Heading into the New Year, we posed this question online: “What would you like to see more of in the Richmond News in 2020?”

In response to reader feedback, we are launching a new feature, which translates into English the headlines of the top news stories appearing in local Chinese media outlets, including Sing Tao Daily, Ming Pao and Fairchild Radio. Each headline translation will also include a summary of the story.

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While Richmond prides itself on its cultural diversity, it has also been referred to as a city of two solitudes. That solitude is, in part, a result of English and Chinese language groups talking more amongst themselves than with each other.

This feature is an attempt to bridge that communication divide.

Popular news stories in Chinese media this week:

1: Headline: “Rumours about the first case of coronavirus has been confirmed in Burnaby, said Burnaby city councillor James Wang,” Sing Tao, date: Jan. 28

Summary: The Sing Tao picked up on a story that began circulating on WeChat – a Chinese social media platform – last weekend, in which Burnaby city councillor James Wang told a WeChat news site about a possible case of coronavirus.

The Sing Tao interviewed Wang, who said a woman with coronavirus had come to the Lower Mainland from Shanghai. She began feeling ill, so went to Burnaby Hospital, Vancouver General Hospital and a private clinic – each time complaining of flu-like symptoms.In none of those visits was she tested for the coronavirus, according to Wang. Finally, she went back to Shanghai where she was tested and was told she had the disease. The Sing Tao also reported that the B.C. Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) said the case had been investigated and there was no risk of infection to the public.

The Sing Tao noted that Wang only corresponded with the ‘patient’ via WeChat but had no other evidence that the person had the virus.

The Sing Tao also quoted a WeChat report that lists various locations in Richmond, Vancouver, and Burnaby where the person is said to have visited.

2: Headline: “A woman shamed by netizens after divulging her plan to ‘sneak out’ of Wuhan and return to Canada,” Ming Pao, Date: Jan. 24

Summary: The Ming Pao reported that a Chinese-Canadian woman, whose last name is Huang, had planned to return to Toronto following a visit to Wuhan, where the coronavirus outbreak began. Huang shared her ‘escape plan’ on WeChat. However, some netizens immediately reported her to the Greater Toronto Airports Authority, according to the Ming Pao.

After receiving a round of attacks on WeChat, Huang posted that she now understood that her plan had scared people and that she would postpone her return to Canada.

In addition, some netizens asked the airports authority to quarantine Huang upon her arrival, the Ming Pao reported.

Toronto Pearson Airport, managed by the authority, replied that they would share this information with Canadian immigration officials.

3: Headline: “Air passengers from Shanghai refused to board a plane in Japan which was carrying passengers from Wuhan,” Sing Tao, Date Jan. 27

Summary: A group of air passengers from Shanghai refused to board a plane in Japan, which they thought was carrying a number of tourists originally from Wuhan.

The flight, operated by China Southern Airlines, was scheduled to leave Nagoya, Japan, for Shanghai, China, on Jan. 27.

The Shanghai passengers reportedly said they had noticed some of the Wuhan passengers taking anti-fever medicine at the airport and that two of them had fevers before boarding, according to Sing Tao.

This led to a stand-off in which the Shanghai passengers demanded the airline ban the Wuhan passengers from flying, fearing they might spread novel coronavirus to the others.

After a five-hour delay, the passengers from Wuhan were eventually allowed to take the flight to Shanghai, while the Shanghai travelers chose to book other flights home.

4: Headline: “Vancouver-based Wuhan community group raises funds for medical supplies and sent them back to China amid coronavirus outbreak,” Sing Tao, Date: Jan. 27

Summary: Health care providers in China battling novel coronavirus don’t have adequate medical supplies to protect them, reported the Sing Tao.

In response, the Hubei Association of Vancouver raised approximately $10,000 for face masks and other medical protective clothing.

Monika Wu, the president of the Wuhan community group, said she came across news online about how Wuhan is currently facing an acute shortage of face masks and protective medical clothing. She told the Sing Tao she wanted to do something to help out, but it was hard to collect the supplies because many people are panic-buying the protective products, the Sing Tao reported.

Wu and her group of 60 members still managed to raise almost $9,500 worth of supplies by Jan. 27.

