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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Hong Kong's Cardinal Joseph Zen has been a thorn in the side of both the Vatican and the Communist Party over the past few years. He supported the city's protest movement and criticized the Catholic Church for a "bad deal" with the People's Republic. On Wednesday, the 90-year-old was arrested on charges of conspiring with foreign forces - just three days after former Security Chief John Lee was elected as the city's next Chief Executive.
By Marcel Grzanna
China doubles down on its Zero-Covid approach. President Xi Jinping says that "persistence will lead to victory" (坚持就是胜利). To cushion the economic impacts, the central government released new consumption incentives (incl. Infrastructure). Shanghai, in principle, allowed 1800 companies to produce in "closed loops". But interruptions of logistics and supply chains continue to undermine a swift return to undisrupted production. Especially delays in the logistics chain wreak havoc on global supply chains.
By Redaktion Table
China could find a new friend in the central European EU state of Slovenia. The right-wing populist Janez Janša, who recently went toe-to-toe with Beijing, has been voted out of office. Foreign policy played virtually no role in the election campaign, and the designated government under Robert Golob is primarily focused on economic growth.
By Amelie Richter
