CHINA DAILY | HONG KONG EDITION Thursday, October 31, 2019 | 7 CHINA Cultural craftsman Flu vaccine stockpile Murindababisha David, from Rwanda, builds a to double this season stool using the mortise­ and­tenon technique in Cixi, Zhejiang province, on By WANG XIAODONG commission will also intensify its Wednesday. Seventeen [email protected] monitoring of flu outbreaks this overseas students learned year and improve information the traditional skill, among The supply of flu vaccines in exchanges with related depart­ other elements of Chinese China this year will be twice as ments to better fight the out­ culture, at a rosewood large as last year to ensure breaks. workshop. demand is met, the top health An Xuejun, deputy director of ZHANG YONGTAO / FOR CHINA DAILY authority said on Wednesday, add­ Beijing Municipal Health Com­ ing it is well prepared for the arriv­ mission, said the city increased its al of flu season. purchase quota for flu vaccines by He Qinghua, deputy director of 20 percent in July and started to National Health Commission’s give vaccinations to more vulnera­ Disease Prevention and Control ble groups, such as the elderly and Bureau, said at a news conference minors, as early as September. that about 28 million doses of flu As of Wednesday, about 860,000 vaccines will enter the domestic doses of flu vaccine had been used, market this winter and next and it is expected 1.5 million doses spring, which is peak flu season in will be given to residents in Beijing most parts of China — more than by the end of November, he said. double the number available dur­ “We will do our best in flu pre­ ing the last flu season. vention and control between mid­ The commission has been work­ December and early February, the ing with related departments to peak season of the flu in Beijing,” encourage flu vaccine producers he said. to increase production for this Feng Zijian, deputy head of the year, and the National Medical Chinese Center for Disease Con­ Senior space scientist inducted Products Administration has also trol and Prevention, said it is diffi­ accelerated inspection and cult to predict flu outbreaks. approval procedures for flu vacci­ “We will watch the situation nes this year. More than 20 million closely and disclose information doses of flu vaccine have been on flu prevalence in China to pro­ released to the market after fessionals and the public,” he said. into astronautical hall of fame approval, he said. It is difficult to calculate flu cas­ About 8 million doses have been es, as some other respiratory dis­ used for vaccination so far, twice eases have similar symptoms, but Chief designer of first manned Shenzhou assigned to the appointment as vice­president and the number for the same period it is estimated that between 5 to 10 China Academy later president of the space technol­ last year, he said. percent of the population will get spacecraft is the third Chinese honoree of Launch Vehi­ ogy academy, where he is now a “We will keep monitoring the the flu every season, Feng said. cle Technology technical adviser. supply of flu vaccines and their use Globally, about 1 billion people By ZHAO LEI science, technology and space bene­ to develop ballis­ In 1992, Qi was named the first … to ensure effective purchase and contract the flu every year, resulting [email protected] fits to mankind, according to the tic missiles and chief designer of China’s Shenzhou use of vaccines by local authorities in between 290,000 and 650,000 Paris­based international space carrier rockets. spacecraft. He led the research and so flu vaccinations can proceed deaths, according to Chang. Qi Faren, a preeminent space sci­ advocacy organization that was In 1967, Qi development of the first five Shen­ smoothly,” he said. Besides vaccines, the public entist and former head of the China founded in 1951. was transferred zhou spaceships, including the Chang Jile, director of the needs to take comprehensive Academy of Space Technology, Wang Xiji, a satellite designer at to the People’s Shenzhou V, which carried out the bureau, said the commission has measures for flu control and pre­ recently became the third Chinese the China Academy of Space Tech­ Qi Faren L i b e r a t i o n country’s first manned space mis­ recently released a plan on flu pre­ vention, such as maintaining good person to be inducted into the Inter­ nology and academician of the Chi­ Army’s Fifth sion in 2003. vention and control for the hygiene and a good lifestyle, and national Astronautical Federation nese Academy of Sciences, was Academy, prede­ Qi has gained many honors and upcoming season. In addition, to wearing masks when necessary, he Hall of Fame. inducted in 2016, and Long Lehao, a cessor of the China Academy of titles in China for his accomplish­ ensure the vaccine supply, the said. Qi’s induction was announced at carrier rocket scientist at the China Space Technology, and began to ments and contributions, ranging the 70th International Astronauti­ Academy of Launch Vehicle Tech­ develop satellites and spacecraft. from top science and technology cal Congress that was held from Oct nology and academician of the Chi­ Qi later took part in the research awards to working model medals. 