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Nanjing, a historic city in eastern China, vowed to ensure daily supplies of fever medicines. The rapid spread of the virus across China has left many pharmacies sold out of medication to treat COVID-19. A major Chinese pharmaceutical company said this week that it expects the shortage of fever medicines to ease soon as manufacturers ramp up production. The Haikou-based drug manufacturer said there was a “short-term” shortage of its fever and cold medicines mostly due to hoarding. Tech giant Tencent announced this week that it had rolled out a program via its social messaging app Wechat allowing people to share surplus fever medicines.

Now, as the country rapidly relaxes restrictions, millions of people have been told to keep going to work — even if they’re infected. For three years, its stringent approach has kept Covid cases and deaths relatively low in the country. Covid control workers walk by a closed shop near a community with residents under health monitoring for Covid on December 4 in Beijing. Top leaders at the Central Economic Work Conference, a key annual meeting that ended Friday, said in a statement that stabilizing economic growth was the top priority for 2023. Officials nationwide had worked frantically to contain Covid cases ahead of the highly sensitive twice-a-decade leadership reshuffle, which saw Chinese leader Xi Jinping emerge more powerful than ever into his third term.

☆ The Year in Pictures 2022
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( The New York Times | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +57 min

Every year, starting in early fall, photo editors at The New York Times begin sifting through the year’s work in an effort to pick out the most startling, most moving, most memorable pictures. But 2022 undoubtedly belongs to the war in Ukraine, a conflict now settling into a worryingly predictable rhythm. Erin Schaff/The New York Times “When you’re standing on the ground, you can’t visualize the scope of the destruction. Jim Huylebroek for The New York Times Kyiv, Ukraine, Feb. 25. We see the same images over and over, and it’s really hard to make anything different.” Kyiv, Ukraine, Feb 26.

CNN —China will abolish its Covid-19 trace tracking service, the “Mobile Itinerary card,” on Tuesday, officials say. Since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, China has used the itinerary card system to track individuals’ travel histories over 14 days. The system is tied to people’s phone numbers and aims to identify individuals who have visited cities with any area designated a “high-risk zone” by authorities. This system, together with a health QR code that tracks individuals’ health statuses regarding Covid-19, determined people’s movements into public spaces across China. Even after much of the world relaxed pandemic restrictions, China continued to lock down entire cities and send all Covid-19 patients to central quarantine facilities, while restricting others from visiting areas where positive cases were detected.

☆ China expands hospitals and ICUs as it faces Covid surge
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-11 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Medical workers wear PPE as they stand next to people waiting in line outside a fever clinic on Dec. 9, 2022 in Beijing, China. A Cabinet meeting called Thursday for "full mobilization" of hospitals including adding staff to ensure their "combat effectiveness" and increasing drug supplies, according to state media. Officials were told to keep track of the health of everyone in their area aged 65 and older. It isn't clear how much infection numbers have increased since Beijing last week ended mandatory testing as often as once a day in many areas. But interviews and social media accounts say there are outbreaks in businesses and schools across the country.

☆ As ‘zero-Covid’ nears end, Chinese remember whistleblower doctor
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Dorothy Kam | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Weeks later, as the coronavirus shut down cities in China and began spreading around the world, Li died from the disease after contracting it at work. This week, Chinese officials announced they were abandoning key pillars of President Xi Jinping’s “zero-Covid” strategy, including broad lockdowns, mass testing and quarantine in centralized government facilities. Many social media users rushed to tell Li, flooding his profile on Weibo, a Twitter-like platform, with expressions of gratitude, celebration and grief. The latest easing of restrictions comes after mass protests across China against the “zero-Covid” controls, with some demonstrators calling for Xi to step down. Some Weibo users vowed to make Li proud as case numbers rise.

☆ Beijing, Shenzhen loosen more Covid curbs as China easing gathers pace
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-03 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

(Photo by Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)Beijing residents cheered the removal of Covid-19 testing booths while Shenzhen followed other cities in announcing it would no longer require commuters to present their test results to travel, as an easing of China's virus curbs gathered pace. Three years into the pandemic, China has been a global outlier with its zero-tolerance approach towards Covid that has seen it enforce lockdowns and frequent virus testing. China began tweaking its approach last month, urging localities to become more targeted. Initial reactions, however, were marked with confusion and even tighter lockdowns as cities scrambled to keep a lid on rising cases. Then a deadly apartment fire last month in the far western city of Urumqi sparked dozens of protests against Covid curbs in a wave unprecedented in mainland China since President Xi Jinping took power in 2012.

