Op-Ed: China can't quell protests until it gets realistic about 'zero COVID' (via latimesopinion)
elderly, China’s leaders apparently view the use of Western vaccines as a blow to national pride and an admission of past mistakes.
China’s leaders can probably count on the security forces to snuff out new protests, thereby allowing the Communist Party of China to reassert control and downplay people’s frustrations. But the longer they muddle through on zero-COVID, the greater the risk to public health. In fact, the refusal to devise a comprehensive and systematic exit strategy — and take responsibility for its outcomes — could result in China experiencing the worst of both worlds.
Confusion over Xi’s commitment to zero-COVID and the central government’s reopening plans will produce a chaotic response at the local level, and the continued enforcement of ever-changing pandemic restrictions will strain state attention and resources, while stoking popular frustration.
Xi needs to act fast to avert this outcome. That means unambiguously declaring the orderly phaseout of zero-COVID and ordering the immediate approval and import of mRNA vaccines. Such a move would demonstrate not only political courage but also political savvy, because it would go a long way toward repairing the damage done to Xi’s image by the anti-lockdown protests that rocked his government at the end of November.
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