Virus Spread Leads to Cancellation of Spring Festival Cultural Events
Major Chinese Tourist Attractions Including the Forbidden City Also Restricted
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heung-soon] As the novel coronavirus infection, known as 'Wuhan pneumonia,' spreads uncontrollably worldwide, major international sports events and cultural festivals scheduled to be held in China are also being postponed one after another.
First, the venue for the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics boxing Asia-Oceania qualifiers has been changed. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) Boxing Task Force (TF) team announced on the 26th (Korean time) that the Tokyo Olympics Asia-Oceania qualifiers will be held from March 3 to 11 in Amman, the capital of Jordan.
This competition was originally scheduled to be held in Wuhan, China, from February 3 to 14. However, as Wuhan pneumonia rapidly spread, the IOC Boxing TF team decided to cancel it on the 23rd. Afterward, the TF team reviewed alternative venues and accepted the proposal from the Jordan Olympic Committee to hold the competition in Amman.
Our country's boxing team plans to send a total of 13 athletes to this competition, including 8 men such as Ham Sang-myeong (Seongnam City Hall) and 5 women including Oh Yeon-ji (Ulsan Metropolitan City Hall).
Earlier, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) also decided to hold the Tokyo Olympics women's football qualifiers, originally scheduled from February 3 to 9 in Wuhan, in Nanjing, which is 550 km away from Wuhan. The qualifiers include China, Taiwan, Thailand, and Australia in Group B. The change of venue was reportedly based on a proposal from the Chinese Football Association.
Previously, the Taiwan Football Association stated, "The safety of the players is the top priority," expressing their intention not to participate if the Olympic qualifiers were held in Wuhan. Australian media reported that their players felt somewhat relieved that the qualifiers would be held far from Wuhan.
Not only in Wuhan but also cultural events scheduled to be held at major tourist sites to celebrate China's largest holiday, the Spring Festival, have been canceled. An ice show commemorating the Spring Festival was scheduled at the Beijing National Stadium, where the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics were held, but Chinese authorities decided to close the stadium until the 30th to prevent and control the spread of the virus. Access to tourist attractions such as the Forbidden City and some sections of the Great Wall is also being restricted.
Meanwhile, according to the Chinese National Health Commission, as of midnight on this day, 1,975 confirmed cases of 'Wuhan pneumonia' have been reported in 30 provinces of China, with 56 deaths recorded.
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