Microsoft Word - China Reopening Viewpoint

VIEWPOINT

1 Air Passenger Outlook: China Reopening | Report publication date: 25 May 2023

Air Passenger Outlook: China Reopening

This report provides an overview of the recent developments in China's commercial air

travel industry following the lifting of the country’s zero-Covid policy. It examines the

recovery trends in the international aviation markets, highlights the challenges faced

during the recovery process, and presents a high-level outlook for the full restoration

of air travel in China.

After the removal of the zero-Covid public health policies, China’s domestic revenue

passenger-kilometers (RPKs) reached 86.3% of their 2019 levels in January and 91.8%

in February. By March, domestic RPKs were only 3.3% below pre-crisis levels. We

project that domestic RPKs and passengers will more than likely recover to their 2019

monthly level by summer 2023, and to their 2019 annual level by 2024.

While there was a steady growth in international passenger traffic in the first quarter of

2023, the recovery of international travel remains uncertain due to policy-based flight

restrictions and capacity shortages that are affecting airlines. China's modest

economic outlook in the near term could also hinder international air traffic growth.

Considering the latest challenges, our analysis suggests that capacity for China’s

international markets could fully recover to the 2019 annual level by 2025.

Background

On 26 December 2022, the Chinese government announced the removal of most of the remaining travel restrictions related

to the Covid pandemic and reopened its borders for international air travel starting from 8 January 2023 (State Council,

CAAC). Given that China is the second-largest economy in the world and represents over one-third of the global population,

its reopening will significantly contribute to the industry-wide recovery in both domestic and international air passenger

demand.

In 2019, prior to the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, China held a considerable share of global air passenger demand,

accounting for 9% in international travel and 25% in domestic travel. Within Asia, China had a dominant position with a market

share of 54% in domestic travel and 24% in international travel, making it the primary source of travelers in the region. During

the pandemic, however, China’s share of international air travel demand plummeted to a mere 1%. Reflecting the country’s

effective containment measures against the original Covid-19 virus and the Delta variant, the pandemic’s impact on China’s

domestic aviation market was largely mitigated. As a result, China’s share of global domestic demand increased to 34% in

2020 and 29% in 2021, before dropping to 17% in 2022 when China tightened its domestic air traffic flows again to contain

the Omicron variant (Figure 1). Considering the substantial size of China’s air travel markets, the rapid recovery in the number

of air travelers in the country will contribute to the recovery of total domestic and international air passenger traffic. As a

result, global passenger demand could return to pre-pandemic levels as early as this summer.

Owing in large part to the domestic market, China’s total air passenger traffic in the first quarter of 2023 nearly tripled

compared to the previous quarter, reaching approximately 80% of 2019 levels. This surge in domestic traffic was propelled

by pent-up demand and the timing of the Lunar New Year seasonal travel period. However, the recovery in international traffic,

which constituted about 15% of China’s total passenger demand in 2019, is more uncertain due to the remaining policy-

VIEWPOINT

2 Air Passenger Outlook: China Reopening

based flight restrictions and capacity constraints affecting airlines in various regions. This report provides a summary of our

perspectives on China’s reopening and the expected impact on air travel recovery in China.

Figure 1: Market share of China’s air passengers (origin-destination), Global and within Asia

Near-term economic outlook for China

The recovery in air transport demand in China will depend on the country’s economic environment post-reopening. China‘s

GDP increased by 3.0% in 2022, in constant prices, reaching RMB 12.1 billion. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) recently

upgraded its forecast for China’s GDP growth in 2023 to 5.2%, a 2.2 percentage point increase compared to the previous

year’s performance. This was followed by China’s latest announcement, adopting a target annual GDP growth rate of around

5% for 2023 in the annual “Two Sessions” meetings on 5 March 2023 (ChinaDaily). This looks achievable, potentially even

modest, in the light of Q1 GDP growth of 4.5% year-on-year.

While the adopted target is the lowest in 30 years, there is, of course, a trend decline in GDP growth rates as economies

mature and the value of each percentage point of growth increases in monetary terms. Moreover, as growth is currently on

the lackluster side in mature economies, Asia and the Pacific will likely contribute about 70% of global growth this year, led

by China and India — a much greater share than in recent years. China’s GDP growth has important spill-over effects on the

rest of the global economy, a relationship the IMF puts at an additional 0.3 percentage points globally for every additional

percentage point of growth in China. Hence, any developments in the Chinese economy will play an important role in

assessing the likely pace of the international air passenger traffic recovery.

