The end of Covid Zero

The world, and India, must prepare for a possible China wave

Following unexpectedly intense, if not widespread, protests against its “Covid Zero” policy, the Chinese leadership has sharply reversed course and begun relaxing pandemic-related restrictions in the country. The importance of this U-turn cannot be overemphasised, since as recently as six weeks ago President Xi Jinping had publicly defended draconian restrictions as being essential for people’s health and safety. While the carefully controlled Chinese media narrative has sought to define the rules of relaxation as some sort of triumph, with one recent editorial in a state newspaper indicating that over the past three years the country has grown stronger while the