As 2022 drew to a close, the Chinese regime was forced to abandon its Zero- COVID policy as people took to the streets in protest. The “world’s factory” had been witnessing a migration of manufacturing operations to neighboring countries, even as its citizens were forced to stay housebound for weeks and months on end.
As expected, the abrupt lifting of mass restrictions and opening up of the community has led to a surge in COVID-19 infections. With the biggest national festival, the Chinese New Year or the Spring festival, around the corner (at the end of the month), experts warn that the numbers will rise.
Much of the population lacks immunity, as strict lockdowns and curbs on social mingling have been in place since the onset of the pandemic. The most vulnerable segment of the population is the elderly, numbering about 200 million. With a majority of the seniors unvaccinated, the holiday period, which witnesses what is said to be the ‘largest annual migration of people’ and a time for family gatherings, put many at risk.
Beijing’s opacity makes it nearly impossible to get a clear picture of the scale and severity of the outbreak. The government has refrained from releasing accurate infection and fatality figures. But, satellite images and social media reports suggest long queues in front of crematoriums in many cities in China. Some international experts opine that the country could see up to one million COVID-19-related deaths this year.
The appalling numbers are not doomsday scenarios. Local media reports peg COVID-19 infection rates at around 70% nationwide. According to an official of the National Health Commission, about 8% of those infected are developing pneumonia, another cause for concern. That is roughly 80 million pneumonia cases in the country!
The severe antiviral drug shortage in the country is adding to the trepidation. Multiple reports suggest that the pharmacies in many parts of China have run out of even essential medications. Cold and flu medicines are in short supply. Even over-the-counter painkillers are hard to come by. The price of Pfizer manufactured, Paxlovid has shot up to 50,000 yuan (U.S. $7,300) when its original price is just 2,000 yuan (U.S. $295).
The current situation is exposing Beijing’s lack of preparedness. The restrictions have ensured that the population lacks immunity and is susceptible to infections. The shortage of crucial drugs reveals a lack of foresight and planning before lifting the restrictions. Even three years after the COVID-19 outbreak, of which Wuhan was the first epicenter, the administration is yet to bring Paxlovid under the national medical insurance program.
Despite the threat posed to the population, Beijing is trying to take advantage of the circumstances. While the administration points to the high price of the Pfizer drug as the impediment, insiders say that the government’s insistence that the pharma giant must disclose the formula in return for access to the Chinese market is causing the holdup.
With no established NGO network, people are forced to rely on the administration for aid, medicines, and support. Many are relying on friends and family abroad to get much-needed medication.
The situation on the ground points to an administration that was ill-prepared to lift restrictions. It appears that Beijing had to hastily abandon its Zero COVID policy in the face of nationwide protests.
What remains to be seen is how accommodating or forgiving the people will be if the pandemic takes a further significant toll on the population. Will anger, like the frustration that drove them to the streets, give the people the courage to hold their leaders accountable – for unleashing an unprecedented pandemic on the world and the losses they have suffered?
TIPP Takes
Geopolitics And Geoeconomics
#1. Top Russian General Put In Charge Of ‘More Dangerous’ Ukraine War – Al Jazeera
Russia’s defense ministry said that Minister of Defense Sergei Shoigu appointed Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov as overall commander of forces for its “special military operation” in Ukraine.
This is the biggest shake-up of Russia’s military command structure after months of battlefield defeats.
The move, in effect, demoted General Sergey Surovikin, nicknamed “General Armageddon” by the Russian media for his reputed ruthlessness. Surovikin’s demotion came after only three months on the job.
During his short time overseeing the troops in Ukraine, Surovikin was credited with strengthening coordination and reinforcing control.
But he also announced a withdrawal in November from Kherson, one of the biggest and most important cities Russian forces had captured during the conflict. His demotion signaled that Russian President Vladimir Putin was not fully satisfied with his performance.
#2. Poland Prepared To Give Ukraine Leopard Tanks As Part Of Coalition – RFE/RL
Poland is ready to send Leopard tanks to Ukraine as part of a coalition, Polish President Andrzej Duda announced after meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv.
