The BBC and many other media outlets have referred to the recent protests in China as “covid protests”. But the protests are only about strict covid-19 policies. Although triggered by ongoing blockades, the protests have a much broader purpose of ending authoritarian rule. and lack of freedom of expression. Therefore, the denunciation of draconian Covid-19 measures is a channel to express broader discontent with authoritarian modes of national governance and government oversight.
Western media report that the Chinese government’s harsh measures against covid-19 have sparked mass protests in several developing cities. A chimney in the city of Urumqi, which killed 10 other people, appears to have caused the riots. Protesters said a strict lockdown. The regulations hampered rescue efforts as the local government locked other people inside their homes. The Chinese government in Beijing has denied this.
Holding blank paper over their heads, the so-called A4 revolution, referring to standard-sized paper, the protesters alluded to it, but could not (could not) publicly express their widespread grievances. Because of censorship in China, ordinary citizens are seriously limited. in their freedom of expression. The blank paper symbolizes it.
Not everyone remained silent. Many resorted to vocal protests. At Tsinghua University, for example, academics piled up to call for “democracy, rule of law and freedom of expression. “In Shanghai, others shouted “Come down, Xi Jinping!We don’t need dictatorship, we need democracy!
All these movements reflect a simmering discontent in China, at least in some circles, over the concept of the living hegemony of the Communist Party.
However, the brutal crackdown in and around Tiananmen Square in June 1989 is a stark reminder that the Chinese government will tolerate dissent demanding Party supremacy in situations.
At the same time, the government is well aware of the expressed considerations of the population in relation to Covid-19 restrictions, such as strict limits on movement, mass testing and mandatory quarantine. Perhaps to ease discontent to some extent, the government appears to be adjusting its pandemic strategy. In particular, it makes confinement policies more flexible; lift lockdowns in certain areas of Guangzhou city, for example, and do not send all close contacts of other people infected with Covid-19 to central quarantine facilities. They can now quarantine at home.
However, it is very likely that the Beijing government will completely abandon its Zero Covid policy. The authorities are aware that the simultaneous abandonment of all regulations can lead to an uncontrollable wave of Covid-19 with potentially catastrophic results, especially in the context of existing vaccination. degrees among the elderly, who are the most vulnerable to serious diseases. About a third of the population over the age of 80 is unvaccinated.
What would a wave of Omicron subvariants look like in China if it completely lifted its covid-19 restrictions?Well, an article in Nature Medicine predicts more than 1. 5 million deaths and a 15-fold accumulation in the number of patients in intensive care. Seventy-seven percent of deaths would occur among the unvaccinated elderly age 60 and older.
In addition, actual evidence from Hong Kong shows an incredibly high mortality rate of nearly 5% from the Omicron wave earlier this year.
Ultimately, therefore, it is highly unlikely that the Chinese government will give up on maintaining any form of Zero Covid policy. After all, China has controlled keeping Covid-19 deaths low. Official figures imply that China has suffered around 5,000 deaths from covid-19, 800 times less consistent with the capita than the United States. Although many experts question the veracity of the official Chinese account, what is undeniable is that China has done a greater job than virtually any other. Another country to keep Covid-19 at bay.
Equally undeniable is the fact that China has curbed Covid-19 by deploying rather excessive measures that limit individual freedom. While those policies are ostensibly carried out with the goal of preserving public health, there is in fact an autocratic detail involved.
And it’s a safe bet that the Chinese government will do everything it can to maintain its authoritarian rule, not only to engage Covid-19 but also for other facets of Chinese life. We already have evidence of this, as a very strong police presence has been mobilized in major Chinese cities. China’s security apparatus uses intimidation tactics, adding control of people’s mobile phones and preventing would-be protesters from marching through the streets. So far, this has quelled more protests after the weekend. The Political and Legal Affairs Committee defended the harsh measures and said it was “necessary to suppress infiltration and sabotage activities through hostile forces in accordance with the law. “
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