Why protests are spreading across China and how they're linked to Covid
2 years, 1 month ago

Why protests are spreading across China and how they're linked to Covid

India Today  

“Step down ; Don’t want Covid test, want freedom”; “Opposition to dictatorship!”; “We don’t want lifelong rulers”. Searing public anger has spilled into the streets across China, as people raise slogans against the President and call for freedom – not just from Covid restrictions but political rulers as well. READ | Covid, lockdowns, an apartment fire: Here's what led to massive protests in China During a protest in Shanghai on Sunday night, as clashes erupted between the demonstrators and police, a BBC journalist, covering the rally, was dragged, kicked, handcuffed and detained briefly by police officials. WHAT HAPPENS NOW With massive public outcry against Covid restrictions, the Chinese government will have to ease the rules sooner than later.

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History of this topic

Hundreds of retirees protest in China's Wuhan over health insurance reforms
1 year, 10 months ago

Hundreds of retirees protest in China's Wuhan over health insurance reforms

Firstpost  

The latest outpouring of frustration has been sparked by reforms to China’s vast public health insurance system that have reduced allowances paid monthly to retirees Beijing: Hundreds of retirees staged protests in the Chinese cities of Wuhan and Dalian on Wednesday against reforms to the public health insurance system, according to witnesses and images on social media. Live from #China’s …

Explained: How 'zero COVID' workers are causing unrest in China
1 year, 11 months ago

Explained: How 'zero COVID' workers are causing unrest in China

Firstpost  

In the eastern city of Hangzhou, several COVID workers climbed on the roof of a test kit factory and threatened to jump to protest unpaid furloughs. At a separate test manufacturing plant in the city, workers protested for days over a wage dispute After China’s abrupt reversal of “zero COVID” restrictions, the nation’s vast machinery of virus surveillance and testing …

China’s Covid Policy: Beijing can’t be trusted as a responsible player
1 year, 11 months ago

China’s Covid Policy: Beijing can’t be trusted as a responsible player

Times of India  

TOI Quick Edits are written by a team of seasoned journalists from the Times of India's Edit Page and TOI-Online who respond to important news stories as they develop. MORE In another indictment of China’s Covid policy, the WHO has again said that Beijing needs to share more data on its Covid outbreak and that it still believes Chinese authorities …

In China, zero-COVID policy to zero COVID policies
2 years ago

In China, zero-COVID policy to zero COVID policies

The Hindu  

On December 20, almost two weeks since China’s sudden and unexpected scrapping of its stringent “zero-COVID” policy, the country officially reported a little over 3,000 COVID-19 cases. The Communist Party’s official People’s Daily, in the lead-up to the Congress, published three editorials on consecutive days, calling for “patience with current policies” and warning that “zero COVID must be adhered to”. …

China's President Xi Jinping says 'light of hope in front of us' on COVID-19
2 years ago

China's President Xi Jinping says 'light of hope in front of us' on COVID-19

Firstpost  

China on Saturday reported more than 7,000 new infections and one death linked to COVID out of its population of 1.4 billion – but the figures appear to be out of step with the reality on the ground Beijing, China: President Xi Jinping said Saturday the “light of hope is right in front of us” as China faces an explosion …

China's manufacturing activity drops despite lifted COVID restrictions
2 years ago

China's manufacturing activity drops despite lifted COVID restrictions

Firstpost  

For more than two years, China had insisted on a zero-COVID strategy of stamping out outbreaks with strict quarantines, lockdowns and mass testing Beijing, China: China’s manufacturing activity contracted sharply in December for the third month in a row, according to official figures released Saturday, despite Beijing’s loosening of COVID restrictions at the beginning of the month. For more than …

China's manufacturing activity contracts ‘sharply’ in December despite lifted Covid restrictions
2 years ago

China's manufacturing activity contracts ‘sharply’ in December despite lifted Covid restrictions

Hindustan Times  

China's manufacturing activity contracted sharply in December for the third month in a row, according to official figures released Saturday, despite Beijing's loosening of Covid restrictions at the beginning of the month. The Purchasing Managers' Index -- a key gauge of manufacturing in the world's second-biggest economy -- came in at 47 points, down from November's 48 and well below …

