Xi is truly between a rock and a hard place - as you mentioned, the Chinese Covid vaccines are not effective (apparently they are completely ineffective against O,micron), so that lockdowns are the only weapon XI has at the moment. One geopolitical analyst estimates that if fhe lockdowns were eased, the death toll could reach several mil…
Xi is truly between a rock and a hard place - as you mentioned, the Chinese Covid vaccines are not effective (apparently they are completely ineffective against O,micron), so that lockdowns are the only weapon XI has at the moment. One geopolitical analyst estimates that if fhe lockdowns were eased, the death toll could reach several million per month, for a quarter to a half year. If most of them were elderly, that would be an extra problem for Xi. The irony is that China's place as a major world power is probably temporary. The "one-child" policy in effect for 40 years has guaranteed that China's population will decrease up to 50% over the next 30 years. - there aren't enough Chinese women to repopulate the country as the older generations die off.....probably there are 50-65 million Chinese men for whom there are no Chinese women. Even though the government has increased the allowed children to three per family, modern middle class Chinese do not WANT children - the birth rate in Shanghai is 0.7 children per family, one third of the replacement rate. When the population declines, so will the size of the (very necessary) security forces, so China will likely break up into regional powers, as has been common in other historical periods..... Taiwan many win after all.
Xi is truly between a rock and a hard place - as you mentioned, the Chinese Covid vaccines are not effective (apparently they are completely ineffective against O,micron), so that lockdowns are the only weapon XI has at the moment. One geopolitical analyst estimates that if fhe lockdowns were eased, the death toll could reach several million per month, for a quarter to a half year. If most of them were elderly, that would be an extra problem for Xi. The irony is that China's place as a major world power is probably temporary. The "one-child" policy in effect for 40 years has guaranteed that China's population will decrease up to 50% over the next 30 years. - there aren't enough Chinese women to repopulate the country as the older generations die off.....probably there are 50-65 million Chinese men for whom there are no Chinese women. Even though the government has increased the allowed children to three per family, modern middle class Chinese do not WANT children - the birth rate in Shanghai is 0.7 children per family, one third of the replacement rate. When the population declines, so will the size of the (very necessary) security forces, so China will likely break up into regional powers, as has been common in other historical periods..... Taiwan many win after all.