(Beijing) China deemed its economic performance “remarkable” on Wednesday, the day after an IMF call on Beijing to ease its draconian anti-COVID-19 measures which, according to the institution, pose a risk to the global recovery. .
Posted at 6:52
In an interview with AFP on Tuesday, the deputy managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Gita Gopinath, estimated that China should “readjust” its strategy to fight against COVID-19.
As soon as a case appears, the authorities carry out massive and repeated screenings of the population, restrict movement or even impose confinements when the number of cases is too high.
These measures have enabled the Asian giant to contain the virus from the spring of 2020 and to return to an almost normal life. But they weigh heavily on the activity.
Invited to react, Chinese diplomacy ruled on Wednesday that China remained “an engine of global economic recovery”.
The country “has achieved remarkable results that have promoted recovery,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told reporters.
He deemed his country’s anti-COVID-19 measures necessary to “protect” the health of citizens.
“China has always adopted a scientific, comprehensive and solid approach to the prevention and control” of the virus, hammered Mr. Zhao.
With the much more contagious but less dangerous Omicron variant, Mme Gopinath said on Tuesday that more lockdowns in China could have a “negative impact on the economy”.
“This risks not only slowing growth, but will also have very significant consequences for global supply chains.”
In August 2021, China partially shut down one of the world’s largest ports near Shanghai due to COVID-19, just as disruptions in logistics transport were already weighing heavily on supply chains. .
The International Monetary Fund on Tuesday lowered its growth forecast for China this year to 4.8% (from 5.6% in October).
At the global level, the IMF expects a rise in global gross domestic product of 4.4% (-0.5 points) after 5.9% last year.
Omicron, inflation and interest rate hikes are all clouds that darken the economic horizon at the start of 2022, warns the Fund.