Those who believe the world economy can avoid the hardest of landings next year are watching China closely to see whether its move to loosen pandemic restrictions will help that scenario come about or end up wrecking it.
The knock-on effects of ditching "zero-COVID" remain highly uncertain given China's patchy vaccine coverage, fragile health structures and the lack of clarity about the real extent of infections as COVID-19 cases start to surge.
The World Bank on Tuesday cut its China growth outlook for this year and next, listing the impact of the abrupt loosening of strict COVID-19 containment measures alongside other factors including its shaky property sector.