China is still punishing those who protested against zero-covid
The government has ditched the policy, but not its repression of dissent
When protests against the government’s “zero-covid” policy spread across China in November, some observers feared a violent crackdown was in the offing. The Communist Party, after all, has a history of such things. But the authorities’ initial response was measured. Police watched in silence as crowds of young people in Beijing, Shanghai and other cities called for an end to mass testing and lockdowns. Officers did not interrupt even when a few protesters called for freedom of speech and the right to vote. The police chief of Beijing told one protester that the crowd had been heard.
This article appeared in the China section of the print edition under the headline “A different type of lockdown”
From the January 14th 2023 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Explore the editionMore from China
A pay rise for government workers sparks anger and envy in China
The effort to improve morale has not had the intended effect
A big earthquake causes destruction in Tibet
Dozens are dead, thousands of buildings have been destroyed
Militant Uyghurs in Syria threaten the Chinese government
How much does China have to fear?
Does China have the fiscal firepower to rescue its economy?
There is a fierce debate over whether it can afford to keep spending
China approves the world’s most expensive infrastructure project
It has China’s neighbours on edge
Xi Jinping has much to worry about in 2025
A struggling economy, rising social tensions and Donald Trump will test China’s leader