People in Beijing open up about China’s zero-Covid approach and reveal where they dream of visiting once borders reopen
- Residents of China’s capital generally support the authorities’ handling of the coronavirus pandemic while harbouring dreams of overseas travel
- A teaching assistant wants to see penguins in Antarctica, a housewife hopes to resume trips in Asia, an American feels safe in China and won’t go home soon
That leaves people in Beijing and other Chinese cities resigned to an indefinite further period of border restrictions and stringent controls on their movements.
Currently, Beijing residents who return to the capital from other parts of China must provide a negative Covid-19 test that is less than 48 hours old and possess a digital contact-tracing pass that shows a green code proving they have not visited an area experiencing an outbreak of the viral disease in the previous two weeks.
Foreign visitors and residents returning from overseas must undergo 21 days of quarantine, the first 14 in a designated hotel and, for those with a residential address, the rest at home. After that, there is a seven-day monitoring period during which the returnee must report on the state of their health to their neighbourhood watch office.
Face masks must be worn on public transport. Curfews and lockdowns are enforced in individual districts once a new case is reported.
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What do people in Beijing think about the Chinese authorities’ approach to handling the pandemic, and what do they miss about overseas travel? The Post asked some.
“Chinese want to keep the rate of infections low,” says François, who is from Madagascar, southern Africa. “I have made peace with the fact that I might not be able to go outside China for a long time. With all the restrictions in place, I might not be able to come back if I venture out. I don’t think that is going to change for the time being.”
Just before the pandemic hit, Francois had to cancel a planned trip to Bali.
“I want to go to Bali and Paris, where my sister lives, once the border opens. I love aeroplanes and the feeling of flying. I also love beaches, the sea and tropical places. I miss the sense of adventure travelling brings.”
Primary school teaching assistant Vanessa Huang also misses the thrill of discovery, especially in the great outdoors.
“Before the pandemic struck, I went to a new foreign place every year to expand my horizons. I also miss my foreign friends a lot.”
Huang expects the country to remain sealed at least until after February’s Beijing Winter Olympics.
“The government probably sees the Olympics as a trial. They will only consider opening up after the influx of foreigners during the Olympics does not cause any upsurge in outbreaks,” she says.
“I think such draconian measures are necessary as China is a populous country where virus outbreaks can cause big and extensive damage. The government just wants to protect its own people.”
Housewife Chiu Xiaozhen, from Shanghai, is staying with relatives in Beijing. She says she has been confined to the capital since reports of worsening outbreaks around China began circulating as the winter approached. The authorities are swift and strict in responding to such outbreaks.
“I travelled outside Beijing but within China [earlier in the year], but now I don’t dare to do that now, as you might be trapped when new infections break out in the city you are visiting. Many people have been trapped outside Beijing over the previous few weeks, unable to get home after going on a work trip outside the capital.”
While praising the government’s work in pandemic control, she considers certain measures she’s heard about as being unnecessarily harsh.
My country has mismanaged the situation in ways that may change the place forever. I feel pretty lucky to have been in Beijing
“News reports said some pandemic control government staff in certain Chinese cities will barge into a person’s home and kill their pets on the spot once the owner gets infected or becomes a close contact of a Covid-19 patient. That’s too extreme, as science has already shown that infected animals’ viral load is so low that they can never infect other species.”
“I visited destinations in Asia often. Their customs, food and environs are much different from those in China. People need to take a break from what they get used to once in a while.”
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Dalton Grant Jnr, co-founder of the Beijing-based Floating World animation studio, says he has no desire to return to the United States, his homeland, any time soon.
“China has much fewer deaths from Covid-19 and a much larger vaccinated population [China had fully inoculated an estimated 87 per cent of its population at the time of writing, compared with 59.2 per cent in the US]. These factors make for a more enjoyable life, trying to get back to normal.
“My country has mismanaged the situation in ways that may change the place forever. I feel pretty lucky to have been in Beijing while these world-changing events have happened.”
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Although he says he would like to return to the US eventually, Grant does not want to leave China for at least three years after the borders reopen.
“Even if you could travel freely now, it wouldn’t really be ‘good’ travel as many businesses and places would still be closed. The initial reopening of them will not be the same as before, when people could just let their hair down and have unlimited fun without any concern.
“Foreign countries must still have some form of controls or restrictions in place. This kind of travel, with limited fun, wouldn’t be much better than staying put for me.
“I will stay much longer in China, until my home country has the virus outbreak under much better control.”
