Patent for COVID-19 vaccine a first in China

China has granted its first COVID-19 vaccine patent to the adenovirus vector vaccine developed by Chen Wei of the Academy of Military Medical Sciences and Chinese biotech company CanSino Biologics, the National Intellectual Property Administration said. The patent application was submitted on March 18 and approved on Aug 11, the patent document showed. The vaccine, dubbed "Ad5-nCoV", uses a weakened common cold virus to introduce genetic material from the novel coronavirus into the human body. The goal is to train the body to produce antibodies that recognize the novel coronavirus' spike protein and fight it off.

Fugitive Chinese gangster repatriated

A fugitive gangster surnamed Zheng was brought back to China from the Dominican Republic on Sunday after 15 years on the lam, the Ministry of Public Security said. The suspect was the first fugitive repatriated by the Caribbean country to China, the ministry said. Zheng is suspected of organizing criminal activities in Fuzhou, capital of Fujian province, including illegally running a gambling house and instigating a murder in 2005, the ministry said. Zheng, subject to an Interpol Red Notice, was arrested in March by Dominican authorities, the ministry said.

Xinhua - China Daily