China’s ‘iPhone City’ sees heaviest lockdown after violent protests

The Chinese government has ordered the imprisonment of six million people in the city of Zhengzhou, home to the world’s largest iPhone factory, where violent protests over wage conditions and worker isolation have been recorded.

The Asian country’s “covid zero” restrictive strategy has been cornered by several coronavirus outbreaks in the country, which recorded the highest daily number of cases since the start of the pandemic on Thursday.

Disgust over the continued imposition of measures is spurring demonstrations, such as that of hundreds of employees of the iPhone factory in Zhengzhou, who on Wednesday faced agents of the police and other security forces in protective gear and batons.

Against a backdrop of crisis, city officials have ordered large-scale population testing and lockdown of several counties in this central Chinese city from Friday.

Only those who live in the city center can leave this area, but those who have a negative covid test and get permission from the authorities. Also, they cannot leave the house “unless it is necessary”.

The restrictions will affect more than six million people, almost half of Zhengzhou’s population, but do not cover the area where the iPhone factory is located, whose employees have been facing restrictions for several weeks.

An official, on condition of anonymity, told AFP that the protest began over a dispute over the payment of a bonus promised by Taiwanese tech group Foxconn, which shut workers inside the complex.

According to the source, Foxconn had promised an additional payment of 3,000 yuan ($420), but employees only received 30 yuan.

According to the official, many workers also complained about the “chaotic” living conditions inside the factory.

The Taiwanese company issued an apology Thursday, tying the issue to a “technical error” in its pay system.

He also stated that he “completely understands” the employees’ concerns and that the team “will do its best to resolve their concerns and reasonable requests.”

Tiredness

The measures taken in Zhengzhou are part of China’s “covid zero” strategy to eradicate the virus from its territory, which includes lockdowns, travel restrictions and large-scale testing.

However, nearly three years after the pandemic, the number of covid-19 cases in the country is higher than ever.

The National Office of Health recorded 31,444 new infections this Thursday.

While the number is small for a population of 1.4 billion, outbreaks are causing multiple restrictions in the country, especially when compared to balances in the rest of the world at the worst time of the pandemic.

The uncertain and volatile nature of the measures and their impact on the world’s second largest economy are leaving the population exhausted.

Many cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chongqing have increased restrictions due to the increase in cases.

The capital has started to require a negative Kovid test in the last 48 hours to enter shopping malls, hotels or public buildings. In addition, schools have started distance education again.

The manufacturing center in Guangdong (south), which records a third of cases in the country, has built thousands of makeshift hospital beds to accommodate patients.

Strict measures in various parts of the country were announced shortly after the central government announced actions for a timid reopening, such as shortening the required quarantine period for travelers from abroad.

However, even the city of Shijiazhuang, which borders Beijing and is considered a pilot test of reopening strategies, has canceled most of the easing measures that went into effect this week.

“The road to reopening can be slow, expensive and turbulent,” said Ting Lu, China chief economist at Japanese bank Nomura.