As protests erupt in China, the world is watching President Xi’s response

Editorial: The Chinese state appears to have drastically underestimated the growing discontent around the zero-Covid approach

For Xi, the ‘zero Covid’ approach has come to reflect his rule – and the social controls and authoritarian bureaucracy machine he can wield – like no other policy (AFP via Getty)

The public anger on display during protests in Shanghai and other cities over the past week is on a level rarely seen in China in recent years. The chanting of slogans such as “Xi Jinping, step down, Communist Party, step down” is rarer still.

When the Chinese state under President Xi introduced its strict “zero Covid” plan to try to control Covid-19 after the virus emerged in the country almost three years ago, it is likely that few citizens imagined these measures would still be in place now, with record numbers of cases having been announced during the past few days.

The protests in Shanghai, along with demonstrations at universities in Beijing and Nanjing, are the latest signs that the frustration engendered by the Covid rules is coming to a head. One of the catalysts was a fire in a tower block in the city of Urumqi in Xinjiang, which was followed by protests in which residents blamed the lockdown restrictions for the deaths of 10 people in the blaze. Officials have denied that Covid restrictions caused the deaths, but the authorities in Urumqi have pledged to “restore order” by phasing out the restrictions.

For President Xi, the “zero Covid” approach has come to reflect his rule – and the social controls and authoritarian bureaucracy machine he can wield – like no other policy. The protests in Urumqi were notable in their own right, given that Xinjiang is one of the most tightly controlled provinces in the country: the Uyghur Muslim minority there has had to endure years of harsh oppression.

The Chinese state appears to have drastically underestimated the growing discontent around the zero-Covid approach, with unrest seen across the country, from Zhengzhou to Guangzhou and Tibet. However, Mr Xi has previously made clear that there will be no diversion from the policy, which he says is needed to protect the country’s elderly population.

Relatively low vaccination rates have not helped to stem cases of the virus, with more than 30,000 being recorded daily, while Beijing last week reported its first Covid deaths in six months. The reported case numbers are relatively low compared with some seen around the world across the duration of the pandemic, but the Chinese authorities have offered no sense of an “off-ramp” in terms of restrictions. This has only served to heighten frustrations, and it is clear that patience is running out.

While it would be naive to think that the current protests will fatally undermine Mr Xi’s rule, given the pervasive nature of the social controls the state can bring to bear, the move towards bolder slogans criticising his authority poses a significant test.

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The signs have been there for some time. In October, on the eve of the Communist Party congress that handed Mr Xi a precedent-breaking third term as the party’s leader, a lone man placed banners on a bridge in Beijing that read: “Go on strike at school and work, remove dictator and national traitor Xi Jinping! We want to eat, we want freedom, we want to vote!”

The protest received plenty of attention on social media across China, sparking an abrupt increase in censorship by the authorities – but it highlighted the disquiet that has been building over the authoritarian direction China has been taking under Mr Xi.

It is difficult to see how this wave of anger and frustration can be managed without some form of action. There has been a sense that the Chinese authorities are not completely ignoring the public mood. A few weeks ago, it was said that the Covid response would be “optimised”, with more targeted measures being introduced rather than whole areas being placed under lockdown.

However, the recent protests present a new challenge, as the people seek greater freedom – and the world will be watching how China responds.