Rising Economic Anxiety Amid COVID-19 Resurgence in China's Northeast Three Provinces (Comprehensive)

[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Park Sun-mi] The economic anxiety in China is growing as new COVID-19 cases continue to emerge in the three northeastern provinces, which have fallen into a 'Rust Belt' (declined industrial region).

On the 14th, according to the National Health Commission of China (NHC), all three newly confirmed COVID-19 cases added in one day were from the three northeastern provinces, which are engulfed in concerns over the spread of cluster infections.

Two new cases were added in Liaoning Province. Among the two new confirmed cases in Liaoning, one was initially classified as an asymptomatic infection but was later converted to a confirmed case after symptoms appeared. Both new confirmed cases were infected in Shulan City, Jilin Province, where cluster infections occurred, and are colleagues of patients who moved to Shenyang, Liaoning Province. Shenyang, the capital of Liaoning Province, has decided to quarantine all people coming from Jilin City for 21 days since the 22nd of last month, and postponed the scheduled reopening of middle and high schools on the 15th and 18th of this month.

One new confirmed case was also added in Jilin Province. On the 12th, Jilin Province reported six confirmed cases, one suspected case, and one asymptomatic infection due to the impact of cluster infections, and on this day, one more new confirmed case was added. The newly reported confirmed case is also related to the cluster infections spreading mainly in Shulan City and Fengman District, Jilin City, Jilin Province. Jilin City is implementing high-intensity measures such as full lockdown management of residential areas to block the resurgence of COVID-19 after 21 cluster infection cases occurred within a week.

In Heilongjiang Province, which suffered from imported cases from Russia and community infections, the spread has somewhat calmed down with no confirmed cases reported since the 10th, but about 1,000 people are still in facility quarantine, leaving the possibility of additional confirmed cases open.

The Hong Kong South China Morning Post (SCMP) explained that the economic damage in the three northeastern provinces (Liaoning, Jilin, Heilongjiang), where concerns over COVID-19 resurgence have increased, will worsen as they have started to implement stringent COVID-19 prevention measures again amid already poor economic conditions.

Heilongjiang and Liaoning recorded economic growth rates of -8.3% and -7.7%, respectively, in the first quarter of this year, ranking third and fourth worst among China's 31 provinces. Jilin Province is slightly better off than these two regions but recorded an economic growth rate of -6.6%, close to the national average of -6.8%, which is the worst economic growth rate nationwide.

The three northeastern provinces were once the foundation of China's industrial development but have now fallen into a 'Rust Belt.' In the first quarter of this year, industrial enterprise profits in this region declined by 63% compared to a year earlier. During the same period, retail sales in the three northeastern provinces also decreased by 29%, and per capita consumption expenditure dropped by 11%.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.