Is China facing an energy crunch, too?

Officials are anxious to avoid the widespread blackouts of 2021

SHENYANG, CHINA - JULY 18: Air conditioning units hang off the back side of a row of buildings on July 18, 2018 in Shenyang, Liaoning Province of China. Some Chinese people spend sanfu, the hottest day of the year, in air-conditioned buildings. Chinese people embraced the second day of Sanfu - the dog days of the summer, on Wednesday. (Photo by Visual China Group via Getty Images)

Jul 17th 2022|SHANGHAI

Air-conditioners are running full blast in central China as much as they are in Texas or on the Iberian peninsula. As many as 900m Chinese people have experienced record temperatures in recent days; more than 80 cities have issued heat alerts. In Zhejiang province, an important manufacturing centre in the east, some energy-intensive factories have been subject to power rationing. Thermometers in the region hit about 42°C on July 13th. Given the humidity, that feels more like 54°C.

This article appeared in the Finance & economics section of the print edition under the headline “Power play”