Apologies, I have been having technical difficulties with a service I rely on and so the newsletter is a bit late and a bit thin. Hope to have everything resolved by Wednesday.

Summary of today’s top items:

1. Covid - Reopening continues, new vaccines approved and the Global Times says a second booster campaign may be about to begin. Taking responsibility for your own health is a key message, as are guides about how to avoid catching it and what to expect if you do get Covid and how to deal with it at home. The official case data are likely now dramatically underestimating the spread of cases. One of the next big markers in the path to reopening will be how many migrant workers are allowed to return home in the next couple of weeks for Lunar New Year.

2. Jiang Zemin memorial service - The official mourning period is now over after the service at the Great Hall of the People and the three minute period of silence nationwide today. In his speech at the service Xi praised Jiang and then in the …