Needless to say, as the virus continues to spiral out of control, China is in a critical situation and is still trying to figure out what to do about it. Xi has been uncharacteristically quiet on the subject, but his policies continue to be Machiavellian. His zero-COVID policy, which he was so proud and so adamant about keeping in place only a month ago, is now in shambles. The street demonstrations that called for his removal must have been a humiliation in a country where saving face is paramount. But this is far from the end of Xi. He still has enormous power, and senior members of his party are rallying around him. But his policies spell great danger to the rest of the world.
China has now reopened to foreign tourists, and travelers can enter the country without quarantine. All they need is a negative PCR result within 48 hours before departure. China also restarted its visa-free policy, which means one can travel to China without applying for a new visa. In other words, China is not only making it easy for the Chinese to travel abroad, but it is also encouraging foreign travelers to come to China.
Even more chilling is the news that after releasing the Chinese people from the long COVID-19 lockdowns, Xi also opened up the Chinese ports for international travel at precisely the same time as he did in 2020. The Chinese New Year falls on Jan. 22 this year, and celebrations culminate with the Lantern Festival on Feb. 5. China is reopening its ports and has begun reissuing passports. This is exactly the same time that 5 million people from Wuhan left the city in 2020 to travel internationally. And once again, they are carrying a dangerous virus.
Xi has learned nothing from recent history. But one question remains: Will the cruelty that Xi continues to inflict on the world turn back on him and destroy the very power structure that he has worked so hard to build? Will his massive mistakes come back to haunt him and bring down his dream of world supremacy? Or will the power infrastructure he created protect him and allow him to destroy the world?
The CCP is about to unleash another pandemic on the world, and this one may be far more lethal than the last. Closing national borders to all Chinese travelers and preventing our own from traveling to China would seem to be only common sense. It must be done—immediately. But the world seems uncommonly devoid of anything approaching such basic wisdom. If so, it’s time to prepare for another storm.
Ilana Freedman is an intelligence analyst with more than thirty years in the field. Ilana has authored hundreds of articles on global threats and the geopolitical landscape. She has written four books on Islamic terrorism, and is currently working on a comprehensive volume on the rise and fall of China.
China has now reopened to foreign tourists, and travelers can enter the country without quarantine. All they need is a negative PCR result within 48 hours before departure. China also restarted its visa-free policy, which means one can travel to China without applying for a new visa. In other words, China is not only making it easy for the Chinese to travel abroad, but it is also encouraging foreign travelers to come to China.
Even more chilling is the news that after releasing the Chinese people from the long COVID-19 lockdowns, Xi also opened up the Chinese ports for international travel at precisely the same time as he did in 2020. The Chinese New Year falls on Jan. 22 this year, and celebrations culminate with the Lantern Festival on Feb. 5. China is reopening its ports and has begun reissuing passports. This is exactly the same time that 5 million people from Wuhan left the city in 2020 to travel internationally. And once again, they are carrying a dangerous virus.
Xi has learned nothing from recent history. But one question remains: Will the cruelty that Xi continues to inflict on the world turn back on him and destroy the very power structure that he has worked so hard to build? Will his massive mistakes come back to haunt him and bring down his dream of world supremacy? Or will the power infrastructure he created protect him and allow him to destroy the world?
The CCP is about to unleash another pandemic on the world, and this one may be far more lethal than the last. Closing national borders to all Chinese travelers and preventing our own from traveling to China would seem to be only common sense. It must be done—immediately. But the world seems uncommonly devoid of anything approaching such basic wisdom. If so, it’s time to prepare for another storm.
Ilana Freedman is an intelligence analyst with more than thirty years in the field. Ilana has authored hundreds of articles on global threats and the geopolitical landscape. She has written four books on Islamic terrorism, and is currently working on a comprehensive volume on the rise and fall of China.
