Guangzhou suspends entertainment venues, dine-in meals, markets

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Guangzhou suspends entertainment venues, dine-in meals and markets, and more cities will further tightens virus control

A restaurant in Guangzhou announces that it has suspended in-store services and offers only takeout

Guangzhou on Tuesday suspended cinemas, theatres, KTVs, internet cafes and other entertainment venues amid rising infections with 10 new locally transmitted cases and four confirmed cases turning from asymptomatic cases on Monday.

Property management workers in protective suits deliver goods to residents at a compound under lockdown

Meanwhile, more cities will further tightens virus control in Guangzhou.

Several districts in Guangzhou have imposed stricter epidemic prevention measures as the newly reported cases in the city record a new high over the past five days since Thursday.

The government of Huizhou city in Guangdong required late on Monday that residents in the city avoid leaving the city unless necessary and present a negative nucleic acid test result within 72 hours if traveling to a destination outside Guangdong.

The government of Chaozhou city in Guangdong required that people with identity cards of Guangzhou and Foshan or having traveled to the two cities in 14 days present a negative nucleic acid test result within 48 hours if traveling from Chaozhou to a destination outside Guangdong.

The government of Zhuhai city in Guangdong required that people having traveled to Guangzhou and Foshan in 14 days present a negative nucleic acid test result within 48 hours if traveling from Zhuhai to a destination outside Guangdong.

广州：密闭娱乐场所暂停营业

广州市文化广电旅游局发布“关于进一步加强文化广电旅游业疫情防控工作的通知”，全市电影院、剧院、KTV、网吧等密闭娱乐场所暂停营业。

Global economy expected to expand 5.6% in 2021, China to rebound 8.5%

The global economy is expected to expand 5.6 percent in 2021, the fastest post-recession pace in 80 years, largely on strong rebounds from a few major economies, the World Bank said on Tuesday, noting that despite the recovery, global output will be about two percent below pre-pandemic projections by the end of this year. In its latest edition of Global Economic Prospects, the World Bank said at the same time many emerging markets and developing economies continue to struggle with the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath.

The report also noted that per capita income losses will not be unwound by 2022 for about two-thirds of emerging market and developing economies. Among low income economies, where vaccination has lagged, the effects of the pandemic have reversed poverty reduction gains and aggravated insecurity and other long-standing challenges. Among major economies, US growth is projected to reach 6.8 percent this year, reflecting large-scale fiscal support and the easing of pandemic restrictions. Growth in other advanced economies is also firming, but to a lesser extent.

Among emerging markets and developing economies, China is anticipated to rebound to 8.5 percent this year, reflecting the release of pent-up demand, the Bank said in its report. Emerging market and developing economies as a group are forecast to expand six percent this year, supported by higher demand and elevated commodity prices.

However, the recovery in many countries is being held back by a resurgence of COVID-19 cases and lagging vaccination progress, as well as the withdrawal of policy support in some instances, said the report. "Excluding China, the rebound in this group of countries is anticipated to be a more modest 4.4 percent. The recovery among emerging market and developing economies is forecast to moderate to 4.7 per cent in 2022. Even so, gains in this group of economies are not sufficient to recoup losses experienced during the 2020 recession, and output in 2022 is expected to be 4.1 percent below pre-pandemic projections, it said.

Per capita income in many emerging market and developing economies is also expected to remain below pre-pandemic levels, and losses are anticipated to worsen deprivations associated with health, education and living standards. The Bank said growth in low income economies this year is anticipated to be the slowest in the past 20 years other than 2020, partly reflecting the very slow pace of vaccination. Low income economies are forecast to expand by 2.9 percent in 2021 before picking up to 4.7 percent in 2022.

The group's output level in 2022 is projected to be 4.9 percent lower than pre-pandemic projections.

中国经济增长预期从7.9％上调至8.5％

世界银行8日发布新一期《全球经济展望》，预计全球经济2021年将增长5.6%，中国经济将增长8.5%。

预计2021年全球经济增长5.6%，将成为80年来经济衰退后达到的最快增速，主要靠的是少数几个主要经济体的强劲回弹；许多新兴市场和发展中经济体仍在继续与疫情及其影响作斗争；尽管出现复苏，但到今年年底全球产出将比疫情前预测低2%左右。

Apple in talks with Chinese auto battery firms

Apple Inc is in early-stage talks with China's CATL and BYD about the supply of batteries for its planned electric vehicle, four people with knowledge of the matter said.

The discussions are subject to change and it is not clear if agreements with either CATL or BYD will be reached, said the people who declined to be named as the discussions are private.

Apple has made building manufacturing facilities in the United States a condition for potential battery suppliers, said two of the sources. CATL, which supplies major carmakers including Tesla Inc, is reluctant to build a US factory due to political tensions between Washington and Beijing as well as cost concerns, the two people said. It was not immediately clear if Apple is also talking to other battery makers.

Apple, which has yet to make a public announcement about its car plans, declined to comment. CATL, the world's biggest automotive battery maker, and BYD, the world's No. 4, also declined to comment.

Apple is in favor of using lithium iron phosphate batteries that are cheaper to produce because they use iron instead of nickel and cobalt which are more expensive, the four people said.

It has been working on self-driving technology and has targeted 2024 for the production of a passenger vehicle.

苹果造车计划或有新进展传与宁德时代、比亚迪讨论电池供应事宜

6月8日，有知情人士称，苹果公司正在与宁德时代、比亚迪两家公司接洽电动车动力电池供应的事宜。目前，该谈判仍处于早期阶段。

韩国市场研究机构SNE Research发布的全球动力电池装机量显示，宁德时代2021年一季度动力电池装机量同比增长320.8%至15.1GWh，位居全球第一，市占率扩大至31.5%。比亚迪以3.2GWh的动力电池装机量超过三星SDI，位列全球第四，市占率为6.8%。

据上述知情人士透露，苹果公司更偏向于使用生产成本更低的磷酸铁锂电池，因为这种电池使用的是铁而非成本更高的镍和钴。

根据此前的传闻，苹果公司的造车计划在2024年将会正式亮相，其电动车很有可能使用自研的电池技术或设计，但这需要巨大的成本和时间，而选择合适的供应商合作伙伴必然将大大加速造车计划的落地。

Business Tianjin MAGAZINE
2021 May issue