China maintains strict zero-Covid policy ahead of 20th Congress, irks citizens

China is the world`s last major economy still enforcing strict zero-Covid policies, which aim to eliminate transmission chains through border restrictions, mass testing, extensive quarantines, and unyielding snap lockdowns.

New Delhi: Chinese people were disappointed to learn that the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) zero-Covid policy would be maintained following the 20th National Congress. Given the country's economic downturn, there is growing public pressure on the Chinese government to relax its zero-Covid policy, according to local media. However, discussions at the ongoing 7th Plenary session of the 19th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) are centred on the party's determination to maintain the stringent zero-Covid policy even after the CCP's 20th National Congress. This was echoed by the Party's mouthpiece, 'People's Daily,' which urged the public to "be patient" with the zero-Covid policy for cutting all virus transmission chains on October 10.

The People's Daily's call for patience has dampened public expectations that Covid-related restrictions will be eased following the Congress. Notably, China has seen a recent increase in Covid-19 cases, fueled by more transmissible variants. New Omicron sub-variants BF.7 and BA.5.1.7, which are highly infectious and more transmissible, have been discovered in China in the latest COVID outbreak, which coincides with the 20th Party Congress. On Monday, the BF.7 subvariant spread to more Chinese provinces.

The highly contagious virus was discovered for the first time in northwest China. The subvariant BA.5.1.7, on the other hand, was discovered for the first time in the Chinese mainland, according to Li Shujian, deputy director of the local disease prevention and control centre, as reported by Global Times. Shandong officials reported that variant BF.7 has been responsible for four locally transmitted COVID-19 cases since October.

World Health Organization had given out a warning against the highly infectious BF.7 COVID subvariant. It has also expected the subvariant to become a new dominant variant. China is the world`s last major economy still enforcing strict zero-Covid measures, which aim to stamp out chains of transmission through border restrictions, mass testing, extensive quarantines, and uncompromising snap lockdowns. The ruling Communist Party has used the zero-Covid strategy to argue that its political model is superior to Western democracies, and Xi has thrown his weight behind the policy. 

(With ANI inputs)