Ohio, Massachusetts Hit by Child Pneumonia Outbreak | China In Focus

pediatric pneumonia outbreaks hit us States while similar outbreaks overwhelm hospitals in China are the outbreaks connected the White House enhancing a host of Supply chains looking to cut China Reliance on EVS Agriculture and medicine on Tana's first in the nation Tik Tok ban blocked by a federal judge why didn't the rule stick and despite the strike down is the social media platform really safe a look at Fresh testimony from Capitol Hill on Tik Tok and its risks what do you think let us know below and subscribe if you haven't [Music] already welcome to China INF Focus I'm Tiffany Meyer a surge in child illness cases hitting the US that as pediatric pneumonia outbreaks RI through China overwhelming hospitals across the country the hotpots here in the US Ohio and Massachusetts the Buckey State recording over 140 cases in one County no deaths have been reported Massachusetts also saw a large uptick in ch pneumonia cases is the outbreak linked to China Ohio's Warren County saying so far there's no evidence that the local outbreak is connected to other International outbreaks officials also don't believe a new virus is behind the recent Spike adding it's common for respiratory illnesses to spread during this time of year Ohio is further investigating the cause physicians in Western Massachusetts believe it's RSV that's driving the outbreak in the state RSV is a respiratory virus that kills over 10,000 Americans per year outside the US Denmark Sweden and Switzerland are also grappling with surges in pneumonia cases the outbreak is putting lawmakers on high alert five Republican lawmakers urging the Biden Administration to impose travel bans leading lawmaker Senator Marco Rubio saying Washington should immediately restrict travel between the US and China in contrast Taiwan authorities are putting airports on watch advising the elderly young and those with poor immunity to avoid going to China meanwhile Chinese authorities remain Opa about the sech officials told the World Health Organization that the surge in pneumonia cases isn't overwhelming hospitals but citizens across China are telling ntid a different story it takes forever to get a doctor's appointment staff and other departments went to support the pediatric department many patients just sit on stools in the hallway for 3 or 4 days until it's their turn to visit the pediatrician's office hospitals are overflowing Emergency Care can only give you prescriptions with enough medication for one day after that you have to get in line again for eight n or even 12 hours Chinese officials also changed their narrative about what's driving the outbreak authorities at first said it was micoplasma pneumonia later blaming it on multiple viruses but a virologist told NTD that a new covid-19 variant could also be a possibility some patients blood oxygen levels have dropped to 90% once they do check-ins at the hospital this is very typical of covid-19 infections she said micoplasma and other B Bia or viruses wouldn't be enough to launch such a quick spread across the country but that covid-19 could ultimately data is needed to determine what's driving the outbreak Beijing is keeping information from inside the country quiet the White House is looking to shore up resources Biden announced the launch of a supply chain resilience Council Monday with the launch of a new Council on supply chain resilience I'm charging this group to ensure that our our supply chains remain secure Diversified resilient and do all and into the future the latest move seeks to enhance American Supply chains based on guidance issued Friday it will curb Electric Car Imports containing Chinese components like EV batteries under the new rule Auto Buyers hoping to claim the full federal tax credit could receive up to $7500 but they won't get the money if the cars they're buying are made with parts from foreign entities of concern on top of China that means North Korea Russia and Iran the rule kicks off next month and aims to stabilize Supply chains by cutting Reliance on China in the meantime us automakers are racing to fortify their own battery production plants worth noting EVS are a hot topic on Biden's reelection platform he's pushing for more electric cars on American roads to help achieve his climate Ambitions the main goal to cut greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030 Beyond autom making medicine and agriculture are on Biden's radar too the president invoked the Cold War era defense production ACT earlier this week to Spur manufacturing investment for medical supplies China has been a main source for medical manufacturing due to low production costs during the covid-19 pandemic the US purchased both medicines and face masks from the country what's more the White House is also looking to strengthen food supply chains the US Department of Agriculture is investing nearly $200 million to widen markets for farmers and reduce food costs for consumers the federal government is channeling the aid into six programs overseeing around 200 projects across the US Montana's first in the nation ban on Tik Tock was blocked on Thursday a US district judge says it's unconstitutional and overstep state power under