BEIJING CLINGS TO ‘ZERO-COVID’ RULES

State media urge end to ‘outdated practices’, with curbs still in place at train stations and museums

More than a year after China dropped its “zero-Covid” policy, some social movement controls imposed during the coronavirus pandemic are still in place in Beijing.

Public complaints piling up on social media have been picked up by mainstream news outlets, with state media now calling for an end to the “outdated practices at odds with the current situation”.

Restrictions slammed by internet users over the past few months include continued realname registration for train tickets in the capital, restricted access to campus and tourism locations, and a small quota for hospital visitors.

One of the complaints – which snowballed into a debate that drew a response from Xinhua – came after a social media user found that some Beijing train stations still required identity verification to issue tickets.

“I want to make sure that it is implemented in accordance with a currently valid regulation,” the user posted in February on Xiaohongshu, or “little red book”, China’s answer to Instagram.

The Covid-era rule requires that a passenger either scan their national identity card on the ticket machine dashboard or type in the information, such as their ID card number and real name, before a ticket is issued.

Another option is to access a “one-stop-services” extension for smartphones launched by the city government, an upgrade of the health code app that was used to track people’s activities during the pandemic lockdowns.

The user called Beijing’s municipal public hotline to express their concerns. The train operator responded that the realname system for boarding was in line with existing rail transit safety regulations in Beijing.

Other major cities such as Shanghai and Shenzhen do not have such restrictions.

The real-name requirement for rail travel was introduced in 2022, when the central government used a health code app to track the movements and personal interactions of Covid-19 cases as a way to contain transmission. The new rules were spelled out in a Beijing Municipal Transport Commission notice in May that year.

“We have made some technical upgrades, which can link boarding code, transport card and health information, and automatically verify a passenger’s identity when they pass through the turnstile,” it said.

College campuses and museums in Beijing also still require real-name registration for entry. Although many machines for facial recognition and ID card scanning were set up before the pandemic, the adoption of verification technology became more widespread during the pandemic.

Some hospitals also have yet to lift limits on the number of visitors for patients, imposed during the pandemic.

“No relative visits and accompaniment unless necessary,” a September 2021 notice from Beijing’s joint epidemic prevention-and-control mechanism office said.

The rules have sparked heated debate on social media, with those in support saying campus controls prioritise student and staff safety, while hospital restrictions can help to prevent infections. Some said they did not mind scanning ID cards for train travel or museum tickets, and convenient access to university campuses.

However, others complained of being left with the expensive option of having to hire a hospital carer when family members were not allowed to stay overnight in medical facilities.

The hospitals, meanwhile, cited either limited space and risk of infection, or simply no change in rules since the pandemic.

Noted outlets China National Radio and Beijing Daily have reported on the issue, with Xinhua now also weighing in.

“Now that social life is fully restored, outdated practices should be lifted,” it said in a recent commentary.

The article praised the gradual reopening of some university campuses to the public, and both online and offline options for ticket sales for some museums.

In December 2022, China downgraded the severity of the coronavirus pandemic before gradually lifting all related restrictions countrywide.

At its peak, the zero-Covid policy involved stringent – even snap – lockdowns, mass virus testing and strict border controls. The easing came shortly after a wave of public protests against the lockdowns and consequent economic hardships, as well as curbs on personal freedoms.

I want to make sure that it is implemented in accordance with a currently valid regulation A COMPLAINT ON SOCIAL MEDIA