The Backlash to China’s Zero-COVID Policy

Strict COVID-19 lockdowns have led to the most dramatic political resistance seen in China since the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989. In articles and a podcast, CNA China Studies analysts explore the background and the potential implications of Beijing’s zero-COVID dilemma.

An Unprecedented Challenge to Xi Jinping

On November 28, thousands of people across China took to the streets to protest the country’s zero-COVID policies and censorship and to call for democracy. These demonstrations were an unprecedented show of dissent against the government in the era of Xi Jinping. How has the government responded to these uprisings, and how will they affect Beijing’s COVID strategy going forward?

To answer these questions, Heidi Holz and Josiah Case, analysts from CNA’s China Studies Program, join the podcast.

Analyzing COVID Policy Protests

BEIJING’S COVID-19 POLICIES ARE CHANGING

BUT CHINA’S TROUBLES ARE FAR FROM OVER

James Bellacqua examines how Beijing has adjusted its COVID-19 strategy in the wake of the nationwide protests, and what challenges the country still faces in confronting the pandemic.

Beijing’s Zero-COVID Dilemma

James Bellacqua gives context to the recent protests of China's zero-COVID policy, and what these protests mean for Xi Jinping and the Chinese Communist Party.