the law the china-owned app would be outlawed from operating within state lines with potential fines of $110,000 per day Montana's Governor signed it into law in May saying it was necessary to protect Montana's residents data from the Chinese Communist Party a Tik Tock spokesman said the company was pleased that the judge quote rejected this unconstitutional law the ban was set to take effect on January 1st more than half of US states and the federal government have banned Tik Tok on official devices debate over the Chinese communist party's Rising threat taking center stage in Washington lawmakers heard new testimony on Capitol Hill about Us's interests they say are under attack nd's Daniel Monahan has the highlights the select committee on the Chinese Communist Party chairman Mike Gallagher warned about Tik Tock becoming a primary news source for younger generations with their World Views potentially being shaped by the CCP it would be as if in 1962 at the height of the Cuban Missile Crisis we allowed prda and the KGB to purchase the New York Times The Washington Post ABC and NBC and that probably understates the scape the SC the scope of the problem Gallagher says there's clear evidence that parent company bite dance has done the Communist party's bidding he discussed how the CCP forced bite Dan to shut down its news platform because it went against its core socialist values and in a graveling self-criticism the founder of bite Dan apologized for failing to respect socialist core values and deviating from public opinion guidance and failing to realize that socialist core values are the prerequisite to technology following this bite dance announced a new strategy to hire 4,000 extra sensors and integrate socialist core values into its technology representative Seth Molton also touched on the online threat of the CCP but today China is attacking our businesses our citizens our kids through the inter internet every single day former State Department official miles Yu says the CCP is strongly influencing Chinese citizens abroad through buying major media Outlets hundreds of TV stations newspapers magazines overseas out of China um almost all of them are now bought by the Chinese Communist Party those recent study indicated that the the only Network that is not really controlled by the Chinese commun party is a fall related media Outlets congresswoman Michelle Steel highlighted the problem with universities taking CCP money UC Berkeley received $220 million from CCP never reported miles you also touched on what he views as the corrupt relationship of prestigious universities like Harvard with the CCP they conduct a survey on behalf of Chinese government uh to prove that 93% of Chinese people support the Chinese Communist party so use Harvard's prestige to support the Chinese propaganda you says Harvard didn't even do their own research instead subcontracting a Chinese company in Beijing to do it U discusses what the CCP most fears about America it doesn't matter which party is in charge Democrats or republican is not a policy per se it's the very existence of United States that could Inspire Chinese people that's what they fear about most testimony was also heard on the CCP infiltration of sensitive infrastructure for all the ports same thing too they're controlling our uh cranes and they're controlling data tracking systems while Congressman Gallagher is calling on the Biden Administration to investigate the Chinese drone company autel robotics Gallagher says autel is openly affiliated with the people's Liberation Army the congressman says law enforcement and state and local governments are purchasing and operating AEL drones potentially exposing sensitive data across the country Daniel Monahan NTD news North Korean leader Kim Jong-un calling for the nation's military Readiness against enemies that says the US slaps new sanctions on P yangang following its spy satellite launch last week here's more photographs released by the kcna news agency showed Kim visiting the Air Force Headquarters on Thursday it said he also wrote out operational strategic guidelines to improve the military's Readiness and War capabilities on Thursday the US unveiled new sanctions targeting foreign-based agents it accused of helping pongyang evade other sanctions their us assets will be Frozen and Americans barred from dealing with them in a statement the US Treasury Department said the joint efforts with Australia Japan and South Korea quote reflect our Collective Ive commitment to contesting pyongyang's illicit and destabilizing activities the treasury also sanctioned cyber Espionage group Kim suuki accusing it of gathering intelligence to support the North's strategic and nuclear Ambitions meanwhile so said on Friday it had blacklisted 11 North Koreans for the involvement in their country's satellite and missile development Banning them from any Financial transactions the disingenous DPR earlier this week us and North Korean diplomats had a rare direct public exchange at a un security council meeting with both arguing their country's military activities are defensive North Korea's un mission in New York did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the latest sanctions shifting gears next we have a round of