China has seen a surge in Covid cases
Letter from Beijing: Covid relapse threatens demand
China’s rebounding appetite for energy is being undermined by fresh lockdowns and quarantine measures
China’s worst Covid outbreak in two years is pushing its zero-tolerance policy to the limit, with implications for fuel and energy demand if Beijing cannot bring the latest surge under control quickly. The Omicron outbreak—China’s most serious since the initial crisis first erupted in Wuhan in early 2020—has spread to more than half of the country, with domestically transmitted, symptomatic cases detected in 20 of 31 provinces. The cumulative total of domestic cases so far this year has now exceeded 37,000, compared with 8,378 for all of 2021, with some 33,000 infections registered in March alone. The rising case numbers are a fraction of those for other major economies—the US reported 20,00
Also in this section
2 April 2026
Alongside a rapid continued build-out of renewables, China’s latest five-year plan stresses the value of domestic hydrocarbon production for energy security and calls for increased Russian gas imports
2 April 2026
The government is taking important steps to revive domestic production, lift investment and benefit from the geopolitical crisis even if more needs to be done in the longer term
1 April 2026
Golden Pass’s startup offers QatarEnergy a timely boost but may also force a difficult choice between honouring disrupted contracts and capitalising on soaring spot LNG prices
1 April 2026
It is not a case of if or when, but the length and magnitude of economic damage from elevated oil prices
