AS CHINA LOOKS ON AT A WORLD OPENING UP. CAN XI JINPING SURVIVE ZERO COVID?
0As China looks on at a world opening up. can Xi Jinping survive zero Covid?
Across much of the world people are taking international holidays. returning to the office. and going to festivals and political rallies. Faced with the seemingly unstoppable Omicron variant. they’ve decided to live as close to normality as they can in the presence of Covid 19. limiting its impact. But in Covid zero China it’s a vastly different story. An estimated 340 million people in at least 46 cities are under some form of lockdown or restrictions in China. as cases appear in multiple provinces – often in so far tiny quantities. On Thursday Guangzhou authorities grounded hundreds of flights after the detection of a suspected case. In Hangzhou all residents have been told to test every 48 hours if they want to travel around the city. In Shanghai some residents are hanging out their windows banging pots and pans in nightly protest at a weeks long lockdown beset by food shortages. A loudspeaker driven through the streets tells them their protest has been “incited by foreign forces”. while flying drones urge they “control your soul’s desire for freedom”. In the capital. Beijingers are stocking up on food in case of a Shanghai style lockdown as dozens of new cases are recorded each day. prompting lockdowns of residential buildings. the closure of schools and suspension of weddings. funerals and banquets. On the official evening news broadcast. little of this makes the cut. Instead the story is of successes in the battle to regain zero Covid. More than two years into the pandemic. China is the last major government still committed to the policy. determined that even the uber transmissable Omicron variant will be controlled through mass testing. travel curbs and lockdowns. ’We try to run faster than the virus’ China’s officials maintain their approach is the best for both lives and the economy. and they have no choice but to hold firm on their approach. China’s booster and vaccination rates. especially among the elderly. are not high enough and its medical system not sufficiently resourced or geographically equitable to avoid catastrophic illness and death. “We try to run faster than the virus.” Li Bin. deputy director of the China’s National Health Commission. said on Friday. “No matter how the virus evolves we always put people and their lives first.” Foreign analysts and health experts agree China can’t open up yet. They also point to questions over the efficacy of its domestic vaccines. and the refusal of the government to approve foreign made vaccines. Even if it did. a year of propaganda criticising them has likely ensured few people will be keen. But the analysts also fear China won’t join the world in living with Covid even when conditions are better. They say zero Covid is so deeply tied to the political legitimacy of the Chinese Communist party and its leader. Xi Jinping. that there is no off ramp. As the impact of zero Covid chafes the people’s will and the economy’s health. and a growing outbreak in the capital. that legitimacy may be under threat. “The CCP’s political legitimacy of power lies in its ability to provide livelihood. safety and health. They have to show their competency.” said Prof Chi Chunhuei. the director of Oregon State University’s centre for global health. “But local leaders also face a dilemma because they’re also tasked with improving or increasing China’s economic growth.” Xi’s biggest challenge? Zero Covid has undoubtedly saved lives. but other consequences of keeping the policy are biting. Economic analysts are forecasting continuing slowdowns in growth. and investors pulled a record $17.5bn in stocks and bonds out of China’s market in March. Cargo ships and trucks have been backed up at ports and roads. factories stalled and warehouses at capacity. Foreign firms have pulled out of the Shanghai. or reported major problems in attracting and retaining talent. Finance workers and international teachers are reportedly packing up and...
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