From its original epicentre in the north, including the capital Beijing, COVID-19 infections are spreading throughout the country and cases are impeding workforces in manufacturing belts, including the Yangtze River Delta, near Shanghai. With mass testing halted after China abruptly dropped its zero-COVID policy this month, official data no longer reliably captures new case numbers. Some estimates, however, predict the wave currently sweeping the country could infect up to 60% of China's 1.4 billion-strong population. LOGISTICS LOGJAMLeading automobile chipmaker, Renesas Electronics Corp (6723.T) suspended production at its Beijing plant last Friday due to COVID-19 infections, but said it would re-open Tuesday. For now, however, that impact is being limited in part by economic hardships elsewhere in the world denting demand for products from China.

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