Globalsecurity.org

Four Chinese COVID-19 vaccine candidates have started international phase-3 clinical trials, according to the State Council joint prevention and control mechanism against COVID-19.

South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region reported one new imported asymptomatic COVID-19 case on Friday, the provincial health commission said Saturday.

Another over 160 members of the mainland nucleic acid testing team have arrived in Hong Kong Friday for the Universal Community Testing Program (UCT Program) that starts on Sept. 1.

The National Health Commission said Saturday that 35 COVID-19 patients were discharged from hospitals after recovery on the Chinese mainland Friday.

The Chinese mainland reported nine new imported COVID-19 cases Friday, bringing the total number of imported cases to 2,473, the National Health Commission said Saturday.

Authorities in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region announced on Friday that they will downgrade five districts in the regional capital of Urumqi to low-risk areas for COVID-19 starting Saturday.

Hong Kong's Center for Health Protection (CHP) reported 13 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, bringing the total confirmed cases to 4,768.

Shanghai reported three new imported COVID-19 cases and no increase in domestically-transmitted cases on Friday, the municipal health commission said Saturday.

As the UK struggles to contain the coronavirus pandemic, a senior government minister is already warning about the fallout from a "second wave" of the deadly infection.

France reported 5,453 new confirmed coronavirus cases on Saturday, down from 7,379 seen today, on Friday, Reuters cited the health ministry as saying.

A study prepared by the UK government's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergency (SAGE) suggests that in a reasonable worst-case scenario, a further 85,000 people could die from COVID-19 in the United Kingdom this winter, the BBC reported on Saturday.

Amid an ever-widening crackdown on opposition voices and activism in Hong Kong, city leaders met on Tuesday to discuss postponing September's legislative elections, as the University of Hong Kong (HKU) fired a democracy activist and prominent legal scholar for "misconduct."

Germany, as part of the European Union's reaction to China's national security law for Hong Kong, will stop exporting weapons and dual-use goods to the region, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said.

The US Consulate General in the Chinese city of Chengdu was shut down on 27 July following an order from Beijing, according to the country's Foreign Ministry.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in an address in London last week proposed an international coalition against China. Meanwhile, considering India's border conflict with Beijing, Washington has offered steadfast support and cooperation to New Delhi over the past few weeks.

Disappeared for calling China's authoritarian leader Xi Jinping a "clown," Chinese property tycoon Ren Ziqiang has been kicked out of the Communist Party and now faces a criminal investigation that could end with prosecution.

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday reiterated China's support for the global multilateral system and commitment to pursue development with the rest of the world in the spirit of openness and mutually-beneficial cooperation, in what Chinese analysts called an apparent rebuttal of a rising tide of unilateralism and anti-globalization amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday said that China will make firm and rational responses against the US whose behaviors are outrageous and unreasonable.

The increasing tensions between China and the US, the worsening COVID-19 epidemic situation, as well as the declining approval ratings of US President Donald Trump have raised concerns, among strategists and experts, of a military conflict between the two nuclear-armed powers caused by the dangerous US attempts.

New Zealand on Tuesday announced the suspension of its extradition treaty with Hong Kong, the fourth country to do so in the Five Eyes intelligence alliance, but Chinese analysts warned on Tuesday Wellington not to play petty tricks, hoping to show loyalty to the anti-China coalition without damaging bilateral ties with Beijing.