Their entire economy is dependent on exports. With zero Covid and omicron it was getting really difficult for their economy to function. There’s not direct pressure from the US but our economies our intertwined regardless of what our government and their government says. The other day the prime minister of Australia said he wants to normalize trade with China. Basically all of the west’s rhetoric about China is bullshit. We need each other.

Covid zero was never going to be permanent and before they dropped it completely they were slowly easing restrictions. I guess they got nervous with the protests and wanted to rip off the bandaid instead of letting it slow burn through the population