The Covid-19 epidemic has exposed and partly accentuated the internal rifts within the People's Republic of China. This includes the divide between the wealthy coast and the impoverished interior, the standoff with Hong Kong, and the tensions with Taiwan. In such a delicate moment, the Middle Empire must contend with the United States, which is more determined than ever to curb China's technological, military, and soft power rise. The contest does not spare Italy.
