What next for China’s economy as COVID curbs eased? – DW – 12/09/2022
Investors around the world breathed a sigh of relief this week after China loosened some restrictions against the coronavirus following three years of strict lockdowns. Reacting to unprecedented street protests, a top-level Communist Party meeting on Wednesday pledged to focus on stabilizing growth while optimizing pandemic measures.
Among the rules dropped is the need for tests to ride public transport, while most infected people can now isolate at home rather than in quarantine centers.
The change is a sign that the world’s second-largest economy is finally ready to live with the virus, rather than maintaining its draconian zero-COVID policy.
The decision came as China’s imports plunged 10.6% and exports dropped 8.7% in November, levels not seen since early 2020 when the virus first emerged. Official data last week also showed China’s factory activity shrank for a second straight month in November, as large swathes of…