We also take into consideration that China's economic growth is confronted with broader structural challenges beyond the

immediate impacts of Covid. These challenges encompass the demographic issues stemming from an aging population, a

slowdown in labor productivity growth, and the potential for sustained declines in exports and investments, which have

historically fueled China's economic expansion. Despite China's economy rebounding faster than expected following the

reopening, there is a possibility that this could prompt more stringent responses from monetary and fiscal policies, potentially

dampening the outlook for 2024.

For more, see Oxford Economics, World Economic Prospects Monthly | Global,

Tighter credit conditions prompt downgrade to 2024

growth

, 12 April 2023.

25%

34%

29%

17%

24%

19%

18%

54%

63%

65%

44%

20%

40%

60%

80%

2019 2020 2021 2022

% share of O-D air passengers

Int'l share Global Dom share Global Int'l share within Asia Dom share within Asia

Source: IATA Sustainability and Economics, using data from DDS for inbound and outbound origin-destination (O-D) passengers

Notes: Based on OAG data, scheduled seat capacity shares of China in 2019 were 9% of global international, 22% of gobal domestic,

17% of international within Asia, and 51% of domestic within Asia.

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3 Air Passenger Outlook: China Reopening

The latest policies and Covid-19 developments in China

The relaxation of the zero-Covid measures in December 2022 removed restrictions on the flow of people within China and

across the border.

Some of the latest developments include: 15 March, China resumed issuing visas to visiting tourists and

other foreigners; 25 April, China announced that all in-bound travelers (applicable to all countries) can use 48hr anti-gen test

results to replace the PCR tests for boarding flights to China, which marked a big step towards the final removal of all travel

restrictions; and 15 May, the National Immigration Administration (NIA) announced that China will fully restore fast-track entry

and exit at ports, which will greatly simplify procedures for international travelers entering or leaving the country.

Recovery in China’s international air transport capacity

Capacity developments have played an important role in the recovery of China’s commercial aviation activity. As Covid-

related restrictions were lifted and demand for air travel soared, airlines were quick to restore domestic flights. The recovery

in domestic capacity and demand, however, fluctuated with steep traffic declines and V-shaped rebounds in response to

changing travel policies, surging Covid-19 infections, and short-term acute labor shortages. With these constraints easing,

China’s domestic air transport markets have almost fully recovered to pre-Covid levels. In March 2023, domestic available

seat kilometers (ASK) in China were already 13.6% above their 2019 levels, and domestic revenue passenger kilometers

(RPKs) were only 3.3% below the same month in 2019 (IATA air passenger market analysis).

The recovery of airline capacity in international markets has been robust since the reopening in January. Chinese carriers are

expected to have enough crew members and widebody aircraft to meet the demand on busy international routes (Figure 2,

left). Despite the volatility in China’s large domestic aviation market, it remained active during the pandemic, enabling Chinese

carriers to keep a significant portion of their fleets and crew operational within the country. This readiness can now help

support the resumption of international service. The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) has also made concerted

efforts to ensure that there are enough ground workers, crew, and pilots available for the reopening.

While domestic air traffic in China is almost fully recovered, international air travel to China remains significantly lower than

pre-pandemic levels and may experience a gradual recovery due to several factors. Foreign airlines serving international

routes to China have been slower in restoring their capacity due to flight capacity limitations (flight caps) and delays in

recovering their widebody fleets for flights to China. (Figure 2, right). Facing China’s “Five-ones” policy and low demand for

air travel to and from China, these airlines had reassigned their aircraft to other routes. Additionally, many of these carriers

have a limited number of long-haul aircraft due to planes being taken out of service or retired during the pandemic (McKinsey).

Figure 2: Widebody aircraft availability for Chinese and foreign carriers

The most stringent restrictions have been China’s “Five-ones” policy, which required each domestic airline in China to reduce its

international routes to one per country and limit its flight frequency to no more than one per week, while each foreign carrier was allowed to

maintain only one air route to China and operate no more than one flight per week.

For a summary of the latest policies pertaining to Covid-19, see the Appendix of this report.

