In Translation, is a weekly Richmond News feature which highlights some of the top news stories in Chinese media and translates them into English.
1) Headline: “Hongkongers flee to Vancouver with children amidst the coronavirus outbreak,” Ming Pao, Feb. 10
Summary:
Ming Pao ran a story about how local real estate agents are busy arranging accommodations for Hongkongers fleeing to Metro Vancouver as the tally of people infected by the coronavirus continues to rise.
Some Hongkongers plan to stay for a month; others are looking for longer-term accommodations while waiting for the coronavirus crisis to calm down in China.
A real estate agent who goes by the last name Lin told Ming Pao that recently she has received multiple requests from clients who are hoping to help family members from Hong Kong find places to live in the Lower Mainland.
Lin said one of her clients told her that all the pharmacies in Hong Kong are sold out of face masks, and there’s even a run on things like toilet paper as residents fear shortages.
Lin told Ming Pao these clients are desperate and won’t bargain, as long as the rental fees aren’t ridiculously high.
2) Headline: “Immigration minister claims his government would tackle birth tourism, but it won’t eliminate birthright citizenship,” Sing Tao Daily, Feb. 14
Summary: Marco Mendicino, the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, visited Sing Tao’s office on Thursday and answered questions related to Richmond’s ongoing issue of birth tourism.
Although Mendicino acknowledged that some non-Canadians might abuse Canada’s birthright citizenship policy, the government has no plans to end the policy at this time. Instead, it will take steps, including sanctions, to prevent people from abusing the current system, according to reports from Sing Tao.
Mendicino told Sing Tao that Canada has welcomed a record-breaking number of immigrants in 2019 (more than 341,000), of which nearly 60 per cent were economic immigrants. Canada has played a proud role in the settlement of refugees, who contribute to Canada’s progress and economic development, the Sing Tao reports Mendicino as saying.
When asked when the family unification program, which allows Canadian citizens and permanent residents to sponsor their parents or grandparents to come to Canada, will reopen, Mendicino said applicants might need to wait until mid-March. He said he needs to submit his plan to Parliament for review before making any public announcement.
Mendicino noted that the immigration process has sped up recently.
3) Headline: “Burnaby’s sister city Zhongshan in China asks for help with medical supplies,” Ming Pao, Feb. 14.
Summary: The Ming Pao picked up a story about the City of Burnaby receiving a letter from its sister city in China asking for surgical face masks and protective suits. However, Burnaby city council had to turn down the request due to a lack of supplies within the city.
The city of Zhongshan in Guangdong province reached out to Burnaby on Feb. 3 via email to ask for help in getting medical supplies, especially N95 face masks and medical protective clothing.
“China is fighting the coronavirus outbreak, and Zhongshan is in short supply of medical face masks at the moment. We have 30 confirmed cases for now in Zhongshan, and our face mask inventory is going to see a shortage soon,” reads the letter.
The letter also explained that all medical face masks in China are required to be first sent to China’s Hubei province, where the coronavirus outbreak began. Therefore, Zhongshan has to reach out to cities outside of China for help.
Burnaby city council held a meeting on Feb. 13 to discuss this issue. Lambert Chu, Burnaby’s city manager, said he had reached out to officials in Zhongshan.
Chu told the Ming Pao the city had ordered 160 boxes of face masks not long ago, but these masks are for the city in case of an emergency. Burnaby also reached out to the medical equipment distributor with hopes of ordering more face masks for Zhongshan, but the distributor replied they wouldn’t have masks in stock until June.
Chu explained the situation to Zhongshan officials, who claimed to understand the city’s decision, according to Ming Pao’s report.
