# As Beijing battles outbreak, China warns ‘zero COVID’ doubters
Author:  Pal Sinha, Barnali 
Author URL: https://financedigest.com/author/pal-sinha-barnali
Published: 2022-05-06
Category: NEWS
Category URL: https://financedigest.com/category/news
Meta Title: Beijing Residents Worry Over COVID Curbs Amid Global
Meta Description: Beijing residents worry over increasing COVID restrictions as China faces criticism for its strict measures. Stay updated on the latest developments.
URL: https://financedigest.com/as-beijing-battles-outbreak-china-warns-zero-covid-doubtershtml

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By Eduardo Baptista and David Stanway

BEIJING/SHANGHAI (Reuters) -Beijing residents fretted on Friday over tightening COVID curbs in its biggest district and dozens of new cases reported daily as China’s leaders reiterated their resolve to battle the virus and threatened action against critics of their strict measures.

Incurring a heavy economic cost and facing rare public criticism on its tightly-policed internet, China is increasingly out of step with the rest of the world where COVID restrictions are being abandoned and vaccines relied on to protect people.

Internationally, industry organisations have complained that [China’s ‘zero-COVID’ policies](https://www.financedigest.com/dutch-responds-to-us-china-policy-with-a-plan-to-curb-semiconductor-tech-exports.html "Dutch responds to US China policy with a plan to curb semiconductor tech exports") have global economic reverberations. At home, the population worries about painful, long-term restrictions.

In the latest ratcheting up of restrictions, Beijing authorities on Friday said all non-essential services in its biggest district Chaoyang, [home to embassies and large offices](https://www.financedigest.com/working-from-home-or-the-office-how-to-do-it-best.html "Working from home or the office – how to do it best"), would shut. Mass testing will also resume in at least four districts over the weekend.

Meanwhile, organisers of the Asian Games, scheduled to take place in September in Hangzhou, southwest Shanghai, postponed them until 2023, because of COVID, defying a [global sporting calendar that has largely](https://www.financedigest.com/global-equity-funds-see-large-outflows-on-slowdown-worries.html "Global equity funds see large outflows on slowdown worries") returned to normal.

The Chinese capital is [racing to avoid](https://www.financedigest.com/the-race-to-avoid-data-dinosaur-extinction.html "THE RACE TO AVOID DATA DINOSAUR EXTINCTION") an explosion in cases like the one that forced the commercial hub of Shanghai into an almost complete lockdown for more than a month, taking a financial and psychological toll on its residents.

We will try to cooperate,” said 42-year-old Beijing [finance worker](https://www.financedigest.com/finance-workers-on-business-trips-have-most-need-for-speed.html "Finance workers on business trips have most need for speed") Hu, giving only her surname.

But I also hope that the government can introduce some [policies that will not affect the overall life](https://www.financedigest.com/what-type-of-life-insurance-policy-is-right-for-me.html "What Type of Life Insurance Policy Is Right For Me?") of citizens. After all, we all have mortgages and [car loans.”](https://www.financedigest.com/6-reasons-to-take-a-car-loan-from-a-credit-union.html "6 Reasons to Take a Car Loan From a Credit Union")

After a meeting of the highest decision-making body, the Standing Committee of the Communist Party’s politburo, [state media reported late on Thursday that China would fight](https://www.financedigest.com/wizz-air-loses-fight-against-67-million-in-state-aid-for-romanian-rival.html "Wizz Air loses fight against million in state aid for Romanian rival") any comment or action that distorted, doubted or repudiated its COVID policy.

Relaxing COVID controls, which are in place in dozens of cities across the [world’s second-largest economy](https://www.financedigest.com/at-chinas-largest-trade-fair-exporters-worry-about-world-economy.html "At China’s largest trade fair, exporters worry about world economy") and affecting hundreds of millions of people, would lead to large-scale infections, it warned.

On Friday, the Communist Party’s official People’s Daily newspaper [hit out in an editorial against accusations China’s](https://www.financedigest.com/asia-shares-weigh-china-risks-yen-hits-6-month-high.html "Asia shares weigh China risks, yen hits 6-month high") COVID policy was disrupting the global economy and trade.

“Some U.S. politicians have frequently attacked and smeared China’s epidemic prevention and control measures and tried to throw the blame on [China for the so-called disruption of global supply](https://www.financedigest.com/oil-prices-rise-as-china-eases-covid-curbs-u-s-storm-fuels-supply-worries.html "Oil prices rise as China eases COVID curbs, U.S. storm fuels supply worries") chains,” it said without identifying anyone.

‘PERSISTENCE IS VICTORY’

[China was putting “life](https://www.financedigest.com/life-is-moving-forward-china-declares-new-covid-phase.html "‘Life is moving forward’: China declares new COVID phase") first”, and although pressure on its economy has increased, it could overcome difficulties, it said.

