As countries around the world imposed new COVID-19 restrictions this week following a rise in concern over the Omicron variant of the virus, China announced it would aim to deliver another 1 billion vaccines https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/chinas-xi-pledges-10-bln-credit-line-african-financial-institutions-2021-11-29 to Africa and push ahead with hosting the 2022 Winter Olympics https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/china-says-olympics-will-go-smoothly-despite-omicron-challenge-2021-11-30 in February. It was a reminder of the self-confidence Beijing wants to project to the world: an economic powerhouse that has controlled the pandemic at home and led the response overseas, impervious to international criticism it sees as hypocritical.