Fresh travel restrictions in Beijing ahead of New Year holidays

Beijing's COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control faces a major test with sporadic cases re-emerging and the New Year and Spring Festival holidays fast approaching, the Beijing government said on Friday, calling on companies not to arrange business trips outside of the capital and abroad and advising residents not leave the city during the Spring Festival holidays in addition to schools and companies staggering their holidays. 

Beijing encourages residents to stay in the capital during the holidays, and not to visit cities and regions at high or medium risk of COVID-19 infection. Officials at Party and government organs should take the lead in staying in Beijing for the festival and will be subjected for strict review and approval if they need to leave the capital, Chen Bei, deputy secretary-general of the Beijing municipal government, said at Friday's media briefing.

In order to reduce the clustering of people, Beijing will strictly review applications for holding major events, and not organize big gatherings such as sports events or temple fairs, Chen said.

Cinemas, libraries, museums and entertainment venues have to operate at 75% capacity, she said.

On reducing risks during travel, the capital urged operators of airlines, railways and expressways to strictly implement temperature checking and disinfection.

市民留京过年非必要不出京

12月25日，北京市第191场新冠肺炎疫情防控工作新闻发布会召开，新华网记者从发布会获悉，北京市人民政府副秘书长陈蓓发言说，坚持减少人员流动，建议首都市民在京过年，在京单位原则上不安排人员境外京外出差。继续把守进京关口，限制进京人流，控制好节日庆祝活动场次和规模。

China encourages foreign investment in more sectors, focuses on stable and self-controlled industry chains

China is enlarging the scope of investment by foreigners with a revised catalog of industries in which such investment is encouraged, a fresh sign of opening-up and high-quality development resolve.

The National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Commerce on Monday released a revised 2020 catalog of industries in which foreign investment is encouraged.

The new edition, set to be effective on Jan 27, has added 127 items from last year's version for a total of 1,235 items both for nationwide implementation as well as a secondary catalog applicable specifically to central and western regions.

The latest edition also favors foreign investment in advanced manufacturing to enhance resilience in industrial and supply chains and in modern services to boost quality in the sector, the Ministry of Commerce said in a statement on Monday.

According to the NDRC, newly added and revised listings of industries also include 5G, blockchain, maintenance of high-end equipment, online education and online health services.

In Shanghai, the city with the highest number of multinational corporations' regional headquarters on the Chinese mainland, local authorities pledged on the same day to open up a host of financial services and service trade areas as the city seeks higher-quality development.

《鼓励外商投资产业目录（2020年版）》扩大外商投资范围出台多项优惠政策

28日公布的《鼓励外商投资产业目录（2020年版）》，不但扩大了外商投资的范围，还出台了多项优惠政策，总体看，对于我国进一步稳外资会起到重要作用。

国家发展改革委相关负责人介绍，这次出台的优惠政策包括了免征关税、减收企业所得税、优惠土地使用等方面。

在免征关税方面，对于鼓励类外商投资项目，在投资总额内进口自用设备，除《进口不予免税的重大技术装备和产品目录》《外商投资项目不予免税的进口商品目录》外，实行免征关税政策。

在减收企业所得税方面，对于符合条件的西部地区和海南省鼓励类产业的外商投资企业，减按15%征收企业所得税。

在土地使用方面，对于集约用地的鼓励类外商投资工业项目优先供应土地，在确定土地出让底价时可按不低于所在地土地等别相对应全国工业用地出让最低价标准的70%执行。

Another Chinese adenovirus vector COVID-19 vaccine ready for human trials

A medical worker prepares an injection with a dose of COVID-19 vaccine

One more Chinese adenovirus vector vaccine candidate against COVID-19 is ready for human trials at home and abroad, its developers said Monday.

Researchers from Tsinghua University, Tianjin Medical University and Kunming-based Walvax Biotechnology Co., Ltd. have started developing the vaccine since the outbreak of the epidemic. Compared with other candidates, it was produced using chimpanzee blood.

Because there is generally no pre-stored neutralizing antibody against chimpanzee adenovirus in the human body, the vaccine with this virus as the carrier will have the advantages of low adverse reactions, high production capacity and strong immunity after vaccination, said lead researcher Zhang Linqi, from Tsinghua University.

The vaccine makers have completed animal tests and started applying to launch human trials in China and overseas.

"No serious side effects have occurred in animals," said Zhang, adding that the results of the preclinical research support the safety of this vaccine and suggest the potential for further clinical tests.

Staff members work in an inflatable COVID-19 testing lab in Beijing

Zhang noted that phase-3 clinical trials to verify the vaccine efficacy will be performed in pandemic areas abroad. "Like other Chinese COVID-19 vaccines, we are also facing the situation that there are not enough COVID-19 patients in China to participate in phase-3 trials."

An industrialization base of the patented chimpanzee adenovirus vector vaccine was launched Sunday in Beijing's Daxing District. Once the vaccine is proved effective after trials, it will be mass produced in the base.

The manufacturing plants are now under construction, and the vaccine is likely to hit market in mid-2021. The annual production capacity for the COVID-19 vaccine will top 200 million doses, according to a Walvax statement.

China currently has five vaccines entering phase-3 clinical trials including an adenovirus vector vaccine developed by the Academy of Military Sciences and CanSino Biologics Inc., said an official from the National Health Commission earlier in December.

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