China Says Pivot Away From Covid Zero Predated Mass Protests
- Xinhua timeline says officials proactive in making changes
- China started dismantling Xi’s virus policy days after unrest
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China said it started making major changes to Covid Zero even before nationwide protests widely credited with prompting the shift, as Beijing sought to counter the narrative that President Xi Jinping was forced to abandon a signature policy.
On Nov. 10, “the party central made a major decision, and for the first time put forward a 20-point measure” that relaxed Covid controls, Xinhua News Agency said in a timeline published on Sunday.