a quick glimpse of the link you sent, alot of the economic data depends on you trusting the data coming from a dictatorship which obfuscates every clear economic signals. So I don't buy it personally. As for politics, China aligned itself with small countries/other dictatorships, while the big democracies that composes of 80+% of the world's economies united. As for tech, you need to also believe the claims they made.

> In the midst of all these problems, America’s vassal states — India and Australia — saber rattled in ominous ways. [...] Australia was spanked very hard as a warning to other vassals. If Australia slips into a recession, the next Prime Minister will be a lot less racist and uncouth. And perhaps Australia will be more careful about committing war crimes in Afghanistan and elsewhere.

"Objective Nonpartisan Insightful", really now! I think your source needs to learn how to write non-editorial English.

When comparing the outcome of covid, I think we need to consider more than the response of the government. The civil society played a key role, too.

Regarding covid, Taiwan did very well, despite being very close to China.

- The government responded quickly, tracing everyone who entered Taiwan to control for spread of covid.

- The civil society took it seriously, with the experience of SARS.

Taiwan beat covid because the society has trust in science and the government [1].

[1]: https://www.wired.com/story/how-taiwans-unlikely-digital-min...

P.S. your link has a very pro-Beijing tone throughout:

- It calls India and Australia as the vassal states of the US, and framing China's actions towards Australia as sending a warning to other vassal states.

- The numbers cited there are not comprehensive: when measuring space launches, not counting SpaceX.