China’s Population Shrinks for the First Time Since 1961

China’s Population Shrinks for the First Time Since 1961

• China’s population fell last year for the first time in six decades, a historic turn that is expected to mark the start of a long period of decline in its citizen numbers with profound implications for its economy. The drop, the worst since the Great Famine of 1961, also lends weight to predictions that India will become the world’s most populous nation in this year. The population dropped by roughly 850,000 to 1.41175 billion at the end of 2022. 
• Long-term, UN experts see China’s population shrinking by 109 million by 2050, more than triple the decline of their previous forecast in 2019.
• Much of the demographic downturn is the result of China’s one-child policy that it imposed between 1980 and 2015 as well as sky-high education costs that have put many Chinese off having more than one child or even having any at all.

EU chief takeson U.S., Chinaover cleantech policies

• The EU’s chief announced ambitious plans to challenge China and the U.S. in the race for clean-tech industries, as a battle over green trade emerged at the World Economic Forum.
• European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen slammed what she described as “aggressive attempts” to convince Europe’s clean technology operations to relocate to China through cheap labour and more lenient regulations.
• She also renewed European concerns over theU.S. Inflation Reduction Act, a climate subsidy package worth around $370 billion.
• Chinese vice PremierLiu He called for an end to the “Cold War mentality” and repeated Beijing’s opposition to “unilateralism and protectionism”.