Beijing’s draconian “Zero-COVID” policies during the pandemic caused its influence in Asia to plummet, while Australia, which has been less affected by the pandemic, is within striking distance of overtaking Russia, a new report shows.
China’s overall power in Asia declined the most in 2022, according to the Lowy Institute’s latest edition of Asia Power Index, while the overall strength of most countries is declining, Australia is the least affected middle power, further narrowing the gap with Russia in fifth place.
