The Guardian (September 4)
“With the population expected to decline dramatically in the coming decades–leaving a gaping hole in the workforce–Japan is quietly easing restrictions and accepting record numbers of migrants, mostly from Asian countries such as Vietnam, China, Indonesia and the Philippines.” Recent data shows “a jump in overseas-born residents, to an all-time high of around 3 million, almost 50% up on a decade ago.”
Tags: China, Decline, Dramatically, Easing, Indonesia, Japan, Migrants, Philippines, Population, Record numbers, Restrictions, Vietnam, Workforce
The Guardian (April 18)
“China’s economy rebounded faster than expected, surpassing growth estimates for the first quarter of the year, after the country relaxed its onerous Covid-19 restrictions and consumer spending surged.” The 4.5% quarterly growth marked “the fastest in a year and beat the 4% rise forecast by analysts polled by Reuters.”
Tags: Analysts, China, Consumer spending, COVID-19, Economy, Estimates, Forecast, Growth, Onerous, Q1, Rebounded, Restrictions, Surpassing
Seeking Alpha (January 27)
“A war over silicon is brewing between the world’s two largest economies as the U.S. looks to isolate China from one of the most important technologies of the future.” As America tries “to protect the rest of the advanced chip supply chain by forging an alliance that will curtail China’s ability to produce its own domestic silicon…. Restrictions are likely to be imposed on ASML, Nikon and Tokyo Electron, building on earlier business rules and trading regulations, and marking the latest salvo in the semiconductor war.”
Tags: Advanced, ASML, China, Chip, Future, Isolate, Nikon, Protect, Restrictions, Semiconductor war, Silicon, Supply chain, Technologies, Tokyo Electron, U.S.
Investment Week (January 23)
“Chinese equities took a beating in the year of the tiger, with the collapse of the nation’s property market, stringent restrictions on some of its sectors and its zero-Covid policy all hampering investor interest.” In contrast, the year of the rabbit is beginning “in a remarkably different place…. Dynamics are now shifting in a favourable direction, benefiting Chinese stocks and global growth.” Nevertheless, “investment experts remain wary and advise caution.”
Tags: Caution, China, Collapse, Dynamics, Equities, Experts, Favourable, Growth, Investor, Property market, Rabbit, Restrictions, Stocks, Tiger, Zero COVID
New York Times (December 13)
With Zero-Covid restrictions lifted, Beijing again “looks like a city in the throes of a lockdown — this time, self-imposed by residents. Sidewalks and pedestrian shopping streets are barren, and once busy traffic thoroughfares are deserted. Residents are hunkering down indoors and hoarding medicine as a wave of Covid sweeps across the Chinese capital.”
Tags: Barren, Beijing, Deserted, Hoarding, Hunkering down, Lockdown, Medicine, Residents, Restrictions, Self-imposed, Shopping streets, Zero COVID
BBC (June 1)
“It was supposed to last just nine days – a staggered lockdown to lessen the impact on Shanghai’s economy…. It lasted 65 days. It crippled the city and scarred its people. Restrictions are now being eased as quickly as they were imposed.” Like a “big bang,” most of the pervasive measures “are simply being lifted.”
Tags: 65 days, 9 days, Crippled, Eased, Economy, Impact, Imposed, Lockdown, People, Restrictions, Scarred, Shanghai, Staggered
Reuters (May 27)
Covid-related restrictions “have battered the world’s second-biggest economy even as most countries have been seeking to return to something like normal.” Although “China’s economy is now staggering back to its feet,” the recovery remains “grinding and partial… with businesses from retailers to chipmakers warning of slow sales as consumers in the country slam the brakes on spending.”
Tags: Battered, Businesses, China, Chipmakers, Consumers, Covid, Economy, Grinding, Normal, Partial, Recovery, Restrictions, Retailers, Sales, Staggering, Warning
The Week (March 4)
“An advertisement seeking 30 women to drive bullet trains drew more than 28,000 female applicants in Saudi Arabia last week, revealing massive demand for jobs as the kingdom loosens restrictions on women’s employment.”
Tags: Advertisement, Bullet trains, Demand, Employment, Female applicants, Jobs, Kingdom, Loosens, Restrictions, Saudi Arabia, Women
FreightWaves (February 14)
“The busiest commercial crossing between the U.S. and Canada, the Ambassador Bridge, reopened late Sunday after police in Windsor, Ontario, cleared out a protest over COVID-19 restrictions that squeezed the cross-border supply chain for a week.” Some other border crossings still remain closed by protests, which have “disrupted millions of dollars of trade and led multiple auto plants to slow production because of delays in receiving parts.”
Tags: Ambassador Bridge, Auto plants, Busiest, Canada, Commercial crossing, COVID-19, Delays, Disrupted, Ontario, Police, Production, Protest, Reopened, Restrictions, Supply chain, Trade, U.S., Windsor
Wall Street Journal (February 1)
“Despite record-high case numbers, the U.K. and other governments across Europe responded to Omicron with lighter restrictions than any previous wave of the virus, allowing businesses to remain open.” Moreover, individuals and businesses have “adapted to restrictions, minimizing the effects.” As a result, economic growth in Europe has slowed far less than during previous surges.
Tags: Businesses, Cases, Economic growth, Europe, High, Individuals, Omicron, Open, Record, Restrictions, Slowed, U.K., Virus