China's zero-COVID restrictions ease in some places, not in others: residents
"Effective medicine, especially traditional Chinese medicine, vaccination of more than 90 percent of the whole population, and declining pathogenicity of the Omicron virus, have created the condition for further optimizing COVID-19 responses"
--- Effective TCM? Quite the oxymoron.
"Authorities in Beijing loosened testing requirements for people staying home and reopened shopping malls to people with a negative COVID-19 test in the past 48 hours, the Global Times said.
But Beijing residents said the official announcement wasn't being implemented where they lived.
"It's lies – don't listen to them," a resident of Beijing's Fangshan district surnamed Tang told RFA. "They said yesterday it would be lifted today, but it was a lie.
"We've been under lockdown for more than a month now,""
--- & that's how it seems to be in most places. If district-wide lockdowns are lifted, they lock down on community level.
Not everywhere, though. A friend in Dongguan told me that there, life is almost normal. But, then again, Dongguan has been pretty lucky during the entire pandemic.
& for those loosened testing requirements in Beijing, that's how it looks.
China’s cities are running out of cash to pay huge Covid lockdown bills
"Local governments, whose revenues rely heavily on land sales, are more vulnerable than the central government. They spent 11.8 trillion yuan ($1.65 trillion) more than they raised in revenue between January and October, borrowing heavily to do so
[...] the cost of Covid testing could run as high as $240 billion a year, if half a billion people in China’s large- and medium-sized cities were tested every two days"
--- Doesn't look good for local governments, particularly because they don't earn so much anymore from land sales.
"For nearly three years, local governments have borne the brunt of enforcing pandemic controls. They have had to pay for regular mass testing, mandatory quarantine stays, and other services during frequent lockdowns, resulting in soaring expenditures even as income has stagnated."
--- Actually, people usually have to pay themselves for their quarantine.
"In the first nine months of this year, 15 of China’s biggest listed virus testing providers reported a combined 44 billion yuan ($6.15 billion) in accounts receivables or unpaid bills, up 71% from a year ago, according to data compiled by a unit of China Finance Online, a financial information service provider.
Some labs have even suspended services. Earlier this month, a Covid testing lab in the central province of Henan province said it had to halt testing because local authorities hadn’t paid any bills since January 2021."
--- Overall, the testing business seems to be quite profitable, though, as usual in China also attracting some bad players: Wrong Covid test results in China raise concerns ‘the pandemic may never end’
But you see why the 'easing' is mostly about fewer tests. Because that's what the local governments actually have to pay for (if they pay), but they have one major problem:
"Local governments have been under pressure to prevent outbreaks. Officials who have failed have been penalized, creating the potential for disconnect between a tone shift from the central government and the reality on the ground
“Politics is supreme,” said Andy Xie, an independent economist. “Local governments must find money for zero-Covid. They can cut spending elsewhere. Otherwise they will be sacked.”"
--- The central government may tell them that they can relax zero-Covid measures, but if then they have a major outbreak, the local cadres will be held accountable. So, unless there is a clear directive from the centre, they will err on the safe side (if they can afford it somehow).
Vaccines are key to China’s zero-Covid exit but scepticism poses challenge
"“China has the ability to do [medical research and development]. Why they haven’t come up with a bivalent vaccine puzzles me,” said Prof Chi Chunhuei, the director of Oregon State University’s centre for global health. “Perhaps they were too reliant on zero Covid.”"
--- Perhaps you overestimate China's "ability to do [medical research and development]". They've been working on domestic mRNA vaccines for almost 3 years now & still: nothing.
"“They have to change their narrative to change the policy,” said Chi. “They have to use their propaganda to change the narrative and say that facing Omicron, we’re going to shift gear from zero Covid to zero death. Of course, it’s impossible to achieve zero death, but it’s the messaging.”"
--- Chinese propaganda is quite good at reporting nothing, though.
"“Xi Jinping personally declared victory over coronavirus in 2020. Beijing’s propaganda has repeatedly touted China’s successful containment of the virus in the years since as evidence of the superiority of its political system,” said Minzner. “Given this, backing down from current zero-Covid policies isn’t merely a question of public health policies. It’s a political problem of the first order.”"
