On The Radar: Anger in China over Zero Covid dragging on
28 September 2022
A night-time bus crash that killed 27 people in southwest China last week has set off a storm of anger online over the harshness of the country’s strict Zero Covid policies, reports AP. They were heading to a quarantine hotel in Guiyang, the capital of Guizhou province.
The passengers were under “medical observation,” by Chinese authorities and being transported to a new facility. Online, many wondered at the logic behind transporting people outside of Guiyang, accusing the CCP of moving them so that the city would no longer report any new cases. “We could have been on that bus” is the general sentiment felt by many Chinese people right now, social media posts reveal.
Anger over the quarantine bus crash is thus a sign of fraying patience in China, reports Foreign Policy. Zero Covid is “serving as a proxy for wider feelings of discontent.”
“Although coverage of problems around lockdowns and restrictions is censored, discussion of them isn’t as risky as talking openly about other forms of repression under Xi. Politics has become ever more intrusive in the everyday life of Chinese people, including arrests for private online conversations, the censorship of U.S. sports and TV shows, camera-monitoring of private spaces, and demands to attend hours-long CCP meetings during work.” South China Morning Post reports China’s Zero Covid policy is still creating headaches for overseas students, even as some near return after three years.
Despite reducing centralised quarantine to seven days and considerably easing its visa policies, China still has some of the toughest Covid-19 restrictions in the world. Travel remains difficult for foreigners, in part due to complex health regulations governing entry into the mainland and skyrocketing flight costs, as demand continues to far outstrip supply.
Yet NZ Herald reports China, one of the most locked down and shut off travel destinations in the world, has hinted at easing its Covid-19 travel restrictions. China outlined new regulations to boost inbound tourism and soften restrictions for some international travellers for leisure reasons.
Aspects of the draft policy from China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism look very similar to the first plans unveiled by Japan in May this year. It is suggested that the first visitors must be part of tour groups organised by authorised travel agencies within China's border regions. It is suggested that entry and exit points to China would be "flexible" to the needs of tour operators. Further details as to who could take part are yet to be released.
- Asia Media Centre