China’s Xi says country’s COVID prevention enters new phase
2 years ago

China’s Xi says country’s COVID prevention enters new phase

Al Jazeera  

The president says Beijing overcame unprecedented challenges in the battle against COVID amid a new significant wave of cases in the country. Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for more effort and unity as the country enters a “new phase” in its approach to combating the pandemic. “At present, the epidemic prevention and control is entering a new phase,” he …

‘Real intention is to sabotage’: China calls Covid curbs for Chinese travellers ‘discriminatory’
2 years ago

‘Real intention is to sabotage’: China calls Covid curbs for Chinese travellers ‘discriminatory’

Firstpost  

Countries including India, United States, South Korea, Italy, Japan and Taiwan have imposed mandatory COVID tests for travellers from China after the country reported spike in cases Beijing: Several countries have announced mandatory testing for travellers from China in response to a surging wave of Covid-19 infection in the Asian nation. For the unversed, India, United States, South Korea, Italy, …

China economy again on bumpy road as Covid infection surge detracts recovery
2 years ago

China economy again on bumpy road as Covid infection surge detracts recovery

India TV News  

With resurge of Covid cases, China economy once again is staring at downfall trend. "If the virus were highly infectious and everyone's life were in danger, the government wouldn't let go.” On Tuesday, the government announced it would relax restrictions on travel out of China and resume issuing passports for tourist travel for the first time in nearly three years. …

Chinese crematoriums overwhelmed as Covid wave surges across the country
2 years ago

Chinese crematoriums overwhelmed as Covid wave surges across the country

Op India  

The workers at Beijing crematoriums have stated that they are overwhelmed with the number of bodies as China confronts a wave of Covid cases. Covid is swiftly spreading across China after three years of rigorous containment restrictions were relaxed last week, with health officials now acknowledging that the exact scope of the epidemic is difficult to trace. China’s main Covid …

Beijing reports first Covid-19 deaths as China eases curbs, crematoriums run 24X7
2 years ago

Beijing reports first Covid-19 deaths as China eases curbs, crematoriums run 24X7

Firstpost  

China’s national health authority has not reported any official Covid-19 deaths since withdrawing many of its domestic restrictions on December 7. The last official deaths were reported on December 3, in Shandong and Sichuan provinces Beijing: Two former Chinese state media journalists have died in capital city Beijing recently due to Covid-19, local media reported on Friday, among the first …

Meet the painter who shared China's Covid protests with the world
2 years ago

Meet the painter who shared China's Covid protests with the world

Hindustan Times  

When China's historic protests against COVID curbs erupted in late November, a 30-year-old Chinese man in a flat in northern Italy became one of the most important conduits of information on the unfolding drama via a lone Twitter account. "Teacher Li is Not Your Teacher", his Twitter handle, became an Internet sensation as he reposted details and footage of protests …

Protests in China continue despite relaxation in Covid restrictions
2 years ago

Protests in China continue despite relaxation in Covid restrictions

India Today  

After protests in more than twenty Chinese cities that began on November 25 following the Urumqi fire that charred 10 people to death, Beijing has loosened restrictions pertaining to the long-running zero-Covid policies that prohibited people from entering supermarkets and commercial buildings. Date: 2022/12/06 Location: Hefei On Monday evening, the students of Anhui Medical University in Hefei, China protested after …

Relaxing COVID-19 rules in China met with joy, frustration and apprehension
2 years, 1 month ago

Relaxing COVID-19 rules in China met with joy, frustration and apprehension

ABC  

Beijing resident Kelly Zhuang was left fuming on Tuesday when — after nearly a week with COVID-19 — her health code turned red just as she got a negative RAT result. Drug supply warning as China eases COVID rules Photo shows A huge group of masked commuters waiting to enter a train As China relaxes its COVID-19 restrictions to allow …

China’s looser anti-COVID measures are met with relief and caution
2 years, 1 month ago

