China's global ambitions hindered by national security concerns.

China's renewed focus on national security and intensifying rivalry with the United States is hindering its re-engagement with the world after years of COVID curbs, potentially leading to a new era of isolation from the West. President Xi Jinping's overwhelming focus on security is hurting some of China's diplomatic ties and its plans to rejuvenate the world's second-largest economy, even as it seeks to stamp its authority on key geopolitical issues. China's security focus also risks isolating the country economically, with foreign firms becoming wary of an "emboldened" Chinese security apparatus.