By Peter Koenig
How the pandemic will be reshaping the world, especially in terms of economic recovery and especially the western world, remains to be seen. So far, western economic, social and health restructuring policies are chaotic, disorganized and totally uncoordinated. Western countries are skipping from lockdowns to “opening up” back to lockdown, from the first covid-wave, to the second and the third and now approaching the fourth. Looks like there is no end in sight.
One could almost think they do it on purpose, to keep people confused and easily manipulated.
What happens in China is a different story. China is the only significant world economy – the second largest for now in absolute terms, and the largest in PPP (purchasing power parity terms) – that has put her economic and financial mechanism fully back onstream. Consequently, the Chinese supply chains – on which the rest of the world largely depends – i.e., on pharmaceuticals up to 90% – works again in full force. It is rather western ports that are still – or again? – partially closed to receive cargo container ships, especially from China, causing dangerous supply shortages at home.