The Sunday Mail
Manyika Kangai
China Eases Covid-19 Restrictions After Protests
China’s Vice Premier Sun Chunlan, who oversees the country’s coronavirus response, said that the virus’s ability to cause disease was weakening and underlined the importance of constantly optimising the country’s Covid-19 response. Sun made the remarks on Wednesday at the National Health Commission when listening to experts’ opinions and suggestions on improving epidemic containment measures. She said the country is facing a new situation and new tasks in epidemic prevention and control as the pathogenicity of the Omicron virus weakens, more people are vaccinated and experience in containing the virus is accumulated. Anger over the world’s toughest pandemic curbs triggered protests in several cities across the country. Several Chinese cities have already started easing restrictions.
Former Chinese President Jiang Zemin Dies
Former Chinese President Jiang Zemin passed away due to leukemia and multiple organ failure in Shanghai on Wednesday. He was 96. The announcement was made in a letter addressing the Communist Party of China (CPC), the entire military and the Chinese people of all ethnic groups. The letter described him as “an outstanding leader of the great cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics”. He served as general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party from 1989 to 2002, as chairperson of the Central Military Commission from 1989 to 2004, and as president of China from 1993 to 2003. He was the core of the CPC’s third generation of central collective leadership and the principal founder of the Theory of Three Represents.
China’s Factory Activity Shrinks
The Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) for China’s manufacturing sector came in at 48 in November, down from 49,2 in October, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics released on Wednesday. A reading above 50 indicates expansion, while a reading below reflects contraction. The November reading was weighed down by sporadic and scattered Covid-19 resurgences. Production activities have also been disturbed, with the sub-index for production standing at 47,8 in November, down 1,8 percentage points from the previous month. Demand has also declined, with the sub-index for new orders dropping 1,7 percentage points from October to 46,4. The sub-index measuring purchase prices of major raw materials retreated 2,6 percentage points from last month to 50,7. The sub-index for prices at the factory gate was 47,4, down 1,3 percentage points from October. Wednesday’s data also showed the PMI for China’s non-manufacturing sector came in at 46,7 in November, down from 48,7 in October.
China’s Renewable Energy Capacity Expands
China’s installed capacity of renewable energy has sustained growth momentum since the beginning of this year amid the country’s pursuit of green development. By the end of October, China’s total installed power generation capacity reached about 2,5 billion kilowatts, rising 8,3 percent year-on-year, according to data from the National Energy Administration. Specifically, the installed capacity of wind power grew 16,6 percent from a year ago to 350 million kilowatts, while that of solar power came in at 360 million kilowatts, a yearly increase of 29,2 percent. In the first 10 months, the total investment of China’s major power generation companies in solar power skyrocketed 326,7 percent year-on-year to 157,4 billion yuan (about US$22 billion).
China Launches Manned Spaceship
China launched Shenzhou-15, a manned spaceship, on Tuesday night. The manned spaceship blasted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northwest China at 11.08 pm (Beijing Time) on top of the Long March-2F Y15 carrier rocket. The three astronauts aboard Shenzhou-15 entered the country’s space station and met with another astronaut trio on Wednesday making it an historic gathering that added the manpower at the in-orbit space lab to six for the first time. The Shenzhou-15 mission will wrap up the last stage of the space station construction and kick off the first stage of its application and development.
*Manyika Kangai helps African businesses realise the full potential of vast opportunities China presents. He has over 15 years of experience facilitating and advising on China-Africa trade and investment deals. Feeback +27743487997/www.muvambi-sa.co.za
