Business
China’s Economic Recovery Continues To Gain Momentum

John Okeke
China’s manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) for June stood at 50.9 percent, up 0.3 percentage points from May, according to data jointly released on June 30 by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing (CFLP).
The figure has been kept above 50 percent for four consecutive months, indicating that the country’s economic recovery continued to gain momentum with constantly enhanced stability of industrial chains.
Among the 13 sub-indices, those for production, new orders, new export orders, existing orders, purchase quantity, import, purchase price, producer price, and raw materials inventory rose 0.3 to 7.3 percentage points from the previous month in June, while the sub-index for supplier delivery time remained unchanged over the previous month.
Besides, sub-indices for finished goods inventory, employee, and production and business activities expectation dropped 0.3 to 0.5 percentage points from May.
The slight rise in the PMI in June above the 50-point mark which indicates economic expansion showed that China has accelerated its economic recovery, according to Zhang Liqun, a researcher with the Development Research Center of the State Council.
A series of policies have been implemented after the annual sessions of China’s top legislature and political advisory body in May to keep employment, the financial sector, foreign trade, foreign and domestic investments, and expectations stable and ensure security in job, basic living needs, operations of market entities, food and energy security, stable industrial and supply chains, and the normal functioning of primary-level governments, Zhang noted.
Together with the previous policies rolled out to promote work and production resumption, these macro policies delivered more visible results, Zhang added.
Fiscal and monetary policies’ role in expanding domestic demand should be strengthened to further sustain the positive momentum of economic recovery.
China saw a recovery of market demand in general and growing driving forces for economic development. The country’s economy continued to recover with stable growth in consumer last month.
Sub-index for new orders stood at 51.4 percent, up 0.5 percentage points from May, while that for new export orders grew 7.3 percentage points from the previous month to 42.6 percent, with the decline in export significantly narrowing.
The recovery of market demand will further drive economic growth and business operation.
Production activities of enterprise rebounded, leading to an increase in raw material purchases. In June, sub-index for production was 53.9 percent, up 0.7 percentage points from the previous month and maintained above 53 percent for four months in a row.
More production activities drove enterprises’ demand for upstream products in the industrial chain. As a result, the purchase of raw materials increased accordingly, and the sub-index for purchase quantity rose 1 percentage point from May to 51.8 percent.
Meanwhile, prices in the whole sector picked up in a more coordinated way. Last month, driven by the rapid growth of enterprises’ purchase quantity, prices of basic upstream raw materials continued to rise on the basis of the previous month. The sub-index for purchase price grew 5.2 percentage points from May to 56.8 percent, while that for producer price rose 3.7 percentage points from the previous month to 52.4 percent, exceeding the 50-point mark for the first time this year.
The PMI indicated that the Chinese economy recovered gradually from March after some fluctuations early this year due to the COVID-19 epidemic, said Wen Tao, an analyst with the China Logistics Information Center.
In Q2, both the production and market demand saw a rapid recovery. The average sub-indices for production and new orders were 53.6 percent and 50.8 percent, respectively, which were above the 50-point mark and higher than that of Q1 and the same period last year.
Besides, purchasing activities and employment recovered significantly in Q2, with index readings higher than that of Q1 and the same period last year.
By the end of the first half of this year, China’s economic recovery continued to gain momentum with continuously enhanced stability of industrial chains, laying the foundation for a stable start in the second half of the year.
The non-manufacturing PMI, also released by the NBS and CFLP on June 30, edged up 0.8 percentage points from May to 55.4 percent in June. Except for non-manufacturing PMI sub-indices for supplier delivery time and for production and business activities expectation, which were down 0.8 percentage points and 3.6 percentage points, respectively, other sub-indices all grew 0.1 to 2.0 percentage points from May.
Cai Jin, CFLP vice president, said China’s non-manufacturing PMI has been picking up on a month-on-month basis since Q2, indicating a good recovery momentum of the non-manufacturing sector.
Changes in the sub-indices for non-manufacturing PMI showed that China saw a sound momentum for steady economic recovery as most industries recovered growth. In the second half of this year, the country needs to promote economic transformation, expand domestic demand and strengthen the endogenous dynamism of economic recovery to ensure continuous and sound economic growth.
Business
Court Orders Arrest Of Wike-led FCTA Director, 10 Others

By Aliyu Galadima
An Abuja High Court has issued a bench warrant against the director of investigation and prosecution of the FCTA, Joseph Eriki, and 10 others.Justice Suleiman Belgore has issued an order to compel the director and others to appear before the court for a suit filed against them.
The Judge’s decision followed the application of the prosecuting counsel, David Kaswe, who lamented the failure of the efforts to ensure that the suspects appear in court.
Justice Suleiman Belgore of the High Court in Abuja has issued a warrant of arrest against Joseph Eriki, the director of investigation and prosecution of the Nyesom Wike-led Federal Capital Territory Administration ,FCTA, and 10 others.
The judge had issued the order to compel the appearance of Joseph Eriki and 10 others before the court, as they had been arraigned in a suit filed against them by the federal government.
The warrant was issued following an application by the prosecution counsel, David Kaswe, who stated that all efforts to ensure the suspects’ presence in court had failed. Kaswe informed the court that the prosecution had made several attempts to notify the suspects’ lawyers and sureties, but to no avail.
He cited Section 124 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act ,ACJA, which allows for the issuance of a bench warrant to compel attendance in court.
The court agreed to the application, issuing the warrant to ensure the suspects’ appearance for arraignment on a six-count charge. The charges against the suspects include criminal conspiracy, criminal trespass, forgery, and using a forged document as genuine.
They are also accused of using criminal force to deter a public servant from performing their duty. The suspects allegedly entered a plot of land belonging to Etha Ventures and constructed structures without authorisation, to defraud the company.
According to the prosecution, the suspects fraudulently obtained a consent judgment for the land, which was given to Super Structures Limited. The case has been adjourned until June 4 for arraignment.
The court’s decision to issue a bench warrant highlights the seriousness of the allegations and the need for the suspects to face trial. The suspects are facing a six-count charge, which was filed in February.
The court’s ruling emphasises the importance of a speedy trial and the need for the suspects to be held accountable for their actions.
With the bench warrant in place, the court is taking steps to ensure that the suspects appear in court and face the charges against them
-
Featured6 years ago
Lampard Names New Chelsea Manager
-
Featured5 years ago
FG To Extends Lockdown In FCT, Lagos Ogun states For 7days
-
Featured6 years ago
NYSC Dismisses Report Of DG’s Plan To Islamize Benue Orientation Camp
-
Featured5 years ago
Children Custody: Court Adjourns Mike Ezuruonye, Wife’s Case To April 7
-
Featured4 years ago
Transfer Saga: How Mikel Obi Refused to compensate me After I Linked Him Worth $4m Deal In Kuwait SC – Okafor
-
Sports3 years ago
TINUBU LAMBAST DELE MOMODU
-
News5 months ago
Zulu to Super Eagles B team, President Tinubu is happy with you
-
Featured6 years ago
Board urges FG to establish one-stop rehabilitation centres in 6 geopolitical zones