policy at all costs – epitomised by Shanghai’s lockdown and restrictions imposed elsewhere in the country of 1.4 billion – has dragged on everything from consumer spending to manufacturing in the world’s second-largest economy. The harsh curbs, which confined millions of people to their apartments or residential compounds, also sparked clashes between residents and police.a 140 billion-yuan package of extra tax rebates and loans aimed at stimulating the battered economy.
In Beijing, most public transport including buses, subways and taxis will resume in three districts including the biggest, Chaoyang. Shopping centers outside of controlled areas will also be allowed to reopen with capacity limits. Chaoyang is one of Beijing’s key central business districts, hosting most foreign embassies and many in the expatriate community.
Some Beijing residents who were required to work from home previously will be allowed to return to their offices, while hotels and hostels in five districts on the city’s outskirts will be permitted to reopen. Schools and kindergartens will remain suspended and university campuses will stay closed, with students urged to go home before the summer holidays. Dining-in is still banned at restaurants.