[ad_1]
China is under unprecedented pressure for civil disobedience to President Xi Jinping’s signature “zero coronavirus” policy. The domino effect of the protests spread to some major cities, with hundreds of demonstrators clashing with police to express their anger at China’s strict Covid norms. As experts see it, amid growing frustration since Mr. Xi came to power a decade ago, the outbreak was a safety-valve one.
Covid rules eased
Aware of the wave of protests that came with the broader strategy, Chinese officials decided to relax anti-virus guidelines in an effort to quell anger. However, the zero Covid strategy will remain in effect. The government has yet to make any official comment on the public’s comments that Mr. Xi is stepping down. Analysts believe the government will not abandon its zero-Covid restrictions.
Read also | Protests in Shanghai and Beijing amid anger over China’s COVID containment measures
iPhone breaks out
A week ago, hundreds of workers began protesting at Foxconn’s flagship iPhone factory in China. They smashed security cameras and windows, as videos that have gone viral on social media show. Workers are unhappy with strict quarantine rules, as well as food shortages and poor conditions. Since Apple suppliers shut down closed-loop systems at the world’s largest iPhone factory in October, many workers have fled the factory campus. Closed loop operations implemented due to checking of Covid cases. Under a closed-loop system, employees must live and work in isolation from the outside world.
Zero Covid in China
China is struggling to keep Covid cases close to zero. To achieve this, Chinese authorities have adopted strict guidelines amid the lifting of most restrictions in the world. They are trying to implement mass testing, quarantines and longer strict lockdowns.
China says a zero-Covid strategy saves lives and is necessary to examine the burden patients place on the healthcare system. Despite growing public anger and heightened economic turmoil, China appears steadfast in its insistence on continuing to enforce zero-Covid norms. While Covid cases in China have hit record highs by global standards, with nearly 40,000 new infections on Saturday, The Indian Express reported.
Also read | China’s anti-lockdown protests shake stocks, oil
Here’s what people are saying about the unrest in China, according to Reuters:
“The pandemic and codes have tortured us so much. Many more people have lost their jobs due to strict Covid guidelines. It has become a test for children and the elderly to seek medical care,” said Summer Kay, 24, an Internet industry professional in Beijing. Say.
“I want to see normalcy in Beijing. I want to see people safe, free and happy again. I want people to feel hope, not numb every day,” Huang Kai, who works in Beijing’s entertainment industry, told Reuters.
“China is an authoritarian and totalitarian country very close to us, so we will pay close attention to any changes and movements in China and respond immediately,” Taiwan’s Premier Su Tseng-chang told Reuters.
[ad_2]
Source link