China’s economic opening up provides a blueprint for its exit from zero-Covid

China’s exit from zero-Covid poses huge logistical challenges and health risks, but its centralised system of governance offers some advantages

During its years of economic reform, centralised planning allowed China to open up city by city, gradually building confidence and containing risks

3-MIN READ3-MIN

S. Alex YangandAngela Huyue Zhang

Published: 10:00pm, 29 Nov 2022Updated: 12:58am, 30 Nov 2022

Following a deadly fire in a residential building in China’s Xinjiang region – which many blame on Covid-19 lockdowns – Chinese protesters have taken to the streets to demand an end to stringent pandemic restrictions.

Even before the protests erupted, there were signs that President Xi Jinping’s administration was preparing to roll back the costly zero-Covid policy, though the exact timeline remains uncertain. But this process will be more complicated than many seem to realise.

China’s exit from zero-Covid clearly carries public-health risks that must be managed, especially given low vaccination rates among the elderly. Less noticed, however, are the operational challenges this process raises.

As China has learned from Hong Kong’s painful experience, a wave of infections in a densely populated area can create a sudden surge in demand for medical resources, paralysing the public-health system. If the government fails to find a way to meet that demand quickly, the death toll – especially among the elderly – could soar.