It feels somewhat strange to write about Covid-19 at the end of 2022. After all, the name of the disease reminds us it was first discovered over three years ago. In most countries, especially the developed ones, the virus has become a problem of everyday life. Yet in China, people are experiencing an unprecedented wave of cases and deaths. The zero-Covid strategy was long hailed as the only way to get a grip on the unknown and dangerous virus with a population as big as China’s. That praise is now rapidly fading, not only in the West but also amongst the Chinese themselves. A lot has been written about how China ended up in the current situation, faced with the challenge of keeping its economy afloat while its citizens safe. However, less attention is given to what the handling of the virus says about China’s political system and its potential to deal with similar problems.
Continue reading “Zero-Covid: China’s Pyrrhic victory”
