Dissatisfaction in China is growing. The reason for this is the rigorous restrictions against the worst corona wave since the beginning of the pandemic. Berlin fears “harsh reactions” from the security forces.
Fearing that protests in China against the government’s tough zero-Covid strategy would flare up again, the police have massively increased their presence in several major cities.
In the capital Beijing, in Shanghai and various other megacities, security forces were increasingly seen on the streets. Police also checked passers-by’ cellphones for suspicious information, eyewitnesses reported on social media.
Despite the largest wave of protests in decades in China over the weekend, the government does not want to hear about popular dissatisfaction with its zero-Covid measures. “What you are talking about does not reflect what really happened,” said foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian in Beijing when asked by journalists about the demonstrations with thousands of participants in several major cities.
In his noticeably short reaction, the spokesman also expressed his conviction that the fight against the corona pandemic would be successful – “under the leadership of the Communist Party and with the support of the people”. On the other hand, there were protest marches in Beijing and other cities such as Shanghai, Chengdu, Chongqing, Wuhan, Nanjing, Xi’an and Guangzhou over the weekend. They were directed against strict measures such as lockdowns, mass tests and forced quarantines.
The largest demonstrations since the democracy movement in 1989
They were the largest demonstrations since the democracy movement in China in 1989, which the military brutally suppressed. The protest actions lasted into the night. In the early hours of the night in Beijing, a large contingent of the police took action against hundreds near the diplomatic district. It was unclear how many people were arrested. China was in virtual news blackout. Social media was full of videos that were quickly deleted by the censors.
The trigger for the rare expressions of displeasure was an apartment fire in the metropolis of Ürümqi in Xinjiang on Thursday evening, which killed at least ten people. Many expressed the suspicion that the rescue work was hampered by the Corona measures. As a symbol of resistance and protest against censorship, many demonstrators held up blank white sheets. There were shouts of “lift the lockdown” and “we don’t want PCR tests, we want freedom”.
Due to the rigid measures against the corona virus, dissatisfaction among the population had been increasing for weeks. Many megacities are largely paralyzed. People are bothered by the constant testing, curfews, forced quarantines, close surveillance by corona apps and contact tracing that authorities are using to try and get a grip on the easily spreading omicron variants of the virus.
BBC reporter arrested and ill-treated
BBC reporter Ed Lawrence was arrested during the protests in Shanghai and says he was mistreated by police officers. The BBC was “extremely concerned”. The journalist was beaten and kicked, even though he had accreditation. He was only released hours later. The British government criticized the arrest as “unacceptable”.
China’s foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian justified the arrest by saying that the reporter did not identify himself as a journalist and did not voluntarily show his press card. The China Foreign Correspondents’ Club (FCCC) criticized the police for their crackdown on journalists in Shanghai and Beijing.
Despite the strict measures taken against the virus, the population of billions is currently being hit by the worst corona wave since the pandemic began almost three years ago. The Health Commission reported a record high in the country on Monday with around 40,000 new infections. In Beijing there were almost 3,900 cases. Experts estimate that a fifth of the world’s second largest economy – hundreds of millions of people – are likely to be affected by lockdowns across the country.
“China’s zero-Covid policy doomed to failure”
Deputy FDP parliamentary group leader Alexander Graf Lambsdorff told the German Press Agency: “I have long believed that the Chinese Communist Party’s zero-Covid policy is doomed to failure. The pressure among the population is increasing like in a steam boiler and breaking now for the first time train.” The combination of corona protests with demands for freedom and democracy in higher education has “a new quality”.
In the Politburo and Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, this could only be seen as a threat to their own claim to total power, said Lambsdorff. “One must therefore fear a very harsh reaction from the regime. The protests are still in their infancy. It would be naïve to believe that they could already lead to fundamental changes at this stage.”
Source: Stern
David William is a talented author who has made a name for himself in the world of writing. He is a professional author who writes on a wide range of topics, from general interest to opinion news. David is currently working as a writer at 24 hours worlds where he brings his unique perspective and in-depth research to his articles, making them both informative and engaging.