☆ Market veteran Ed Yardeni shares his recession odds and geopolitical risks: 'The world just isn't a safe place these days'
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-03 | by ( Phil Rosen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Today features my conversation with top strategist and economist, Ed Yardeni, on his recession outlook and what he sees as the US economy's biggest risks for 2023. Ed Yardeni, President of Yardeni Research Ed YardeniEd Yardeni is the president of Yardeni Research. Ed Yardeni: For the past year or so, the main issue for the US economy is inflation. EY: They can either continue to tighten until they cause a recession, but that's not my most likely scenario. I think either rates are going to go higher, causing a recession, which would bring interest rates down next year.

☆ Debt woes and zero-Covid: China's cities are running out of cash to pay huge bills
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

They spent 11.8 trillion yuan ($1.65 trillion) more than they raised in revenue between January and October, borrowing heavily to do so, according to data from China’s Ministry of Finance. Andy Wong/AP‘Widest in history’For nearly three years, local governments have borne the brunt of enforcing pandemic controls. The weak fiscal position of local governments has been a drag on the country’s overall financial standing. Kevin Frayer/Getty ImagesLow income, high costsWhy are local governments in this parlous state? In May, Beijing told local governments that they had to bear the costs for regular Covid testing in their regions.

HONG KONG — Chinese authorities are moving to ease strict “zero-Covid” controls, in an apparent response to a nationwide wave of protests that have otherwise been suppressed. Police form a cordon in Beijing on Monday during a protest against China’s strict “zero-Covid” measures. Kevin Frayer / Getty ImagesChinese authorities have mostly stamped out the protests, with heavy police presence at protesters’ former gathering sites. Like other Chinese leaders, Jiang showed little tolerance for dissent, jailing activists and banning the Falun Gong religious movement. But the political environment has greatly tightened under Xi, leading some people in China to reassess Jiang’s legacy.

☆ China could reopen in March, but zero-Covid has shaken confidence in supply chains, economist says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Su-Lin Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Over the weekend, protests broke out across China in a rare display of frustration over China's zero-Covid policy and prolonged lockdowns. Rare protests broke out across China over the weekend as people vented their frustration over China's zero-Covid policy and prolonged lockdowns. "People are complaining about things but the only thing on people's mind is the zero-Covid policy. And people in all walks of lives are simmering with discontent about the continuation of this policy," Li said. "One major and philosophical reason is that the zero-Covid policy was designed to fight [the] virus, which was three years ago but now the virus has changed.

☆ China's people are protesting the country's severe zero-COVID policies, and public-health experts agree with them
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | Paola Rosa-Aquino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Protests are erupting across China over the country's restrictive zero-COVID policies. Public-health experts say the policies are unsustainable, ineffective, and unnecessarily severe. Without vaccination campaigns targeting older adults, China's lockdowns may only delay a catastrophic COVID wave. Tyrone Siu/ReutersThere is no easy way forward for China, but constant 2020-style lockdowns are not the solution, according to public-health experts, who called the policies unsustainable, ineffective, and irrational. As a result, Huang thinks the zero-COVID lockdowns are completely unwarranted.

☆ China protests could usher in 'more authoritarian' Xi era, analyst says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Police form a cordon during a protest against Chinas strict zero COVID measures on November 27, 2022 in Beijing, China. "It raises the pressure on Xi Jinping, and I think likely puts him towards a more authoritarian approach to governance in China," Green added. As such, Xi's CCP could clamp down further on public protests, Green noted. That was the case during 2019's pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong, and 1989's Tiananmen Square protests on the Chinese mainland. "In the short term, the Covid policy will only be fine-tuned without moving the needle," Bruce Pang, chief economist and head of research for Greater China at JLL, said Monday.

☆ Global markets fall after protests erupt in China over Covid lockdowns
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-27 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Hong Kong CNN Business —Global markets fell on Monday after widespread protests in China against the country’s stringent Covid-19 restrictions roiled investor sentiment. The markets tumble comes after protests erupted across China in an unprecedented show of defiance against the country’s stringent and increasingly costly zero-Covid policy. US stock futures — an indication of how markets are likely to open — fell, with Dow futures down 0.3%, or 108 points. Oil prices dropped sharply, with investors concerned that surging Covid cases and protests in China may sap demand from one of the world’s largest oil consumers. US crude futures fell 2.7% to trade at $74.22 a barrel.

