China hints at relaxing zero-Covid norm; IMF chief urges targeted policy

Police leveraging powers of the country's surveillance apparatus against protesters

China on Tuesday said it will take steps to “minimise” the impact of its draconian coronavirus lockdowns, amidst the unprecedented public protests against President Xi Jinping’s stringent zero-Covid policy that evoked strong support from the UN, the US and other nations.

Seeking to address international concerns, Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said China has been adjusting the zero-Covid policy based on the changing circumstances.

“We will keep improving science-based maximum protection to people's lives and health and minimise the Covid impact on social economic development,” he said at a press conference.

IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva urged Beijing to undergo a “recalibration” of its zero Covid approach and instead move toward more targeted actions, citing the impact on China’s economy in an interview with the AP.

Chinese health authorities struck a conciliatory tone a day after protests against stringent Covid curbs were stymied by a heavy police presence, social media censorship and quiet pandemic concessions. 

Meanwhile, chinese police have begun leveraging the powers of the country’s surveillance state to go after demonstrators who participated in rare public displays of defiance.

People who attended the protests  say they have been contacted by police. Several people in Beijing said police had called demanding information about their whereabouts.

Wang Shengsheng, a lawyer providing legal support to protesters, said at least 15 people or their families and friends reached out to her for help after being contacted by local police. She said she suspected that police had used data from mobile phones, including apps used to monitor Covid exposure, to track the movements of people involved in protests. Police were also scanning social-media accounts to investigate protesters, The Wall Street Journal reported. 

In retaliation, opponents of anti-Covid measures resorted to dating apps and social media platforms blocked on the mainland to evade censors, spreading the word about their defiance and strategy.

Media and accounts of the opposition have poured onto country’s tightly censored cyberspace since weekend protests, with activists saving them to platforms abroad before the censors delete them, social media users say.

Amidst this, UK PM Rishi Sunak has made a clear break with the past on UK-China relations as he declared that the so-called “golden era” of bilateral ties is over due to the “systemic challenge” to British values and interests posed by increasing authoritarianism in Beijing. Sunak said he wants to “evolve” the UK’s approach towards one of Asia’s largest economies as he criticised the country’s human rights record.

He did acknowledge that the UK “cannot simply ignore China’s significance in world affairs’ and therefore his approach would be one of “robust pragmatism” taking a “longer-term view”.

“Let's be clear, the so-called ‘golden era’ is over, along with the naive idea that trade would lead to social and political reform,” said Sunak.

Students sent home amid protests

Chinese universities are sending students home as the ruling Communist Party tightens anti-virus controls and tries to prevent more protests after crowds angered by its severe “zero Covid” restrictions called for President Xi Jinping to resign in the biggest show of public dissent in decades.

Pushes elderly vaccination

China said it would bolster vaccination among its senior citizens, a move regarded crucial to reopening. Officials vowed to push shots harder in places like nursing centers, and make those unwilling to get inoculated provide a reason for their refusal. The govt will also use big data to identify elderly people who need the vaccine.