China's Zero-Covid Policy
Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is implementing a aggressive approach: zero-covid policy to control Covid-19 in China. The objective of the zero-covid policy in China is to ensure that there are no new infections and to the elimination of Corona virus. It involves strict and complete control and maximum suppression for the elimination of the virus. Zero-Covid policy uses aggressive public health measures like contact tracing, social isolation and mass testing where cases have been reported and lockdowns even if positive cases are less. Under zero-covid policy in China, authority and security personnel are directed to impose stringent lockdowns and follow strict measures of social isolation even if number of cases are less. People are isolated at their homes or they are kept under quarantine at government facilities. Businesses and schools are closed in lockdown areas. Shops only selling food are allowed to open and lockdowns last until no new infections are reported. Tens of millions of people have been living under some kind of lockdown in China, BBC.
Vaccination in China
The rate of vaccination in China remain lower than many others countries because of China refused to import international vaccines and is using only domestically developed vaccines that have been found to be less effective than those widely used internationally. The Bloomberg reported, In China, only 69% of those aged 60 and above and just 40% of over 80-year-olds have had booster shots. China said it would bolster vaccination among its senior citizens. The government will also use big data to identify elderly people who need the vaccine.
Almost three years have been passed, when the first case of Covid-19 was found in Wuhan. China’s case numbers remain lower than in most other countries. But the numbers released by China can never be trusted as there is no free journalism in China and ruling party CCP never release actual data. The world is witness of recent Galwan clash (Indo-China boarder), where India reported twenty deaths. On the other hand, China never released about its loss.
Now, almost after three years while Covid-19 cases going down across the world, on the other hand, in China Covid-19 positive cases numbers are making new records. Acoording to National Health Commission, China has reported a record high of 39,791 new Covid-19 infections, of which 3,709 were symptomatic and 36,082 were asymptomatic on November 26.
Violent Protests at Apple’s biggest iPhone plant in China
China's strict zero-Covid policy has caused fatigue and resentment among the population of country. Many of them have been locked down for weeks at their homes, factories and universities. People are unable to travel freely. China's zero-Covid policy is one of toughest strategy to handle the virus. Local authorities have taken extreme measures, such as forcing workers to sleep inside factories so they can work while they are quarantined.
Violent clashes erupted between workers and security personnel at the world’s largest iPhone factory in China’s Zhengzhou city. Employees were living under tough Covid-19 restrictions in the factory. Employees at Apple's iPhone plant clashed with police and security personnel in a protest. Several workers were injured and police arrived on the scene to restore order.
The violence underscores the growing tension at the Zhengzhou plant since the new lockdown began in October. Many workers have fled in recent weeks over frustrations about how the outbreak was handled and insufficient food.
Foxconn, which employs about 200,000 people, is Apple's biggest iPhone plant. Foxconn accounts for about 70% of iPhone shipments globally. It makes most of the phones at the Zhengzhou plant.
Protesters demands Xi Jinping To Resign
According to BBC, Protesters in China publicly showed their anger at the ruling Communist Party and demanded President Xi Jinping to resign. Students have also demonstrated at universities. BBC said that protestors in Shanghai, the biggest city in China and a global financial hub, openly shouted slogans such as "Xi Jinping, step down" and "Communist Party, step down".
Protest against China's zero-covid policy also spread to Hong Kong. Protesters and students are on the roads are demanding for resignation of President Xi Jinping. "Xi Jinping Step down, CCP Step down", protesters chanted across China and Hong Kong. Protesters have been calling for the resignation of Chinese President Xi Jinping and the end of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) rule. In November, Students in Hong Kong chanted “oppose dictatorship” in a protest against China’s zero-covid policy. Crowds in cities called for resignation of President Xi Jinping and CCP to step down.
Many protesters have been detained by security personnel, in the connection of protests demanding President Xi Jingping's resignation and to remove ruling communist party.
White Paper Revolution
Few days back in Xinjiang, China, at least 10 people were killed in a building fire. The building was under strict lockdown for more than 100 days. People blamed China’s zero-covid policy for the deaths. Strict lockdown was imposed in the region and building was locked.
Initially protests were started in Xinjiang and then eventually the wave of protests in many cities spread across China including Beginning, Shanghai, Chengdu, Wuhan, Lanzhou, and Nanjing. Protesters were holding up the blank sheets of white paper, so called “white paper revolution” or the “A4 revolution” for the size of the standard sheet of paper.
Over the weeks, the white sheet (A4 paper sheet) became a symbol of the protests. A4 sheet of paper has become symbol of the lack of free speech in China. Protesters said, "The white paper represents everything we want to say but cannot say."
New York Times reported “white paper revolution” or "A4 revolution" was sparked by a deadly fire in a apartment in Xinjiang region of China that killed 10 people and injured many others. People blamed the strict lockdown measures for slowing down rescue efforts at the building, which was under lockdown.
White papers were also used by the protesters as a sign of protest in Hong Kong in 2020, against China’s new National Security Law. Students at universities also were holding up blank sheets of paper in silent protest.
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