As China’s economy continues to be squeezed by the cost of the country’s zero-tolerance approach to Covid, the government on Friday softened some of its restrictions, even as it remained committed to its strict pandemic policy.The shift, while modest, was enough to excite investors who have been searching for any sign that China was ready to ease its rules. The announcement sent Hong Kong’s stock market soaring nearly 8 percent and buoyed mainland financial markets that have been in a depression over when China will abandon an approach many investors say has hurt the economy.The move to narrow the scope of China’s vast pandemic apparatus comes a day after its top leader, Xi Jinping, held a meeting with his newly appointed Politburo Standing Committee to discuss Covid-19 amid the economic uncertainty playing out in financ …
