Covid testing in the city of Nanjing
Letter from China: Covid resurgence compounds economic concerns
China’s economy faces headwinds that go beyond than the arrival of the Delta variant
China’s worst Covid-19 outbreak since the virus first emerged is adding to the growing list of challenges facing the country’s economy, raising concerns about a slowdown in growth that could have consequences for domestic energy demand. The central city of Wuhan—synonymous with the coronavirus when the pandemic started 18 months ago—detected three new cases on Monday, which were the city’s first since May 2020. The cases add to an increasingly severe outbreak of the Delta variant that started at an airport in the eastern city of Nanjing last month and has now spread to more than 20 cities in nearly half of China’s 31 provinces. 7.9pc – China’s below-forecast April-June GDP growth Whi
Also in this section
14 April 2026
The GECF has warned it may revise its projections for demand this year downwards in light of conflict in the Middle East, although it maintains its forecasts for 2027 and onwards
13 April 2026
Petroleum Economist analysis highlights sharp shift from crude oversupply to market deficit, with Iraq and Kuwait badly affected and key producers Saudi Arabia and the UAE also seeing output sharply lower
13 April 2026
Turkmenistan is moving ahead with a modest expansion of the giant Galkynysh field to sustain gas deliveries abroad, but persistent delays to other key pipeline projects and geopolitical risks continue to constrain its export ambitions
13 April 2026
Expensive electricity has forced out swathes of energy-intensive industry and now threatens the country’s ability to attract future investment in datacentres and the digital economy