☆ Jim Cramer: Our allies — and enemies — hold the keys to unlocking this market
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-27 | by ( Jim Cramer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

What is confounding us has more to do with the actions of our allies and — just call it as we see it — our enemies. It's incredible how irrational it has all gone and how isolated China really turns out to be. As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust's portfolio. If Jim has talked about a stock on CNBC TV, he waits 72 hours after issuing the trade alert before executing the trade.

☆ Mainland China's total daily Covid cases soar above Shanghai lockdown highs
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Kevin Frayer | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesBEIJING — Mainland China reported more than 31,000 Covid infections for Wednesday, including cases without symptoms. However, daily Covid infections with symptoms remain well below the high seen in April. Nearly 90% or more of total Covid cases reported in recent days have been asymptomatic, the data showed. But nearly all of China's 31 province-level regions have reported new Covid infections, with and without symptoms, each day. watch nowChina this month trimmed quarantine times and has announced other measures to try to make Covid controls more targeted.

☆ Xi shook up the power order in China, but the world should expect little change — because Xi is still the complete puppet master, 2 experts say
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Last month, Xi Jinping announced who would join him to be the top seven officials in China. Kevin Frayer/Stringer/Getty ImagesBoosted to the second-in-command spot by Xi, Li is thought to be one of the president's closest protégés. Having been the lowest-ranked member of the previous standing committee, Zhao has jumped four positions to get to his current role. It indicates to me that Xi Jinping is satisfied with the work that Zhao has done," said Loh. "Xi Jinping makes it very clear.

Xi Jinping consolidated his power in China with a reshuffle of the politburo standing committee. He also used the event to unveil the new members of the politburo standing committee. He is a new entry to the standing committee, and at 60, is its youngest member. He is another new member of the politburo standing committee and will help lead the central commission for discipline inspection. He previously worked as the party leader in Yan'an, which once served as the headquarters of the party before it took control of the whole country.

☆ What happened to former Chinese leader Hu Jintao?
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( Analysis Cnn Staff | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

China's former leader Hu Jintao is lifted from his chair by a young aide at the closing of the Communist Party Congress on Saturday. Neither has the incident been reported in Chinese language media, or discussed on Chinese social media, where conversations around senior leaders are highly restricted. Former Chinese leader Hu Jintao is taken by the arm and escorted out. “For whatever reasons, Xi ordered Hu to be escorted out when he must have thought that Hu might not behave exactly as Xi would have wanted,” he said. Former Chinese leader Hu Jintao pats the shoulder of his protege, Premier Li Keqiang.

☆ China's Xi defends zero-Covid policy and warns Taiwan at opening of Communist Party Congress
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-16 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

Chinese President Xi Jinping called for accelerating the building of a world-class military as he kicked off a Communist Party Congress by touting the country's “zero-Covid” strategy and reiterating policy priorities. Xi described the five years since the last party congress as “extremely uncommon and abnormal”, during a speech that lasted less than two hours — far shorter than his nearly three-and-a-half-hour address at the 2017 congress. Chinese President Xi Jinping, bottom, centre, is applauded by senior members of the government and delegates after his speech on Sunday. The son of a Communist Party revolutionary, Xi has reinvigorated a party that had grown deeply corrupt and increasingly irrelevant, expanding its presence across all aspects of China, with Xi officially its “core”. The day after the congress ends on Saturday, Xi is expected to introduce his new Politburo Standing Committee, a seven-person leadership team.

☆ China is no longer just any emerging market — it has become its own beast
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-14 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Analysts note longer-term trends of China's reduced dependency on foreign investment and intellectual property. Kevin Frayer | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesBEIJING — China is no longer just another emerging market play. Analysts note longer-term trends of China's reduced dependency on foreign investment and intellectual property. So far, she said, the number of clients excluding China isn't "overwhelming," and by metrics such as per capita GDP the country remains an emerging market. An internal party committee, or office, gathers together a company's employees who are members of the Communist Party of China.

☆ China's economy is 'in deep trouble' as Xi heads to Communist Party congress
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-14 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

“Xi’s leadership is not causal for China’s economic rise,” said Sonja Opper, a professor at Bocconi University in Italy who studies China’s economy. Bloomberg/Getty ImagesThe International Monetary Fund recently cut its forecast for China’s growth to 3.2% this year, representing a sharp slowdown from 8.1% in 2021. Under Xi, China has not only become more insular, but has also seen the fraying of US-China relations. He is expected to secure an unprecedented third term in power at the Communist Party Congress that begins on Sunday. “Moreover, growth is not the only source of legitimacy and support for the Communist Party, and Xi has increasingly burnished the Communist Party’s nationalist credentials to appeal to patriotism as well as pocketbooks,” he added.

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