Open and Shut

Lula is Back, Bolsonaro in Florida. IMF says 30% of the globe face "tough" 2023. New Years message from XI, short video from Biden. China travel to surge, G7 restricts as covid surges in US.

Jan 03, 2023

UPDATE: The return of Lula is certainly good news for Brazil, BRICS and world, but cleaning up Bolsonaro’s mess may prove difficult in 2023. Kristalina Georgieva warns 30% of the globe is going to have a “tough” 2023 due to the effects of recession in the Global North. China’s President Xi Jinping has a message of strength and renewed growth, but President Biden had little to say except don’t give-up as Covid cases surge and US economy sinks. Cambodia is looking for a surge in Chinese travellers, but Thailand is more cautious and more dependent. Finally, the Long Mekong Daily wishes its rapidly growing readership a very Happy New Year for 2023.

Brazil Celebrates Lula’s Inauguration and End of Right-Wing Bolsonaro Reign

Lula vowed to rebuild Brazil as a nation for all people, while former President Jair Bolsonaro fled to Florida. Hundreds of thousands took to the streets across Brazil on Sunday to celebrate the inauguration of leftist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, whose return to the nation’s highest office also marked the exit of far-right Jair Bolsonaro who left his country and arrived in the U.S. state of Florida ahead of the weekend’s transfer of power.

After being sworn in during a ceremony at the National Congress, Lula addressed the assembled lawmakers as he lamented the “terrible ruins” left by Bolsonaro, though he did not actually mention his predecessor by name. But Lula also issued a message of renewal and hope.

“Our message to Brazil is one of hope and reconstruction,” Lula said in the speech. “The great edifice of rights, sovereignty, and development that this nation built has been systematically demolished in recent years. To re-erect this edifice, we are going to direct all our efforts.”

“Democracy was the big winner in this election,” he declared. “Long live democracy! Long live the Brazilian people!”

Following his call for reconstruction, he vowed to “rebuild the nation and make a Brazil of all, for all.”

Read the full story here.

2023 to be tougher for global economy than 2022, IMF chief says

IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva says one-third of world’s economies expected to be in recession this year. This year will be tougher than 2022 for most of the global economy as the United States, European Union and China see slowing growth, the head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned.

IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said 2023 will be a “tough year”, with one-third of the world’s economies expected to be in recession.

“Why? Because the three big economies, [the] US, EU, China, are all slowing down simultaneously,” Georgieva said during an appearance on the CBS program “Face the Nation” on Sunday.

The remarks come after the IMF in October cut its global growth forecast to 2.7 percent, down from 2.9 percent forecast in July, amid headwinds including the war in Ukraine and sharply rising interest rates.

Georgieva said that China, the world’s second-largest economy, is likely to grow at or below global growth for the first time in 40 years as COVID-19 cases surge following the dismantling of its ultra-strict “zero-COVID” policy.

“That has never happened before. And looking into next year, for three, four, five, six months the relaxation of COVID restrictions will mean bushfire COVID cases throughout China,” Georgieva said. “I was in China last week, in a bubble in the city where there is ‘zero COVID’. But that is not going to last once the Chinese people start travelling.”

Prime Minister Hun Sen looks to China Tourist Boom

As the Chinese government announced to reopen the country in early 2023, Cambodian prime minister Hun Sen announced to welcome Chinese tourists to visit the kingdom, adding that the kingdom expected to receive at least two million Chinese tourists.

The premier spoke at the groundbreaking for the construction of Kratie bridge across Mekong River, held on Monday (Jan 2) in Kratie province.

"This year (2022), Cambodia received only 2.2 million international tourists. If China starts to open dozens of flights a day, we will receive two million Chinese tourists, the same amount before COVID19. The tourism sector will be better," the premier underscored.

According to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), before COVID19, China was the world's largest source of tourism. More than 200 million Chinese traveled abroad. Cambodia aimed to attract 2 million Chinese, but this growth slowed sharply due to COVID19 in late 2019. In the same situation, in 2020, the Chinese government announced a ban on international tourists from entering the country through the Zero COVID19 policy.

