Today’s Essential Eight:

1. Xi Jinping on a Sichuan inspection tour - Official media has started reporting on Xi’s trip to Sichuan. So far we only have a very brief report, but this will be disappointing for those who thought Xi’s “absence” from public appearances over the last week, as discussed in yesterday’s newsletter, were a sign of his alleged “troubles”. He looks fine to me, and most of the footage released so far shows him and his entourage and audiences maskless.

2. Weekly State Council Meeting - Premier Li must be very stressed, the readout reiterated that “the meeting noted the still acute downward pressure facing the economy, and the need to effectively coordinate COVID-19 response with economic and social development” and promised more supportive measures, including task forces for foreign-invested enterprises.

3. Wang Yi in Central Asia - Wang Yi is on a Central Asia tour. Is he laying the groundwork for Xi’s first overseas visit since early 2020? It is interesting how the Global…