China's COVID storm

A new COVID calamity is hammering China, with a surge in infections prompting a return of lockdowns, including in some manufacturing areas that supply the West.

China reported a record number of infections this week, amid lockdowns and mass testing that are fueling unrest and darkening the country's economic outlook. Schools in Beijing returned to online teaching.

Why it matters: In addition to the human misery for the world's most populous country, the effects will be felt around the globe, Axios China author Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian reports from Taipei.

Supply chains are likely to be disrupted, causing prices to rise in an already rocky global economy.

Rare protests broke out today in China's far western Xinjiang region. Crowds shouted at hazmat-suited guards after a deadly fire triggered anger by prolonged COVID lockdowns, Reuters reports.