London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Jun 20, 2025

Chinese cities fight for mask shipments in scramble to stop coronavirus

Chinese cities fight for mask shipments in scramble to stop coronavirus

Authorities commandeer consignments as they pass through their jurisdictions. Dali sacks health chief and apologises for using masks destined for Chongqing

Local government is turning against local government over mask supplies in China as authorities scramble for resources to contain a coronavirus outbreak that has killed more than 630 people throughout the country.

The health chief of Dali in the southwestern province of Yunnan was sacked after the city commandeered about 600 boxes of masks destined for the megacity of Chongqing on their way through Dali from Vietnam, state broadcaster CCTV reported on Thursday.

Apologising on its official microblog, the Dali municipal government said it seized the goods because there was no company in the city that could produce masks.

“We decided to hold the goods, which did not have complete paperwork, paid for all of them, and distributed them to our medical institutions, communities, police officers, security guards and so on,” the authority said.

“We will return the unused masks and compensate for the losses,” it said adding that it would review its processes.

In the autonomous region of Guangxi, in southern China, the county of Liucheng has reportedly abandoned its efforts to get its consignment of more than 140,000 masks after the order was seized on its way through the city of Mengzi.

The county had written to Mengzi asking for the shipment to be released but the city said that market supervision officials determined that the masks did not meet quality standards.

“The masks had not been formally processed, they had no Chinese identification, no factory name, no production certificates and some of those masks had damaged packaging or passed their use-by date,” Mengzi’s propaganda department said on its Twitter-like Weibo account.

It said the Liucheng government had accepted the explanation and “would not ask for the masks again”. But Mengzi did not say what would happen to the consignment.



In the northeast, the port city of Qingdao said it would confiscate 100,000 masks from South Korea that authorities in Shenyang had ordered if the shipment entered the country via Qingdao.

Qingdao made the decision after Shenyang withheld 100,000 masks Qingdao ordered from Japan, according to a document circulating online.

“The document was only a draft and was not implemented … The mask problem has already been resolved,” Qingdao’s top economic planning agency said on Thursday.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
UK Home Secretary Apologizes Over Child Grooming Failures
Trump Organization Launches 5G Mobile Network and Golden Handset
Towcester Hosts 2025 English Greyhound Derby Amid Industry Scrutiny
Gary Oldman and David Beckham Knighted in King's Birthday Honours
Over 30,000 Lightning Strikes Recorded Across UK During Overnight Storms
Princess of Wales Returns to Public Duties at Trooping the Colour
Red Arrows Use Sustainable Fuel in Historic Trooping the Colour Flypast
Former Welsh First Minister Addresses Unionist Concerns Over Irish Language
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
France Bars Israeli Arms Companies from Paris Defense Expo
King Charles Leads Tribute to Air India Crash Victims at Trooping the Colour
Jack Pitchford Embarks on 200-Mile Walk to Support Stem Cell Charity
Surrey Hikers Take on Challenge of Climbing 11 Peaks in a Single Day
UK Deploys RAF Jets to Middle East Amid Israel-Iran Tensions
Two Skydivers Die in 'Tragic Accident' at Devon Airfield
Sainsbury's and Morrisons Accused of Displaying Prohibited Tobacco Ads
UK Launches National Inquiry into Grooming Gangs
Families Seek Closure After Air India Crash
Gold Emerges as Global Safe Haven Amid Uncertainty
Trump Reports $57 Million Earnings from Crypto Venture
Trump's Military Parade Sparks Concerns Over Authoritarianism
Nationwide 'No Kings' Protests Challenge Trump's Leadership
UK Deploys Jets to Middle East Amid Rising Tensions
Trump's Anti-War Stance Tested Amid Israel-Iran Conflict
Germany Holds First Veterans Celebration Since WWII
U.S. Health Secretary Dismisses CDC Vaccine Advisory Committee
Minnesota Lawmaker Melissa Hortman and Husband Killed in Targeted Attack; Senator John Hoffman and Wife Injured
Exiled Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi Urges Overthrow of Khamenei Regime
×