China hints at easing ‘zero-Covid’ approach following widespread protests December 1, 2022 China’s stance to Covid-19 is at a crossroad, following mass protests against its zero-tolerance approach to cases of the virus. One of the country’s most senior pandemic response officials said last night that China is entering a “new stage and mission”. According to state media, Sun Chunlan, China’s vice premier, said: “With the decreasing pathogenicity [...]
Warning on UK’s frosty China stance: Beijing could retaliate with supply chain disruption December 1, 2022 There are fresh warnings today about China’s ability to intentionally disrupt international supply chains, with claims the UK could be particularly vulnerable. The Evenstar Institute, a London foreign policy think tank, said in a new report today that “Beijing has repeatedly targeted direct trade for strategic purposes in recent years” and that “the UK is [...]
Inspiration Healthcare warns investors of hit to sales over China lockdowns November 28, 2022 Inspiration Healthcare has warned shareholders that sales will not exceed last year’s levels because of ongoing Covid-19 restrictions in China. The company’s China-based distributor has been significantly disrupted by the tough pandemic measures, which has curbed its “access to major customers”, the company said in a statement today. “As a result of this continued uncertainty, [...]
China Covid-19 cases hit record high as Beijing postpones ‘reopening’ November 24, 2022 Daily Covid-19 cases in China have hit a record high, cementing a fresh wave of concern that the country will not ‘open up’ after all. Wednesday saw 31,527 cases recorded compared with an April peak of 28,000. The figures are relatively small for the country of 1.4bn people. Beijing’s controversial ‘zero-Covid’ policies were hoped to [...]
Fears of tougher restrictions sweep China after first Covid death in months November 21, 2022 Fears of tougher restrictions have reignited across China today, after the country recorded its first Covid-19 death in six months. On Sunday, an 87-year-old man in Beijing died as infections across the country spike. Beijing has in recent days moved to confine some residents to their homes and ordered others to quarantine centres. Markets fell [...]
Tencent vows to ‘distribute’ $20.3bn Meituan shares to investors November 16, 2022 Tencent has vowed to give its shareholders $20.3bn (£17.4bn) worth of shares in Chinese food delivery firm Meituan as it seeks to reduce its holdings in China’s tech sector. The Shenzhen conglomerate’s “special dividend” comes as its sales dropped two per cent year-on-year, to £16.6bn, on the back of a five per cent drop in [...]
Airbus chief: A China-West economic divorce remains unlikely November 14, 2022 The economic relationship between China and the West will never be truly over, Airbus’s chief executive Guillaume Faury has said. According to the chief executive, despite current economic and political tensions, the two blocks are too intertwined to sever all ties, as this would lead to a global economic collapse. “I think a breakup of [...]
Sigh of relief in global markets as China finally relaxes some Covid rules November 11, 2022 With all the bad news that has dominated the airwaves in recent months it was very welcome to see that US CPI rose significantly less than expected in October to its lowest level since January, prompting a huge relief rally in stocks, bonds as well as a sharp selloff in the US dollar. The rally [...]
China trade slumps for first time since May 2020 on zero-Covid rules November 7, 2022 A combination of strict Covid-19 containment measures hobbling factories and a global economic slowdown have kneecapped China’s trade position, official figures out today revealed. Beijing’s commitment to blanket lockdowns to stop the spread of the virus has disrupted production, forcing down factory output and leaving Chinese exporters with fewer goods to ship abroad. The world’s [...]
Nervous markets scratch their heads over lockdown pain due to confusing China Covid policy November 7, 2022 Despite a big relief rally at the back end of last week, US markets still couldn’t reverse the losses of the previous three days, closing lower for the first time in three weeks, although for European markets it was a somewhat different story. The DAX finished higher for the fifth week in succession, posting its [...]