. Before US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's visit to the UK on Monday, UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has been escalating his harsh rhetoric on China, announcing that the British government has suspended its extradition treaty with the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).
In the face of escalating tensions not only with the UK but also with the US, retaliation is always the last choice for the Chinese government, some observers said. However, if the UK, as part of the Five Eyes, upholds such a hostile attitude toward China, Beijing may have no other choice but to strike at British companies like HSBC and Jaguar Land Rover in response to the sanctions imposed by 10 Downing Street, observers noted.
Such a move is seen as "symbolic," as the UK has parroted US' tone in rejection of China's recently passed national security law for Hong Kong. The UK's possible move is also dangerous as it is very likely to further undermine China-UK relations, particularly after the Huawei ban, which is widely believed to be a disastrous decision of taking China - the UK's most important business partner - as its enemy.
Tianjin: No new Covid-19 case reported
Nurses wearing face masks pose for pictures during an event
There was no new Covid-19 case reported in Tianjin as of 20 of June. So far, 61 imported cases patients have been discharged upon recovery, 5 patient still hospitalized. -No imported suspected cases are undergoing test.-No new locally transmitted cases or suspected cases were reported.-5 asymptomatic infection cases are undergoing medical observation right now 天津无新增 7月19日18时至20日18时，我市无新增报告境外输入新冠肺炎确诊病例。累计报告境外输入确诊病例66例（中国籍61例、美国籍3例、法国籍1例、菲律宾籍1例），治愈出院61例，在院5例（均为普通型）。 7月19日18时至20日18时，我市无新增报告本地新冠肺炎确诊病例。累计报告本地新冠肺炎确诊病例137例，其中男性74例，女性63例；治愈出院134例，死亡3例。 我市无新增无症状感染者。累计33例（境外输入32例），其中解除医学观察25例、尚在医学观察5例、转为确诊病例3例。 第29例无症状感染者（境外输入）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。 截至目前，全市无现存疑似病例，累计排查密切接触者5034人，尚有324人正在接受医学观察。
Daily new coronavirus cases in US surpass China’s total
Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) arrive with a correctional patient at North Shore Medical Center where the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients are treated, in Miami, Florida, July 14, 2020. The US passed a terrible milestone Sunday with 80,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases in one day, exceeding the total number of cases in all of China, as Chinese experts predict the peak has yet to be reached. According to the data by the Coronavirus Resource Center of Johns Hopkins University, a further 84,033 cases were confirmed in the US from Saturday 05:33 pm to Sunday 06:34 pm, which exceeded the accumulated confirmed cases reported in China so far.
Liang Manchun, an associate research fellow at the Institute for Public Safety Research of Tsinghua University, said that he had not expected the number of daily cases to reach 80,000 until the end of July. The rapid increase in new cases was mainly due to the failure of anti-pandemic work and the early reopening of establishments and widespread protests, Liang noted. The number of new cases could hit 90,000 a day in a week or two, Liang said.
If the US government took epidemic prevention and control seriously and the public were to pay attention to self-protection, the country could flatten the curve of infection within three to four months, Liang said. Despite the startling increase in the coronavirus cases, the Trump administration is trying to block billions of dollars for states to conduct testing and contact tracing in the upcoming coronavirus relief bill. Liang believes it could take the US more than a year to contain the coronavirus, but the situation may change if a vaccine is developed, or there’s a leadership change in Washington or nationwide protests continue to abate. 2020 LATEST EDITIONS