BIG FIVE IDEAS

Today’s highly discussed Global Times stories on social media NEW FIXED-ASSET PROJECTS

The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), China’s top economic planning agency, approved seven fixed-asset investment projects worth a total of 129.8 billion yuan ($18.33 billion) in energy and transportation, aiming to improve overall investment in May, NDRC spokesperson told a press conference on Tuesday.

LOGISTICS SUSPENSION RUMORS

In response to logistics suspension rumors in Beijing given the city’s new COVID-19 cases, logistics firms including Yunda and SF Express said their businesses are operating normally, though some parcels may not be delivered on time in high-risk areas in the Fengtai district: report

REUSABLE MASKS

Asia’s largest retailer Fast Retailing Co, operator of the Uniqlo chain, will sell reusable face masks in Japan this week, priced at about $3 each. The Japanese company said that after being washed 20 times, the masks can still filter out 99 percent of bacteria.

PASSENGER FLOWS FALL

In May, passenger throughput in Shanghai airports was recorded at 1.4 million, down 78.65 percent year-on-year, while cargo throughput increased 10.13 percent year-on-year to 336,600 tons, according to a notice from the Shanghai Airport Authority on Tuesday.

UNPRECEDENTED CHALLENGE

Salmon-related industries in China, from manufacturers and dealers to Japanese restaurants, are facing an unprecedented challenge after the discovery of COVID-19 on an imported salmon seller’s chopping board at a Beijing wholesale market, industrial insiders said. They estimate the total industrial loss is likely to surpass $100 million.