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
10 December 2024
Sector at economic and strategic crossroads, but clear path ahead for midstream additions
30 November 2024
Decades of turmoil have left Iraq’s vast energy potential underutilised, but renewed investment and strategic reforms are transforming it into a key player in the region
29 November 2024
The country's fifth and sixth oil and gas bid rounds have attracted a range of new players with gas as well as oil ambitions—and there’s a seismic shift in the contracting process
28 November 2024
Iraq is charting a new path for its indigenous resources and its youth, hoping to electrify the future with a mix of reforms and modernisation to fuel growth