449

434

415

399

474

100

200

300

400

500

600

2019 2020 2021 2022 2023

Widebody aircraft operated by Chinese carriers

Widebody Jets In Service Widebody Jets In Storage Widebody Jets Scheduled

Source: IATA Sustainability and Economics using data from Cirium Fleet Analyzer

499 498

523

2,774

1,641

1,948

2,205

2,375

171

1253

840

597

437

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

3,500

2019 2020 2021 2022 2023

Widebody aircraft operated by foreign carriers on

China's top 20 international markets

2,945

2,878

2,894

2,788

2,802

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4 Air Passenger Outlook: China Reopening

Given that the immediate return of these planes to Chinese routes is not realistic, we expect a delay in the full restoration of

aircraft capacity in China’s international markets. Moreover, the aviation industry is currently grappling with a shortage of staff

caused by the extended period of reduced activity, which will further lengthen the time needed to rebuild the workforce's

capacity and skills. Finally, the use of Russian airspace remains a challenge for foreign airlines looking to resume flights from

Europe and the US to China without sacrificing operational efficiency due to significant re-routing. Considering all of these

factors, we expect the complete recovery of China's air transport market to largely depend on the revival of international

service, particularly in the international inbound market, which is anticipated to be the last to recover.

The status of China’s international inbound capacity

Following the reopening announcement, between January and April, the inbound international flights (capacity) to China

recovered to about 34% of the pre-covid levels.

The recovery in China’s inbound international flight traffic since the

reopening has been strong, albeit with mixed profiles for some country markets (Figure 3). Most of China’s top 20

international markets, which accounted for 90% of China’s international flights in 2019, saw a significant increase in their

weekly flights to China between January and April 2023. However, a number of countries did not add flights to China due to

the quantitative flight caps that are still in place, most notably between the US and China. Disagreements over airspace

restrictions have also complicated air service agreements and the resumption of consistent service, despite the strong

demand for air travel between the countries. This highlights the importance of diplomatic relations and coordinated travel

policies to ensure the resumption of stable international air travel.

Figure 3: Inbound monthly international and regional flights to China (top 20 markets)

Flights from the US to China have remained at less than 6% of their 2019 levels since the start of 2023, and flights from France

and Canada to China are only around 11% of pre-Covid levels. In comparison, international and regional flights originating

from countries and local areas in Asia are leading in the recovery, notably with April flights recovering to 71% for Macao (SAR),

China, 49% for Hong Kong (SAR), China, and 42% for Singapore. Flights from Thailand, China’s largest international market,

are also recovering quickly, reaching 36% of the pre-crisis levels in April 2023. With airlines restarting service from the Middle

East region, flights from UAE to China have recovered to 65% of pre-pandemic levels, and a similar resumption of service

from the UK has restored flights from that country to 39% of 2019 levels. As Covid testing requirements are removed and

more carriers resume capacity on overseas markets, we expect a continued improvement in the international markets in the

medium term, in line with the strong passenger demand.

Seat capacity is expected to recover to a slightly higher level, given that the average seats per flight increased to 240 in Q1 2023 from

222 in Q1 2019. This increase reflects the fleet up-gauging that has taken place in the relevant markets as flight frequency remained low.

100

Apr-22 May-22 Jun-22 Jul-22 Aug-22 Sep-22 Oct-22 Nov-22 Dec-22 Jan-23 Feb-23 Mar-23 Apr-23

Inbound flights to China (Indexed, 2019 = 100)

Source: IATA Sustainability and Economics, market statistics compiled by IATA using FlightRadar24 under license

Japan

Macao (SAR),

China

UAE

Hong

Kong (SAR),

China

Singapore

Thailand

Korea

VIEWPOINT

5 Air Passenger Outlook: China Reopening

China’s international capacity recovery in the global context

By April 2023, international inbound flights to China had reached 34% of the levels seen in 2019. However, other major

markets including the US, Canada, France, the UK, and the UAE had already regained their pre-pandemic monthly capacity

levels as early as July 2022. These five fully recovered markets were among the top 20 international markets for China in

2019 (Figure 4).

The initial rapid growth in air traffic in these markets was driven by their relaxed policies on international air travel during the

early phase of reopening. As China is moving towards a complete relaxation of its policies, the early recovery profile (April to

August 2020) observed for these markets can serve as an upper bound to China’s possible recovery trend (Figure 4).

