The coronavirus makes the clocks of China beat at the time of the great leap back. Since coming to power in late 2012, Xi Jinping has dreamed of being a new red emperor. Powerful in his kingdom, like no other leader since Mao Tse-tung, he concentrated in his hands all the powers and offered himself a reign for life. Champion of an uninhibited nationalism, he wanted to conquer the world and offer revenge on History to the People's Republic. But here is the Middle Kingdom physically isolated as never since the Maoist era, cut off from its closest ally in Europe, Italy, whose cities are barricaded, while France is preparing for a possible epidemic.
No doubt this health crisis, of uncertain scale and duration, will leave its mark. Scalded by a sudden awareness of the fragility of their situation, China's partners - States or companies - will draw the consequences from the risk posed to them by too much.
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