Flu epidemics kill 250,000 to 500,000 people each year and cause severe illness in 3 million to 5 million. However, new strains that jump from animals to humans can be even more devastating if the population has no immunity.
1918 “Spanish flu” — The most devastating flu pandemic in recent history was caused by a strain of H1N1 influenza that killed 20 million to 50 million people. The pandemic spread in three more or less simultaneous waves through Europe, Asia and North America. Unusually, the virus was particularly lethal in young adults. The origins of the virus are still unknown.
1957-1958 “Asian flu” — First identified in China, this H2N2 virus caused about 2 million deaths worldwide. The virus is thought to have emerged after a human form of H2N2 combined with a mutant strain in ducks. The strain has not circulated in humans since 1968, so much of the population has no immunity.
1968-1969 “Hong Kong flu” — The pandemic was first detected in Hong Kong. The H3N2 virus killed about 1 million people globally. H3N2 viruses still circulate today.
1997 “Bird flu” — For the first time, an influenza virus was found to spread directly from birds to people. The H5N1 bird flu infections were linked to poultry markets. The WHO has recorded 598 cases since 2003, with 352 deaths.
2009 “Swine flu” — The H1N1 “swine flu” virus originated in Mexico in 2009, a combination of a Eurasian swine flu virus with another strain that was a mix of bird, swine and human flu. It went on to kill more than 18,000 people.
Recently, China launched another diplomatic offensive against Taiwan, improperly linking its “one China principle” with UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 to constrain Taiwan’s diplomatic space. After Taiwan’s presidential election on Jan. 13, China persuaded Nauru to sever diplomatic ties with Taiwan. Nauru cited Resolution 2758 in its declaration of the diplomatic break. Subsequently, during the WHO Executive Board meeting that month, Beijing rallied countries including Venezuela, Zimbabwe, Belarus, Egypt, Nicaragua, Sri Lanka, Laos, Russia, Syria and Pakistan to reiterate the “one China principle” in their statements, and assert that “Resolution 2758 has settled the status of Taiwan” to hinder Taiwan’s
Can US dialogue and cooperation with the communist dictatorship in Beijing help avert a Taiwan Strait crisis? Or is US President Joe Biden playing into Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) hands? With America preoccupied with the wars in Europe and the Middle East, Biden is seeking better relations with Xi’s regime. The goal is to responsibly manage US-China competition and prevent unintended conflict, thereby hoping to create greater space for the two countries to work together in areas where their interests align. The existing wars have already stretched US military resources thin, and the last thing Biden wants is yet another war.
As Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu’s party won by a landslide in Sunday’s parliamentary election, it is a good time to take another look at recent developments in the Maldivian foreign policy. While Muizzu has been promoting his “Maldives First” policy, the agenda seems to have lost sight of a number of factors. Contemporary Maldivian policy serves as a stark illustration of how a blend of missteps in public posturing, populist agendas and inattentive leadership can lead to diplomatic setbacks and damage a country’s long-term foreign policy priorities. Over the past few months, Maldivian foreign policy has entangled itself in playing
A group of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers led by the party’s legislative caucus whip Fu Kun-chi (?) are to visit Beijing for four days this week, but some have questioned the timing and purpose of the visit, which demonstrates the KMT caucus’ increasing arrogance. Fu on Wednesday last week confirmed that following an invitation by Beijing, he would lead a group of lawmakers to China from Thursday to Sunday to discuss tourism and agricultural exports, but he refused to say whether they would meet with Chinese officials. That the visit is taking place during the legislative session and in the aftermath