Hua Chunying

Colombian President Gustavo Petro will visit China this week, Beijing's foreign ministry said yesterday, with the leftist leader seeking to strengthen ties with the world's second-largest economy.

Petro's visit comes at the invitation of President Xi Jinping and will take place from today to Oct. 26, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said.

President-elect Joe Biden led a moving tribute on Jan. 19 for U.S. coronavirus victims - now more than 400,000 - as European nations battled record daily fatalities and fear spread of new virus strains.

China accused the U.S. of spreading "lies" and "conspiracy theories" after the Trump administration said it had new information suggesting the coronavirus might have emerged from a Chinese laboratory.

The EU cleared a second coronavirus vaccine for use on Jan. 6 bringing relief to European countries struggling with spiraling infections, as the world clocked up a record number of deaths in a single day.

Two members were already on their way to that country, but one of them returned, while the other member is in transit in a third country. The WHO said that there was a problem with visas.
Beijing and the WHO, after months of negotiations, agreed on a long-awaited investigation in December.

China on Tuesday lashed out at the U.S. over new sanctions against Chinese officials and the sale of more military equipment to Taiwan.

The U.S. actions are part of what critics see as an effort by the Trump administration to put in place high-pressure tactics toward Beijing that could make it more difficult for President-elect Joe Biden to steady relations.

Coronavirus may have been present and spreading in Wuhan as early as August last year, according to a study that analysed satellite imagery of car parks outside major hospitals and search engine data.

China is in urgent need of medical supplies to deal with the coronavirus epidemic, in particular masks, goggles and protective clothing.

"What China urgently needs at present are medical masks, protective suits, and safety goggles," the foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said in a press briefing.

The death toll from a new virus reached 213 on Jan. 31 and the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a global health emergency.

In a new travel advisory, the U.S. State Department raised its warning for China to the same level as Afghanistan and Iraq, saying on its website, "Do not travel to China due to novel coronavirus first identified in Wuhan."

China's Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May would visit China from Jan. 31 to Feb. 2 Reuters reported.

Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying confirmed the visit during a regular news briefing in Beijing.