Omicron in the mail; Rate cut and GDP data; Stalled population growth; Corruption; Davos

The annual Spring Festival migration officially started today, expectations are for the most trips since 2019, even though there are growing numbers of areas with cases of Omicron.

Omicron though does seem to behave differently in PRC, as there are no new announced cases in Shanghai or Beijing, even though the initial infected individuals visited many spots in each city before being detected.

Beijing has not pinpointed the source of the single official Omicron infection but officials are pointing to mail from Canada as the likely origin. So if you are trying to send mail into the PRC over the next few weeks expect delays, and the contents to be destroyed from disinfectant spraying if they are not properly packed in watertight containers.

Today’s Essential Eight:

1. Outbreaks

2. GDP data and a rate cut signal weakness ahead

3. 2021 Population data show nearly zero growth

4. Central conference on political and legal work

5. Series on corrupt officials

6. Xi’s speech to virtual Davos

7. Xi’s 2021 speech on the digit…