A truly brutal April in China
YOU SANG-CHULThe author is the head of the China Institute of the JoongAng Ilbo.
Renowned Chinese economist Lang Xianping could not avoid the tragedy of the Shanghai lockdown. His mother died while waiting in an emergency room for four hours because of the rule that patients can get treatment only after a Covid test result. On April 12, Chen Wenshiung, head of Hongkou district’s hygiene and health management committee, took his own life in his office due to the stress associated with disease control. The public stirred as rumors spread that his wife also took her life, but a state-run media claimed that the wife’s death was not true.
Lately, more than 20,000 daily cases are reported in Shanghai, but not many are severe cases. However, due to China’s rigid “zero Covid” policy, many more people die for other reasons. As a result, Shanghai is experiencing three different collapses: the collapse of the medical system, the psychological collapse due to a shortage of supplies and the collapse of media as mainstream media lost public trust.
On April 11, Shanghai Party Secretary Li Chang was humiliated, and it went viral on social media. As he made an unplanned visit to a residential complex, an old woman shouted, “All I got during the 10 days of lockdown were two carrots, two potatoes and two onions.” Li was also told, “You are committing a crime to the state. You should be ashamed to the ancestors, heaven and earth.” As the public is growing angry, a column was published in Hong Kong on April 14, titled, “The True Purpose of Xi Jinping’s Hainan Move.”
It is the third time for Xi to visit Hainandao since he took office, and it is hardly different from his past visits. The visits to the seed lab in Sanya and the China Maritime University are similar to his itinerary in 2018. His visit to the rainforest park and village tour is reminiscent of his 2013 route. What is the true reason for Xi’s trip to Hainan? Hainan is one of the most notable vacation destinations in China. Upon visiting Hainan, former Chinese President Jiang Zemin was very impressed and said, “This trip is not vain.”
All Xi’s visits took place in April. Beijing is known for its bad weather this time of the year, alternating between warm and cold days with yellow dust and pollen. The column claims that one cannot rule out the possibility of Xi having visited Hainan for vacation. When 26 million people in Shanghai are suffering from Covid-19 and lockdown, the highest leader went to a resort town for a break. There, Xi emphasized the justification of the zero-Covid policy. “We must not have the sentiment to dislike fighting and loose our mindset,” he said. It is truly a brutal April in China.
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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