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Facing an imminent Covid-19 wave, China must make some tough choices

China is now in the dark place most countries were in 2020 – facing twin challenges in public health and the economy.

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Pandemic prevention workers stand outside a building where residents do home quarantine, as coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreaks continue in Beijing, December 8, 2022. REUTERS/Thomas Peter

Pandemic prevention workers outside a building where residents are on home quarantine, as Covid-19 outbreaks continue in Beijing on Dec 8, 2022.

PHOTO: REUTERS

Bo Zhiyue

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- It does not seem that long ago when China was roaring ahead, set to throw down the gauntlet and usurp the United States as the world’s No. 1 superpower.

Indeed, it was only in July 2021 when the Communist Party of China (CPC) – helmed by President Xi Jinping –

celebrated 100 years

since its founding. The CPC had a glittering track record underpinned by decades of economic transformation that made the country the world’s factory, powered gross domestic product (GDP) growth averaging over 9 per cent a year since 1978, and lifted more than 800 million people out of poverty. Chinese tech titans sprawled across the globe, with Alibaba, TikTok and Xiaomi becoming household names.

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