Top China Editor Says Covid Zero Perks May ‘Gradually Diminish’
- Authorities should pay close attention to public concerns: Hu
- Policy makers under pressure as delta variant spreads in China
Officials and medical workers prepare to conduct Covid-19 coronavirus tests on residents isolating at home following the recent coronavirus outbreak in Dexing, in China's central Jiangxi province, on Nov. 3.
Source: AFP/Getty Images
A leading Chinese political commentator called on authorities to pay closer attention to legitimate public concerns about its Covid Zero approach, adding that the benefits of the policy will diminish over time.
China’s approach could become less popular among Chinese people, particularly if they are “tempted” by the relaxation of restrictions in other parts of the world, Hu Xijin, the editor-in-chief of the Communist Party’s Global Times newspaper, said in a post on social media platform Weibo. Local governments should pay “very, very close attention” to implementing Covid policies in a considerate way and respond to reasonable demands from citizens, he added.