With the impact of the pandemic putting pressure on local government budgets across China, the latest wave of salary reductions for civil servants has taken hold in Shanghai, with no quarterly bonuses given out in some cases. China’s financial capital has not been doing well since the two-month pandemic lockdown took a heavy toll on businesses and general operations. Can the city recover?

Zaobao correspondent Chen Jing observes that while the lockdown in Shanghai has been lifted, people are still nervous that the sporadic Covid-19 cases could trigger another lockdown. Regulations remain strict and prohibitive, so people are hesitant to say that things have returned back to normal. Furthermore, with the 20th Party Congress coming up, Shanghai’s situation will be a bellwether for the country’s economic recovery.

While some people are rejoicing as Shanghai gradually resumes daily life and business operations, the lockdown experience has traumatised others that are looking to leave the city and never return. Zaobao’s Shanghai correspondent Chen Jing finds out more.

As Shanghai slowly moves towards resuming life and business, Zaobao’s Shanghai correspondent Chen Jing files her last entry in a series of articles documenting the lockdown.

The seemingly unending lockdown in Shanghai has taken a toll on investor confidence, leading to some entrepreneurs and companies talking about leaving the city. Zaobao’s Shanghai correspondent Chen Jing surveys the short-term reactions and long-term outlook of China's top financial city.

Zaobao correspondent Chen Jing speaks with Singaporeans who are based in Shanghai to find out how the resurgence of Covid-19 cases has impacted them. While some have gone through great pains to escape the locked down city, others have stayed behind, sharing the hardship — and joys — with the local community.

A recent false rumour of an impending lockdown in Shanghai led to panic buying and disorder not usually seen in Shanghai, a well-run city that follows the rules. But it is not so much that people can’t tell fact from fiction, but that recent U-turns by the officials have led people to start relying on the grapevine. What should the authorities do to win back the people’s trust?

More than half a year after an infectious diseases expert was shot down for proposing living with the virus, Chinese epidemiologist Zeng Guang has cautiously signalled that perhaps it is time for China to transition away from its dynamic zero-Covid policy. Zaobao correspondent Chen Jing reports that Chinese netizens are showing their support for this, voicing their frustration with the prolonged restrictions, while official statistics show a struggling recovery in domestic consumption. Will the benefits of China’s dynamic zero-Covid continue to outweigh its costs?

The viral posts of a woman chained by the neck in Feng county, Jiangsu province, have ignited public outcry. It is not just the plight of the mother of eight that has enraged netizens, but also the abhorrent handling of the case by local authorities and communities. Zaobao correspondent Chen Jing uncovers the hidden layers of injustice, gender imbalance and messy governance the incident has brought to light.