Currently, China is experiencing a similar fast-paced recovery. On the other hand, the full recovery trajectory (April 2020 to

July 2022) of these markets portrays the significant impacts of a series of policy changes that imposed travel restrictions in

response to Covid outbreaks and the emergence of new variants. The compound monthly growth rate (CMGR) over the entire

recovery period was 10.6%, compared to the strong initial recovery rate of 52.9% seen in the first 5 months. This also

demonstrates the high degree of uncertainty that flight restriction policies can impose on the recovery of international air

transportation.

The growth profiles observed in fully recovered markets (Figure 4) and the recovery trends of inbound air traffic between

individual markets and China (Figure 3) highlight that international travel restrictions introduced by policymakers remain the

primary source of uncertainty in China’s international air travel recovery.

Figure 4: Recovery rates of international flight operations for the fully recovered group of large markets (the US,

Canada, France, the UK, and the UAE)

Possible recovery profiles for China’s international capacity

under policy risks

Based on actual flight operations data from FlightRadar 24 (FR24) and flight schedules data from OAG, we have identified

possible timelines for the recovery of China’s international inbound air traffic (Figure 5). Data on completed flights indicate

that, in the approximately 4-month period following the reopening, the average daily flights nearly doubled compared to the

preceding 4 months in 2022, with an average monthly growth rate of 27%. In April, the number of inbound flights reached

34% of the average daily flights recorded in 2019 before the pandemic. Based on scheduled flights for May-July 2023, we

anticipate this growth trend will continue, raising China’s inbound capacity to 53% of pre-pandemic levels. Maintaining this

observed trend, with an additional 3,000 flights per month, inbound flights to China could recover to their pre-pandemic

monthly levels by the end of Q1 in 2024.

100

150

200

250

300

Jan-19 Jul-19 Jan-20 Jul-20 Jan-21 Jul-21 Jan-22 Jul-22

Thousands

Number of international flights, monthly

Early recovery trend Full recovery trend Recovery trajectory

Source: IATA Sustainability and Economics, market statistics compiled by IATA using FlightRadar24 under license

Notes: Fully recovered market group includes the US, Canada, France, UK, and the UAE.

CMGR: 10.6%

CMGR: 52.9%

2019 monthly average: 217

VIEWPOINT

6 Air Passenger Outlook: China Reopening

There is a possibility that inbound flights could recover at a slower pace, primarily due to the downside risks of potential

policy changes. This scenario draws on the gradual growth rate (10.6% CMGR) seen in the group of countries that have

already achieved full recovery in their international activity (Figure 4). These countries experienced multiple instances of

health and travel-related policy restrictions between August 2020 and July 2022. Lingering policy risks suggest that full

recovery could be delayed, reaching pre-pandemic levels of monthly flights by the end of Q3 in 2024.

However, it is also important to note that there is a possibility of an upside surprise in inbound international traffic. The events

that could drive such an outcome would be a stronger-than-anticipated GDP growth rate in China, a full removal of the

remaining flight restrictions between China and the US, and an end to the war in Ukraine. Such developments could affect

both the magnitude and the timing of China’s air traffic recovery.

Figure 5 illustrates the potential range of timings for China’s international inbound flights to regain the average monthly level

of 2019, highlighting the significant uncertainty introduced by policy risks.

Figure 5: Recovery profile of China’s international inbound daily flights

To recover in the first quarter of 2024, airlines would add over 95 inbound international flights per day on average, maintaining

the schedule-based recovery trend through full recovery. Considering the downside policy risks that could significantly slow

the growth of inbound capacity, China would achieve its full recovery of inbound international air traffic by the end of Q3 2024,

with airlines adding an average of at least 60 flights per day (Table 1).

Table 1: Airline capacity recovery profiles for inbound flights to China, % share of 2019 flights

Recovery

Profiles

Apr

2023

Jul

2023

Sep

2023

Dec

2024

Mar

2024

Sep

2024

Average daily flights added

each month for full recovery

Schedule

based

recovery trend

34% 53% 65% 87% >100% >100% 95+ flights

Downside risk 19% 26% 32% 43% 53% >100% 60+ flights

Source: IATA Sustainability and Economics, using data from FlightRadar24 under license, OAG.