--- Well, Xi's messaging seems to be changing a bit. Although for now mostly directed at foreigners, it seems:
China’s Xi acknowledges Covid frustration caused protests and hints at relaxing rules, EU official says
"Xi told visiting European Council President Charles Michel in Beijing on Thursday that the protesters were “mainly students” who were frustrated after three years of Covid, and hinted at the potential relaxation of China’s prevention measures, an EU official told CNN Friday."
--- What that hint was:
"“Xi also said Omicron is less deadly than Delta, which makes the Chinese government feel more open to further relaxing Covid restrictions,” the EU official said."
--- Great, a feeling. The grand re-opening is coming. But then, why the need to cancel Formula 1 in April: Chinese GP cancelled because of country's 'ongoing difficulties' with Covid
"However, the official could not confirm if Xi uttered the word “protest” in Mandarin, or say what wording exactly was used by the Chinese leader to describe the recent unrest over the restrictions."
--- Oh, hearsay. If we believe hard enough, it might be true.
Fire tragedy in Xinjiang: Is China's COVID policy to blame?
"Many residents were unable to escape quickly enough, sources with close knowledge of the building told DW, because those in official quarantine had been restricted to their apartments.
[...] whenever a member of a household was positive, their flat was locked, effectively confining every family member to the residence
[...] Two other sources told DW that the fire escape on at least one of the several blocks that make up the building was padlocked, meaning residents had to rely on two small elevators that operated in each block to escape. But soon, both sources added independently of each other, the electricity was turned off by community workers, effectively trapping fleeing residents inside."
--- Because emperor Xi really, really cares for health & safety of his subjects.
China brings in ‘emergency’ level censorship over zero-Covid protests
"The directives, also published and translated by the China Digital Times, a US-based news site focused on Chinese censorship, came from China’s cyberspace administration, and announced a “Level I Internet Emergency Response, the highest level of content management”.
It ordered managers to take a “hands-on approach” and strengthen content management to rapidly identify, deal with and report information about what it termed “offline disturbances” and “recent high-profile events in various provinces”."
--- Interesting what counts as an emergency for the CCP.
"In Jincheng, which is halfway from Beijing to Shanghai, people can now enter karaoke venues, but still cannot dine inside restaurants."
--- Logic with Chinese characteristics. When do you spread airborne viruses more, when singing or eating?
s.a.: How Twitter’s “Teacher Li” became the central hub of China protest information
s.a.: Winnie the Pooh joins Chinese Covid lockdown protests
The U.S. wants the EU to be strict with China. But Europe can’t afford it
"The United States has stepped up its heavy rhetoric against China, and wants Europe to follow suit. But the bloc can’t quite afford to do the same."
--- Nonsense. The EU can afford it, but certain elements don't want to.
"While the U.S. is trying to pull the EU into its direction to distance itself from China, the EU is keen to maintain economic ties to China."
--- Is it "the EU", though? The EU Parliament seems to be not too keen on China. Scholz, Macron, Michel & some others seem to be the driving force behind China appeasement, with van der Leyen somewhere in the middle.
Island in Solomons spurns China aid although dire roads make life tough
US lawmakers call on UN to investigate China’s family separations in Tibet
New Zealand woman takes Chinese media site to human rights tribunal over ban
New U.S. bill would appoint expert to monitor rights abuses in Xinjiang
UK council rejects China’s plan to build new embassy in London
--- China Uncensored: "Jiang Zemin Dies | China’s Protest Crackdown"
--- BBC News: "Could China be seeing Hongkongers’ visa applications?"
--- WION: Gravitas: China relaxes zero-Covid restrictions
--- CNA: China's Growing Presence In Solomon Islands and Samoa I Part 1/2 | China And The New Pacific
"59% of 5G RAN in Germany (and 100% in Berlin) will be provided by Huawei"
Bröckelt Chinas Null-Covid-Strategie?
"Auch chinesische Staatsmedien wie die "Global Times" folgen dem Narrativ und berichten nun, Wissenschaftler hätten bestätigt, dass die Omikron-Variante nicht mehr so gefährlich sei. Wie weiter politisch mit dem Virus umgegangen werden soll, ist allerdings unklar. Es scheint, als ob jede Stadt macht, was sie will."
