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As I see it | As Omicron catches up with Beijing, how much is China willing to pay for zero-Covid?
- A Shanghai-style lockdown of the Chinese capital seemed unimaginable just a few days ago but not so now
- Replicating that hardline approach in Beijing would put the country’s remaining credibility for Covid-19 management at risk
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It’s finally Beijing’s turn.
After a month of lockdown for Shanghai’s 25 million residents, fears are soaring in Beijing about a similar citywide closure. Citing sporadic new Omicron infections, local authorities began three rounds of mass coronavirus testing this week for most of its 21 million people.
Just a few days ago, a lockdown of Beijing, the nation’s political centre, seemed inconceivable for most people, especially in the run-up to the once-in-a-decade leadership reshuffle later this year.
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The capital city was different and the most tightly controlled in the country, China watchers argued, and its lockdown could carry political risks ahead of the Communist Party’s national congress, especially if the Shanghai-style chaos were to happen in Beijing.
To be fair, the capital city has largely been insulated from the disease since it first emerged in Wuhan in late 2019, with international flights diverted to other cities and tighter restrictions imposed on Beijing-bound travellers.
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Beijing orders mass testing as Chinese capital braces for Omicron surge
Beijing orders mass testing as Chinese capital braces for Omicron surge
But the Omicron variant has yet again proved to be omnipresent, with the situation in Shanghai, the country’s biggest port and commercial hub, showing little sign of easing despite the most stringent lockdown in decades.
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