Never since the beginning of the pandemic have so many people been infected with the corona virus in the Middle Kingdom as at the moment. Now all dams are threatening to break – and the anger of the Chinese is growing every day.
Lockdowns, mass tests and forced quarantine – China is undeterred by its harsh Covid policy.
In China, the matches of the soccer World Cup will be broadcast on the fifth program of the state broadcaster CCTV. Chinese people can watch live there these days as tens of thousands of people from all over the world hug each other and celebrate together in Qatar’s stadiums. Hardly any of the spectators wear a mask.
It is the same state broadcaster that tells the Chinese people day in and day out that other countries are dying in large numbers from Covid-19; only China is safe thanks to the rigid quarantine and test regulations. No wonder more and more citizens are wondering whether their government is pursuing the right strategy with the Zero Covid policy. “Is China actually on another planet?” ask thousands in China’s Twitter counterpart Weibo.
Compared to other countries, the number of new infections every day is low. But by Chinese standards, it is currently high and is causing great nervousness in the government. The authorities reported more than 33,000 new infections on Wednesday – a new high.
Lockdowns, mass testing, forced quarantine
To stop the spread of the virus, the government is taking what it sees as proven measures: lockdowns, digital surveillance, mass testing and forced quarantine. The list of cities in which more and more residential areas are being cordoned off is getting longer every day: the capital Beijing, the industrial city of Guangzhou in the south, Chongqing in the west and Shenyang in the north are just the largest. According to the experts from Gavekal Dragonomics, only three of the hundred most populous cities currently have no corona restrictions. A mobile quarantine center with tens of thousands of beds is currently being built just outside Beijing. The government is apparently expecting the worst.
During the past three years, most people have endured the serious disruptions to their everyday lives with stoic composure. Many of them were even grateful to their rulers, who seemed to be effectively protecting them from Covid disease. But now the resentment is growing, more and more are fed up with the permanent restrictions. Shopkeepers see their businesses failing, factory workers locked up wanting to go to their families, and citizens isolated in their homes in Guangzhou are striving for freedom.
New videos with images of violent riots are constantly appearing on social media. Workers at the Apple factory in Zhengzhou, for example, fought street battles with security forces, and in Guangzhou, angry citizens and security guards clashed last week. The authorities use brutal force against the protesters.
Fear makes mistakes
Meanwhile, the government is continuing to try to square the circle: it wants to reduce the number of new infections to a level close to zero while at the same time minimizing the consequences for the economy and affecting the everyday lives of citizens as little as possible. In view of the easy transferability of the new virus variants, the endeavor is ultimately doomed to failure.
The task is not made any easier by the fact that many older Chinese refuse to be vaccinated. In addition, China does not allow the more effective mRNA vaccines from abroad. The fact that the strategy is not working can also be seen from the fact that the government is acting more and more haphazardly. The authorities in the city of Shijiazhuang near Beijing initially imposed a lockdown, only to lift it a short time later. Shortly thereafter, the lockdown went back. Fear reigns, and it is well known that those who are afraid make mistakes.
These are decision days in Beijing. Either the government will cover the country with nationwide lockdowns in the coming weeks. That could bring the economy to its knees and lead to major unrest. Or the authorities will loosen the restrictions noticeably. It would also be possible for the virus to spread unchecked. Both could push the underdeveloped healthcare system to its breaking point. There is no good solution to China’s Covid problem.