BEIJING

Air China intl route suspended over virus

China's civil aviation regulator said on Friday it has suspended an Air China route between Moscow and Beijing for one week as more than five passengers on a recent flight tested positive for COVID-19. The Civil Aviation Administration of China issued its fourth "circuit-breaker" directive and announced the suspension would begin on Monday. In June, China eased restrictions on international passenger flights and introduced a "reward and circuit breaker mechanism" for carriers. Under the policy, airlines must suspend flights on a route if five or more passengers test positive for coronavirus.

Shanghai-Taipei city forum scheduled

An annual city forum for Shanghai and Taipei will be held on July 22 via video link, Zhu Fenglian, spokeswoman for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said on Friday. Over the years, Shanghai and Taipei have had exchanges and cooperated in urban construction and governance, and reached consensus in many areas, enhancing the well-being of and mutual understanding among people in the two cities, Zhu said. The two cities have taken turns organizing the Shanghai-Taipei forum since 2010.

SHANXI

Former legislator gets 15 years in jail

Zhang Jiehui, a former senior legislator of Hebei province, was sentenced on Friday to 15 years in prison for taking bribes worth over 127 million yuan ($18.1 million). His personal property of 6 million yuan was confiscated, and all of his illicit gains will be retrieved, the Taiyuan Intermediate People's Court of Shanxi province said in a verdict. From 2001 to 2017, Zhang took advantage of his positions to help others in obtaining loans, approval of project land use and job promotion, and illegally accepted money and property in return, the court said. During the period, his positions included mayor of Anshan, Liaoning province, vice-governor of Hebei province and deputy head of the Standing Committee of the Hebei Provincial People's Congress.

Xinhua - China Daily