Analysts say China is ill-prepared for a fresh wave of infections, with little exposure to a disease kept largely in check until now

Cities that were already battling their most severe outbreaks saw a sharp decrease in economic activity after rules such as regular testing were scrapped

The meeting between the global economic powerhouse and Gulf energy giant signals Riyadh's interest in deepening ties with Beijing despite US wariness

The disputes concern alleged Chinese restrictions on EU companies' rights to use foreign courts to protect their high-tech patents and on trade with EU member Lithuania

China's uncompromising Covid policies, poor domestic demand and a real estate sector crash all combined to deal a heavy blow to the country's industrial sector

The move followed pushback from trade groups like the US Chamber of Commerce which argued the measures would not further US national security

Beijing's loosening of rules that have hobbled the world's second largest economy is being seen as the strongest sign yet that China is preparing its 1.4 billion people to live with the disease

The bleak data also underlined the impact of fresh Covid restrictions across many Chinese cities including manufacturing hubs Zhengzhou and Guangzhou

Analysts predict China may now re-open the economy and drop border controls sooner than expected next year, with some seeing it fully open in spring

The IMF identified China's Covid restrictions as a major deterrent for investors, the SCMP said

"We cannot give authoritarian regimes any chance to exploit our vulnerabilities and undermine us," NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said

Asia-Pacific is no one's backyard and should not become an arena for big power contest, the Chinese President said