China Signals Slight Easing of Pandemic Restrictions After Countrywide Protests
China’s top official for COVID-19 said the country is entering a new stage (SCMP) of its pandemic response and that the “optimization” of control measures will continue. While Beijing is experiencing its largest-ever surge in reported cases, city officials are planning to allow some people with COVID-19 to isolate at home rather than at government quarantine centers, Bloomberg reported. The change comes on the heels of mass protests against extended lockdowns under China’s zero-COVID policy.
Meanwhile, European Council President Charles Michel met with Chinese President Xi Jinping (FT) today in Beijing. Michel’s spokesperson said they discussed COVID-19 responses in China and the European Union (EU), as well as trade relations (Reuters), the war in Ukraine, Taiwan, and climate change.
Analysis
“[Top COVID-19 official Sun Chunlan’s] comment sent the clearest official message so far that omicron has become less of a health concern to the public, and it could be seen as the formal start of changing narratives around Covid,” Evercore’s Neo Wang tells Bloomberg. “But it doesn’t mean the real reopening is imminent.”
“This is the real meaning of the COVID protests: they are not simply cries for personal freedom but signal the start of a more turbulent era in Chinese politics,” CFR’s Ian Johnson writes for Foreign Affairs.
Pacific Rim
Survey: Japanese Firms Plan to Shift Some Supply Chains Away From China
A Nikkei survey of seventy-nine major Japanese manufacturers found that 53 percent were planning to reduce dependence on Chinese suppliers. The top reasons cited were concerns about China-Taiwan tensions and China’s strict COVID-19 policies.
Afghanistan: Taliban authorities banned broadcasts (AP) from Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, citing complaints about editorial content.
Middle East and North Africa
Pentagon Warns Turkey Against Planned Military Operation in Northern Syria
On a phone call, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin told Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar that Washington strongly opposes (Hurriyet) the proposed operation. Austin said recent Turkish air strikes threatened the safety of U.S. forces.
Syria: Two million cholera vaccines arrived in the country (TheNational), the first such shipment since a nationwide cholera outbreak began in August. Aid agencies said there were thirty-five thousand suspected cases of cholera as of November 14.
Sub-Saharan Africa
South African Parliament to Weigh Possible Impeachment of President
A report issued by a parliamentary panel found that South African President Cyril Ramaphosa potentially broke the law (NYT) in relation to a large amount of U.S. dollars that was hidden at one of his properties. Next week, Parliament will consider whether to open impeachment proceedings against him.
Angola: Interpol told Reuters that it issued a notice for international authorities “to locate and provisionally arrest” Angolan billionaire Isabel dos Santos at Angola’s request. A 2020 probe found that she and her husband had steered state funds toward their own companies.
Europe
EU Proposes Special Court to Probe Russian War Crimes
Mexico: The country’s energy ministry attempted to block stricter rules on natural gas flaring that became law in June over concerns that they would hurt state oil and gas company Petróleos Mexicanos, or Pemex, according to documents seen by Reuters.
United States
DHS Warns of Domestic Terrorism Threats
In a terrorism bulletin, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said the United States is in a “heightened threat environment” (Axios) and that potential targets of violence could include LGBTQ+ communities, critical infrastructure, media organizations, and perceived ideological opponents.
