Part 2/15:
For nearly three years, China maintained an aggressive zero COVID policy, aiming to eradicate the virus within its borders through strict measures. This strategy kept infection numbers low but came at an enormous economic and societal cost. By the end of 2022, the economy was noticeably sluggish—growth in 2022 was only about 2.7%, the slowest in four decades, prompting leadership to reconsider.