China’s oppressive COVID lockdown measures continue to fuel protests as news of President Xi Jinping‘s extreme approach shocks the world.
The growing conflict between the government and the Chinese people has accelerated in recent weeks. Some cities have endured more than 100 days of entire cities under severe lockdowns, despite just 38,000 people testing positive for the coronavirus among a population of over 1.4 billion.
Residents of major cities across China have been fenced in with limited opportunities to travel. Some provinces have implemented such lockdowns for more than three straight months as the pandemic extends into its third year in the Chinese Communist Party-controlled country.
In Guangzhou, the current epicentre of China’s Covid surge, large parts of Haizhu district are still locked down.
In one area we were able to walk right up to the barrier.
This is not like the Shanghai lockdown, people are allowed out to buy food, but many are weary pic.twitter.com/Leo1l3EhdP
— Helen-Ann Smith (@HelenAnnSmith0) November 21, 2022
Recent measures include roadblocks, mall closures, schools returning to online learning, and park shutdowns.
This Is What China’s Renewed War on Covid Looks Likehttps://t.co/KqONnb0JQu
現在、中国でのCOVID-19感染者拡大に伴い実施されている対策は、パンデミック初年に各国で見られた風景に似ている pic.twitter.com/znWngmlPeM
— Mugen UJIIE (氏家 無限) (@carpe_diem0820) November 23, 2022
The lockdown policies have included forced vaccinations, masking, and mandatory COVID testing to travel outside restricted areas. Bars and many restaurants have also been closed or prohibited indoor dining, with claims of patients in need of medical treatment being denied.
Lockdown-breakers have been arrested, while government censorship blocks those speaking out against the government’s oppressive rules.
The New York Times reported last week that family members had been separated over COVID, including children removed from their parents. One boarding school would not allow students to leave campus due to a reported COVID outbreak.
The nation is also reportedly building “quarantine centers,” including one currently under construction that will reportedly house up to 80,000 people.
For the second day in a row, China has recorded an explosive increase in coronavirus infections.
In the city of Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province, which has the largest number of cases, the construction of a quarantine center for 80,000 people has begun. pic.twitter.com/LnOZdVdVjO
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) November 25, 2022
Earlier this month, The Associated Press reported that the city of Guangzhou announced plans to build quarantine facilities for nearly 250,000 people.
The restrictions are also widespread, impacting around 340 million people across 37 cities in China, approximately a quarter of the population, according to the Times. Strict mitigation policies sparked protests after a fire in a Urumqi high-rise building killed ten people last week, with residents blaming the lockdown for the deaths.
A Saturday demonstration in Shanghai over the deaths led to police deploying pepper spray into a crowd of about 300 protesters. A witness told The Associated Press that one of his friends was beaten, and two others were pepper sprayed. He added that police stepped on his feet while he tried to prevent them from taking his friend away; he also lost his shoes in the chaos and was left barefoot.
China’s tyranny against its people also holds significant consequences for the U.S. and other nations. The supply chain shortage that arose in early 2021 could soon return as factories and other export businesses shutter across the country.
Despite President Xi Jinping winning a third term in October, a significant number of Chinese citizens are calling for the leader to step down, demanding his resignation over his restrictions on freedom during the pandemic.