--- Weil es wie üblich keine klaren Anweisungen von oben gibt. Die lokalen Kader haben jetzt die Wahl zwischen Teufel & Beelzebub. Sie öffnen & werden bestraft, wenn es zu größeren Ausbrüchen kommt, oder sie machen zu & werden bestraft, wenn die Wirtschaft einbricht. Was vermutlich dazu führt, daß man zur Sicherheit bei der Null-Covid-Politik bleibt, da die immer noch offiziell gilt.
"Ob China nach der sichtbaren Unzufriedenheit der Bevölkerung die Null-Covid-Strategie beenden wird und wenn ja, wann, das wurde Außenamtssprecher Zhao Lijian in dieser Woche auf einer Pressekonferenz gefragt. Es folgte eine außergewöhnlich lange Denkpause. Er bat den Reporter die Frage zu wiederholen, während er nervös in seinen Unterlagen kramte. Dann antwortete er: "Was Sie sagen, ist nicht das, was in China passiert ist. China hält konsequent an der dynamischen Null-Covid-Politik fest.""
--- So sieht es aus, auch wenn das mit dem 'konsequent' nicht so ganz eindeutig ist.
„Habe ein Problem“: Xi Jinping räumt offenbar erstmals Frust über seine Corona-Politik ein
"Chinas Staats- und Parteichef Xi Jinping hat sich überraschend offen über die Proteste gegen seine Corona-Politik geäußert. Beim Peking-Besuch von EU-Ratspräsident Charles Michel am Donnerstag gab Xi laut EU-Beamten zu, dass die Menschen nach drei Jahren Pandemie „frustriert seien“.
[...] Xi Jinping habe Michel zudem gesagt, dass die vorherrschende Corona-Variante in China „jetzt hauptsächlich Omikron ist, und Delta davor war viel tödlicher“, so der zitierte Beamte."
--- Da der Beamte aber auf Nachfrage keine Ahnung hatte, was Kaiser Xi auf Mandarin gesagt hatte, darf man davon ausgehen, daß es sich um reines Hörensagen handelt. Ist also mit Vorsicht zu genießen.
"Die Hauptstadt Peking sowie die südwestlichen davon gelegene Stadt Shijiazhuang kündigten ebenfalls Lockerungen beim Testen an."
--- Ja, & in Peking hat man sogar ein paar Testbuden abgebaut. Was dann aber nur zu längeren Schlangen an anderen Testzentren führte. Lockerung oder Sparmaßnahme?
& wenn eine Öffnung geplant ist, warum wird das für April geplante Formel-1-Rennen endgültig abgesagt? Formel 1 streicht Großen Preis von China
Chinas Weg aus der Covid-19-Pandemie: Was Forscher zur Rolle der Impfstoffe sagen
"„Bis zum Aufkommen von Omikron konnte man sagen, dass die chinesischen Impfstoffe funktionieren und auch erst einmal genügend Schutz vor schwerer Erkrankung bieten“, sagte Carsten Watzl, Generalsekretär der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Immunologie."
--- Nur schade, daß man es jetzt nunmal hauptsächlich mit Omikron zu tun hat.
Windkraft: Vorsicht vor China!
"Strom aus Erneuerbaren soll nicht nur sauber und verfügbar sondern auch möglichst billig sein - weshalb sich die Hersteller einen ruinösen Preiskampf geliefert haben. Und während Europas Windindustrie immer schwächer geworden ist, hat China seine Hersteller mit üppigen Subventionen gepäppelt, so dass diese nun bereitstehen, auch den europäischen Markt zu überrollen.
Die Politik muss aufpassen, dass es der Windindustrie nicht ergeht wie den einst gefeierten Solar-Pionieren, die weitgehend verschwunden sind."
--- Wie üblich in Europa, & v.a. in Deutschland. Man ist innovativ, baut neue Industrien auf & lässt dann, weil man ja soviel Wert auf einen freien Markt legt, hochsubventionierte chinesische Unternehmen den Markt aufrollen.
Auch als ich nicht mehr in China war, hatte ich Angst
--- DW: China: Waren Corona-Maßnahmen schuld an der Tragödie in Urumqi?
