Thirteen Chinese firms have been added to a blacklist that bars US investment, including DJI Technology, Dahua Technology and BGI Genomics.

Anger has grown among the public to frequent sudden lockdowns that trap people in their homes, shops and workplaces, and the over-zealous reactions of officials to small case numbers.

Vaccine maker's refusal to give China the core intellectual property on development of its mRNA vaccine led to the collapse of talks on its sale there, the Financial Times reported on Saturday

China's factory activity rose in September but service sector growth slowed as the economy battled low demand and Covid curbs. The PMI data shows it is struggling to avoid contraction

Democrat leaders are among a bipartisan group who urged Biden to issue an order to "safeguard our national security and supply chain resiliency on outbound investments to foreign adversaries."

Covid restrictions have disrupted China's supply chains, industrial and services production, domestic sales and exports, the World Bank said

Pakistan could also forgo loan repayments to invest in climate-change resilient infrastructure instead, the UNDP said

The city will scrap its hotel quarantine policy for all arrivals from Sept 26. All arrivals will be able to return home or go to accommodation of their choice, but must self monitor for 3 days

The rest of the world has remained committed to globalisation over the past year, but China has turned inward, European Chamber of Commerce president Joerg Wuttke said.

"The epidemic has been effectively controlled," with the city set to resume life "in an orderly manner," local authorities said.

Nanmadol, classified as a super typhoon by the U.S. Navy's Joint Typhoon Warning Center, could be the most powerful to hit Japan in decades.

Five million foreign tourists have arrived so far this year, expecting to rise to 10 million by the end of the year, finance minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith said.