Array
In a rare rebuke of US policy, Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Monday accused Washington of leading “containment, encirclement and suppression” efforts against the communist power.
“Western countries — led by the US — have implemented all-round containment, encirclement and suppression against us, bringing unprecedentedly severe challenges to our country’s development,” Xi lamented in a speech to China’s top political advisory body Monday, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Throughout his decades-long reign of power, Xi has generally held back from criticizing the US in public remarks.
But his comments on Monday come as investors worry that the Chinese economy has been ravaged in recent years in part because of policies implemented by Xi, including his zero-COVID mandate.
Last year, China’s economy endured its worst performance in nearly a half-century, with growth down to less than 3% and double digit youth unemployment.