Kyiv has been requesting heavy military vehicles such as the German-made Leopard 2, a tank that Ukraine says is critical for the land battle in the Donbas region.
Warsaw is willing to deliver Leopard tanks “within the framework of an international coalition,” Duda said at a joint news conference after a meeting of the heads of state of the Lublin Triangle regional forum.
Zelensky applauded the move but expected “a common decision” involving other countries willing to send the advanced Leopard battle tanks. “One state alone cannot help us,” he said.
#3. Russia Will Launch New Capsule To Return Space Station Crew – A.P.
Russia will send a new capsule next month to bring back three space station crew members whose original ride home was damaged.
NASA and Russian space officials told reporters that the two Russians and one American would stay several extra months at the International Space Station due to the capsule switch, possibly pushing their mission to close to a year.
Cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev, Dmitri Petelin, and astronaut Frank Rubio were supposed to return in March in the same Soyuz capsule that took them up last September. But that capsule was hit by a tiny meteoroid on December 14, creating a small hole in the exterior radiator and sending coolant spewing into space.
Sergei Krikalev, head of the human spaceflight for the Russian Space Agency, said barring an emergency at the space station, it would be too dangerous for the crew to use that capsule to return to Earth.
#4. HRW Asks Countries To ‘Replicate’ Response To Ukraine Crisis – D.W.
Human Rights Watch hailed the support shown by governments for Ukraine in its annual report. The group, however, also said the response “exposed the double standards” of some E.U. countries.
Hailing the international response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Human Rights Watch (HRW) urged governments to follow similar response strategies for other conflicts.
HRW’s acting executive director, Tirana Hassan, hailed the support shown by governments for Ukraine. She also said ”all governments should bring the same spirit of solidarity to the multitude of human rights crises around the globe, and not just when it suits their interests.”
#5. China Renews Threat Against Taiwan As Island Holds Drills – A.P.
China renewed its threats Wednesday to attack Taiwan and warned that foreign politicians interacting with the self-governing island are “playing with fire.”
A spokesperson for China’s Taiwan Affairs Office said the country was recommitted in the new year to “safeguarding sovereignty and territorial integrity” and “smashing plots for Taiwan independence” on the self-governing democracy that separated from mainland China in 1949.
China views Taiwan as a Chinese territory that must be brought under Beijing’s control by force if necessary. A string of visits in recent months by foreign politicians to Taiwan, including by then-U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and numerous politicians from the European Union, spurred displays of military might from both sides.
This week, Taiwan’s military is staging drills intended to reassure the public of its ability to counter China’s threats ahead of this month’s Lunar New Year holiday.
#6. Japan, U.S. Agree China Poses “Greatest Strategic Challenge” – Kyodo News
The top foreign and defense officials of Japan and the U.S. agreed that China’s growing power poses the “greatest strategic challenge” in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond, vowing to reinforce deterrence as well as expand the scope of their security treaty into space.
In the face of serious security threats from North Korea and Russia, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada, along with their U.S. counterparts Antony Blinken and Lloyd Austin, agreed to modernize and optimize the countries’ alliance at a so-called two-plus-two meeting in Washington.
The bilateral meeting took place just weeks after Japan endorsed new security and defense strategy documents putting Tokyo on a path to acquiring “counterstrike” capabilities. Japan will be able to hit enemy bases should the need arise, with the potential purchase of hundreds of U.S.-made Tomahawk cruise missiles.
#7. Death Sentence Of Iranian-British Citizen Confirmed, Wife Fears Execution Imminent – RFE/RL
Iran’s Supreme Court has confirmed the death sentence of former Defense Ministry official Alireza Akbari, a dual Iranian-British citizen, on spying charges and transferred him to solitary confinement, raising fears his execution may be imminent.
The Intelligence Ministry said that on January 11, Akbari was sentenced for spying, calling him “one of the country’s most important infiltrators” of classified materials. He has denied the allegations.
Akbari’s wife confirmed she had been informed of the sentence. In an interview with BBC’s Persian service, she said her husband, who has been in prison since 2019, had been taken to solitary confinement and asked her to come to the prison for a “final meeting.”
