Power crunch in Sichuan adds to manufacturers’ woes in China

Sichuan is one of China's most populous provinces and a key manufacturing hub for electronic vehicle cells and solar panels. - AFP

CHENGDU (Bloomberg): The Chinese province of Sichuan activated its highest emergency response on Sunday (Aug 21) to deal with "extremely outstanding” power supply deficiencies, adding to manufacturers’ woes in the region as they shut down factories.

Extreme high temperatures and low precipitation since July, along with record electricity demand, have caused gaps in power supply, the southwestern province said in a statement on Sunday. The local government vowed to minimize the impact of the power shortage on economic growth, industrial production and households.