According to estimates by the London-based data processor Airfinity, there have been over 300,000 deaths in China since the beginning of December as a result of corona infections.
(Photo: dpa)
Beijing Weak global demand and the corona situation in China again weighed heavily on Chinese foreign trade in December. China’s exports in US dollars fell by 9.9 percent compared to the same month last year, as reported by customs in Beijing on Friday. It was the third monthly decline in a row. Imports also fell by 7.5 percent. Overall, foreign trade recorded a minus of 8.9 percent in December.
Trade between China and Germany experienced a particularly sharp slump in December. China’s exports to Germany fell by 27.9 percent and imports fell by 10.9 percent.
>> Read here: Why Russia now has to sell off its oil
China’s economy was heavily burdened last year by the strict zero-corona policy and the associated lockdowns. On December 7, Beijing made an abrupt about-face and abolished most of the corona measures after a good three years. But since then, the coronavirus has been spreading rapidly across the country, which is now also having a negative impact on economic activity.
Top jobs of the day
Find the best jobs now and
be notified by email.
Many metropolises resembled ghost towns in December, as people did not go out because of illness or fear of infection. Life is now back to normal. However, there are still reports of overburdened hospitals and crematoria.
Over 20,000 dead every day
According to estimates by London-based data processor Airfinity, around 3.6 million people are currently infected every day in the world’s most populous country, while there are over 20,000 deaths every day. According to these estimates, more than 300,000 people have died since the beginning of December. According to the projections, the number of corona deaths could increase to 1.7 million by the end of April.
>> Read here: “We want democracy, not dictatorship” – Why freedom is making a comeback
In 2022 as a whole, China’s exports increased by seven percent compared to the previous year, which is mainly due to the even better situation in the first half of the year. Imports also increased slightly by one percent for the year as a whole. The Chinese foreign trade surplus reached a new record value of 878 billion US dollars (around 809 billion euros) for the year.
Economists assume that China’s economy will recover this year. After the corona wave has been overcome, growth could pick up again significantly from the second quarter. The Beijing Bureau of Statistics will present growth figures for the fourth quarter and the full year 2022 next Tuesday.
More: Bosch invests one billion US dollars in China – no sign of withdrawal