A Taiwan resident died of the H7N9 avian flu virus Monday evening, 23 days after the infection was confirmed, the local disease control agency said Tuesday.

The man, 69, contracted the virus on Feb. 4 and died in hospital on Feb. 27 after medical treatment failed, according to the agency.

The man, from Kaohsiung, initially felt ill on Jan. 23 when he was visiting Guangdong Province on business. He returned to Taiwan on Jan. 25 but was tested negative for bird-flu at a hospital.

The patient felt symptoms such as fever, coughing and breathing difficulties on Jan. 29, and was diagnosed with pneumonia. He was hospitalized on Feb. 1, and confirmed as having the avian-flu virus three days later.

The man was the first Taiwan resident and second person to die of H7N9 on the island, where a total of five human H7N9 cases have been confirmed, according to local media.

The first person to die from the virus in Taiwan was a mainland resident.

Top political advisor Yu Zhengsheng on Tuesday asked the country’s political advisors to stick to the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and socialism.

Yu, chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee, made the remarks at a concluding meeting attended by senior political advisors.

Political advisors should perform their duty and make good preparation for the 19th CPC National Congress which will be held in 2017, Yu said.

Yu called on political advisors to offer advice to economic and social development, conduct consultation, raise quality proposals, perform supervision and promote solidarity.

He also urged political advisors to observe disciplines and anti-graft rules during the upcoming annual session of the top political advisory body which will start on March 3.

The meeting adopted the agenda and schedule for the CPPCC Natinoal Committee’s annual session.

The meeting also approved the standing committee’s work report to be deliberated at the annual session and a report on proposals made since last year’s session.

Several appointments and dismissals of officials were also announced at the meeting.

The CPPCC is a consultation body. It consists of figures representative of Chinese society who advise the government, and legislative and judicial organs.

Archives and witness statements have indicated that Taiwan’s “February 28 Uprising” had nothing to do with “Taiwan independence”.

Tuesday marks the 70th anniversary of the uprising.

Some witnesses recalled the occasion, saying that there were no slogans or leaflets advocating “Taiwan independence” during the campaign, and most Taiwan people believed that ideas advocating “Taiwan independence” are false and absurd.

“What the Taiwan people are seeking is local autonomy, rather than separating from the motherland,” Li Wei-kuang, head of a Taiwan people association in Shanghai, was quoted by archives as saying.

As “Taiwan independence” secessionist forces described the uprising as a conflict between provinces, Li recalled that people in Taiwan were not against people from other provinces, but only hoped to seek their help and cooperate with them.

On Feb. 28, 1947, a Kuomintang (KMT) party enforcement team assaulted a woman near Taipei railway station as she was selling contraband cigarettes.

The incident caused a bloody confrontation between Taiwan civilians and the KMT authorities, which developed into an island-wide movement against the despotic rule of the KMT.

The uprising was a spontaneous mass movement of the people of Taiwan for democracy and autonomy, but some people in Taiwan interpret the uprising as a “Taiwan independence” movement, completely distorting the true story.

An Fengshan, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, told a press conference last week that “Taiwan independence” secessionist forces twisted the uprising for their own gain, adding that their intentions are despicable.

The Taiwan people have a glorious tradition of patriotism, and participants of the uprising made enormous contributions to territorial integrity.

People across Taiwan also marked the civilian uprising to mourn the victims and calling for an understanding of the true nature of the event.

Among various ceremonies held across the island Tuesday, a symposium was held and attended by more than 100 people including participants of the uprising and their family members, as well as historians and academics.

“The Feb. 28 uprising was against the despotic rule of the Kuomintang Party (KMT) on the island at that time, and has no connection with current ‘Taiwan independence,'” said Chen Ming-chung, 88, a participant of the uprising.

China beat its annual target by lifting 12.4 million people out of poverty in 2016, official data showed Tuesday.

“The progress was partly due to large financial resources, amounting to more than 230 billion yuan (34.33 billion U.S. dollars), earmarked by the central and local budgets,” said Su Guoxia, spokesperson with the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development.

“More than 30 million poor people from more than 900 counties benefited from these resources,” Su said.

China’s financial institutions issued 818.1 billion yuan of loans to aid the anti-poverty drive, and outstanding loans now total 2.49 trillion yuan. About 8.01 million households have received micro-credit, worth a total of 283.3 billion yuan.

Su said that more financial resources would be added to tackle poverty in 2017 to ensure the government met its annual target to reduce poverty by 10 million people.

China has vowed to eradicate poverty in the country by 2020, when China to become a “moderately prosperous society.”

To meet this goal, China must lift 10 million people out of poverty each year from 2016 to 2020.

By the end of 2016, there were 45 million people living in poverty, many in areas without roads, clean drinking water or power.

Wang Shuaiting, former executive of China Travel Service (Holdings) Hong Kong Ltd., was sentenced to 16 years in prison for accepting bribes and embezzling public funds, a court said Tuesday.

According to Shenzhen Municipal Intermediate People’s Court, south China’s Guangdong Province, Wang was also fined 1.2 million yuan (174,545 U.S. dollars). His illegal gains will be confiscated.

Wang took advantage of his posts from 2003 to 2013 to seek benefit for institutions or employees, in capital investment, stock right transfers and promotions, according to the court. He also accepted bribes totaling over 40 million yuan.

The court showed lenience to Wang as he confessed, gave evidence on other criminals, expressed remorse and cooperated in returning bribes.