good morning. The World Health Organization blamed China Underestimating the seriousness of the Corona virus outbreak and the true number of deaths, in the strongest rebuke yet of Beijing’s handling of the pandemic.

“We believe that the current numbers being released from China do not represent the true impact of the disease in terms of hospitalizations, in terms of ICU. [intensive care unit] Mike Ryan, head of the World Health Organization’s emergencies programme, told reporters:

Beijing’s definition of death from Covid-19, which was changed last month, was “very narrow,” Ryan said, as he called on Beijing to provide greater transparency on the extent of the increase in cases since President Xi Jinping brought an abrupt end to the system of controls. Strictly non-Covid.

Internal Chinese government estimates indicate that hundreds of millions of people may have been infected by late December. However, as of Tuesday, China officially reported only 5,258 deaths from Covid nationwide, including 25 since December 1, despite projections of up to 1 million deaths during this wave. Some areas reported no deaths despite an explosion in cases.

An increasing number of China’s celebrities have been lost to Covid-19, from academics to opera singers, whose deaths have complicated government efforts to reduce the scale of the outbreak spreading across the country. Want more about China? Explore our center in China For the latest news and analysis.

Five more stories in the news

1. The United States sends a delegation of trade and economic officials to Taiwan The Office of the United States Trade Representative announced that Terry McCarten, who is in charge of trade with China, will do so Leading an American delegation to Taiwan From January 14 to 17, as Joe Biden’s administration seeks to strengthen America’s commercial relationship with the island.

2. China and the Philippines undertake “friendly consultations” Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Philippine counterpart, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., agreed Enhancing economic relations and dealing with maritime issues In the South China Sea through consultations, as Beijing seeks to salvage a relationship undermined by their territorial dispute. Following reports that China has begun building uninhabited land features in the South China Sea, the meeting is seen as a test of whether Manila can boost relations with Beijing.

3. McCarthy loses a sixth vote for Speaker of the House despite Trump’s interference As a California congressman, Kevin McCarthy’s dreams of becoming Speaker of the House were fading fast. He lost the sixth ballot amid continuing opposition within his party. Despite former President Donald Trump intervening for 11 hours to encourage Republicans to support McCarthy, 20 Republicans voted against him on the fifth ballot.

4. Salesforce to cut 10% of employees Co-founder and CEO Marc Benioff blamed the retrenchment for the deteriorating working conditions, but he admitted it Misreads demand strength The US software company has become the latest tech group to reverse hiring in the face of slowing demand and mounting turmoil on Wall Street.

5. Japan’s nuclear restart is in jeopardy Japan’s ambitions to restart its nuclear industry risk of relapse Because of a shortage of engineers and manufacturing capacity that had atrophied in the decade following the Fukushima nuclear disaster. Japan got about a third of its electricity from 54 nuclear reactors before the Fukushima disaster. Right now, only nine are working.

next day

economic indicators S&P PMI numbers for Australia, China, Hong Kong and Singapore will be published today. Also today, Singapore’s retail sales figures are due from the Department of Statistics.

Funeral of former Pope Benedict the funeral The first pope in 600 years to resign from office, who died Saturday at the age of 95, is scheduled to hold his resignation at the Vatican today. Pope Francis will preside over the event.

French inflation figures While inflation is declining elsewhere in the Eurozone, figures released today in France are expected Slight increase in price growth. French inflation is expected to peak in the first quarter of 2023, according to the French central bank.

What else do we read

The prosperity of the new Gulf sovereign wealth fund From Qatar and Saudi Arabia to the United Arab Emirates, the Gulf is increasingly seen as a One of the world’s last remaining sources of abundant capital. For many of those bolting to its door, there is one thing on their mind — making deals with sovereign wealth funds — as the region enjoys its first petrodollar-fueled boom in a decade.

• Opinion: New world energy order Is formedwrote Rana Forouhar, following President Xi Jinping’s visit to Saudi Arabia last month.

Chinese battery makers are strengthening their grip on global supplies Chinese battery manufacturers have expanded their dominance of global supplies, with the two largest producers reaching a level combined market share of 50 percent, Leaving South Korean and Japanese competitors far behind.

The Russian military is facing a backlash over the killing of conscripts The killing of dozens of Russian conscripts in a Kyiv-led missile attack on their barracks in occupied eastern Ukraine has rekindled accusations in Moscow about the conduct of the war — and raised new questions about the nature of the war. The army’s ability to learn from its mistakes.

Israel’s shift to the right raises concerns about the stability of the West Bank Israeli proposals for far-reaching changes in the administration of the occupied West Bank raised warnings even before Benjamin Netanyahu’s official return as prime minister last week. But an intervention by the Israeli army commander confirmed the extent of those fears It reached the highest echelons of the Jewish state’s army.

Active Chinese travel will restore the image of the global nation On top of the direct financial impact, the return of Chinese travelers to the world stage could have a significant impact on business and Contribute to a subtle geopolitical alert. It’s not just the purchasing power of tourism that matters — views of China will change, Leo Lewis writes.

Take a break from the news

London-based Korean-American chef, restaurateur, and author Judy Joo shares it Gastronomic guide To New York, including the Jazz Club at the new Aman Hotel and some old favourites.