On Thursday, December 1 at 19:30 GMT:
Almost three years into the pandemic, China continues to implement strict lockdowns beneath its “zero-COVID” technique. Public anger over COVID restrictions has erupted into protests in main cities, and whereas China has saved its case numbers low in comparison with different nations, critics together with the World Well being Group, consider that authorities measures have been unnecessarily harsh and unsustainable.
Final week China reported an all-time excessive in its variety of every day regionally transmitted circumstances. The nation additionally reported its first COVID deaths in six months, fuelling extra doubt and discontent in direction of authorities restrictions.
Protests unfold in cities together with Beijing and Shanghai after a fireplace final Thursday killed 10 individuals allegedly trapped beneath lockdown in a Xinjiang condominium constructing. Some demonstrations included requires President Xi Jinping to step down.
Rising anger over quarantine measures have led residents to query whether or not the federal government’s COVID technique is working of their curiosity. Earlier this 12 months, a lockdown in Shanghai resulted not solely in enterprise closures, however meals shortages and restrictions in non-COVID-related medical care.
On this episode of The Stream, we’ll have a look at China’s “zero-COVID” technique and the social unrest that has stemmed from it.
On this episode of The Stream, we converse with:
Yaqiu Wang, @Yaqiu
Senior China researcher, Human Rights Watch
Dali Yang, @Dali_Yang
Professor of political science, College of Chicago
Anouk Eigenraam, @askimono
China correspondent, FD/BNR