# Beijing nervously returns to work as China doubles down on ‘zero-COVID’ policy Author: Pal Sinha, Barnali Author URL: https://financedigest.com/author/pal-sinha-barnali Published: 2022-05-05 Category: NEWS Category URL: https://financedigest.com/category/news Meta Title: Beijing Resumes Work After Quiet Holiday Amid Zero-COVID Meta Description: Learn how Beijing residents tentatively returned to work after a quiet Labour Day holiday, amidst China's 'zero-COVID' policy and economic challenges. URL: https://financedigest.com/beijing-nervously-returns-to-work-as-china-doubles-down-on-zero-covid-policyhtml ![undefined](https://prod.superblogcdn.com/site_cuid_cm5qst7v3003gwirgwqtxn8i8/images/2022-05-05t054738z1lynxnpei44066rtroptp4health-coronavirus-china-1736815780843-compressed.jpg) By Eduardo Baptista and Andrew Galbraith BEIJING/SHANGHAI (Reuters) -Beijing residents tentatively returned to work on Thursday after a muted five-day Labour Day holiday devoid of the usual trips across the country or lavish family dinners, as China pledged to fight any criticism of its uncompromising “zero-COVID” policy. The long break is usually one of the most lucrative times of the year for restaurants, hotels and other businesses in China. This year, travellers spent 43% less than in 2021, data showed on Thursday. It was the latest sign of the pain caused by [COVID curbs](https://www.financedigest.com/were-going-to-be-free-chinese-cheer-as-covid-curbs-are-loosened.html "‘We’re going to be free’: Chinese cheer as COVID curbs are loosened") imposed on dozens of major population centres across the country, including the strict city-wide lockdown the commercial hub of Shanghai has endured for more than a month. Authorities in Beijing, which has already closed restaurants and gyms and other [public venues and locked down some residential buildings](https://www.financedigest.com/public-power-corp-rwe-to-build-five-solar-farms-in-greece.html "Public Power Corp, RWE to build five solar farms in Greece"), want to avoid going down a similar path. The capital’s streets were less hectic than on a normal working day as officials encouraged people to work from home and scores of bus and subway routes were closed. Right now, I feel relatively safe at work and where I live, but I don’t dare to run around outside because I still feel the [outbreak hasn”t reached its peak,”](https://www.financedigest.com/australia-covid-numbers-hit-a-peak-as-omicron-outbreak-strains-domestic-politics.html "Australia COVID numbers hit a peak as Omicron outbreak strains domestic politics") said cook Liu Wentao. [Beijing is doing better two weeks into its outbreak](https://www.financedigest.com/as-beijing-battles-outbreak-china-warns-zero-covid-doubters.html "As Beijing battles outbreak, China warns ‘zero COVID’ doubters") than Shanghai did at that point, when daily cases were in the hundreds and rising. But China’s attempts to eliminate COVID, at odds with the rest of the [world which is opening up and trying to live](https://www.financedigest.com/cheapest-countries-to-live-in-the-world.html "Cheapest countries to live in the world") with the disease, have prompted rare public criticism at home. “Shanghai has fallen,” Hu Xijin, former editor-in-chief of the state-backed nationalist tabloid Global Times, said on the Twitter-like Weibo on Thursday. Beijing has to either find less costly ways of tackling its outbreak or “to [tell the whole Chinese society the truth”](https://www.financedigest.com/are-your-it-team-telling-you-the-whole-truth.html "Are your IT team telling you the whole truth?") that disruptive consequences cannot be avoided, he said. “The former requires wisdom, the latter courage.” The post was swiftly removed. Hu did not respond to a Reuters request for comment sent to his Weibo account. Following a meeting of the country’s highest decision-making body later on Thursday, [state television reported that China “will resolutely 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 comments and actions that distort, doubt and repudiate our country’s anti-epidemic policies. [Relaxing COVID](https://www.financedigest.com/japan-weighs-relaxing-border-rules-on-covid-media.html "Japan weighs relaxing border rules on COVID -media") controls would lead to large-scale infections, state television said. It was not clear if the comments were related to Hu’s post, although many Weibo users drew a link. [ECONOMIC DAMAGE](https://www.financedigest.com/flood-most-damaging-peril-of-2016-causing-nearly-one-third-of-210bn-global-economic-losses-according-to-aon-catastrophe-report.html "Flood most damaging peril of 2016, causing nearly one-third of 0bn global economic losses – according to Aon catastrophe report") The policy taken by China, where the virus was first identified in the city of Wuhan in late 2019, threatens its official growth target of around 5.5% this year and reverberations across the global [economy and trade](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"). Global supply chains are heavily reliant on Chinese manufacturers, whose [workers are often not allowed to leave](https://www.financedigest.com/more-than-half-of-workers-are-open-to-leaving-their-current-employers.html "MORE THAN HALF OF WORKERS ARE OPEN TO LEAVING THEIR CURRENT EMPLOYERS") their locked-down homes. Large international consumer [brands have invested](https://www.financedigest.com/5-compelling-reasons-that-you-should-invest-in-branding.html "5 Compelling Reasons That You Should Invest In Branding") heavily in China in recent years to penetrate a market abundant in voracious spenders. The European Chamber of Commerce in [China said on Thursday EU firms were increasingly looking to move their investments](https://www.financedigest.com/credit-agricole-launches-china-ma-and-investment-banking-business.html "Credit Agricole launches China M&A and investment banking business") to other markets. Chinese markets have stabilised recently around two-year lows, but investor sentiment is increasingly running on hopes for policy support from the central [bank and other regulators](https://www.financedigest.com/swiss-regulator-monitoring-banks-and-insurers-after-svb-collapse.html "Swiss regulator monitoring banks and insurers after SVB collapse"). [China argues its COVID policy](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") is saving lives, which makes the heavy economic and psychological costs of lockdowns worth it, though top officials have pledged to help businesses ride the storm. [RETURNING TO NORMAL](https://www.financedigest.com/final-salary-pensions-at-risk-due-to-new-normal-of-sluggish-economy-and-low-returns.html "Final salary pensions at risk due to ‘New Normal’ of sluggish economy and low returns")? A [Shanghai official said on Thursday that authorities had found it difficult to strike the correct balance between curbing infections and allowing](https://www.financedigest.com/some-in-shanghai-allowed-out-to-shop-end-of-covid-lockdown-in-sight.html "Some in Shanghai allowed out to shop; end of COVID lockdown in sight") firms to resume operations. Some [companies have reported](https://www.financedigest.com/the-last-mile-of-statutory-reporting-is-absolutely-crucial-heres-how-one-global-company-does-it-with-onesource.html "The last mile of statutory reporting is absolutely crucial. Here’s how one global company does it with ONESOURCE") … that the standards for resuming work are somewhat high,” said Zhang Hongtao, of the city’s economy and [information technology](https://www.financedigest.com/kings-secure-technologies-adopts-agile-flexible-cloud-reporting-access-granular-real-time-financial-information.html "Kings Secure Technologies Adopts Agile and Flexible Cloud Reporting for Access to ‘Granular Real-time Financial Information’") commission. For the 25 million residents, most of whom are still under lockdown, there seemed to be a major difference between the [guidance coming from the top and enforcement](https://www.financedigest.com/european-authorities-guidance-on-the-sca-enforcement-moratorium-speaks-volumes.html "European authorities’ guidance on the SCA enforcement moratorium speaks volumes") on the ground. Vice-Premier Sun Chunlan said in [Shanghai on Sunday that communities with no new cases for seven days](https://www.financedigest.com/shanghai-finds-cases-after-five-days-of-zero-covid-but-end-of-lockdown-on-track.html "Shanghai finds cases after five days of ‘zero COVID’ but end of lockdown on track") should be allowed to return to “normal social order. [Yet some such communities only allow one member of each household out for a few hours a day](https://www.financedigest.com/have-multi-asset-funds-had-their-day-or-is-their-best-yet-to-come-new-whitepaper-from-camradata-explores.html "Have multi-asset funds had their day or is their best yet to come? New whitepaper from CAMRADATA explores"). Elsewhere, no one is allowed out even though the community’s [risk level](https://www.financedigest.com/global-political-volatility-is-leading-to-heightened-levels-of-political-violence-and-political-risk.html "Global political volatility is leading to heightened levels of political violence and political risk") has been officially downgraded. In some districts, buildings are assigned stars according to when their last [COVID cases](https://www.financedigest.com/hungarian-doctors-warn-of-sad-christmas-as-covid-cases-soar.html "Hungarian doctors warn of ‘sad Christmas’ as COVID cases soar") were recorded, with the top rank of five stars indicating no new cases for at least two months. On Thursday, a WeChat [group of locked-down residents in a block of nearly](https://www.financedigest.com/nearly-two-thirds-64-of-cisos-see-security-governance-and-compliance-management-as-their-biggest-investment-priority-data-from-network-group-events-shows.html "Nearly two-thirds (64%) of CISOs see security governance and compliance management as their biggest investment priority, data from Network Group Events shows") 100 flats in the city’s Changning district pinged with celebration at finally getting five stars. “Great. Can I take the dog out for a walk?” one resident asked. I’m sorry, for the moment we are not allowed to take dogs for walks,” the [building’s volunteer manager](https://www.financedigest.com/thomson-reuters-builds-out-its-award-winning-connected-risk-platform-with-risk-management-solution-providing-a-personalized-enterprise-wide-view-of-risk.html "Thomson reuters builds out its award-winning connected risk platform with risk management solution providing a personalized enterprise-wide view of risk") responded. (Reporting by the Beijing and Shanghai bureaus; Writing by Marius Zaharia and John Geddie; Editing by Robert Birsel and Nick Macfie) --- This blog is powered by Superblog. Visit https://superblog.ai to know more. ---