China’s looser anti-COVID measures are met with relief and caution

LA Times  

Residents of Beijing continue to get routine coronavirus tests despite China’s announcement that some stringent virus-control measures would be eased. People across China reacted with relief and caution Thursday to the dramatic government decision to loosen some of the world’s most stringent COVID-19 restrictions. “The opening is an irreversible trend in the future because most people have been vaccinated and …

China eases anti-COVID measures following protests
2 years, 1 month ago

China eases anti-COVID measures following protests

Associated Press  

BEIJING — China rolled back rules on isolating people with COVID-19 and dropped virus test requirements for some public places Wednesday in a dramatic change to a strategy that confined millions of people to their homes and sparked protests and demands for President Xi Jinping to resign. Local officials must “take strict and detailed measures to protect people’s life, safety …

China announces roll-back of strict anti-COVID-19 measures
2 years, 1 month ago

China announces roll-back of strict anti-COVID-19 measures

The Hindu  

In a sharp reversal, China has announced a series of measures rolling back some of the most draconian anti-COVID-19 restrictions. People who test positive for the virus will be able to isolate at home rather than in overcrowded and unsanitary field hospitals, and schools where there have been no outbreaks must return to in-class teaching. The announcement follows recent street …

China announces a rollback of its strict anti-COVID-19 measures
2 years, 1 month ago

China announces a rollback of its strict anti-COVID-19 measures

NPR  

China announces a rollback of its strict anti-COVID-19 measures Enlarge this image toggle caption Andy Wong/AP Andy Wong/AP BEIJING — In a sharp reversal, China has announced a series of measures rolling back some of its most draconian anti-COVID-19 restrictions, including limiting harsh lockdowns and ordering schools without known infections to resume regular classes. China has sought to maintain the …

Op-Ed: China can’t quell protests until it gets realistic about ‘zero COVID’
2 years, 1 month ago

Op-Ed: China can’t quell protests until it gets realistic about ‘zero COVID’

LA Times  

China has lately experienced its largest and most politically charged protests since the pro-democracy movement in 1989 ended in a massacre by government forces on Tiananmen Square. The recent social eruption should not be surprising; frustrations over the Chinese government’s rigid “zero-COVID” policy have been brewing for a long time. According to Chen Wenqing, the newly installed domestic security chief, …

China’s Beijing eases COVID curbs after rare protests
2 years, 1 month ago

China’s Beijing eases COVID curbs after rare protests

Al Jazeera  

Authorities in Chinese capital will no longer require negative COVID test to enter supermarkets, commercial buildings. China’s capital Beijing is no longer requiring a negative COVID-19 test to enter supermarkets and commercial buildings, local authorities have said, in the latest loosening of the country’s tough “zero COVID” strategy following rare protests. The loosening of restrictions comes after at least a …

DC Edit | ‘People power’ on the rise, in China & Iran
2 years, 1 month ago

DC Edit | ‘People power’ on the rise, in China & Iran

Deccan Chronicle  

The power of the people is never to be underestimated. There may not be total clarity yet on the disbanding of Iran’s moral police, a dreaded department of their bigger oppressive police system. But the fact that the Attorney General said it and the state media also reported it suggests that the months long protests over the mandatory hijab law, …

China’s COVID trap - The Hindu
2 years, 1 month ago

China’s COVID trap - The Hindu

The Hindu  

The Chinese government seems to be caught between a rock and a hard place as it looks to navigate a way out of its current COVID-19 troubles. China’s government on Tuesday said it would ease some measures as well as launch a new push to vaccinate the elderly—a key step that would enable an eventual easing of the unpopular “zero-COVID” …

China may pivot a tad more on Covid measures as Xi Jinping faces crisis: Report
2 years, 1 month ago

China may pivot a tad more on Covid measures as Xi Jinping faces crisis: Report

Hindustan Times  

China may announce 10 new COVID-19 management measures as early as Wednesday, Reuters reported. The new measures will supplement the 20 measures unveiled in November that set off a wave of Covid-easing steps across the nation, the report said. China may eventually downgrade its management of Covid-19 as a top-level Category A infectious disease to a less strict Category B …