21 to 25 in Washington. Another nese Academy of Engineering, was and development of many satellites, In addition to his posts in the inductee is Roberto Battiston, given the honor in 2018. including China’s first — Dongfang­ space circle, Qi had also served as former president of the Italian Qi, 86, was born in Liaoning prov­ hong 1 — which was lifted into space president of Beihang University’s Space Agency. ince’s Fuxian county in April 1933. in April 1970 by the Long March 1, School of Astronautics and has been The IAF Hall of Fame is meant to He graduated from the Department the country’s first carrier rocket, a member of the National Commit­ create a standing forum of personal­ of Aircraft at the Beijing Institute of which he had helped design at the tee of the Chinese People’s Political ities that have contributed substan­ Aeronautics, now known as Beihang launch vehicle technology academy. Consultative Conference, the top tially to the progress of space University, in 1957. He was then His achievements led to his political advisory body. Nation aims to expand protected area management By YANG WANLI sustainable development. greatest number of world natural [email protected] “China has special conditions, heritage sites (14), world natural and there’s no model that we could and cultural heritage sites (4) and China has established more than We need to find our just copy from overseas,” Li said at the Global Geoparks (39). 11,800 protected areas covering 18 own way to build a the opening ceremony of the first “These protected natural areas play A nurse prepares an elderly man for a flu shot in Changxing, Zhe­ percent of its land area and 4.6 per­ World Forum on Nature Conserva­ a significant role in safeguarding the jiang province, earlier this month. Residents in the county who cent of its sea area, aiming to build mechanism based on tion that kicked off in Shenzhen, nation’s ecological security, protect­ are more than 60 years old are entitled to influenza vaccines for the world’s most expansive mecha­ our own conditions.” Guangdong province, on Wednes­ ing its biological diversity, preserving free. TAN YUNFENG / FOR CHINA DAILY nism for the management of pro­ day. “We need to find our own way its natural heritage and improving its tected areas by 2025, authorities Li Chunliang, deputy head of to build a mechanism based on our ecological environment,” Li said. revealed on Wednesday. the National Forestry and own conditions. But he also admitted that China Grassland Administration Under the plan for the new mech­ “As one of the countries containing still lacks a systematic plan to build More outdoor exercise anism, the country’s protected areas the greatest biodiversity of resources a mechanism of protected areas that are divided into three categories — Currently, China’s nature protect­ in the world, China has made con­ offers better biodiversity protection. national parks, nature parks and ed areas — including 35 million hec­ stant efforts to protect them,” he said. According to Xu Weihua, a may help battle myopia nature protected areas, according to tares of natural forests and 20 According to Li, China will draft a researcher from Research Center for Li Chunliang, deputy head of the million hectares of wetlands — are law focused on protected areas to Eco­Environmental Sciences under National Forestry and Grassland safeguarding 85 percent of the guarantee the implementation of the the Chinese Academy of Sciences, By WANG XIAOYU two hours a day playing outdoor Administration. country’s total wildlife and 65 per­ mechanism and build a database China is facing threats from land [email protected] sports, the length recommended Ten pilot programs at national cent of its vascular plants. and surveillance platform, encourag­ degradation as well as the decline of by the Ministry of Education. parks, representing China’s most Nature parks, where the mecha­ ing more cross­border cooperation natural forests. He said current pro­ A recent survey shows that 57.3 Another 20 percent fail to receive typical natural systems, will con­ nism is being officially unveiled for on protected areas and participation tected areas are having problems, percent of primary and high one hour of exercise outdoors, Wei clude by the end of 2020. The pilot the first time, will play a role in provid­ from the public.