Further regional lockdowns in China due to its zero-COVID strategy have caused severe supply chain bottlenecks accompanied by concerns on product quality, supply chain security and environmental safety.
By doubling down on a draconian strategy that has been jettisoned by most other nations, China is in danger of driving away significant overseas business, while at the same time posing problems for supply chain transparency and the global economy.
Since the highly transmissible – but less lethal – omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 was first identified in China in December, officials have taken measures to counter outbreaks in several Chinese cities, including the world’s third-busiest container port of Ningbo-Zhoushan, near Shanghai, after just two dozen COVID-19 cases were confirmed in the neighbourhood.
