World

  • In 2020, Germany’s GDP will fall by 5.0% from the previous year. This is the first time that the German economy has experienced a decline after 10 consecutive years of growth. In the year of COVID-19, the German economy suffered a severe recession, comparable to the financial crisis from 2008 to 2009, but the year-on-year decline was lower than the 5.7% in 2009.
  • WHO: Some studies have found that there have been cases of COVID-19 pneumonia in 2019 through clinical samples or stored serum samples. WHO will follow up these studies, but the zero case of COVID-19 pneumonia may never be found.
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): By March of this year, the mutant new coronavirus may become the main source of infection in the United States.

China

  • China Bio: It is submitting clinical data of COVID-19 vaccine for children and adolescents to the Food and Drug Administration. It is expected that the scope of the vaccination population will be expanded to the lower age group of 3 to 17 years old before March this year.
  • This year, China will focus on promoting the economic and trade cooperation of the “Belt and Road” and support Hong Kong and Macao regions to participate in the joint construction of the “Belt and Road”.

Industry

  • The first batch of 62 foreign investment projects in Shanghai were signed on the 15th, with a total investment of US$11.85 billion. The projects signed this time cover multiple industries such as artificial intelligence, biomedicine, integrated circuits, digital economy, and fashion consumer goods. Among them, 29 projects have an investment of more than US$100 million U.S. dollars, 7 projects are from Fortune 500 companies, and 20 headquarters energy enhancement projects.
  • The pre-sale of tickets before the Spring Festival Transport Festival has dropped by nearly 60% compared with the same period in previous years. It will ensure the safe and orderly travel of the people from various aspects such as epidemic prevention and control, ensuring safety and smooth flow, and preparing emergency plans.
  • Zhejiang Provincial Department of Commerce: In 2020, Zhejiang’s online retail sales reached US$41.37, a year-on-year increase of 14.3%; the online consumption of residents in the province reached US$171.65, a year-on-year increase of 10.9%; the online retail surplus reached USD$178.86 .
  • WeChat: In 2020, the number of small program service providers increased by 40.8% year-on-year; small program service providers increased by 109% year-on-year; service provider GMV (Gross Merchandise Volume) increased by 182% year-on-year.

Company

  • Bloomberg: Apple is considering launching a folding screen iPhone to compete with Samsung’s equipment. Apple has developed a foldable screen prototype for internal testing, but has not yet confirmed its plans to launch a foldable iPhone.
  • Tesla: Persist in China localized production and continuously increase the localization rate of parts.