Packed bars and mask-less catwalks: With Covid curbs fading, China set for consumption rebound

Over the weekend, crowds packed a former industrial warehouse in Beijing as the China Fashion Week got underway, with models strutting mask-less on a square runway and guests oblivious to social distancing norms. Similarly vibrant scenes are being seen elsewhere in China as consumers return to cinemas, live performances and restaurants. To many, they indicate a late-summer recovery in Chinese household spending is broadening and propelling the next stage of the economic recovery.