Read full article here.

No immediate surge of Chinese tourists expected after re-opening

China's relaxation of Covid-19 rules for international arrivals has raised hopes that its multi-billion dollar travel business will soon flourish again but countries longing for the return of Chinese tourists will likely face more of a wait.

China's National Health Commission announced on Monday that inbound travellers would no longer have to go into quarantine from Jan 8. There are no official restrictions on Chinese people going abroad but the new rule will make it much easier for them to return home.

China was the world's largest outbound tourism market before Covid shut down global travel, with its overseas visitors spending US$127.5 billion on travel in 2019.

Airlines are drawing up plans to expand their services but ordinary Chinese and travel agencies suggest that a return to anything like normal will take some time.

"It's great they announced it so I can seriously make my plans," said Beijing exporter Tom Guo, 43.

But he said he would likely wait until the late spring or even the summer before venturing abroad again, most likely to the United States to visit a sister.

US carrier United Airlines Holdings Inc said it was evaluating the market demand and operating environment to determine when to resume additional flights to mainland China.

The airline currently operates four times a week between San Francisco and Shanghai.

German airline Lufthansa was examining whether to change its flight schedule to China following the changes.

"This will contribute to the recovery of international air traffic between Mainland China and Europe," a spokesperson said.

TUI expects a positive impact on its currently limited flights to China, a spokesperson said.

Duty free retailer Dufry expects the changes to have a "positive effect at the airports that the Chinese use and where we have a presence," a spokesperson said.

Guo said he definitely would not be going anywhere before the Lunar New Year holiday in late January.

Read full story here.

US public health officials brace for possible Covid-19 surge after holidays

Concerns over increased influenza and RSV cases also high after indoor gatherings and abandoned preventive measures. US public health officials are bracing for a possible Covid-19 surge in the coming weeks following indoor holiday gatherings among a populace that has largely abandoned preventive measures.

Concerns over this uptick come amid rising influenza and RSV cases in America. This so-called “tripledemic”, experts warn, could further strain the already overburdened US health system.

Evidence of an increase emerged in earnest after Thanksgiving, celebrated on 24 November this year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s weekly new case data reported on 30 November stood at 308,578, rising to 470,963 in the 7 December report. In the 14 December weekly report, that number dipped to 455,028 – but ballooned to 487, 367 in the 21 December analysis.

Hospitalization admissions are also on the rise. The seven-day average from 15 to 21 December was 5,376, compared to 5,052 the prior week. Data shows this increase has been in motion since late October, following several months of declines, according to the CDC.

This increase is being felt in different ways across the US. In Florida, Covid hospitalizations across the state remain around three-month peaks, fueled by Omicron subvariants,the Palm Beach Post reported.

Across Washington, DC’s metropolitan area, cases have gone up since Thanksgiving, but they have not reached levels seen during the 2021 holiday season, when Omicron started to take hold across the US, according to the Washington Post. Analysis of wastewater in Houston, Texas, suggests that there is a “mini-surge” that comes in conjunction with the growing prevalence of BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 omicron subvariants, the Houston Chronicle reported.

While these numbers pale in comparison to the winter 2022 peak in the US – with more than 5.6m new cases reported the week of 19 January – officials are working to thwart this upward trend.

Full Text: 2023 New Year Address by President Xi Jinping

On New Year's eve, President Xi Jinping delivered his 2023 New Year Address through China Media Group and the Internet. The following is the full text of the address:

Greetings to you all. The year 2023 is approaching. From Beijing, I extend my best New Year wishes to all of you.

In 2022, we successfully convened the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC). An ambitious blueprint has been drawn for building a modern socialist country in all respects and advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization, sounding a clarion call of the times for us forging ahead on a new journey.

