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China’s zero-Covid protests

Barriers blocking access to buildings were a feature of Wuhan’s 2020 lockdown, which won widespread public support, a study has found. Photo: Reuters

How Covid-19 rules in Shanghai affected Chinese public support

Researchers in Denmark, the US and Hong Kong find initial strong support for Beijing’s response fell sharply in 2022.

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Researchers contest early findings that Wuhan was epicentre of Covid pandemic

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Want to rent an affordable flat in one of China’s former pop-up Covid hospitals?

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Apple’s AirDrop in focus as China moves to restrict ‘short-range’ file-sharing

Move is latest in Beijing’s drive to boost national security after use of AirDrop by mainland zero-Covid and Hong Kong anti-government protesters.

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The proposed rules say technology companies must undergo security assessment if they wish to include any features that could be used “for public expression and social mobilisation”. Photo: Reuters

China is deploying more officers for grass-roots policing across the country

Move to tighten surveillance and control was prompted by recent protests, according to observers.

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Opinion | Beijing’s fact-finding campaign to drive better policy a chance not to be missed

Constantly sweeping problems under the carpet is not a sustainable position, policy needs to be based on facts, with good and bad news communicated clearly.

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Unpacking China’s new Covid crisis

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Opinion | Finding the courage to criticise Covid-19 injustice in China

Amid China’s pandemic turmoil in 2022, many turned to platforms like WeChat to vent their frustration. As a Chinese living in the UK, I feel fortunate, and guilty, to have the freedom to speak out, relatively untouched by the strict censorship.

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How political and economic pressure led to Beijing’s zero-Covid U-turn

A wide range of factors – including protests, rising infection numbers and the heavy toll on the economy – accelerated the pace of reopening.

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Asian Angle | China’s pointless zero-Covid policy will puzzle historians for years to come

It remains to be seen whether and how quickly the scarring done to parts of China’s economy can be reversed by its eventual reopening.

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People wearing face masks cross a road in Beijing. Scientists have warned that China will face multiple waves of Covid-19 infections as the Omicron variant mutates to spread faster and evade immunity. Photo: EPA-EFE

On Balance | How 2022 brought the democratic West together

The US succeeded in strengthening global alliances in 2022 while opponents like Russia face growing exclusion, making for a better year for Biden than many would have expected. That said, the US-led order will continue to face hurdles from within in 2023.

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US President Joe Biden hosts a ceremony at the White House in Washington to sign the Respect for Marriage Act on December 13, 2022. Photo: TNS

Opinion | Time for China’s ‘zero-Covid’ roller coaster to come to an end

The past year saw wild swings in China’s experience with Covid-19, with periods of strict lockdown interspersed with stretches of relative normality. After public anger boiled over and the government suddenly changed course, though, it’s high time to draw this traumatic period to a close.

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China’s biggest news events of 2022

Singapore doctors expect more PCR testing as China eases Covid measures

One clinic said there had already been a 15-20 per cent increase in demand since mid-November, much of it from Chinese people returning home.

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A photo of President Xi Jinping during an exhibition in China about its fight against Covid-19. As the nation eases its coronavirus measures, there is a knock-on effect elsewhere, including in Singapore. Photo: AFP

Opinion | Why China is so careful with opening up, with or without the protests

An ill-timed relaxation could trigger a recession, mass deaths and set back gains in poverty, healthcare and education. Add to the considerations youth demands for freedoms, China’s easing is necessarily slow and measured.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens

Chinese medical schools relent to protesting students on Covid front line

Students also want to be free to go home for the winter holidays; and for those staying to be paid the same as staff doctors.

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Diplomat blames ‘foreign forces’ for boosting China’s Covid-19 protests

Beijing’s envoy to France says protesters’ anger at local government failures was taken advantage of by those who want to ‘destroy’ China.

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Opinion | Australia siege shows global rise in anti-police sentiment, from US to Hong Kong

Anti-police ideologies are capturing the attitudes of those in society who are frustrated with how they perceive police to be conducting themselves.

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A woman holds a sign calling for the repeal of a law that shields police misconduct records from public view, and calling for defunding the New York Police Department. Photo: AP/File

The View | China’s safe exit from zero-Covid is in the hands of its local cadres

To accomplish the mammoth task of vaccinating its unvaccinated and undervaccinated population, Beijing needs to suitably loosen the reins and encourage local policy innovation. Why not replace GDP growth with vaccination targets as a key measure of local cadre performance?

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My Take | Zero-Covid’s end brings a difficult transition to living with the virus

The policy gave mainland China time to prepare for an end of restrictions. We are about to find out how prepared it is.

How China hopes to chart path to soft landing as Covid restrictions ease

A feared wave of infections would put enormous stress on the healthcare and public service systems and, Beijing fears, could even trigger political instability.

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Illustration: Brian Wang

Asian Angle | Can Hong Kong scrap remaining Covid-19 rules before it is too late?

Hong Kong’s economy has suffered as a result of clinging to Covid-19 restrictions far longer than necessary, in contrast to regional rival Singapore.

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People lie in hospital beds outside the Caritas Medical Centre in Hong Kong in February 2022. Photo: AFP

US manufacturers with ties to China applaud easing of Covid-19 restrictions

But analysts warn that Beijing’s policy change in wake of rare street protests doesn’t necessarily signal stability or a return to the pre-pandemic status quo.

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Opinion | China’s Covid troubles show why it’s no serious threat to the US

Talk of great power rivalry with the US makes China look strong and powerful, but recent unrest at Foxconn’s Zhengzhou factory shows a different narrative. China is not yet on an equal footing with the US: while it struggles to develop its hi-tech prowess amid US restrictions, it must protect its vulnerable position in the global supply chain.

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China eases more Covid-19 restrictions amid shift in pandemic policy

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Opinion | China’s Covid lockdowns put policy before people

At the start of the pandemic, China won praise for its seeming ability to unite the public behind its contagion-fighting measures. But after three years of unrelenting lockdowns and a string of tragedies, that facade has fallen to reveal a policy that risks undermining human rights.

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A worker in protective gear at a neighborhood placed under lockdown in Beijing on November 21. Photo: Bloomberg

Mental health crisis looms for young Chinese after 3 years of pandemic

Internet friends instead of real-life relationships, online dependence, depression and anxiety are among the pandemic effects noted by researchers.

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The women leading China’s Covid-19 protests

Armed with blank paper, women from Beijing to Shanghai are leading a rare social movement.

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China’s zero-Covid protests
A series of protests broke out in multiple Chinese cities in late 2022, as citizens vented their anger against China’s zero-Covid strategy, which has kept infections at a low level but also brought disruptions to economic and social life.
last updated:
9 September, 2024
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