London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Oct 06, 2025

Chinese Public Shows Mixed Emotions About Covid Zero Ending

Chinese Public Shows Mixed Emotions About Covid Zero Ending

"We have lost far too much in these few years with the pandemic," one person wrote on the Twitter-like Weibo.
China's public has mixed emotions about Covid Zero coming to a sudden end, with some people expressing relief and planning their first trips abroad in three years while others worry about the spread of infections.

"We have lost far too much in these few years with the pandemic," one person wrote on the Twitter-like Weibo, where the government's plan to stop subjecting inbound travelers to quarantine from Jan. 8 was a top trending topic on Tuesday.

"Wish everyone a speedy recovery, and hope that we can all breathe freely and go to anywhere we want freely," the person added.

That desire for a quick return to normal life contrasted with concerns about overwhelmed hospitals, which have already come under strain in Beijing and Shanghai. "Domestic infections are still rising," one Weibo user wrote. "Isn't it obviously trying to get everyone infected," the person asked, referring indirectly to the government.

Another internet user wrote about a neighbor who died and a rumor that coffins were in short supply. "This is the result of opening up," the person wrote. "Why must we open up? Why can't we consider the vulnerable groups first?"

The divided views are understandable given the propaganda the Chinese government has used since 2020 to defend its harsh zero-tolerance approach to containing Covid-19, including snap lockdowns, frequent mass testing and largely closed borders. Chinese President Xi Jinping repeatedly defended the strategy despite the mounting economic costs, including as late as mid-October.

The restrictions became too much for many urbanites to bear in late November, when protests erupted in dozens of cities - the most widespread unrest the Asian nation has seen in decades. On Dec. 7, China took a decisive step toward living with the virus, including no longer forcing infected people into centralized quarantine camps.

The changes the National Health Commission announced Monday go further, opening the door to visa applications for foreigners and the resumption of outbound tourism, which dwindled to almost nothing during the pandemic.

There's signs the quick U-turn has baffled the public. "One month ago we were still saying we'd stick to Covid Zero and put people first, yet one month later we are completely 'lying flat' and letting it go," wrote one Weibo user, using a Chinese term for slacking.

"Right, that's called optimization," the person added, playing on how the government has said it is only tweaking its policy.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Three Scientists Awarded Nobel Prize in Medicine for Discovery of Immune Self-Tolerance Mechanism
OpenAI and AMD Forge Landmark AI-Chip Alliance with Equity Option
Munich Airport Reopens After Second Drone Shutdown
France Names New Government Amid Political Crisis
Trump Stands Firm in Shutdown Showdown and Declares War on Drug Cartels — Turning Crisis into Opportunity
Surge of U.S. Billionaires Transforms London’s Peninsula Apartments into Ultra-Luxury Stronghold
Pro Europe and Anti-War Babiš Poised to Return to Power After Czech Parliamentary Vote
Jeff Bezos Calls AI Surge a ‘Good’ Bubble, Urges Focus on Lasting Innovation
Japan’s Ruling Party Chooses Sanae Takaichi, Clearing Path to First Female Prime Minister
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Sentenced to Fifty Months in Prison Following Prostitution Conviction
Taylor Swift’s ‘Showgirl’ Launch Extends Billion-Dollar Empire
Trump Administration Launches “TrumpRx” Plan to Enable Direct Drug Sales at Deep Discounts
Trump Announces Intention to Impose 100 Percent Tariff on Foreign-Made Films
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Singapore and Hong Kong Vie to Dominate Asia’s Rising Gold Trade
Trump Organization Teams with Saudi Developer on $1 Billion Trump Plaza in Jeddah
Manhattan Sees Surge in Office-to-Housing Conversions, Highest Since 2008
Switzerland and U.S. Issue Joint Assurance Against Currency Manipulation
Electronic Arts to Be Taken Private in Historic $55 Billion Buyout
Thomas Jacob Sanford Named as Suspect in Deadly Michigan Church Shooting and Arson
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
New York Man Arrested After On-Air Confession to 2017 Parents’ Murders
U.S. Defense Chief Orders Sudden Summit of Hundreds of Generals and Admirals
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
Trump Claims FBI Planted 274 Agents at Capitol Riot, Citing Unverified Reports
India: Internet Suspended in Bareilly Amid Communal Clashes Between Muslims and Hindus
Supreme Court Extends Freeze on Nearly $5 Billion in U.S. Foreign Aid at Trump’s Request
Archaeologists Recover Statues and Temples from 2,000-Year-Old Sunken City off Alexandria
China Deploys 2,000 Workers to Spain to Build Major EV Battery Factory, Raising European Dependence
Speed Takes Over: How Drive-Through Coffee Chains Are Rewriting U.S. Coffee Culture
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Ringo Starr Champions Enduring Beatles Legacy While Debuting Las Vegas Art Show
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Colombian President Petro Vows to Mobilize Volunteers for Gaza and Joins List of Fighters
FBI Removes Agents Who Kneeled at 2020 Protest, Citing Breach of Professional Conduct
Trump Alleges ‘Triple Sabotage’ at United Nations After Escalator and Teleprompter Failures
Shock in France: 5 Years in Prison for Former President Nicolas Sarkozy
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
BNP Paribas Abandons Ban on 'Controversial Weapons' Financing Amid Europe’s Defence Push
Typhoon Ragasa Leaves Trail of Destruction Across East Asia Before Making Landfall in China
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Big Banks Rebuild in Hong Kong as Deal Volume Surges
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Arnault Denounces Proposed Wealth Tax as Threat to French Economy
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Denmark Investigates Drone Incursion, Does Not Rule Out Russian Involvement
Lilly CEO Warns UK Is ‘Worst Country in Europe’ for Drug Prices, Pulls Back Investment
Nigel Farage Emerges as Central Force in British Politics with Reform UK Surge
×