The Chinese economy has remained the second largest in the world and enjoyed sound development. GDP for the whole year is expected to exceed 120 trillion yuan. Despite a global food crisis, we have secured a bumper harvest for the 19th year in a row, putting us in a stronger position to ensure the food supply of the Chinese people. We have consolidated our gains in poverty elimination and advanced rural revitalization across the board. We have introduced tax and fee cuts and other measures to ease the burden on businesses, and made active efforts to solve the most pressing difficulties of high concern to the people.

Since COVID-19 struck, we have put the people first and put life first all along. Following a science-based and targeted approach, we have adapted our COVID response in light of the evolving situation to protect the life and health of the people to the greatest extent possible. Officials and the general public, particularly medical professionals and community workers, have bravely stuck to their posts through it all. With extraordinary efforts, we have prevailed over unprecedented difficulties and challenges, and it has not been an easy journey for anyone. We have now entered a new phase of COVID response where tough challenges remain. Everyone is holding on with great fortitude, and the light of hope is right in front of us. Let's make an extra effort to pull through, as perseverance and solidarity mean victory.

Comrade Jiang Zemin passed away in 2022. We pay high tribute to his towering achievements and noble demeanor, and cherish the great legacy he left behind. We will honor his last wishes and advance the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era.

Wave upon wave, the mighty river of history surges forward. With the persistent efforts of one generation after another, we have taken China to where it is today.

Today's China is a country where dreams become reality. The Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games concluded with a resounding success. Chinese winter sports athletes gave their all and achieved extraordinary results. Shenzhou-13, Shenzhou-14 and Shenzhou-15 soared into the heavens. China's space station was fully completed and our "home in space" is roving in the deep-blue sky. The people's armed forces marked the 95th birthday and all service members are marching confidently on the great journey of building a strong military. China's third aircraft carrier Fujian was launched. C919, China's first large passenger aircraft, was delivered. And the Baihetan hydropower station went into full operation... None of these achievements would have been possible without the sweat and toil of the numerous Chinese people. Sparks of talent are coming together, and they are the strength of China!

Today's China is a country brimming with vigor and vitality. Various pilot free trade zones and the Hainan Free Trade Port are booming, innovations are gushing out in the coastal areas, development is picking up pace in the central and western regions, the momentum for revitalization is building in the northeast, and there is greater development and affluence in the border regions. The Chinese economy enjoys strong resilience, tremendous potential and great vitality. The fundamentals sustaining its long-term growth have remained strong. As long as we stay confident and strive for progress while maintaining stability, we will realize the goals we have set. On my visit to Hong Kong earlier this year, I was deeply glad to see that Hong Kong has restored order and is set to thrive again. With determined implementation of One Country, Two Systems, Hong Kong and Macao will surely enjoy long-term prosperity and stability.

Today's China is a country that keeps to its national character. In the course of 2022, we encountered various natural disasters including earthquakes, floods, droughts and wildfires, and experienced some workplace accidents. Amid those disconcerting and heartbreaking scenes, there have emerged numerous touching stories of people sticking together in face of adversity or even sacrificing their lives to help others in distress. Those heroic deeds will be forever etched in our memories. At every turn of the year, we always think of the great character of resilience that the Chinese nation has carried forward through millennia. It gives us still greater confidence as we continue our way forward.

Today's China is a country closely linked with the world. Over the past year, I have hosted quite a few friends, both old and new, in Beijing; I have also traveled abroad to communicate China's propositions to the world. Changes unseen in a century are unfolding at a faster pace, and the world is not yet a tranquil place. We cherish peace and development and value friends and partners as we have always done. We stand firm on the right side of history and on the side of human civilization and progress. We work hard to contribute China's wisdom and solutions to the cause of peace and development for all humanity.

After the 20th CPC National Congress, my colleagues and I visited Yan'an. We were there to relive the inspiring episode in which the Party's central leadership overcame extraordinary difficulties in the 1930s and 1940s, and to draw on the spiritual strength of the older generation of CPC members. I often say, "Just as polishing makes jade finer, adversity makes one stronger." Over the past 100 years, the CPC has braved wind and rain, and forged ahead against all odds. That is a most difficult yet great journey. Today, we must press on courageously to make tomorrow's China a better place.