updates from Asia and Oceania tensions in the South China Sea the Philippines open a new Coast Guard mon monitoring base Friday on an island in the South China Sea that's to watch Chinese vessels in the contested Waters faceoffs between Chinese and Philippine ships have intensified this year at the new base's opening ceremony a Philippine official called the actions of Chinese ships quote pure bullying the Philippines decided this year to allow an expansion of the US military presence in the country it also recently launched joint sea and air patrols with the US and Australia a new era for taiwan's air defense the Taiwanese Air Force is saying goodbye to one of its oldest fighter jets American made F5s also known as Tigers replacing the aircraft are new domestically made advanced jet trainers because the Jets are locally made Taiwan can both cut costs and grow its domestic defense industry taiwan's Air Force is under immense pressure as it scrambles regularly to intercept Chinese warplanes flying near the country but that's not all an exclusive report from Reuters says the Chinese regime is sponsoring cheap trips to China for hundreds of Taiwanese politicians ahead of key elections China is reportedly attempting to sway voters toward candidates seeking closer ties with the regime Taiwanese law forbids election campaigns from receiving funds from external hostile forces such as China prosecutors this week are investigating 22 people in connection with the interference China said Thursday has started to review its tariffs on Australian wine Beijing imposed sanctions on Australian wine barley and coal in 2020 that's says their ties soured over Cambra push for an independent covid-19 origin probe the visit of Australia's prime minister Anthony albanes earlier this month marked the resumption of an annual leaders meeting after a 4year Hiatus China has been a major market for Australia and a range of goods including coal wine beef barley and lobster how important is the Arctic to US security the house Homeland Security committee is holding a hearing to delve into the issue watch we all know and you mention it Mr chairman we are in a new era of authoritarian aggression led by the dictators Vladimir Putin and xiin ping they are running hostile regimes that seek to control access to the Arctic region and importantly and dangerously are increasingly working together in the Arctic Alaska's proximity to both Russia and China requires that my state play a vital role in securing America's interests in the Arctic Senator Dan Sullivan of Alaska was one of the witnesses who testified he stressed the vital importance of his state to us Homeland Security in the Arctic the senator compared the strength of Russian and Chinese forces in the region to that of the us he also highlighted recent joint military activities by China and Russia near Alaska Sullivan called for more funding for Alaska's defense infrastructure and urged Congress to take seriously the role that his State plays in defending the Arctic next headlines from across the pond the UK is next in line to lose its only giant panda bears the pair will soon depart from Edinburg zooo after calling Scotland's capital home for the past 12 years the bamboo loving bears are considered a type of soft diplomacy for Beijing the Chinese regime keeps custody of the animals loaning them out as rewards and withholding them as punishment Washington's national zoo returned its Three Pandas last month after Beijing stayed quiet on attempts to renew the contract San Diego and Memphis Tennessee waved similar farewells Atlanta is the last American Zoo still caring for the creatures through next year Beijing is believed to be pulling Panda's home amid Rising tensions with the West the leader xinping noted China was ready to continue loaning the Bears to the US during his recent visit to California on the science front British lawmakers are calling on the country's top data regulator to launch a new investigation according to letters they're concerned about Chinese genetics company bgi that's after reports accused the company of using it to research population traits alongside the Chinese military Washington already blacklisted bgi over human rights allegations that it helped Beijing surveil minority groups based on a letter Britain's regulator says there isn't enough evidence to investigate that's all for today's China InFocus on YouTube we're now sharing a shortened version of our program here after being demonetized for more than two years if you'd like to support us subscribe to our partner platform epic TV where you can watch our full episodes or consider donating find us at donorbox.org ch- in-focus here's what to look over in our second half a battle over green energy starting next year the US Treasury Department will restrict tax incentives for American electric battery plants that's if their products contain certain components from China or any other quote foreign entity of concern but some critical minerals will be exempt from the new rule will the action help secure the critical EV supply chain at home to discuss we sat down with Kelly sloom senior fellow in energy and environment at the Centennial Institute thanks for watching China and focus I'm Tiffany Meyer see you soon