The BBC also said it had obtained an audio message from Akbari saying he had been tortured and forced to confess under duress on video.
#8. Azerbaijan Appoints First-Ever Ambassador To Israel Amid Iran Row – Reuters
Azerbaijan appointed its first-ever ambassador to Israel on Wednesday amid escalating tensions with its large southern neighbor Iran.
President Ilham Aliyev signed a presidential decree appointing Mukhtar Mammadov, a veteran official who has held posts in the foreign and education ministries, as Baku’s first envoy to Israel after 30 years of bilateral relations.
Israel has had an embassy in Baku since the early 1990s. It has been a significant military backer of Azerbaijan in recent years, including diplomatic support for Baku in its standoff with Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Azerbaijan also supplies around 40% of Israel’s oil imports, and both Aliyev and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have hailed strong relations between their countries.
#9. Saudi Arabia Plans To Use Domestic Uranium For Entire Nuclear Fuel Cycle: Minister – Reuters
Saudi Arabia’s energy minister, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said the Kingdom intended to use its domestic uranium for the entire nuclear fuel cycle.
He added that recent exploration had shown the country’s diverse portfolio of uranium.
Saudi Arabia has a nascent nuclear program that it wants to expand.
“The Kingdom intends to utilize its national uranium resources, including in joint ventures with willing partners in accordance with international commitments and transparency standards.”
He told a mining industry conference in Riyadh that this would involve “the entire nuclear fuel cycle which involves the production of yellowcake, low enriched uranium and the manufacturing of nuclear fuel both for our national use and of course for export.”
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said in 2018 it would develop nuclear weapons if regional rival Iran did.
#10. E.U. Covid Committee Might Quiz Von Der Leyen About Pfizer Vaccine Contract – WION
Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, might be asked to appear publicly in front of the European Parliament’s COVID-19 committee, POLITICO reported.
The MEPs leading the probe want to quiz von der Leyen about her role in a massive, multi-billion euro coronavirus vaccine contract that was signed at the height of the pandemic. Before the contract was signed, she reportedly had a text exchange with Pfizer’s Chief Executive Albert Bourla.
Von der Leyen has not divulged any details about the deal to date. What transpired behind the dealings is something that the E.U.’s ombudsman and the Court of Auditors also haven’t been able to shed light on.
The European Public Prosecutor’s Office has opened an investigation into the vaccine contracts, but it hasn’t been clarified yet if the Commission President is its target.
#11. Peru Protests Spread To Cusco, Gateway City To Machu Picchu – Al Jazeera
Clashes between protesters and police have broken out in Peru’s tourist city of Cusco as a month of demonstrations, which have now left at least 47 people dead, continued over the removal of the country’s ex-President Pedro Castillo.
Health officials in Cusco said 37 civilians and six police officers were injured on Wednesday when protesters tried to take over the city’s Alejandro Velasco Astete International Airport, a gateway for tourists to visit the nearby Incan citadel of Machu Picchu. One civilian later died after being hit by gunfire, officials said.
The violence is the worst the Andean country has seen in more than 20 years and was sparked by the abrupt removal of the left-wing Castillo in early December.
Protesters, mainly from neglected rural areas of the country still loyal to Castillo, are calling for the resignation of the new President, Dina Boluarte, quick general elections, a new Constitution, the release of Castillo, and justice for the protesters killed in clashes with police.
#12. World Economic Forum Report Calls Climate Most Pressing Concern Facing Humanity – UPI
Failure to contain the climate crisis has become the greatest threat to life on Earth, with environmental concerns likely to become the most pressing issue facing humanity over the next decade, according to a global risk report released by the World Economic Forum.
The international lobbying organization released the report ahead of its annual meeting next week in Davos, Switzerland, where more than a thousand experts worldwide — including lawmakers, tech industry leaders, and highly touted academicians — are expected to convene.
In the report, WEF calls for scaling up renewable energy, eliminating carbon emissions, reforming world oil markets, transitioning to clean power generation, and improving energy efficiency, as nearly 3.6 billion people worldwide were increasingly vulnerable to climate impacts.
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Republished with permission from TIPP Insights
