3 Dec 2022

Vivian Wang: on the ground at China's zero-covid protests

From Saturday Morning, 8:10 am on 3 December 2022
Vivian Wang.. Earl Wilson

Vivian Wang Photo: Earl Wilson

In response to the largest public protests since Tiananmen Square, Chinese government officials have signaled a shift away from 'Zero Covid' and eased some restrictions.

China's leader, Xi Jinping, has been firmly committed to eliminating coronavirus infections, with over 300 million citizens currently in lockdown, and mandatory quarantine and mass testing.

Frustration at the human toll of these restrictions has resulted in demonstrations in at least 18 cities.

Will this government back down be enough to quell the unrest, or does this protest movement signal a serious challenge to the world's most powerful authoritarian government? 

Protesters during a rally for the victims of a deadly fire as well as a protest against China's harsh Covid-19 restrictions in Beijing on 28 November, 2022.

A protester at a rally in Beijing against strict Covid measures in China, 28 November 2022. Photo: AFP