Xi Jinping ‘unwilling to take better vaccine from the West’, US intel says
2 years, 1 month ago

Xi Jinping ‘unwilling to take better vaccine from the West’, US intel says

Hindustan Times  

Xi Jinping will not allow Western vaccines to be used in China, US director of national intelligence Avril Haines said pointing to the Chinese president’s reliance on the country’s indigenous Sinovac vaccine. Xi Jinping “is unwilling to take a better vaccine from the West and is instead relying on a vaccine in China that’s just not nearly as effective against …

China eases controls, gives no sign when 'zero COVID' ends
2 years, 1 month ago

China eases controls, gives no sign when 'zero COVID' ends

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Restrictions could still tighten dynamically …

Video: Students protest at China's Wuhan university against Covid rules
2 years, 1 month ago

Video: Students protest at China's Wuhan university against Covid rules

Hindustan Times  

Students in China held a peaceful protest over a university’s Covid rules, a sign of the simmering discontent with the country’s zero-tolerance approach to the pandemic. A video on Twitter showed a group of students gathered outside an administrative building at Wuhan University, where they chanted for “an open process and information transparency.” Hindustan Times hasn’t been able to independently …

Protesters win a partial victory as Chinese cities start to loosen Covid controls
2 years, 1 month ago

Protesters win a partial victory as Chinese cities start to loosen Covid controls

CNN  

Editor’s Note: A version of this story appeared in CNN’s Meanwhile in China newsletter, a three-times-a-week update exploring what you need to know about the country’s rise and how it impacts the world. China’s top health official signaled a change in strategy on Wednesday, by declaring the country’s pandemic controls had entered a “new stage and mission.” Xi later shared …

China reports two new COVID-19 deaths as some restrictions eased
2 years, 1 month ago

China reports two new COVID-19 deaths as some restrictions eased

The Hindu  

China on Sunday reported two additional deaths from COVID-19 as some cities move cautiously to ease anti-pandemic restrictions following increasingly vocal public frustrations. Yet, an outpouring of public anger appears to have prompted authorities to lift some of the more onerous restrictions, even as they say the “zero-COVID” strategy—which aims to isolate every infected person—is still in place. The requirement …

Major cities in China ease COVID-19 restrictions after protests
2 years, 1 month ago

Major cities in China ease COVID-19 restrictions after protests

Al Jazeera  

Shenzhen and Beijing will no longer require public transport commuters to present negative test results as authorities ease COVID-19 restrictions in the wake of mass protests. Chinese authorities are continuing to ease COVID-19 restrictions, with several cities including Shenzhen and Beijing no longer requiring negative tests to take public transport. The moves come even as daily COVID-19 infections in China …

China’s protests are a warning to Xi Jinping from the youth
2 years, 1 month ago

China’s protests are a warning to Xi Jinping from the youth

Al Jazeera  

Frustration and grievances over China’s zero-COVID policy have led to large protests in more than a dozen cities, on a scale unseen since the Tiananmen Square demonstrations in 1989. Different politics After the student-led Tiananmen Square protests in 1989, which were triggered by the death of pro-reform leader Hu Yaobang, the ruling CCP drew lessons from the incident by adopting …

China further relaxes COVID-19 restrictions after protests
2 years, 1 month ago

China further relaxes COVID-19 restrictions after protests

The Hindu  

Cities across China further unwound COVID restrictions Friday, loosening testing and quarantine rules in the wake of nationwide protests calling for an end to lockdowns and greater political freedoms. A number of cities have also begun loosening COVID restrictions, such as moving away from daily mass testing requirements – a tedious mainstay of life under Beijing's stringent zero-COVID policy. Social …

Have protests pushed China to step away from its zero-COVID policy?
2 years, 1 month ago

Have protests pushed China to step away from its zero-COVID policy?

