Protests in China Over Controversial Covid Policy Continue
Since late November, massive demonstrations advocating for the restriction of covid lockdown policies have broken out across China, marking the largest wave of protests in the country since the infamous demonstrations at Tiananmen Square in 1989. Reports from inside the country indicate that over 27 mass demonstrations have taken place across most of the countries major cities. The protestors have displayed dissatisfaction with China’s strict zero covid policy, which has simultaneously kept covid rates low and increased civil unrest due to its rigid enforcement. More extreme sects of the protest have called for the resignation of China’s leader and General Secretary of the CCP, Xi Xinping, as well as the complete lifting of lockdown.
In relation to concerns about extensive covid lockdowns, citizens of China are concerned about the stagnation of the economy, which they believe is a result of the years-long lockdown.
The demonstrations can be traced back to a single event, a large apartment fire in Urumqi which took the lives of 10 people. The discontent over the situation comes from a belief that the initial response to the fire was blocked by tents and other lockdown related obstructions, leading to an ineffective and delayed response. Social media posts surrounding the issue have claimed that the covid policy required residents to be locked in their rooms during certain times, giving them no means of escape during the fire. Urumqi has become a rallying cry for the anti lockdown movement, and was the tipping point that led to the nationwide demonstrations.
Several days of unrelenting protests have led to small scale victories for the demonstrators, with various cities being forced to repeal certain parts of their covid policy. These include citizens no longer needing to show proof of a negative covid test in order to use public transit, as well as allowing the friends and family of infected individuals to quarantine at home rather than a different location. Despite giving in to certain demands, the Chinese government does not plan to fully repeal the zero covid policy.
China’s vice premier and head of the nations covid response, Sun Chulan, has stated that the reason for certain restrictions being lifted in the past week has been due to the virus’s weakening ability to infect humans. These remarks represent a sudden shift in Sun’s view on the virus, who has been regarded by many as one of the stricter advocates for China’s regimented quarantine policy. Seemingly in response to the protests, Sun hinted at a possible adjustment to the zero covid policy, saying that "China's pandemic containment faces a new stage and mission".
As the protests continue with no signs of stopping, China’s government faces increasing pressure to deconstruct it’s long enforced covid policy, but whether or not the Chinese authorities will get rid of the zero covid policy entirely is yet to be determined.
By Christopher Eckl