BTW, I’ll be on CNBC Asia at 9:30 AM Hong Kong time tomorrow (May 9), to talk about the Chinese economy and markets.
I am not trying to sound sensational or anything. China is indeed in a war against the Coronavirus, a certain political fraction, or the so-called Western ideology etc… I am not sure which comes first. The Chinese government is definitely fighting hard for something, something so important that it precedes the economy.
To prove my point… In the press release from the latest Politburo meeting on May 5, the word “battle” or “war” appeared five times, while “economy” appeared only once. The meeting minutes read more like a declaration of war and again put the country on high alert. The May 5 meeting also seems a notable departure from the previous Politburo meeting on April 29, when there was equal attention given to the virus control and the economy.
Understanding that China is trying to fight a war without gun smoke, then all of the extreme measures like the extended Shanghai lockdown make sense. This is the only explanation that can rationalize everything and connect all the dots. The key question is if and when China will end its zero-covid policy.
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Daily Reflection on China to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.