China SOEs pitch in to combat virus spread

BEIJING -- China's state-owned enterprises mobilized more resources to combat the outbreak of pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus.

Three telecom operators -- China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom -- have initiated emergency responses to ensure smooth and reliable communications in Central China's Hubei province, where most cases were found.

Centrally-administered pharmaceutical SOEs were asked to accelerate production of test kits and medical appliances to ensure sufficient supplies, according to the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council.

Central pharmaceutical SOEs were also encouraged to develop vaccines against the virus.

Some 830 confirmed cases of pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) had been reported in 29 provincial-level regions in the country by the end of Thursday.