The Philippines up-and-down relationship with China, and a strange COVID moment in China
A note for Access newsletter readers from Jeremy Goldkorn for January 11, 2023.
My thoughts today:
The Philippines has had an up-and-down relationship with China for decades, and the last week has epitomized the way the island nation swings between cosying up to Beijing and castigating it — see our top story today.
COVID continues to tear through China, and the government continues to issue numbers about infection and mortality rates that no one takes seriously. Everyone in the country knows many people who have caught the virus, and media reports and social media posts continue to show hospital wards at capacity and crowded crematoria.
I’ve had to send a few more condolences, and I’ve been asked twice if I know how to get Palxlovid into China — there is no legal supply and packages of it are apparently bein stopped by postal or customs authorities.
Several reports today suggest the first wave of infections has peaked. But of course the Chinese New Year travel season is upon us, and no one really knows how that will affect the spread of the disease.
Meanwhile, many younger people are giddy at their newly-regained freedoms. It’s a very strange moment in China.
Reminder: The China Project is revamping. This includes changing the name of this newsletter from ChinaAccess to Daily Dispatch on January 17. We’ll also refresh the format and visuals to make it easier to-digest, while ensuring it remains the world’s most informative daily roundup of everything you need to know about China.
Our word of the day is Philippines Supreme Court (菲律宾最高法院 fēilǜbīn zuìgāo fǎyuàn).
—Jeremy Goldkorn, Editor-in-Chief