Firstpost  

After following the strictest zero-COVID policy since the outbreak of the virus, China has signalled a shift, with some cities such as Guangzhou, Beijing and Chongqing lifting curbs. On Wednesday, Sun Chunlan, China’s vice-premier and also the person overseeing the country’s COVID response, said the country is entering a “new stage and mission” in its coronavirus fight — a clear …

‘New-found freedom’: China relaxes COVID rules after protests
2 years, 1 month ago

‘New-found freedom’: China relaxes COVID rules after protests

Al Jazeera  

Local governments are allowing positive coronavirus cases to quarantine at home – a marked departure from current zero-COVID rules. A number of cities also began loosening COVID restrictions, such as moving away from daily mass testing requirements – a tedious mainstay of life under Beijing’s stringent zero-COVID policy. Social media footage posted on Thursday night showed dozens of people clashing …

China official signals easing of COVID rules after protests
2 years, 1 month ago

China official signals easing of COVID rules after protests

The Hindu  

After days of unprecedented protests against three years of stringent COVID-19 restrictions, Chinese authorities have this week signalled a pathway towards gradually easing some of the measures and a change in policy. The top official in charge of the pandemic policy, Vice Premier Sun Chunlan, in a meeting held on Wednesday with scientists of the National Health Commission and with …

Covid restrictions abruptly lifted in China’s Guangzhou and Chongqing after protests
2 years, 1 month ago

Covid restrictions abruptly lifted in China’s Guangzhou and Chongqing after protests

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy China seems to be softening …

How a fire in remote China triggered nationwide covid protests
2 years, 1 month ago

How a fire in remote China triggered nationwide covid protests

Live Mint  

As smoke crept through the 21-story apartment building in far western China, panicked messages filled the residents’ chat group. Pandemic controls imposed by Chinese authorities around, and possibly inside, the apartment building had delayed the fire response, neighbors and family members of those killed have said. Li Wensheng, Urumqi’s fire chief, said at the press briefing that some residents’ “self-rescue …

China set to ease Covid rules after protests
2 years, 1 month ago

China set to ease Covid rules after protests

Hindustan Times  

China appears likely to relax some of its strict ‘zero-Covid’ rules after rare protests in several cities last weekend called for an end to strict Covid curbs, a senior Chinese official’s comments and reports indicated on Thursday. Vice-premier Sun Chunlan, the senior-most Chinese official overseeing Covid-control strategies, said the country’s battle against Covid-19 “requires a new approach as the Omicron …

China signals it will FINALLY relax zero-Covid policies following nationwide demonstrations
2 years, 1 month ago

China signals it will FINALLY relax zero-Covid policies following nationwide demonstrations

Daily Mail  

Xi is facing biggest threat to his rule as anger over Covid policy has exploded President Xi appears to be buckling under pressure of nationwide protests President Xi Jinping appears to be buckling under the pressure of nationwide protests over his draconian zero-Covid policies, with Beijing signalling it will finally relax the country's strict approach to the virus. President Xi …

Anti-Lockdown Protests in China: Reading The Discontent Against Slowdowns, Surveillance, Censorship
2 years, 1 month ago

Anti-Lockdown Protests in China: Reading The Discontent Against Slowdowns, Surveillance, Censorship

ABP News  

As resentment over Xi Jinping’s zero-Covid policy grows nearly three years into the pandemic, a wave of civil disobedience and public protests in mainland China is breaking out. Many people held up white sheets of paper with no writing to symbolise their opposition to censorship while chanting, “Need human rights, need freedom.” Others sang The Internationale, a communist anthem used …

What’s next for China’s anti-lockdown protests?
2 years, 1 month ago

What’s next for China’s anti-lockdown protests?

Al Jazeera  

On Thursday, December 1 at 19:30 GMT: Nearly three years into the pandemic, China continues to enforce strict lockdowns under its “zero-COVID” strategy. Public anger over COVID restrictions has erupted into protests in major cities, and while China has kept its case numbers low compared to other nations, critics including the World Health Organization, believe that government measures have been …

Why China Is Still Stuck in a Zero-Covid Nightmare
55 years ago

Why China Is Still Stuck in a Zero-Covid Nightmare

Wired  

After protesters in China took to the streets in defiance of the nation’s zero-Covid policy, officials responded this week by affirming their strategy but promising tweaks to “reduce inconvenience” to the public. But that’s likely not enough to placate people who have endured measures that extend beyond inconvenience and include harsh lockdowns, food shortages, and economic hardship. And while the …