Going forward, China will be a country that performs miracles through hard work. Here I want to quote Su Shi, a renowned Chinese poet, "Charge at the toughest and aim at the farthest." It means to take on the biggest challenges and go after the most ambitious goals. Long as the journey is, we will reach our destination if we stay the course; difficult as the task is, we will get the job done if we keep working at it. As long as we have the resolve to move mountains and the perseverance to plod on, as long as we keep our feet on the ground and forge ahead with our journey by making steady progress, we will turn our grand goals into reality.

Going forward, China will be a country that draws its strength from unity. Ours is a big country. It is only natural for different people to have different concerns or hold different views on the same issue. What matters is that we build consensus through communication and consultation. When the 1.4 billion Chinese work with one heart and one mind, and stand in unity with a strong will, no task will be impossible and no difficulty insurmountable. The people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait are members of one and the same family. I sincerely hope that our compatriots on both sides of the Strait will work together with a unity of purpose to jointly foster lasting prosperity of the Chinese nation.

Going forward, China will be a country that has great expectations of its younger generation. A nation will prosper only when its young people thrive. For China to develop further, our young people must step forward and take on their responsibilities. Youth is full of vigor and is a source of hope. Youngsters should keep their country in mind, cultivate keen enterprise, and live youth to the fullest with great drive, to prove worthy of the times and the splendor of youth.

To the many people who are still busy working at this very moment, I salute you all! We are about to ring in the New Year. Let us welcome the first ray of sunshine of 2023 with the best wishes for a brighter future.

May our country enjoy prosperity and our people live in harmony. May the world enjoy peace and people of all countries live in happiness. I wish you all a happy New Year and may all your wishes come true.

Thank you.

Read full text in Chinese here.

As Chinese Tourists Prepare to Travel Again, Some Countries Close Their Doors

As COVID-19 infections in China continue to rise, and as concerns grow over the reliability of the country’s reporting and sequencing of cases, more than a dozen countries have announced new entry restrictions on travelers arriving from China at a time when they’re largely on the way out.

Some countries, including the United States and Britain, are reintroducing compulsory pre-flight COVID-19 tests for people flying from China. Others, such as Japan and Italy, are requiring testing upon arrival and quarantine for those who test positive. One country, Morocco, has even decided to ban entry to all travelers coming from China outright in a measure that will go into force on Tuesday.

The new restrictions haven’t gone down well in Beijing, which in a stunning reversal began dismantling its zero-COVID policies last month. Chinese state media labeled the new testing requirements “discriminatory” and a politically-motivated effort to undermine the Chinese government. Meanwhile, some public health experts have cast doubt on the effectiveness of these measures. “Trying to ban a virus by adjusting what we do with travel has already been shown not to work very well,” Andrew Pollard, the director of the Oxford Vaccine Group, told the BBC.

As China prepares to lift its own border restrictions on Jan. 8, here are the countries that have announced their own restrictions on travellers from the country so far.

Biden rings in new year, says there’s ‘no quit in America’

In a New Year’s Eve message Friday, President Joe Biden said he’s “more optimistic about America’s future than I’ve ever been.”

“We learned again this year what we’ve always known: There’s no quit in America,” Biden said in a pre-recorded video airing on ABC’s “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rocking Eve with Ryan Seacrest.”

“No matter how tough the challenge, how high the obstacles, we always overcome. This virus has been tough, but we’ve been tougher.”

Biden, who was joined by First Lady Jill Biden and their new puppy, Commander, struck an optimistic tone entering 2022, observing, “You know, at our best, we’ve taken every crisis we face and turned it into an opportunity to be a stronger and a better nation.”

The First Lady paid tribute to front-line workers, praising “the dedication shown by the doctors and nurses, educators and parents, first responders and all front-line and essential workers,” and paying tribute to members of the military and their families, “who stand guard over our freedom all over the world and here at home.”

Long Mekong