The Communist Party’s Political and Legal Commission blamed “hostile” elements for the disturbance of public order, as quoted by state media in a statement on Wednesday. The background is the widespread outrage among the population about the harsh zero-Covid measures, which led to protest marches in several million metropolitan areas over the weekend.
“It is necessary to resolve conflicts and disputes in a timely manner and help overcome people’s practical problems,” said a statement after a committee meeting the day before. “We have a legal obligation to crack down on infiltration and sabotage by enemy forces.” “Criminal actions disrupting social order” must continue and social stability must be maintained.
The statement did not directly address the weekend’s protests against rigorous zero-Covid measures such as lockdowns, enforced quarantines and mass testing. But the former editor-in-chief of the party newspaper “Global Times”, Hu Xijin, saw a “clear warning” in the “indirect message”: “The protesters must have got it,” the commenter loyal to the rule wrote on Twitter. “If they repeat these protests, the risks will greatly increase.”
The largest demonstrations since 1989
The rigorous measures taken by authorities in response to China’s largest corona wave since the start of the pandemic nearly three years ago sparked protests in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and other cities with populations exceeding one million. They were the largest demonstrations since the democratic movement in 1989, which was brutally crushed by the army at the time.
Security forces broke up the protests and arrested an unknown number of protesters. In response, a massive police presence was mobilized in many cities to prevent the demonstrations from flaring up again.
Social media censorship
There is a news blackout about the protests. Social media reports of isolated new incidents, such as in the Haizhu district of Guangzhou in southern China, were quickly removed by censors and could not be independently confirmed. In Haizhu two weeks ago, migrant workers in the textile industry revolted against the Covid measures.
“Xi Jinping has managed to set up a system of communist health dictatorship within his firewall, through which – under the guise of health prevention – the entire population is monitored and controlled,” wrote exiled Chinese writer Liao Yiwu, who lives in Germany. in the “Süddeutsche Zeitung”. “If you want to survive China, you have to work together.”
Hundreds of millions of people affected by lockdowns
Despite the displeasure of the population, the Health Commission promised no deviation from the hard zero-Covid course. But the vaccination campaign needs to be intensified – especially in the older population. For fear of side effects, the elderly in the country of 1.4 billion people have so far been vaccinated less. Only 40 percent of people over 80 have received a booster injection.
Insufficient vaccination can lead to many deaths in an uncontrolled corona wave. It is a “major dilemma,” said a European health expert in Beijing. “At least as long as there isn’t really mass vaccination, which they could have done a long time ago.” The vaccination campaign needs to be massively intensified. “You can’t open up completely overnight,” the expert said. “That’s not possible. They’re not prepared for that.”
According to estimates, the lockdowns are currently affecting hundreds of millions of people and about a fifth of the second largest economy. Sentiment in the industry fell to its lowest level since April. At that time there was a full two-month curfew in Shanghai and supply chains were interrupted.
The Bureau of Statistics’ Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) fell from 49.2 in the previous month to 48 points in November. Values above the 50-point mark indicate an expansion in economic activity, while values below it indicate contraction.
After all, the number of new infections reported daily in China fell slightly again. About 37,600 new cases were reported on Tuesday, according to the health commission. On Monday there were about 38,400 infections. With more than 40,000 new infections, a high for China since the start of the pandemic had previously been reported.
(SDA)
Source: Blick
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
