Joe Biden will travel to Asia for the first time since he took office as US president. Despite the Ukraine war, the dispute with China remains an important element of US policy. Washington wants to prevent China from attacking the Western-dominated "rules-based order". To its allies in the region, Washington wants to make new economic cooperation palatable.
By Christiane Kuehl
The hype surrounding China's vaccine deliveries to poorer countries has subsided. The EU now exports more doses and is an equally popular partner. The mood has also tipped because China charged for the shipments, while the products proved ineffective.
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China's zero-Covid policy brings tough restrictions for companies. But they also benefit from measures that would be unimaginable in the West: Workers are isolated from the outside world. They stay overnight and live in or directly at the factories so that they do not catch Covid-19 during their commute or at home. First protests are mounting against this practice.
By Nico Beckert