53%

2023-07

34%

2023-04

200

400

600

800

1,000

1,200

1,400

1,600

2019-01 2019-07 2020-01 2020-07 2021-01 2021-07 2022-01 2022-07 2023-01 2023-07 2024-01 2024-07

Number of inbound flights per day

Range of policy risks

Flights scheduled (OAG) Flights completed (FR24)

Source: IATA Sustainability and Economics market statistics compiled by IATA using FlightRadar24 under license, OAG

Notes: The gap between OAG and FR24 flights during the Covid-19 pandemic is partly due to the inclusion of 'preighters' (passenger aircraft used

only for cargo operations) in the FR24 data and not in OAG. Preighters have been phased out by most airlines in 2022. For Chinese airlines, preighter

operations were substantial until October 2022.

Average daily inbound international flights to China in 2019: 1,267

VIEWPOINT

7 Air Passenger Outlook: China Reopening

Recovery in China’s international air transport demand

Airlines ultimately plan their capacity in consideration of passenger demand, which in turn is determined by a number of

factors, including the price of air travel. As airline capacity recovered on the back of the reopening of China’s aviation markets,

average airline yields on inbound air travel to China in Q1 2023 have remained elevated at more than double the level seen in

Q1 2019. In comparison, global average inbound yields (excluding markets bound for China) in Q1 2023 were only 30% higher

than the pre-Covid levels. As more capacity is added to international markets, yields are expected to moderate, contributing

to an improvement in passenger demand recovery.

Indicators of demand recovery

Following China’s reopening, international inbound passenger demand increased from 11% of the 2019 level in January to

23% in March. Passenger load factors on relevant markets, measuring the proportion of passengers compared to the

available airline seating capacity, maintained their upward trend albeit at a slower pace since January 2023. As airlines

restored their capacity in response to the growing passenger traffic, the average load factor in Q1 2023 recovered to within

13 percentage points of the average in Q1 2019. Assuming the current load factors are maintained and based on the

scheduled capacity for the upcoming months, inbound air passenger demand to China could reach 40% of pre-pandemic

levels by the end of July, compared to the 53% of recovery in inbound capacity (Figure 5). Consequently, an average of 2.3

million inbound passengers would be added to this market per month between April and July. As international travel resumes,

airline schedules will become more consistent, and yields are expected to moderate. Under these conditions, changes in

airline scheduled capacity and passenger demand will be aligned. It is therefore unlikely that the current 3-month lag in the

recovery in passenger traffic compared to that in scheduled capacity will hold in the later stages of the recovery. Instead, this

lag is expected to diminish as airlines moderate their capacity growth in order to support healthy load factors.

Ticket sales data also provides valuable insights regarding the demand recovery profile. Flight bookings and travel surveys

indicate that the outbound demand for air travel has been strong for Chinese travelers (McKinsey). Demand for inbound

travelers to China can also be assessed by the change in bookings or ticket sales for the upcoming summer travel period

(May – September 2023).

5,6

Table 2 outlines the change in ticket purchases in 2023 compared to 2022, and to the pre-

pandemic 2019 levels. The recovery in inbound passengers from the Asia Pacific region (excluding China), which accounted

for 27% of all inbound tickets sold in 2019, is a primary driver of the recovery. The region’s passenger traffic could recover

to 37% of 2019 levels over the upcoming summer travel period, similar to the 36% recovery estimated across all regions.

This lags the anticipated recovery in inbound flights, which is expected to reach 53% of 2019 levels in July, based on the

scheduled capacity for that month.

Purchased tickets also indicated that travelers from Europe may return to around 45% of their 2019 levels, while travelers

from North America may reach approximately 32% of their 2019 levels during the upcoming summer period. In 2019, Europe

accounted for nearly 10% of purchased tickets for flights to China, while North America’s share was around 9%. Although the

recovery profile of other regions of origin is promising, their collective contribution to China’s inbound international ticket

sales in 2019 was less than 2%.

Table 2: % Change in ticket sales for flights to China for May-September travel period

Region of Origin

Comparison years Africa

Asia

Pacific

Europe

Middle

East

Latin

America

North

America

All (e

xcl.

China)

2022 vs 2019

86.1%

96.8%

93.8%

91.4%

97.0%

92.4%

97.7%

2023 vs 2022

245.9%

1059.3%

630.2%

698.3%

1557.4%

319.9%

479.1%

2023 vs 2019

52.0%

62.9%

55.0%

31.3%

50.7%

67.9%

63.9%

2023 share of 2019

48.0%

37.1%

45.0%

68.7%

49.3%

.1%

36.1%

Source: IATA Sustainability and Economics, using data from DDS for tickets purchased in January-April of each year.

