When China began locking down cities citing the non-deadly COVID-19 flu virus, I theorized that the likely reason for them doing this was to purposefully cause supply chain disruptions without announcing an official embargo on the West. As a result of lockdowns in their major port cities like Shanghai, we are starting to see major supply chain disruptions take place.
China's race to stop the spread of COVID is clogging highways and ports, stranding workers and shutting countless factories – disruptions that are rippling through global supply chains for goods ranging from electric vehicles to iPhones https://t.co/knGg1zw77Q
— Reuters (@Reuters) April 13, 2022
Apple supply chain in China hit by lockdowns as key partner suspends production in Shanghai, Kunshan https://t.co/Tlkph0Dfds
— South China Morning Post (@SCMPNews) April 12, 2022
Three key Apple suppliers have suspended production in and near Shanghai as strict COVID-19 lockdown measures show signs of affecting the U.S. tech giant's supply chain in China.https://t.co/PiRFCYhaEX
— Nikkei Asia (@NikkeiAsia) April 13, 2022
There are certainly other theories as to why they have been doing all of this, but I still think this is the best explanation. I just think the way they have gone about doing it has not been good. The lockdown in Shanghai has been especially extreme and the reports and video coming out of Shanghai has not been good public relations. It has reflected very poorly on China and done damage to the image of China that they are trying to project to the world.
Either way, what China is doing is absolutely going to cause even more economic damage to the West. It will be especially bad in the United States considering how much product comes in from China.
