China looks in amazement at the World Cup in Qatar and wonders: “Are we playing on another planet?”

The pandemic lockdowns they spread all over the place China. The number of coronavirus infections is growing at record daily rates despite Beijing’s strict covid-zero policy, which is isolating millions of populations.

And the Chinese start to get angry. The scenes arriving on TV from Doha show people gathering, singing, shouting, not wearing a mask… And they wonder: Is the World Cup in Qatar being played on another planet?

The frustration among the Chinese is no longer that their team doesn’t play in Doha. It is seeing the reality with which the pandemic is being handled outside of China and another. Even at home the Chinese were “recommended” not be together watch matches for fear of contagion.

Many have used the World Cup complain on the internet on China’s existing strategies. The country maintains a zero covid policy, where entire communities are locked down for single cases of the virus, to stop it from spreading. But the strategy loses and the rolls grow.

Currently, China is experiencing its worst outbreak in six monthsand localized lockdowns have increased in recent weeks.

In the past 24 hours, China has recorded more than 28,000 new cases.

To the residents of eight districts of Zhengzhou, home to 6.6 million people, ordered to stay at home for five days starting this Thursday, except to buy food or receive medical care. Ordered daily mass tests in what the city government has called a “war of annihilation” against the virus.

During clashes on Tuesday and Wednesday, Zhengzhou policemen beat workers protesting a wage dispute at Apple’s largest iPhone factory, located in an industrial zone near the city. But even an outbreak in that plant would have forced its employees into confinement, mixing healthy and infected.

Now the whole city is under lock and key.

Also this week, authorities said the first deaths from COVID-19 in China over the past six months, bringing the total to 5,232.

Although the number of cases and deaths is relatively low compared to the United States and other countries, China’s ruling Communist Party remains committed to a “zero COVID” strategy that aims to completely isolate cases and completely eliminate the virus.

Most governments of other countries they are done with antivirus checks and now rely on vaccines and immunity from past infections to help prevent death and serious illness.

The reality of the World Cup

And that became clear to the Chinese when the World Cup kicked off this weekend.

Soccer It’s very popular in China. President Xi Jinping is known to be a sports lover and has previously said that it is a dream for the country to win the World Cup.

Consequentially, matches are broadcast on national broadcaster CCTV and state media have tried to amplify China’s “presence.” The Global Times reported how Chinese-made products “ranging from buses to (Lusail) stadium and even air conditioners are well represented at the event.”

Mainstream media like CCTV also promoted the presence of Chinese standard bearers at the opening ceremony and how two giant pandas they came to Qatar to “meet” visitors arriving for the event.

But while there is a party in Qatar, including Chinese products, the Chinese can do nothing at home.

It is clear that the Covid-19 has put an end to the celebrations. In major cities, the outbreaks have caused non-essential businesses to close and people have been advised to restrict their movement.

No bars to go tothe Global Times newspaper says that some fans “choose to watch games at home with their families”.

Flights between Qatar and China they also remain severely limited for those hoping to see the event in person.

Many feel very isolated watching this year’s event.

Are Qatar and China on the same planet?

As reported this Thursday by the British channel BBC, an open letter questioning the continued zero covid policies in the country and he asked if China was “on the same planet” as Qatar spread rapidly on mobile messaging service WeChat on Tuesday, before being censored.

Comments on the Twitter-like social network Weibo are filled with viewers talking about how they feel watching this year’s games. divided from the rest of the world.

Some talk about their perception that it is “rare” to see hundreds of thousands of people gathered togetherwithout wearing a mask or needing to show evidence of a recent Covid-19 test.

“There are no separate places so that people can maintain social distance and there is no one dressed in a blue and white suit (medical) standing on the sidelines. This planet has really split up.”

“On one side of the world there is the carnival which is the World Cup, on the other there are the rules of not visiting public places for five days,” someone wrote.

Agencies and BBC News

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