China goes back to work
But not back to normal
Editor’s note: The Economist is making some of its most important coverage of the covid-19 pandemic freely available to readers of The Economist Today, our daily newsletter. To receive it, register here. For more coverage, see our coronavirus hub
IN GOOD TIMES Gu Changshi’s job is to persuade companies to invest in Lingang, a wind-swept free-trade zone on the edge of Shanghai, abutting the Pacific Ocean. But over the past two months, as China has battled covid-19, his job has been to ensure basic survival, both physical and corporate. First his agency requisitioned two hotels to quarantine anyone coming to Lingang from virus-hit regions. Then it started offering conditional cash grants to beleaguered companies located there. “There is no fixed limit to the subsidies,” he says, his hands spreading wide.
This article appeared in the China section of the print edition under the headline "Back to work"
More from China
Why China is unlikely to restrain Iran
Officials in Beijing are looking out for China’s interests, not anyone else’s
China’s young people are rushing to buy gold
They seek security in troubled times
China’s ties with Russia are growing more solid
Our columnist visits a future Russian outpost in China’s most advanced spaceport