Wall pass n°112 – manifestations, batteries, immovable, Vatican

The protests that rocked China this weekend were widely reported in the international press. The authorities first tolerated Saturday and Sunday then stifled the mobilizations on Monday by resorting to intimidation. Since, the strengthening of the security apparatus in Beijing and Shanghai and in universities continues. The police presence is notable around the places of demonstrations in order to intimidate possible reckless. Several demonstrators were summoned to the police station while officers demanded to check the phones of onlookers, looking for banned apps – Twitter, Instagram, etc. Several universities have allowed voluntary students to return home : an effective way to empty the premises and avoid repeating the weekend.

The COVID him, does not surrender : the country recorded 40.000 case the 27 November, of which nearly 10.000 in Chongqing and the BF.7 variant circulating in Beijing has an R0 greater than 10. In view of the low rate of vaccination of people at risk, a sudden opening of the country would cause several hundred thousand deaths and millions of new infections every day. In a word : there is no easy way out of the zero COVID policy.

However, the government seems to have been surprised by the demonstrations and knows that it is under pressure. Monday and Tuesday, the official narrative has seemingly not changed : maintenance of the zero COVID policy in accordance with the “20 points” from the Council of State last week. En substance : a management more “fluid” of the quarantines. Beijing was restless on Tuesday as the government appears to be reviving a vaccination campaign (with Chinese vaccines) with its population at risk.

At the same time, authorities are using their preferred methods to prevent further protests. Bullying, we said it, but also indictments of the “foreign forces” who instigated the demonstrations. Also, since Monday, PCR testing companies are also the target of popular anger, without government intervention : these are a practical scapegoat.

EastIsRed review : don't expect too much change in the short term. The government does not have much leeway : some officials will be fired for negligence. A vaccination campaign would be a positive signal, but there is still a long way to go before a reopening.