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Manyika Kangai
China wants intensified testing of US athletes
The China Anti-Doping Agency (CHINADA) has urged the International Testing Agency (ITA) to intensify testing of US track and field athletes after American sprinter Erriyon Knighton tested positive for the banned substance trenbolone and was unilaterally exonerated by the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA).
CHINADA accused the USADA of double standards, saying its US. counterpart had been “trying its best” to clear US athletes while accusing CHINADA and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) of cover-ups.
China’s foreign trade
China’s foreign trade hit a new high in the first seven months of this year, according to official data released by the General Administration of Customs (GAC). The goods trade volume expanded 6.2 percent year-on-year in yuan terms in the first seven months. Exports rose 6.7 percent year-on-year, while imports climbed 5.4 percent.
In US dollar terms, the country’s foreign trade in goods stood at 3.5 trillion dollars from January to July. Exports reached 2.01 trillion dollars, while imports hit 1.49 trillion dollars. Trade surplus expanded by 7.9 percent year-on-year to 518 billion dollars during the seven-month period.
China’s latest NEV sales
Sales of China’s new energy passenger vehicles registered robust expansion in July, according to the China Passenger Car Association. About 878,000 units of such vehicles were sold last month, surging 36.9 percent year-on-year. China also exported around 92,000 new energy passenger vehicles in July, up 1.3 percent over a year earlier and 18.2 percent from the previous month, accounting for 24.5 percent of the total export of passenger vehicles.
New Energy Vehicle (NEV) sales were 51.1 percent of total passenger vehicle sales in July, up 15 percentage points from the same period last year.
China’s Health First Strategy
China has committed to a “Health First Strategy” that emphasizes disease prevention and comprehensive health management. With more than 20 percent of its population over 60 and increasing public attention on health, the country is shifting from a focus on treating diseases to prioritizing overall health maintenance.
This approach was detailed in a recent reform resolution adopted during the third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China. The resolution calls for significant improvements in disease monitoring and early warning, risk assessment, epidemiological investigation, testing and inspection, emergency response, and medical treatment.
China’s Guangdong Province attracts foreign talent
China’s Guangdong Province has introduced new regulations to support scientific and technological development by attracting foreign talent. Under the new regulations, foreign high-tech professionals can lead government-funded research projects and participate in strategic research and project management, unless restricted by national security concerns.
The regulations also permit universities and research institutions to hire foreign experts and support them with necessary visas, work permits, and residency arrangements. Additionally, foreign talent working full-time in Guangdong can take on part-time work within the province with employer consent. These regulations will be effective starting October 1, 2024.
What is to be taken away, must first be given – Lao Tzu
Manyika Kangai is a China-Africa Advisor who has over 18 years of experience facilitating and advising African businesses and governments on China-Africa trade and investment deals.
Online Reporter