For the May to September 2023 travel period, we estimated the change in ticket purchases against ticket sales for the same travel period

in 2019. Consistent purchase periods, January – April, in 2019, 2022, and 2023 were used for the comparison.

These estimates could be viewed as conservative given that recent booking trends suggest that, since the pandemic, more travelers

purchase their tickets closer to their date of travel.

VIEWPOINT

8 Air Passenger Outlook: China Reopening

Looking ahead

The recovery of international flights in China is of great importance for the restoration of both regional and global passenger

traffic, as international flights accounted for 15% of China’s total air passenger market before the pandemic. While there has

been a strong recovery trend observed between January and April 2023 following China’s reopening, uncertainties

surrounding air travel policies can significantly affect the trajectory of traffic recovery. On the supply side, an early recovery

relies heavily upon the assumption that no further restrictions or major policy changes, including diplomatic and trade policy

with other markets, are imposed on international flights to and from China. To provide estimates of the possible recovery

timelines for China’s international markets, we also assume that there is no further escalation in the Russia-Ukraine war or

other major conflicts, particularly in the Asia Pacific region. On the demand side, the economic climate in China and its top

markets, especially advanced economies like the UK, will play a crucial role in the recovery of international passenger demand

in China. A healthy Chinese economy and business environment will also attract foreign leisure and business travelers. The

price of air travel remains higher than pre-pandemic levels, which may further delay the recovery in demand compared with

capacity. However, we expect this gap to diminish as airlines manage their capacity growth in line with passenger demand.

VIEWPOINT

9 Air Passenger Outlook: China Reopening | Report publication date: 25 May 2023

APPENDIX

Latest

Covid

policies in

China

Covid

situation in China

as of

May 2023

Policies annouced by the State Council on 26 December

2022 to be in effect from 8 Janurary 2023:

 Downgraded the control measures towards Covid-19

from Class A infectious diseases to Class B infectious

diseases

 No longer implementing mandatory quarantine, nor

health monitoring, and no longer tracking people who

have been in contact with positive test cases

 No longer categorizing Covid-19 risk areas

 No longer requiring mandatory PCR tests and centralized

quarantine for inbound travelers, but a negative PCR test

result within 48 hours of departure is still required

 No longer imposing the “five-ones policy’” and the

“country-specific policy” on international passenger

flights

 No longer imposing restrictions on maximum allowable

load factors on passenger flights

 Re-start the review of applications of airlines for new

routes or increasing frequencies of international

passenger flights

 Jan-Mar 2023, EU and non-EU countries have

introduced and relaxed Covid restrictions for arrivals

from China

 15 March, China resumed issuing visas to visiting

tourists and other foreigners

 25 April, China announced that all in-bound travelers

(applicable to all countries) can use 48-hour anti-gen test

results to replace the PCR tests for boarding flights to

China

 15 May, China announced it will fully restore fast-track

entry and exit at ports

 China stopped publishing official Covid statistics on 25

Dec 2022. The last official count was 4,128 Covid

cases on 24 December.

 By November 2022, more than 90% of the population

had been fully vaccinated (Xinhua News), but only 40%

of over-80s have had three jabs (BBC)

 On 10 April 2023, the National Health Commission

(NHC) announced another iteration of vaccination

nationwide. China’s first domestically produced mRNA

by CSPC will be used for booster immunization of

people over 18 years old (NHC).

 China’s self-made mRNA vaccine by CanSino Bio

started trial production in Jan 2023, with a capacity of

producing 100 million doses in the first phase

(Reuters); China’s Sinopharm mRNA vaccine was also

approved for clinical trials in January (SCMP), claiming

to produce up to 2 billion doses a year.

 BioNTech, the German company, partnered with a

Shanghai-based company, which is currently providing

its mRNA vaccines only to German nationals living in

China, and to people in Hong Kong and Macau (BBC)

 China’s first mRNA vaccine AWcorna was approved for

emergency use in Indonesia in Oct 2022 but is

currently not used in China (State Council)

 As of 20 Dec 2022, 11 drugs are authorized in China

for Covid-19 treatment (Xinhua News)

 As of 25 Dec 2022, there were a total of 181,000

intensive care beds in China (Xinhua News)