Xi Jinping is expected to be re-elected for a record third term. The idea was to put China in perfect shape for the 20th Congress of the Chinese Communist Party, where Chairman Xi Jinping is expected to be elected for an unprecedented third term, approaching the importance and influence of Mao Zedong. In anticipation of this grand event, the authorities do their best to contain local COVID-19 outbreaks, but the virus does not obey party decrees well.
Other countries have relied on vaccination and learning to live with the virus, while China has chosen the path of suppressing every outbreak, with lockdowns and strict restrictions. In the country, there is a policy of zero tolerance for COVID, where even for individual cases, the authorities impose lockdowns on entire cities. Here it is called “Zero COVID”. In recent weeks, tens of millions of residents in 60 Chinese cities have been confined to their homes. And on Monday, the country reported 949 new cases of coronavirus infection. Strict travel restrictions, mass testing and universal QR badges have been introduced. All of this has reduced the burden on hospitals. But the economy and residents are paying the price. The official youth unemployment rate currently stands at 18.7% and has reached as high as 20% this year.
The Chinese leadership, which carefully monitors strict adherence to restrictive measures, is not enthusiastic about vaccination. There are almost no public awareness campaigns, no one is encouraging people to get vaccinated. In addition, only local vaccines are allowed, even though research shows that they are not as effective as internationally recognized drugs. “We are not going to eradicate the virus in the near future. We are waiting for more effective drugs and more effective vaccines,” says Lyan Vannyang, head of the government’s expert group on Covid-19 and architect of the current zero-tolerance policy. He acknowledges that China’s domestic vaccines are not as effective in fighting the infection as expected, but at least they are preventing serious illness and death. Professor Lian Wanyang believes that people need to be told more about the benefits of vaccination. The main problem with vaccination, according to Chinese experts, is the lack of trust in vaccines. Even some Chinese doctors advise their patients not to get vaccinated. “Many elderly people have comorbidities. They think that vaccination is not safe. But in fact, it is safe. We need to get this message across,” says Professor Lyan. However, the government does not consider the education campaign a priority.
Recently, rail traffic out of Xinjiang was suspended and entry to many parts of the region, including the capital Urumqi, was blocked as officials admitted they had failed to contain the spread of the virus. Residents of the blockaded areas complain of a lack of food and basic necessities.
Mass testing continues in Chinese cities. We explain quickly, simply, and clearly what happened, why it matters, and what happens next. Episodes End of story. Podcast Advertising. “For 15 days now, we have run out of flour, rice and eggs. A few days ago, we ran out of milk for the children,” said a resident of western Xinjiang. In the southwestern mountainous province of Guizhou, authorities declared a lockdown of the administrative center, the city of Guiyan, without warning or giving residents time to prepare. In buildings, according to The Guardian, elevators were shut down to prevent people from getting out into the streets. “One of the users on the social media platform Weibo asks: “You can’t buy goods online because there’s no delivery. And supermarkets are closed. The government is treating us like animals. Or do they just want us to die out?” The largest city under quarantine is Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, where 21 million people are banned from leaving the city. To buy basic groceries in the store, a negative Covid test certificate is required. When a 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck the area on September 5 (killing 70 people), Chengdu’s residents faced a difficult choice: comply with the quarantine or save themselves. For many, however, the choice was made by the authorities, who blocked the exits of residential buildings. The government’s policies lead to a variety of restrictions that complicate the lives of the population.
A worker disinfects a street in one of China’s major tourist cities, Xi’an, which was also under lockdown this year. In the suburbs of Beijing, Yancao is mainly inhabited by workers with modest incomes. The capital is on the other side of the Chaobai River. As a result, it is difficult to avoid checkpoints for documents and health certificates on the way to work. In June, many Yancheng residents were barred from entering the capital, leading to clashes between residents trying to get to work and police. It got to the point where some people were commuting to work in Beijing on inflatable boats. “Many residents of the area have been laid off,” says a woman in line for a bus. “And even if they find a new job, there’s no guarantee they won’t be treated unfairly.” Some Western companies have started to move their production out of the country because production in China can be halted at any time by an unexpected lockdown. Vietnam, with its cheap labor and stable political situation, has become the main beneficiary of the companies’ results. Thousands of workers are already employed in the factories of leading technology giants such as Apple, Samsung, LG Electronics and Microsoft.
“Health code” in China: if it turns red, a person must stay in place. “Many of these companies survived the trade war, endured rising labor costs in China, and then survived supply chain disruptions during the pandemic… The “zero COVID” policy, I think, is now the straw that breaks the camel’s back,” predicts Greg Poling, director of the Southeast Asia Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), in an interview with Al Jazeera. Along with the “zero-COVID” policy, the tourism industry has also reached zero. Foreign tourists cannot come to China, and domestic tourism has been greatly reduced due to the closures. At any time, the city you arrive in may be closed if it detects cases of the disease. And even if the departure city is not closed, your hometown may not let you back in if it believes you have been in a virus-infected area.
Local scientists fear that if all restrictions are lifted tomorrow, COVID-19 will spread at the speed of a forest fire. China has managed to minimize the spread of the virus so that it does not spoil the celebration of the XX Party Congress. But the country is already paying for it with serious economic losses and growing discontent among the population. Before the pandemic, China’s economic growth was about 6%. The latest GDP growth figure for the country is 0.4%. What’s next? Obviously, there are no easy answers to this question.