China correctly opted for "zero covid" policy during the first 2 1/2 years of the pandemic, when deadlier variants like Delta were still rampant, and vaccines or knowledge of the virus has not matured. America has a quarter of China's population, and "living the the virus" during that early period has resulted in excess of a million deaths. If China with 4 times the population were to do the same, simple maths would mean 4 million deaths. Also China's medical industry is not as matured as America, so there were every chance of even more deaths.
Indeed, China not only prevented more deaths during these 2 1/2 years, its economic growth were the highest among the largest economies of the world as well.
However, as the virus especially since the onset of Omicron has evolved into a milder strain, and as vaccines and knowledge to deal with it has matured, the benefits of "zero covid" has reach a state of diminishing returns. For better or worse, the Chinese government has calculated that now is indeed the time to start living with the virus. And hopefully, the worse effects of the previous virus strains are well and truly behind us. Well for the sake of humanity I hope so.