Society

China has announced the long-awaited transition from zero Covid to opening up, as inbound travel measures ease and mandatory quarantines are removed. However, the process will not be easy as medical resources are short and vaccination rates among the elderly are still low. Will China be able to handle the internal and external pressures of what is to follow after opening up? Zaobao correspondent Yang Danxu tells us more.

With the easing of Covid controls in China, many cities and provinces are seeing a sharp spike in cases. This wave is generally expected to peak in January next year, especially with the Chinese New Year travel wave. Lianhe Zaobao journalist Liu Liu takes a look at the possible direction and responses.

The post-50s Chinese generation of intellectuals who were heavily influenced by Mao had the practice of leaving their children behind as they single-mindedly sought to achieve success abroad. US academic Wu Guo remarks that this generation of people who had been sent down to the rural areas, travelled abroad, and finally gained a foothold and settled down in the US, have always been motivated by a religious zeal for chasing a dream.

Following the protests against harsh Covid measures, China seems to be going from strict lockdowns to opening up and relaxing controls almost overnight. While the health system is under strain and nerves are wrecked, the Chinese people have shown that they are quite capable of adapting to change, especially if large cities like Beijing lead the way.

Chinese academic Zhang Tiankan explains why some estimates that China's reopening without safeguards could result in 1.5 million to 2 million deaths is improbable if one looks at the facts. Such predictions could cause public alarm and mislead policy making.

Following the protests against China’s strict Covid controls, the authorities have released ten new measures to ease or lift many Covid rules and restrictions. But while many people have been looking forward to this day, there is also anxiety as to what to expect with the sudden overnight changes.

With the sudden easing of anti-epidemic rules and Beijing’s latest surge in Covid-19 cases, people have been caught out by insufficient medication and are swarming to pharmacies and hospitals. Zaobao correspondent Yu Zeyuan gives a peek into the situation on the ground.

The prolonged implementation of Covid-19 control measures has caused a significant socioeconomic impact in China, notably leading to the decline in marriage, divorce and birth rates, as well as the increase in youth unemployment. While the situation is more complex than what the data show, Chinese observers believe that both external and internal factors are at play.

After an almost three-year-long hyper-restrictive “zero-Covid” policy, the Chinese government seems to have finally relented. But for China to comprehensively revamp its Covid-19 control regime and fully reopen, some daunting challenges remain.