But in April-June this year, the economy in China barely grew as the authorities were too busy preventing the Omicron variant. As in several cities in China, which experienced a level of lockdown that disrupted the economy and frustrated the people.
As a result of the endless Lockdown, many local residents have hoarded Chinese medicines that are said to be able to help treat Covid infections. His supplies in the city are said to be running low for now. It was reported again that workers fled in large numbers from the Foxcoon industrial area in downtown Zhengzou two weeks ago. This has hit global supply chains such as one iPhone, Apple.
As previously explained, the Chinese government has struggled to maintain a zero-covid approach without destroying their economy. However, sales figures from factories and tertials show quite the opposite, the devastating impact of the pandemic, and the government's policies in tackling it.
Recently, officials in the Chaoyang district, Beijing, decided to close many roadside covid test posts and move them to residential areas. meaning, the number of PCR posts is decreasing. The problem is that many offices require the daily results of the Covid test for their employees, or they can't come to work.
So, from the posts that were opened, the queues were getting longer from workers trapped in Tibet demonstrating so they could leave Lhasa to lockdowns across the region of Xinjiang, the zero-covid policy did not go smoothly.
As for those who criticize this zero covid policy, such as prominent Chinese commentator Hu Xijin said, epidemic experts need to speak and the government must do a comprehensive, and make a transparent study to review the zero covid policy.
Hu's call for this policy, namely in Chinese social media for openness and transparency earned him 34,000 likes on the Twitter-like microblog Weibo. He also received honest responses from netizens on the internet, who usually immediately censor oblique voices and are considered a risk to social stability. But of course, China's top leaders warned last May that the Covid lockdown in Shanghai and the widespread restrictions on the capital Beijing, they would be against any comment or any action that distorts, doubts or rejects the country's policies. So as not to disturb the plan.
As a result of public frustration, the people began to riot and refuse to lock down when a crowd of residents in the industrial city of Guangzhou clashed with the police because they were angry with the strict restrictions on the corona virus that never ended. Chinese citizens attacked health workers wearing hazmat suits and destroyed a Covid testing center and overturned a police car during a violent anti-lockdown protest on Monday (14/11/2022).
In this action, crowds defied a rare lockdown, huge crowds smashed through Covid barriers and staged protest marches on Guangzhou streets. The city of 15 million has the biggest caseload, with new daily Covid-198 infections reaching 5,000 for the first time and fueling speculation that the lockdown could expand.
Daily Mail reported on Tuesday (15/11/2022), a video uploaded and widely shared on Twitter showing chaotic scenes in Guangzhou's Haizhu district on Monday (14/11/2022) night. A group of angry protesters were also seen working together to overturn a police car and destroy it.
Another scene recorded shows a large group arguing with the apartment and tearing down the semi-permanent red wall that was erected to help local residents test each day. Protesters were also seen throwing objects at the officers, who began shaking the gates in an attempt to open them
China is more physically closed off today than it has been in decades because of Xi's 'zero-Covid' policy. This has dragged down the country's economic growth of more than one billion people.
Xi's commitment also seems to have done little to convince investors. On Monday, the Hong Kong stock market had its worst day since the 2008 global financial crisis. Alibaba and Tencent, two of China's top tech giants, both plunged more than 11% and erased US$54 billion in their market caps.
