[The Epoch Times, August 29, 2022](The Epoch Times reporter Cheng Jing reported) Under the CCP’s strict “clearing” policy, the epidemic situation in China is still one after another. Today (August 29) Shenzhen, the center of China’s science and technology center, closed down many districts, closing 24 subway stations in the city and the world‘s largest electronics market. An independent think tank in Beijing warned of two major risks to China’s economy, calling on the authorities to adjust the “zero” policy of the epidemic.
On the 29th, the National Health Commission of China reported that there were 1,696 new infections yesterday, of which 352 were symptomatic and 1,344 were asymptomatic. In Shenzhen, there were 11 new local cases, involving Luohu, Futian, Longhua and Nanshan districts.
Luohu and Futian districts issued notices respectively, and temporary control measures will be implemented from August 29 to September 1. In addition to collecting nucleic acids, purchasing materials, disposing of garbage, and emergency medical treatment, all residents will be able to “stay at home” , Strictly stay at home”. The community is strictly “whitelisted”, and people who are not on the list are prohibited from entering and leaving; and entry and exit with a 24-hour nucleic acid negative certificate.
The notice also stated that in principle, all enterprises will work from home, suspend production and business activities, and carry out “4 inspections in 4 days” nucleic acid screening in various streets; in addition, 6 subway lines and 24 stations in the city will stop service from now on.
Reuters also reported today that the closure of Shenzhen, the world‘s largest electronics market, will continue until September 2. The three main buildings in the sprawling area of the market consist of thousands of booths selling microchips, phone parts and other components to manufacturers.
The urban village of Wanxia, where no positive cases were reported this morning, was also put under lockdown, the report said, where thousands of low-wage workers, such as delivery drivers and laborers, are provided with cheap accommodation.
In the past two years or so, the CCP has taken strict prevention and control measures, but the epidemic has never been “cleared”. At present, many provinces and regions are still under lockdown. Millions or even tens of millions of people are doing nucleic acid tests every day. There are many complaints, and the economy is seriously affected. Experts and scholars continue to call for changes to the “zero” policy.
“Zero Policy” is the only one in the world
Recently, Anbang Consulting, an independent think tank in Beijing, issued a report saying that the disease-causing harm of the new coronavirus (CCP virus) has been greatly reduced, and preventing the risk of economic stall should be the number one task in China.
The report said that China’s current epidemic prevention and control measures may be the most stringent in the world. The so-called “social zero” policy means to achieve the goal of “zero infection” outside the scope of epidemic monitoring set by the government.
In view of the high pollution and low toxicity characteristics of the Omicron strain, most countries have begun to gradually release epidemic prevention and control measures. As of August this year, most countries in the world have liberalized from the epidemic and entered a relatively stable recovery stage. However, China’s anti-epidemic strategy has not changed. In the first half of the year, Shenzhen, Shanghai, Beijing and other first-tier cities have encountered closures or partial closures to varying degrees, which is in great contrast with most countries and regions in the world.
The report said that while the outside world was under the brunt of the Ukraine war, China was caught in another “war” — the “anti-epidemic war” under a strict lockdown policy, which dragged on. Live in China.
Think tank warns: China’s economy has two major risks
The report said the draconian anti-epidemic policies have caused a “freeze” in economic activity, urban operations and the movement of people. China’s economic growth has slowed significantly in the first half of the year, and there is even a risk of an economic stall.
In the first half of this year, China’s economy grew by only 2.5% year-on-year, of which only 0.7% in the second quarter. Among the major developed countries, the U.S. economy grew by 3.2% year-on-year, the United Kingdom grew by 5.8%, and France grew by 4.5%. Among ASEAN countries, the economy of the Philippines grew by 7.8% year-on-year, Malaysia by 6.9%, and Vietnam by 6.42%.
As a result, the report believes that in the second half of the year, there are two major signs of risk in China’s economy that deserve a high degree of vigilance. First, in the second half of the year, China’s economic recovery did not continue to heat up with the relaxation of lockdown control; second, the economy continued to slump, the long-standing structural problems in the domestic economy continued to emerge, and the risks in real estate, local debt, financial institutions and other fields continued to deteriorate. Towards systemic risk.
The report believes that the biggest “insecurity” facing China at present is that the economy may stall, and the biggest influencing factor is the impact of the epidemic.
According to public information, ANBOUND is an independent multinational think tank founded in 1993. It focuses on strategic research and policy analysis, and enjoys a high reputation in the fields of macro, industry and cities.
Responsible editor: Hu Yulong#