China downplays U.S. trade tensions

DW spoke to Chinese artist and dissident Ai Weiwei about the protests in China against its extreme COVID lockdowns.

Cities across China have rolled back some Covid-19 restrictions, requiring less testing and allowing people to isolate at home instead of in quarantine centres. The authorities have been careful not to send any signal that the relaxing of rules were in any way a response to rare displays of public discontent.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping wrapped up a visit to Saudi Arabia with a joint statement regarding bilateral commitments. Xi also invited Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz to visit Beijing.

Could the protests against the government's zero-COVID strategy trigger political reform? DW asks an expert on social change in urban China, Björn Alpermann.

China has now relaxed many of its Covid restrictions, removing requirements for PCR tests in many places and allowing people to isolate at home. The new measures come following a wave of anti-lockdown protests.

The move is part of Beijing's efforts to pivot away from its contentious zero-COVID strategy, which has caused widespread public discontent and even triggered protests in some cities.

As China continues to pivot away from its zero-COVID strategy, experts say the weeks-long protests in the country may have damaged Xi Jinping's reputation, but his power remains largely unaffected.

Leaders from Europe and Southeast Asia are hopeful a summit this week will usher in an era of better economic ties and help European producers in Asia diversify away from China.

A protester said that during an anti-Beijing demonstration, masked individuals assaulted him inside China's Manchester consulate. UK police had asked for the diplomats' immunity to be dropped so they could be questioned.

Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen said she wants to see progress on a stalled bilateral investment agreement with the European Union. She said the two partners should have a "resilient democratic alliance."

Only deaths resulting directly from respiratory failure due to a coronavirus infection will be counted as COVID-19 deaths under new Chinese rules. With the new guidelines in place, cases have risen but deaths declined.

China is scrambling to deal with a surge in coronavirus cases after Beijing's retreat from a zero-COVID policy. With much of the population unvaccinated, there are fears of mutations, high fatalities, and economic upset.