Chinese authorities on Sunday began lifting border crossing restrictions in China that have been in place since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Bloomberg reported.
So, starting Jan. 8, individuals arriving in China will no longer need to go into quarantine after arriving in the country. However, 48 hours before arrival they will be required to obtain a negative test result for COVID-19 and present it to the PRC.
On Sunday, Chinese authorities also began issuing ordinary visas and temporary residence permits to foreigners. At the same time, residents of mainland China can again obtain passports and tourist visas.
However, according to the Associated Press, only a very limited resumption of China’s international air traffic can be expected for the time being.
Also on Sunday, authorities resumed passenger service on land and sea routes between the Chinese mainland and the Hong Kong special administrative region. Travelers, however, will need negative COVID-19 tests 48 hours before travel. The government has also imposed restrictions on the daily number of people who can travel between mainland China and Hong Kong.
The lifting of many travel restrictions came into effect after China began its annual 40-day travel period the previous day to coincide with the Lunar New Year, which this time falls on January 22, 2023. At this time, China is experiencing the world’s largest annual migration of its population, as they disperse to their homelands or travel around the country with relatives.
Since 2020, China has had a “zero tolerance” policy for COVID-19, which has meant applying measures such as lockdowns and mandatory quarantine for those who come into contact with infected people. At the same time, the Chinese economy was showing the lowest growth rate in almost fifty years. But in December, Chinese authorities lifted a series of restrictions adopted to contain the spread of the virus, causing a spike in illnesses and deaths.
The United States, the United Kingdom, India, Japan, Italy, Spain, Canada, Australia, Germany and Sweden announced some restrictive measures against travelers from China amid the COVID-19 wave. In particular, they decided to require all persons arriving from the PRC to present a negative test for COVID-19.
According to Worldometers, a portal that specializes in statistics on major world events, China has diagnosed approximately 482,000 cases of the coronavirus and 5,200 deaths from the effects of infection throughout the pandemic.
Within the framework of joint Ukrainian-French initiative “Light during winter”, 23 communities in nine regions will receive two 5 kW generators each, the National Interest Defense Network (ANTS) reported in the press release on Friday.
To accomplish this task in late November, ANTS activists, together with the French NGO Stand with Ukraine, approached the Association of French Municipalities with a request to help purchase generators for Ukrainian communities.
The first generators were delivered to Ukraine on December 19. At that time, eight communities received generators with a capacity of 9 kW.
Today 46 more generators were brought to Ukraine from French communities. They were received by: Khotynska, Sadivska, Lebedynska, Krasnopolska, Baranivska, Volynska, Berezhanska, Tulchynska, Chortkivska, Trostyanetska, Nedryhaylivska, Pokrovska, Podgorodne, Dubovyka, Apostolivska, Novhorod-Severska, Novobasanska, Poromivska, Gorodnytska, Akhtyrska, Zolochivska, Drohobychska and Kremenchug communities.
Also in the near future, ANTC will deliver another 400 generators to other communities that it works with within the Community Restoration Project, which includes 30 communities in 10 regions of Ukraine. All of them were either under occupation or suffered from enemy attacks.
This “Strengthening Communities for Victory and Ukraine’s Recovery” project is supported by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
Ukraine’s international reserves as of January 1, 2023, according to preliminary data, amounted to $28.491 billion, an increase of 1.9%, or $536.4 million, compared to November 2022, thanks to currency inflows from international partners that exceeded NBU interventions to sell currency to support the fixed exchange rate.
According to the NBU on its website on Friday evening, they decreased by 7.9%, or $2.45 billion, for the year as a whole.
The National Bank specified that net international reserves in December increased by 3.3%, or $579 million – to $18.318 billion, but for the year they decreased by 11.8%, or $2.45 billion.
According to the regulator, in December, the dynamics of international reserves was affected by the state debt management operations. In particular, currency receipts to the accounts of the Ukrainian government in the NBU amounted to $4.468 billion in December, including $598.7 million from the EU, $2.03 billion from the U.S. through the World Bank Trust Fund, $540.7 million from placement of government bonds, $402 million from the World Bank, $367.8 million from the Canadian government and $528.9 million from other international creditors.
