© . FILE PHOTO: Chinese Vice Premier Liu He attends the closing session of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, May 27, 2020. REUTERS/Thomas Peter BEIJING () – The supply chains of China needs to be stabilized amid COVID-19 outbreaks, with local governments helping key companies get back to work, the official Xinhua news agency quoted Deputy Prime Minister Liu He as saying. Increasing flare-ups of COVID-19 are choking China’s logistics chains, clogging highways and ports, stranding workers and closing countless factories. The disruptions are already trickling down to global supply chains. Monday’s data showed a significant slowdown in economic activity in March, with analysts saying April is likely to get worse as severe lockdowns continue. Authorities must ensure that traffic permits for drivers are recognized across the country, and transport should not be restricted because of waiting for drivers’ COVID-19 test results, Xinhua said Monday. “We need to resolve the outstanding issues one by one in key regions,” Liu said, adding that the government will establish a “white list” of key industrial companies that need help repairing disruptions. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said it will work with 666 companies making semiconductors, automobiles and the medical sector in closed-down Shanghai, it said in a statement late Friday.
