China’s GDP Returns to Growth With 3.2% Gain in Second Quarter

China’s economy grew 3.2% year-on-year in the second quarter this year, returning to growth after a record 6.8% contraction in the first quarter, official data showed Thursday, as the world’s second-largest economy recovered from the Covid-19 pandemic.

The second-quarter GDP growth rate was higher than the median estimate of 2.9% growth. In the first half of the year, China’s GDP declined 1.6% year-on-year.

Monthly economic data reported Thursday show retail sales, industrial output and fixed-asset investment all continued to improve in June. But the recovery is uneven, mainly driven by accelerated industrial production, indicating supply was stronger than demand, according to a Thursday research note by economists at Macquarie Group Ltd. In terms of demand, investment outperformed consumption.

Value-added industrial output, which measures production at factories, mines, and utilities, rose 4.8% year-on-year in June after growing 4.4% in May. By comparison, retail sales, which includes spending by governments, businesses, and households, dropped 1.8% year-on-year in June, easing from a 2.8% decline in May. That is partly because social distancing measures restricted some consumption activities, Liu Aihua, an NBS spokesperson, said at a Thursday press conference.

Fixed-asset investment, a key driver of domestic demand that includes government-driven infrastructure spending, shrank 3.1% year-on-year in the first six months, narrowing from a 6.3% drop in the first five months. The NBS does not provide investment data for individual months.

The decline in infrastructure investment moderated to 2.7% year-on-year in the first six months from a 6.3% drop in the January-to-May period. Investment in real estate development rose 1.9% year-on-year in the first six months, compared to a 0.3% drop in the first five months.

振奋 | 由负转正！二季度GDP增长3.2%

在16日国新办举行的发布会上，国家统计局新闻发言人刘爱华介绍2020年上半年国民经济运行情况。

初步核算，上半年国内生产总值456614亿元，按可比价格计算，同比下降1.6%。

分季度看，一季度同比下降6.8%，二季度增长3.2%。

分产业看，第一产业增加值26053亿元，同比增长0.9%；第二产业增加值172759亿元，下降1.9%；第三产业增加值257802亿元，下降1.6%。

从环比看，二季度国内生产总值增长11.5%。

Tianjin: No new Covid-19 case reported

A medical worker and a patient at an infectious diseases department of the Bashlyayeva Children's City Clinical Hospital that treats children with COVID-19

There was no new Covid-19 case reported in Tianjin as of 17 of June.

So far, 61 imported cases patients have been discharged upon recovery, 5 patient still hospitalized.

-No imported suspected cases are undergoing test.

-No new locally transmitted cases or suspected cases were reported.

-6 asymptomatic infection cases are undergoing medical observation right now

天津无新增

7月15日18时至16日18时，我市无新增报告境外输入新冠肺炎确诊病例。累计报告境外输入确诊病例66例（中国籍61例、美国籍3例、法国籍1例、菲律宾籍1例），治愈出院61例，在院5例（其中普通型4例、重型1例）。

7月15日18时至16日18时，我市无新增报告本地新冠肺炎确诊病例。累计报告本地新冠肺炎确诊病例137例，其中男性74例，女性63例；治愈出院134例，死亡3例。

我市无新增无症状感染者。累计33例（境外输入32例），其中解除医学观察24例、尚在医学观察6例、转为确诊病例3例。

截至目前，全市无现存疑似病例，累计排查密切接触者5034人，尚有424人正在接受医学观察。

Burger King used expired ingredients in its hamburgers

An official of the city's market watchdog checks bread at an outlet of Burger King in Huangpu District on Thursday night

Burger King China said on Thursday that its outlets, which had used expired ingredients in its hamburgers, had suspended operation and was being investigated.

The fast-food joint was exposed by China Central Television in its delayed annual “3.15” quality investigation program.

Three Burger King restaurants in Nanchang, east China’s Jiangxi Province, were found using expired and less ingredients in their hamburgers.

The program is usually broadcast every year on March 15 — World Consumer Rights Day — but was delayed this year due to the coronavirus outbreak.

The staff at the restaurants were also caught changing the expiration date tag on the breads. A manager told the undercover reporter that in summer some of the breads would grow fungus.

Chicken nuggets that were supposed to be thrown away 30 minutes after being cooked were saved and served even later in the day to customers.

Also, instead of serving triple cheese burger with two pieces of tomatoes and three pieces of cheese, they would use only one each.

“Our boss is stingy,” a staff member said with a grin.

Similar problems were found in two other Burger King outlets in Nanchang.

Shanghai’s market watchdog, the Shanghai Administration for Market Regulation, said that investigations had been ordered into all Burger King China outlets in the city.

汉堡王用过期面包做汉堡，鸡腿排保质期随意改

全球大型连锁企业汉堡王，宣称“味道为王、食物新鲜”“每一个皇堡都符合汉堡王的皇冠标准”，然而315晚会接到内幕人士举报，汉堡王的标准在实际执行中，存在严重问题。在南昌市汉堡王红谷滩天虹店，在制作汉堡的过程中，员工煞费心机地操作，就为了少放一片西红柿，或者一片芝士。随着调查的深入，记者的发现更加令人震惊。当班经理发现面包到期后，很自然地吩咐员工更换标签。员工将这批汉堡上旧的标签撕掉，换上了新的标签。第二天记者发现，这批过了保质期的面包被陆续拿出来，做成汉堡卖给了顾客。即便到了食物容易发霉变质的夏天，保质期照改不误。

汉堡王中国16日晚回应称，对此非常重视，立即成立工作组并对这些餐厅进行停业整顿调查。“报道中提及的江西南昌餐厅隶属于同一家加盟商，这几家餐厅的行为与我们‘顾客为王’的企业宗旨严重背离，是我们管理的失误。我们将全力配合政府部门进行调查，对该事件进行严肃处理并引以为戒。”

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