The Associated Press calls China's “Zero COVID” policy a success. And then says the country is stuck because of it.

But the uncompromising approach also means most people in China have never been exposed to the virus. At the same time, the effectiveness of China’s most widely used vaccines has been called into question. New studies suggest they offer significantly less protection against infection from omicron, even after three doses, than people get after booster shots of the leading Western vaccines.

The policy hasn't stopped the virus. The vaccines haven't stopped the virus.

That's not success. That's failure.