TRADERS in Ruili, a city in southwest China's Yunnan Province bordering Myanmar, are worried about their businesses after the city announced a third lockdown on following the detection of three new Covid cases.
The new lockdown could add to lingering disruptions and impact on small businesses caused by epidemic prevention and control measures that have been in place for months to stem the spread of Covid, according to local merchants, reported Beijing's Global Times.
Jiegao port in Ruili has been closed since the Covid flare-ups in March, prohibiting the movement of people and vehicles, a said local official.
Another port - Wanding, a town bordering China and Myanmar - also banned the exit of Chinese vehicles from the country starting on June 22, according to a notice issued by the epidemic prevention and control office in the Wanding economic development zone, which asked for the understanding and support of local traders and merchants.
The previous outbreaks already dealt a blow to Ruili. The city closed the jade trade fair and suspended imports of jade from Myanmar, a major business in the city, starting from March.
'The jade trade was halted over the past months. We are not allowed to sell jade through livestreaming or import jade from Myanmar, due to the epidemic prevention and control measures,' said jade merchant Wei Lin.
Though he started to sell fruit on e-commerce platforms to cushion the impact on his business, Mr Wei regarded the current earnings as 'chicken feed' compared with the loss of CNY50,000 - CNY100,000 (US$7,738 - $15,475) per month.
SeaNews Turkey
The new lockdown could add to lingering disruptions and impact on small businesses caused by epidemic prevention and control measures that have been in place for months to stem the spread of Covid, according to local merchants, reported Beijing's Global Times.
Jiegao port in Ruili has been closed since the Covid flare-ups in March, prohibiting the movement of people and vehicles, a said local official.
Another port - Wanding, a town bordering China and Myanmar - also banned the exit of Chinese vehicles from the country starting on June 22, according to a notice issued by the epidemic prevention and control office in the Wanding economic development zone, which asked for the understanding and support of local traders and merchants.
The previous outbreaks already dealt a blow to Ruili. The city closed the jade trade fair and suspended imports of jade from Myanmar, a major business in the city, starting from March.
'The jade trade was halted over the past months. We are not allowed to sell jade through livestreaming or import jade from Myanmar, due to the epidemic prevention and control measures,' said jade merchant Wei Lin.
Though he started to sell fruit on e-commerce platforms to cushion the impact on his business, Mr Wei regarded the current earnings as 'chicken feed' compared with the loss of CNY50,000 - CNY100,000 (US$7,738 - $15,475) per month.
SeaNews Turkey
