Local Chinese govts using funds meant for tackling poverty for mass Covid-19 testing instead: FT

[Follow //t.me/mothershipsg] China’s Covid-zero policy has begun taking a financial toll on local governments across the country. According to the Financial Times , local officials have begun diverting funds meant for tackling poverty and infrastructure projects to funding mass Covid-19 testing instead. It cited experts outside of China who said that local governments are taking “key resources” from economic growth to finance testing, which will result in their economies being in an “even worse shape” than they already are. The report also highlighted the Chinese cities of Jilin and Quanzhou as notable examples of the issue. Jilin city: ‘Significant’ portion…