“The Biden administration doubled down Thursday on its high-tech containment of China, expanding a ban on commercial exports of advanced U.S. technology that it said aids Beijing’s military and hypersonics programs and enables human rights violations,” the Washington Post reports.

“With Covid-19 running rampant after President Xi Jinping’s government swiftly abandoned its zero-tolerance policy, the Communist Party is still insisting its strategy will ‘stand the test of history,'” Bloomberg reports.

“In a front-page commentary on Thursday totaling over 11,000 Chinese characters, the People’s Daily newspaper — the party’s main mouthpiece — called on citizens to ‘unswervingly’ trust the nation’s leaders. It added that Xi’s Covid Zero policy ‘won precious time’ in controlling the outbreak, saying that China is now ‘not afraid of the continuous mutation of the virus.'”

Meanwhile, another Bloomberg piece notes Xi hasn’t commented on Covid since major changes.

“Peru’s fragile interim government yesterday declared a 30-day national state of emergency in an attempt to quell violent protests that erupted after former president Pedro Castillo’s failed attempt last week to seize extraordinary powers,” the Financial Times reports.

The Economist: “Russia is massing men and arms for a new offensive. As soon as January, but more likely in the spring, it could launch a big attack from Donbas in the east, from the south or even from Belarus, a puppet state in the north. Russian troops will aim to drive back Ukrainian forces and could even stage a second attempt to take Kyiv, the capital.”

“Those are not our words, but the assessment of the head of Ukraine’s armed forces, General Valery Zaluzhny. In an unprecedented series of briefings within the past fortnight the general, along with Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine’s president, and General Oleksandr Syrsky, the head of its ground forces, warned us of the critical few months ahead.”

Said General Zaluzhny: “The Russians are preparing some 200,000 fresh troops. I have no doubt they will have another go at Kyiv.”

Washington Post: Russia is destroying Ukraine’s economy, raising costs for U.S. and allies.

“China’s leader Xi Jinping has in recent months tried to put public distance between Beijing and Moscow as Russia has suffered defeats in its war on Ukraine,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

“Behind the diplomatic appearances, however, Mr. Xi is deepening his long-term bet on Russia.”