Understand zero-COVID policy
China continues to be driven by its unwavering belief in the people-first philosophy
To understand why people from one culture do things a certain way, one must first understand that culture and what matters to the people who have grown up with that culture.
Failing to do so and casting aspersions on that culture, based on one’s own cultural beliefs, is disrespectful.
Understanding why China has been unwavering in its approach to contain the pandemic requires one to first understand the things that the Chinese value the most. In this case, people are one of the driving factors.
China’s rapid economic and social development has been driven by its unwavering belief in the people-first philosophy.
This is why China has managed to lift hundreds of millions of people out of poverty and build a moderately prosperous society in all respects.
This people-centric philosophy is also reflected in China’s own model of democracy.
Take for example the draft outline of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) for National Economic and Social Development and the Long-Range Objectives Through the Year 2035.
Such plans are not formulated by decision-makers alone. The people, too, are involved as the government solicits their opinions and feedback.
Again, this philosophy is a key reason behind China’s adoption of the dynamic zero-COVID-19 policy.
Putting the people first does not merely mean improving their livelihoods; it also means protecting their lives and health.
When it comes to people, China is home to the largest population in the world: 1.4 billion. This is a major consideration in the Chinese leadership’s response to the pandemic.
The number of daily COVID-19 cases in the United States, which was among the first to open its borders to the world, currently stands at about 0.2 percent of its total population.
If we apply this rate to China, the number of infected people would be more than 2.8 million a day.
With so many lives at stake, it should not be difficult to understand why the Chinese authorities have not adopted a different approach.
China is not the only country to adopt a dynamic zero-COVID-19 policy, yet it has received flak for it.
In contrast, countries such as Singapore, Australia and the Republic of Korea had done the same and were praised by the West.
But these countries eventually accepted that the endemic approach suits them best, as they realized that they cannot afford to keep their borders closed any longer.
The circumstances in China, however, are different. It is a country with an entirely different set of capabilities and resources. In short, it is capable of sustaining itself through domestic circulation-driven development.
But this does not mean China plans to isolate itself from the world. The Belt and Road Initiative, the China International Import Expo, the inking of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership and the application to join the Comprehensive and Progressive TransPacific Partnership demonstrate that China wants to be part of the international community.
Recent developments have also suggested that the Chinese authorities are preparing for a world where COVID-19 becomes endemic. The development of mRNA vaccines and successful inoculation drive appear to be part of that preparation.
About 1.26 billion people in China, or 89.1 percent of the total population, have already received at least one vaccine dose, while 459 million people have gotten both shots and the booster dose.
It is only a matter of time before China eases its entry restrictions. But before that it has to first ensure the protection of its most valuable asset — the people.