SHANGHAI IS CHINA'S RICHEST CITY. BUT EVEN BILLIONAIRES AND CELEBRITIES AREN'T SAFE...
0Shanghai is China's richest city. But even billionaires and celebrities aren't safe from its extreme lockdown
It's known as a city that never sleeps and where Chinese elites reside. But now even the richest residents in Shanghai are facing food shortages due to a strict COVID 19 lockdown that has been in place for three weeks. Last week. a screenshot of a WeChat message in which Kathy Xu asked to join trading groups for bread and milk went viral on Chinese social media. Nicknamed 'the Queen of Venture Capital'. Ms Xu is the founder and president of Capital Today. with personal wealth estimated at $3.3 billion. according to Hurun Global. She is also known as the investor behind the success of China's multi billion dollar tech giants such as e commerce platform JD and delivery app Meituan. The screenshot shows she lives in a high end property in Shanghai's Pudong District. which is equivalent to the most expensive suburbs in Sydney. Houses in that part of Shanghai can cost as much as $40.000 per square metre. But like many residents of China's richest city. Ms Xu has now turned to social media platforms in order to obtain groceries. With supermarkets shut and deliveries restricted to stop the spread of COVID 19. many people are finding food is either out of stock or unable to be shipped in time. The 55 year old billionaire later posted on her WeChat confirming the message was hers. 'My son brought a few classmates to our house and we now have 12 people living together. We have a huge demand for food. so I will also join the buying groups in the neighbourhood.' she wrote. But Ms Xu is not the only member of China's upper class who has suffered during Shanghai's lockdown. 'This tragedy could have been avoided' On April 11. prominent Chinese economist and TV host Larry Hsien Ping Lang revealed his 98 year old mother had died of kidney problems after being unable to access emergency services. Professor Lang said on his Weibo account his mother had appeared to be suffering from kidney failure and she 'only needed one injection' as treatment. However. she was stopped outside the emergency department at a top hospital in Shanghai. Under Shanghai's current COVID 19 restrictions. everyone is required to undergo a PCR test before they access medical services. 'My mother did a PCR test at a hospital. and for four hours there was no result coming out.' Lang wrote on Weibo. 'I was so shocked about this.' He said he wanted to go to the hospital to help his mother but. due to restrictions. had to plead with government officials 'for a long time' to get permission. He also could not find a car because the city was in lockdown. Despite his desperate efforts to reach her. he was not with his mother when she died. 'This tragedy could have been avoided.' he wrote. 'I hope it will not happen again.' Meanwhile Liuliu. a famous script writer in China. posted on WeChat Moment that his 75 year old mother had a heart attack after testing positive for COVID 19 and being forced into a quarantine hospital. Liuliu was a script writer for a state sponsored TV series that featured healthcare workers in China's first lockdown in Wuhan in 2020. Social media distress may be 'the tip of the iceberg' While Shanghai attracts elites. celebrities and professionals due to its status as an international financial hub. a huge wealth gap exists in the city of 26 million. According to government data. the average disposable income in the urban centre in 2021 was $17.449.28 — twice as much as those living in the countryside surrounding Shanghai. This week. Shanghai officials announced they would begin easing lockdown measures. allowing 4.8 million residents to go out on the street. But many people still confined to their homes are suffering from food shortages and long delays for deliveries. while waiting for the government to distribute necessities. Many residents now trade food and goods with neighbours. while organising buying groups to secure food orders from e commerce platforms. But for those who are in urgent need of medical care. help may...
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