China's Xi told EU less lethal Omicron opens way for fewer COVID restrictions

FILE PHOTO: A woman crosses a street during morning rush hour after work-from-home orders kept the Central Business District (CBD) largely empty as outbreaks of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continue in Beijing, China, November 23, 2022. REUTERS/Thomas Peter/File Photo

Chinese President Xi Jinping blamed mass protests in Chinese cities on youth frustrated by years of the COVID-19 pandemic, but said the now dominant Omicron variant of the virus paved the way for fewer restrictions, European Union officials said.

The senior EU officials, who asked not to be named, recounted the main points of a visit to Beijing by European Council President Charles Michel, who met Xi along with other senior EU officials on Thursday.