[China’s yuan weakened to its lowest level against the dollar](https://www.financedigest.com/dollar-slips-yuan-gains-on-china-pmi-hot-inflation-lifts-euro.html "Dollar slips, yuan gains on China PMI; hot inflation lifts euro") since November 2020, while stocks slumped. Iron ore prices also fell on fears about the impact of the restrictions on demand from China, the [world’s top](https://www.financedigest.com/top-10-fastest-bikes-in-the-world.html "Top 10 fastest bikes in the world") consumer of the steel-making ingredient.

The government and central [bank have promised more policy support](https://www.financedigest.com/comserve-to-support-allied-irish-bank-nationwide.html "COMSERVE TO SUPPORT ALLIED IRISH BANK NATIONWIDE") for the economy.

Shanghai vice-mayor Wu Qing said “the epidemic has come under effective control” but [warned of risks](https://www.financedigest.com/tesla-to-warn-of-data-privacy-risk-from-car-security-cameras-in-germany.html "Tesla to warn of data privacy risk from car security cameras in Germany") of a rebound and promised the city would not deviate from a zero-COVID strategy, which involves mass testing, mandatory quarantine and sweeping lockdowns.

“We cannot relax, we cannot slack off: persistence is victory,” he said.

Despite the announcement that the outbreak was under control, most of the city’s 25 [million people are unable to leave their housing](https://www.financedigest.com/spains-king-felipe-reveals-2-6-million-euros-in-wealth-in-bid-to-make-royal-house-more-transparent.html "Spain’s King Felipe reveals 2.6 million euros in wealth in bid to make Royal House more transparent") compounds or are allowed out only briefly.

Many residents grumble about different community officials [applying rules](https://www.financedigest.com/britain-to-be-among-first-to-apply-new-climate-disclosure-rules.html "Britain to be among first to apply new climate disclosure rules") in different ways.

One large, central residential complex announced on Friday that it was relaxing curbs within the compound and [scaling back](https://www.financedigest.com/mifid-ii-why-you-should-not-scale-back-your-implementation-efforts.html "MIFID II: WHY YOU SHOULD NOT SCALE BACK YOUR IMPLEMENTATION EFFORTS") the number of volunteers helping to deliver food. But its residents could still not get out through its locked gates.

‘ISN’T THAT INSANE?’

The capital has [reported dozens of new cases a day for about two weeks since](https://www.financedigest.com/worst-flooding-since-1998-leaves-33bn-economic-toll-in-china-according-to-aon-catastrophe-report.html "Worst flooding since 1998 leaves bn economic toll in China, according to Aon catastrophe report") its outbreak emerged, faring better than Shanghai was on the 14th day of its outbreak.

But getting around the city is cumbersome with weekly [COVID tests](https://www.financedigest.com/china-arrivals-in-uk-next-week-will-not-face-compulsory-covid-tests-independent.html "China arrivals in UK next week will not face compulsory COVID tests -Independent") now needed to get into offices and public venues and take subways or buses, the state-backed Beijing Daily reported.

Some residents complained they never received test results on a mobile app that tracks their [COVID](https://www.financedigest.com/uk-not-planning-covid-testing-for-travellers-from-china.html "UK not planning COVID testing for travellers from China") tests, while others were inexplicably prompted by the app to re-take theirs.

I couldn’t enter the [office building](https://www.financedigest.com/ireland-to-turn-heat-down-in-public-buildings-shut-empty-office-floors.html "Ireland to turn heat down in public buildings, shut empty office floors") … even though I tested negative within 24 hours. Isn’t that insane?” said a resident surnamed Wang.

Goldman Sachs analysts said regular testing could be a compromise to allow cities to identify and isolate cases quickly with much [lower costs](https://www.financedigest.com/bmw-bets-on-design-and-recycling-not-mining-to-lower-battery-costs.html "BMW bets on design and recycling, not mining, to lower battery costs") than city-wide lockdowns.

It “would not be a panacea, but would help [limit disruption](https://www.financedigest.com/digestion-resistant-maltodextrin-consumption-to-rise-at-6-7-cagr-through-2029-supply-disruptions-driven-by-coronavirus-likely-to-limit-market-growth-future-market-insights.html "Digestion Resistant Maltodextrin Consumption to Rise at 6.7% CAGR Through 2029; Supply Disruptions Driven by Coronavirus Likely to Limit Market Growth – Future market Insights") to a large part of China’s manufacturing and overall economic activity for a protracted period”, they said.

(Reporting by the [Beijing and Shanghai](https://www.financedigest.com/tesla-stutters-under-tighter-shanghai-lockdown-beijing-keeps-hunting-covid.html "Tesla stutters under tighter Shanghai lockdown; Beijing keeps hunting COVID") bureaus; Writing by Marius Zaharia and John Geddie; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore, William Maclean)


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