The total amount of payments of the government for servicing and repayment of government debt in foreign currency was $833.9 million, including $119.6 million directed to repay debt to international creditors and $714.3 million to service government bonds.
Besides, Ukraine transferred $166.2 mln to the IMF.
The international reserves were also affected by the NBU transactions at the interbank market. In particular, it sold $3.193 bln at the currency market and bought $29.6 mln to the reserves, due to which the interventions balance was negative $3.163 bln.
In addition, the reserves were affected by an upward revaluation of financial instruments by $231.6 mln.
According to the NBU, the current volume of international reserves provides financing for 3.6 months of future imports, which is sufficient to meet the obligations of Ukraine and the current operations of the government and the National Bank.
As reported, at the beginning of 2022, Ukraine’s international reserves stood at $30.941 billion, net international reserves (NIR) at $20.767 billion.
The number of requests to rent apartments in Kiev in December 2022 increased by 3% compared to the pre-war level, the press service of the portal of new buildings LUN told Interfax-Ukraine.
Reportedly, the team iOS-application to rent apartments in Kiev bird has prepared updated statistics on the situation of demand and prices in the capital market.
According to the study, the median rent price of one-bedroom apartment in the capital continues to fall – up to 8,5 thousand UAH, which is 10.5% lower than in November. At the end of February last year it was 13 thousand UAH per month.
The median price of rent of one-bedroom apartments at the end of December was UAH 12 thousand, which is 14.2% lower than in the previous month. In February it was UAH 21.6 thousand.
For three-room apartments median price decrease was 9%. Now you can rent such apartment for the price of 20 thousand UAH. This is much lower than before the war prices, because in February 24, 2022 such housing would cost 46.1 thousand UAH per month.
The Georgian embassy delivered high-capacity generators to Kharkiv on January 5, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said.
“We thank Georgia for providing Kharkiv with high-capacity generators, which were delivered by the Georgian embassy on January 5. We appreciate every assistance in restoring critical infrastructure facilities damaged after air, missile and artillery strikes,” the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Twitter.
Ukraine’s international reserves as of January 1, 2023, according to preliminary data, amounted to $28.491 billion, which is 1.9% or $536.4 million more compared to November 2022 due to foreign exchange earnings from international partners that exceeded NBU interventions selling currencies to maintain a fixed exchange rate.
As the NBU reported on its website on Friday evening, in general, they decreased by 7.9%, or $2.45 billion over the year.
The National Bank clarified that net international reserves in December increased by 3.3%, or $579 million, to $18.318 billion, but over the year they decreased by 11.8%, or $2.45 billion.
According to the regulator, in December the dynamics of international reserves was affected by operations to manage public debt. In particular, foreign exchange receipts to the accounts of the government of Ukraine with the NBU in December amounted to $4.468 billion, including from the EU – $598.7 million, from the United States through the World Bank trust fund – $2.03 billion, from the placement of government bonds – $540.7 million, from the World Bank – $402 million, from the Government of Canada – $367.8 million, from other international lenders – $528.9 million.
The total amount of government payments for servicing and repaying state debt in foreign currency amounted to $833.9 million, including $119.6 million directed to repay debt to international creditors, $714.3 million – to service government bonds.
In addition, Ukraine transferred $166.2 million to the IMF.
International reserves were also affected by NBU operations on the interbank market. In particular, they sold $3.193 billion on the foreign exchange market and bought $29.6 million into reserves, due to which the balance of interventions was negative and amounted to $3.163 billion.
In addition, reserves were affected by an upward revaluation of financial instruments by $231.6 million.
According to the NBU, the current volume of international reserves provides funding for 3.6 months of future imports, which is enough to meet Ukraine’s obligations and current operations of the government and the National Bank.
As reported, at the beginning of 2022, Ukraine’s international reserves amounted to $30.941 billion, net international reserves (NIR) – $20.767 billion.