China vows crackdown on ‘hostile forces’ as public tests Xi
2 years, 1 month ago

China vows crackdown on ‘hostile forces’ as public tests Xi

Associated Press  

BEIJING — China’s ruling Communist Party has vowed to “resolutely crack down on infiltration and sabotage activities by hostile forces,” following the largest street demonstrations in decades by citizens fed up with strict anti-virus restrictions. “The meeting emphasized that political and legal organs must take effective measures to … resolutely safeguard national security and social stability,” the statement said. On …

EXPLAINER: Why are China’s COVID rules so strict?
2 years, 1 month ago

EXPLAINER: Why are China’s COVID rules so strict?

Associated Press  

BEIJING — At the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, China set out its “zero-COVID” measures that were harsh, but not out of line with what many other countries were doing to try and contain the virus. That may seem strict, but prior to updated regulations earlier this month, travelers needed to take two PCR tests before flying and quarantine for …

China COVID protests die down, but policy resentment remains
2 years, 1 month ago

China COVID protests die down, but policy resentment remains

Al Jazeera  

Bill was standing with a group of people mostly in their 20s when a young woman started to lead the chanting. “If you’ve been following Chinese politics for long enough, you have to wonder whether the anti-lockdown protests are getting near the point where serious top-down nationwide crackdown becomes pretty much inevitable,” Taisu Zhang, a professor at Yale Law School, …

China softens COVID stance after protests, clashes with police
2 years, 1 month ago

China softens COVID stance after protests, clashes with police

Al Jazeera  

Vice Premier Sun Chunlan, who oversees COVID response, says the virus’s ability to cause disease has weakened. With daily cases remaining near record levels even after prolonged lockdowns, Chinese Vice Premier Sun Chunlan, who oversees the country’s coronavirus response, said on Wednesday that the virus’s ability to cause disease was weakening. “The latest developments come despite stern warnings against taking …

Chinese authorities seek out COVID protesters as police swarm streets and university students are sent home
2 years, 1 month ago

Chinese authorities seek out COVID protesters as police swarm streets and university students are sent home

ABC  

Chinese authorities have reportedly begun tracking down people who gathered at weekend protests against COVID-19 curbs. Key points: Students from at least 10 universities have been told classes and final exams are to be conducted online Viral social media videos show protesters scuffling with police and chanting "lift lockdown" The British government has summoned China's ambassador as a protest over …

Chinese in Southern California are sympathetic, worried for protesters back home
2 years, 1 month ago

Chinese in Southern California are sympathetic, worried for protesters back home

LA Times  

A woman lights a candle during a vigil at USC Tuesday night for people suffering under stringent COVID-19 lockdowns in China. “I don’t know how long the state and the government think these lockdowns can go on,” said Yuen, 33, a software developer from Beijing who moved to the Los Angeles area in 2017. China’s ruling Communist Party has vowed …

China hints at relaxing zero-Covid policy amid global outcry over crackdown on protests
2 years, 1 month ago

China hints at relaxing zero-Covid policy amid global outcry over crackdown on protests

Hindustan Times  

China on Tuesday said it will take steps to “minimise” the impact of its draconian coronavirus lockdowns, amidst the unprecedented public protests against President Xi Jinping’s stringent zero-COVID policy that evoked strong support from the UN, the US and other nations. Seeking to address international concerns, Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said China has been adjusting the zero-Covid policy based …

China protesters facing off with police draw comparisons with Tiananmen's 'tank man'
2 years, 1 month ago

China protesters facing off with police draw comparisons with Tiananmen's 'tank man'

Daily Mail  

Protesters defying China's brutal Communist regime and its hash zero-Covid policies are being compared to Tiananmen Square's famous 'tank man' in a move sure to send shivers down spines in Beijing. A Chinese man protesting against Xi Jinping's increasingly autocratic rule of the country faces off against a police riot van in footage thought to have come from Shanghai at …

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