Wang Zhicheng

The decision was taken despite the fact that religious activities have had “zero infections”. Strict measures and continuous controls have led many priests to close their churches at Christmas. On social media, Catholics are accused of spreading the virus, a charged rejected by the Patriotic Catholic Association. The authorities put a stop to “illegal activities” by underground communities.

The capital of the province Shijiazhuang, with 11 million inhabitants, has been put in lockdown: kindergartens, schools, universities closed; it is forbidden to travel outside; some neighbourhoods cannot even move around the city. Catholics, their gatherings and hospitality to foreign missionaries are being blamed for hundreds of new cases of infections. Travel during the Chinese New Year is not recommended. In addition to Hebei, there are cases in Chengdu (Sichuan), Dalian (Liaoning), Hehe (Heilongjiang), Beijing.

The Beijing government has not yet given permission for experts from the international team to arrive in China. Some scientists, already on their way, have had to return. The rare criticism of China by the WHO after a period in which it was accused of being Beijing’s "puppet". The Chinese Foreign Ministry: We want to make the visit smoother and continue cooperation.

The media celebrate the "homecoming after 160 years". The work was stolen in 1860, after the destruction of the Yuanmingyuan by the Anglo-French troops. For the Chinese Communist Party, the theft of sculptures is a symbol of the "century of humiliation". The bronze horse head was donated to China by tycoon Stanley Ho. Two Jesuits, Castiglione and Benoist, were among the architects and decorators of the Yuanmingyuan.

The new regulations require total separation between foreign and Chinese religious groups. They demand total submission to China's laws, regulations, and policies. Membership (names, visa, residence), materials (books, brochures, audio-visual), and meeting places must be closely monitored. No external religious symbols are allowed.

China will be the third country, after the United States and Russia, to obtain lunar material which is needed to study the origin and history of the solar system. Chang'e 5 is expected to take samples from the volcanic area of ​​Mons Rümker (in the Oceanus Procellarum).

Officially he would be the first bishop ordained according to the provisional agreement between China and the Vatican. The new bishop is considered very obedient to the government's religious policy. He is a member of the Standing Committee of the National Patriotic Association.

Coils fitted in the uterus during botched operations have led to poor health, bleeding, incontinence, fatigue, and chronic pain that lasted decades. Complaints by women are almost always rejected.

The number of new born continues to decline. In 2019, their number was the lowest since the Great Famine (following the Great Leap Forward). According to the National Bureau of Statistics, there were 14.65 million newborns last year; the previous year 15.23 million. The new five-year plan erases "family planning" and proposes a more "inclusive" fertility, perhaps even for unmarried women and same-sex couples.

The former human rights lawyer, who became a video reporter, disappeared after two weeks in Wuhan, where he documented what was happening in the city: infections, deaths, collapsing hospitals, crematoria, etc. He is not the only journalist to have disappeared.

At a routine press conference, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman praises the agreement's past, but says nothing about its renewal. Clipped tones on Taiwan. China's main aim is to get the Vatican to cut off relations with Taiwan.

Eight new priests for the diocese of Beijing (photo gallery)