China's zero-Covid strategy risks isolating it from trade partners as US tensions rise, expert says

China risks losing an opportunity to leverage its trade clout and offset United States containment efforts if it continues with its harsh border restrictions in 2022, a prominent Chinese academic has warned, as calls mount for Beijing to strike a balance between economic growth and Covid-19 prevention. China’s restrictions on international travel could compromise efforts to foster closer diplomatic ties with major trading partners next year, said Zhao Kejin, an expert on China’s foreign policy and US-China relation s at Tsinghua University in Beijing. He said Beijing should consider easing its border policy. “Not a comprehensive reopening, but a targeted…