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More H7N9 related Deaths; Additional H7N9-positive Samples Found

Xinhua reported that, as of 7:00 p.m. Beijing time on April 10, 2013, China had a total of 33 H7N9 cases with 9 deaths and no epidemiological connection between these cases. On that same day, China’s Ministry of Agriculture said that, in lab tests, 14 more poultry samples in the three provinces of Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui in east China were discovered to have been H7N9-positive. The samples were from 2,099 samples collected in poultry farms and markets. Eleven of the 14 positive samples were found to have been taken from the 743 samples from Jiangsu Province.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, the National Avian Flu Reference Laboratory concluded from a gene sequence analysis that that the strain of the H7N9 virus found in the 14 samples was highly congeneric with that found earlier in a pigeon on April 4.

The Ministry of Agriculture has ordered the three provinces to shut down and thoroughly disinfect the markets from which the samples were taken and to cull all live poultry.

Source: Xinhua, April 10, 2013
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2013-04/10/c_124564934.htm
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2013-04/10/c_115342190.htm

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

China’s Rivers May be Disappearing

China’s Ministry of Water Resources and the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) released the first official survey on the nation’s water resources. According to the survey, China’s rivers may be disappearing. The survey shows that China has 45,203 rivers that each cover an area of at least 50 square kilometers and 22.909 rivers that each cover an area over 100 square kilometers.

Pang Jinwu, representative of the China’s Ministry of Water Resources, stated that the survey corrected some statistics that had been used since the 1950s. For example, based on the estimates of the experts in 1950s, China had over 50,000 rivers that each covered an area of at least 100 square kilometer. That number was more than double the figure from the first official survey.

Source: Xinhua, March 27, 2013
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2013-03/27/c_115183982.htm

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

Person Who Had Contact with a Diseased H7N9 Patient Developed Symptoms

As of the end of April 4, 2013, Shanghai had reported four more H7N9 bird flu cases with four fatalities and two undergoing treatment, bringing the total number of cases in Shanghai to six. According to the local authorities, there is no connection between the six cases. One person who had contact with a diseased H7N9 patient has developed a fever, running nose and an itchy throat, and is presently undergoing treatment.

On April 4, China’s agricultural authorities announced that they had detected the infectious H7N9 avian flu virus in some pigeon samples collected at a marketplace in the Songjiang District of Shanghai, where agricultural products are sold.

[Editor’s note: So far, China has confirmed 14 H7N9 cases, six in Shanghai, four in Jiangsu Province, three in Zhejiang Province and one in Anhui Province. Of all, four died in Shanghai and one died in Zhejiang Province.]

Source: Xinhua, April 5, 2013
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2013-04/05/c_124541810.htm

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

Two More H7N9 Bird Flu Cases Reported

On April 3, 2012, Zhejiang Province reported two H7N9 bird flu cases with one death, bringing the total number of H7N9 bird flu cases in China to nine with three deaths. According to local authorities, no epidemiological connection between the two Zhejiang cases has been found.

On April 2, Jiangsu Province reported four H7N9 bird flu cases with all four patients in critical conditions. The local authorities stated that there is no epidemiological connection between these four cases. Earlier, both Shanghai, and Anhui Province reported a total of three cases with two fatalities.

Source: Huanqiu, April 3, 2012
http://china.huanqiu.com/local/2013-04/3796213.html
http://china.huanqiu.com/local/2013-04/3792565.html

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

IHL: The Best Strategy is to Form an Alliance with Russia

According to the International Herald Leader, Yan Xuetong, Dean of the Institute of Contemporary International Relations at Tsinghua University in Beijing, said that, given the current international environment, the best strategy for China and Russia is to form an alliance with each other.

Yan pointed out that President Xi’s visit to Russia is not out of consideration of bilateral relations with the United States, but represents a totally new strategic paradigm shift. Yan further stated that the most important benefit such an alliance with Russia will bring to China is to solidify a favorable security environment for northern and western China so that China can focus on handling the pressure in eastern and southern China. Moreover, it may help re-balance the votes at the U.N. Security Council. Yan advised that China should take a proactive approach to forming an alliance and making proposals to Russia.

Source: International Herald Leader, March 26, 2013
http://ihl.cankaoxiaoxi.com/2013/0326/183592.shtml

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

China’s Oceanic Environment Continues to Deteriorate

On March 20, 2013, China’s State Oceanic Administration released its 2012 report on China’s oceanic environment. The report indicated that the quality of the seawater along China’s coastline deteriorated in 2012 as a result of disasters including oil spills. For example, the oil spill from the sub-sea wells in the Penglai 19-3 oil field in June 2011 and from the oil explosion at the Dalian Xingang on July 16, 2010, continue to have an adverse effect on the adjacent waters and the ecological environment.

An increasing volume of pollutants are being dumped into the sea. In 2012, the pollutants discharged from 72 rivers into the ocean rose from last year to a total of 17.05 million tons. Liaohe estuary, Yellow River estuary, Yangtze river estuary, and Zhouhai estuary have seen dramatic adverse ecological deterioration. About 70 percent of the nearby waters are below standard.

The report also said that a total of 170,000 square kilometers of near-shore waters are now below the first grade of seawater quality, which is the level suitable for hosting marine life and natural reserves.

Source: China’s State Oceanic Administration, March 20, 2013
http://www.gov.cn/gzdt/2013-03/20/content_2358728.htm

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

Sichuan Hit by the Worst Drought in over Twenty Years

Sichuan Province is now in the middle of the worst drought in over 20 years. Since November 2012, the average precipitation has dropped by 52 percent. Drought continued after the spring of 2013, spreading rapidly throughout Sichuan Province, which has the largest drought-stricken area in over 20 years.

According to the Sichuan authorities, over 6 million of its population have been hit by drought. About 1.15 million people and 360,000 large livestock suffer from a lack of drinking water. The drought has also damaged or destroyed 395,000 acres of crops, with the direct economic loss alone reaching 1.74 billion yuan (approximately US$277 million).

Source: People’s Daily, March 21, 2013
http://politics.people.com.cn/n/2013/0321/c70731-20869736.html

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

New Chinese Stealth Frigate Commissioned

On March 12, 2013, at a naval port at Zhoushan, Zhejiang Province, the People’s Liberation Army Navy officially commissioned a new Chinese next generation of stealth frigates.

According to Sun Min, a military representative that supervised the manufacturing process, the new frigate has three distinctive features. It has low tonnage but comprehensive equipment; it has a completely automated control cabin; and it can be produced in large quantities. “According to our plan, the frigate will most likely become the largest group of military vessels, to be manufactured concurrently by multiple shipyards with strong capabilities, a first in the Chinese history of frigate manufacturing.” The vessel has not incorporated many new stealth technologies, added Sun.

Source: Huanqiu, March 19, 2013
http://mil.huanqiu.com/china/2013-03/3748371_3.html

Briefings | | |   Defense/Military