Wuhan lockdown

Barriers surround a neighborhood placed under lockdown due to Covid-19 in Shenzhen, China, on 19 November 2022. (Qilai Shen/Bloomberg)

Two steps forward, three steps back: Lockdowns in China still prevalent

Zaobao correspondent Yu Zeyuan looks at how Covid controls have changed — or not — in various places in China following the announcement of the new 20 measures to ease Covid controls. Going by the measures implemented, it seems that lockdowns and testing seem to still be the default in curbing Covid in China.
Participants run past Tiananmen Gate during the Beijing Marathon in Beijing, China, 6 November 2022. (Tingshu Wang/Reuters)

Chinese ambassador Sun Haiyan: Why not think about China in this way?

Chinese ambassador to Singapore Sun Haiyan responds to an article by Lee Huay Leng, editor-in-chief of SPH Chinese Media Group. She notes that while individual stories have to be remembered, national policies have to take into account the big picture. The difficult but necessary decisions taken on Covid management reflect this.
Residents queue at a Covid-19 testing station in Shanghai, China, on 6 November 2022. China will “unswervingly” adhere to its current Covid-19 controls as the country faces increasingly serious outbreaks, health officials said, damping hopes that Beijing will ease its stringent policies that have put cities and factories under prolonged lockdowns. (Qilai Shen/Bloomberg)

Why ‘China model’ for modernisation cannot be replicated in other countries

China has often highlighted the success of China-style modernisation, including during the recently concluded 20th Party Congress. Researcher John Lim Chuan-Tiong looks at how policies have been implemented in China, and questions whether China’s model can be replicated in other nations and whether people outside of China would want to replicate such a system.
Renowned virologist Guan Yi. (Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine official website)

A Chinese virologist's changing fortunes for speaking up against zero-Covid

China's renowned virologist Guan Yi has reappeared in public as the newly appointed chief of the Shanghai Virus Research Institute, after being denounced for his alarmist views of the pandemic at the start of its outbreak and speaking against the zero-Covid measures. But now, will his return mark an end to the harsh restrictions that have left the Chinese economy in a dire state?
A rider travels on an empty road following lockdown measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in Xian, Shaanxi province, China, 26 December 2021. (CNS photo via Reuters)

Lessons from Xi’an: Why there is no one-size-fits-all solution to Covid-19

China’s insistence on a zero-Covid strategy puzzles many but Han Yong Hong believes that the country may have little choice. She explains China’s unique circumstances and the challenges it faces.
A worker delivers food supplies to residents at a residential compound under lockdown in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, China, 29 December 2021. (CNS photo via Reuters)

Chaos in Xi’an: From zero-Covid to ‘zero cases in communities’

In the face of greater challenges in containing Covid-19, China seems to have tweaked its zero-Covid strategy in Xi’an to that of “zero cases in communities”. Even so, the situation since a lockdown started on 23 December 2021 seems chaotic. What else needs to change as authorities tailor their approach to different cities and situations? Zaobao correspondent Yang Danxu examines the issue.
In this elevated view, a man sits on a bench along the flags of the 'In America: Remember' public art installation near the Washington Monument on 19 September 2021 in Washington, DC, US. (Al Drago/Getty Images/AFP)

Cultural historian Cheng Pei-kai: Life and death are predestined, and wealth and poverty are heaven’s arrangement

Like many of us experiencing pandemic days, cultural historian Cheng Pei-kai spent the last two years living quietly. Early last year as the pandemic started getting widespread in the US, he mused about the irony of the situation: the ancients were led by the nose by plagues and could only lift their prayers to the gods. Today, medical technology may be more advanced but a cunning coronavirus has once again brought populations into a tailspin. But even as fate plays tricks, politicians still spend their energy mulling over battling the pandemic without bringing down Wall Street. Are humans just cogs in the economy, and even a plague won’t change that?
Visitors walk through a display of lanterns ahead of the mid-autumn festival at Wong Tai Sin temple in Hong Kong on 18 September 2021. (Peter Parks/AFP)

Cultural historian Cheng Pei-kai: The power of the individual during a pandemic

Like many of us experiencing pandemic days, cultural historian Cheng Pei-kai spent the last two years living quietly. When the virus was just starting to spread in Wuhan last year, he was in Shenzhen but managed to cross back to Hong Kong before the lockdowns. As he left the material life behind and got into the rhythm of staying at home, he sought solace in books, calligraphy and his beloved Kunqu opera. For all the things that are out of our hands, at least we have gained time for introspection, self-reflection and growth. That much is within our control.
A girl reacts and laughs as she loses a game of rock-paper-scissors with her father (left) on a street outside the Forbidden City in Beijing, China on 1 May 2021. (Nicolas Asfouri/AFP)

China stories: Let’s not always focus on the negatives

Andrew Delios, vice dean of the Master of Science Programmes Office at the National University of Singapore, observes that media reports have often cast a suspicious eye on China’s actions, even those that deserve to be celebrated such as the development of the Sinovac vaccine. Imbalanced and agenda-driven reports will only lead to greater distrust and suspicion among countries, just when the world needs to work together on constructive solutions.