SHANGHAI -- Chinese president Xi Jinping on Thursday defended locking down major cities to contain an omicron-fueled virus outbreak, as he took a shot at Western sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.
Xi said that the world's No. 2 economy was on firm footing despite growing fears that shutdowns, including an order that Shanghai's 25 million residents stay at home, would take a bite out of growth and ripple across the global economy.
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