Beijing’s zero-case policy on thin ice

BEIJING: As China last week trumpeted its “zero-Covid” strategy as a model for the world, other countries that had loosened restrictions dithered over how to respond to surging Omicron infections.

In the latest proof of Beijing’s unwavering focus on eliminating the virus, rather than trying to live with it, officials imposed a new lockdown on the 13 million residents of the northwestern city of Xi’an when a local flare-up reached 200 cases.

But behind the boastful tone and uncompromising approach, the stakes are rising for President Xi Jinping (inset).

There can be no let-up in the Communist Party’s efforts to stamp out infections and prevent outbreaks from overshadowing its hosting of the Winter Olympics and Paralympics in February and March. Nothing must undermine the propaganda narrative that a “people’s war” under Mr Xi’s leadership has vanquished

the virus. Adding to the sense of urgency is a new study that has exposed the lack of protection that China’s home-developed vaccines afford its people, while government scientists earlier warned of a “colossal outbreak” if the current strategy was eased.

As new curbs were rushed into place in Europe, the US and Asia in recent days, Chinese media highlighted the reimposition of restrictions.

“The message from Beijing is that they feel vindicated in their ‘zero-tolerance’ policy by the emergence of Omicron,” Yanzhong Huang, a Chinese public health expert at the Council on Foreign Relations, said. “They are clearly determined to cling to this strategy in the coming months.”

China’s tough approach may be keeping numbers down - for now at least. But the disruptive shutdowns have exerted an inevitable toll on the economy. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg predicted China’s growth will slide to about 3 per cent in the final quarter this year, down from nearly 5 per cent in the third quarter.