stephane lagardecorresponding RFI in Beijing
Chinese President Xi Jinping openly defended the “Covid zero” policy this Friday (6) aimed at preventing the spread of SARS-CoV-2 in the country using drastic measures. Beijing’s strategy, which combines frequent curfews and mass testing campaigns, comes at an extremely high cost.
This is the second time Xi Jinping has addressed the issue in less than two months. On March 17, the Chinese president acknowledged that the policy of absolute intolerance to the virus must be adapted to protect the economy, but this time he changed his speech.
Despite the complaints of the quarantined Shanghai residents, the head of state did not give up and asked the seven members of the Standing Committee. politburoThe highest authority of the Communist Party is to maintain the measures despite criticism.
China’s strategy “will stand the test of time,” the president told state television. We must remain calm and stick to the ‘Covid Zero’ policy,” the newspaper said. China Morning Post.
Liang Wannian, one of the representatives of China’s anti-epidemic policy, reminded that adopting a strategy that means “surrendering” to omikron, as some Western countries do, is not an option for China. State media often talk about “lives saved” thanks to Chinese policy. According to official data, did Covid-19 leave less than 5 thousand dead in the country? an unverifiable number.
A abandonment strategy can be costly
According to epidemiologist Zhang Boli, abandoning this policy will have a very high cost. In April, the head of the National Health Commission, Ma Xiaowei, argued that “China must maintain its ‘Covid zero’ strategy to preserve the results achieved during the epidemic.” Chinese politics expert Alex Payette says the lockdown policy in Shanghai is “a political battle for Xi Jinping”.
For the Chinese president, resigning from this strategy would be tantamount to losing the battle against the virus and risking not being able to replace the third term he desires. For this reason, the social media accounts of doctors, epidemiologists and economists who dared to question Xi Jinping’s decisions regarding Kovid-19 were censored.
For a month, 25 million people of Shanghai are under lockdown. Will the curfew punish the economy, and will the 48-hour test-run policy generalize across the country? This could cost China up to 2.3% growth this year, as some cities are already doing, according to the Nomura bank.
Beijing residents are returning to their home offices
Several districts of Beijing urged residents to work from home on Thursday (5), the first working day since the May 1 holiday, to curb the spread of Covid in China’s capital. Chaoyang and Tongzhou districts, Beijing’s most populous district with nearly 3.5 million residents, have asked residents to embrace the home office after a long vacation in the country.
Despite relatively few infections ? Only 50 new cases were registered in 24 hours, with the Chinese capital following the “Covid zero” strategy and adopting various restrictions to contain infections. Authorities have closed dozens of subway stations, banned eating in restaurants, and suspended activities in gyms.
Forty cities in China are implementing full or partial curfews or travel restriction measures. In addition, metropolises like Hangzhou or Beijing ordered large-scale population testing. However, some measures are being relaxed. Authorities announced Wednesday that the quarantine period for passengers on international flights has been reduced from 21 days at a government facility to 10 days at home and seven days at home.
China is losing its charm
In the economic arena, the policy of tackling Covid has caused China to lose “a large part of its attractiveness” for many European companies, which are affected by the break in supply chains and the brakes on economic activity, according to a study.
Lockdowns in dozens of Chinese cities have caused “big problems”, according to a report by the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China. Listening to more than 370 members of the chamber, the study adds, “The war (in Ukraine) has had an impact on European companies based in China, but Covid-19 represents a much more pressing challenge and has caused a significant drop in business confidence”, adds. . at the end of April.
About 25% of the interviewees consider ongoing or planned investments to shift from China to other markets, this figure more than doubled in two months. Almost 60% lowered their revenue forecasts for the year. Many companies experience difficulties in obtaining raw materials and components or obtaining products, as well as an impact on their supply chains.
“The Chinese market has largely lost its appeal to many interviewees,” the European Chamber of Commerce emphasizes. Activity in China’s service sector fell to the second-worst level on record in April, according to independent data from the Caixin group.
(RFI and AFP)
source: Noticias
