Coronavirus: European firms call for exit plan, vaccination roll-out to end China’s ‘dire’ Covid curbs
- The European Chamber of Commerce in China has called on the mayor of Beijing to impose clear road maps and timetables for vaccination roll-out
- Regions contributing one fifth of the Chinese economy are now under lockdown, up from 9.5 per cent a month ago, according to recent estimates
Beijing’s “overzealous” implementation of its zero-Covid strategy, lack of an exit plan and slow vaccination rates among the elderly are making foreign companies increasingly frustrated, with the “dire situation” forcing expatriates to consider leaving China, foreign business chambers have warned.
The European Chamber of Commerce in China, an influential business lobby group, sent a letter to the mayor of Beijing on Thursday calling on the government to “establish clear road maps and timetables for a comprehensive vaccination roll-out”.
But the lack of transparency about the measures and inadequate preparation have severely disrupted business operations and daily life.
“This is very concerning, given that Shanghai’s experience from earlier this year has shown that after long-term lockdowns, many foreign nationals are likely to leave China. This would be detrimental to Beijing’s goal of developing into an international city,” the European Chamber said in the open letter.