- We don't think that China's covid-zero policy is sustainable considering the behaviour of the virus
- We know a lot about the coronavirus now, we have better tools, it's time for a shift
The WHO has been criticized for being overly-deferential to China so either this is a direct challenge or it's the WHO giving cover to China who is planning to shift anyway.
In any case, China moving away from covid-zero would be hugely-consequential for global growth. Dare I say it could be the single-biggest headline of 2022, so watch it very carefully.
"We don't think that it is sustainable considering the behaviour of the virus and what we now anticipate in the future," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. "We have discussed this issue with Chinese experts. And we indicated that the approach will not be sustainable... I think a shift would be very important."
Trades that might work on a shift in policy include resources: particularly oil and copper. Others would be Chinese equities or anything else that benefits from global growth. The CNY could also begin to reverse its decline.