Trade, cultural events postponed amid virus...>

CHINA: Trade, cultural events postponed amid virus outbreak (Global Times)

- Worries are surfacing on the internet that China's national "two sessions"

this year might be affected as the coronavirus epidemic, which has caused the

delay of local "two sessions" in two provincial and 16 city-level

administrations and a number of trade and cultural and sports events. The "two

sessions" are the annual gatherings of the National People's Congress (NPC) and

the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference

(CPPCC), China's top political advisory body. CPPCC will be kicked off on Mar 3

while the NPC will start two days later. The China Import and Export Fair,

better known as the Canton Fair, has decided to suspend all exhibits, saying it

is for epidemic prevention and control. The Bureau of Commerce of Guangzhou,

capital of South China's Guangdong Province, also suspended other large-scale

exhibitions, leading to the delay of at least nine such events that were

originally scheduled in Feb. Organizers of the Boao Forum for Asia, which will

be held in Boao, South China's Hainan from Mar 24-27, could not be reached,

leaving only an automatic voice reply saying they were on vacation until Jan 31.