Beijing Communist chief declares quarantine for another five years

Cai Qi, secretary of the Chinese Communist Party in Beijing, told state media on Monday that the city will follow a “zero covid” lockdown and quarantine policy for the next five years.

State media quickly removed the comment and Chinese censorship mercilessly removed it from websites after the intense shock and anger on social media.

Tsai’s original quote published of the state Read: “Over the next five years, Beijing will work tirelessly to normalize epidemic prevention and control.”

In the remainder of the article, it becomes clear that Tsai is talking about the brutal quarantines of residential complexes, districts and entire cities that have plagued China this year. Shanghai.

Capital of Beijing sumailalaim smaller, shorter locks and tighter spring restrictions but avoided months of inhumane treatment at a city-wide POW camp where Shanghai lives.

Tsai may have thought she was making pandemic phrases in a conversation on the Communist Party’s media broadcast, but Chinese social media went wild after her comments were published. Within hours, the interview traveled the world, and the hashtag “five years” garnered a million views on Weibo, the Chinese version of the banned Twitter.

One Weibo user joked, “The countdown to escape from China.” Others complained that the authorities did not understand the importance of a quick return to “normal life” as in most parts of the world.

“What’s the meaning of life… in the next five years?” sad Weibo user she asked.

The article was quickly edited to remove the “five years” line, while censors removed the Weibo posts and hashtags attached to it.

“Authorities have not specified the disclosure or removal of the link for five years. Some observers have suggested that the phrase “five years” is a term often used in government announcements, but represents a timeline in this context or was incorrectly added by the original publisher of the notice.” Britain It was offered on Monday.

Another possibility is that Chinese officials are uncomfortable with Tsai’s interview diverting attention from well-publicized openings, such as the resumption of face-to-face training after the recent coronavirus lockdown in Beijing.

Fear of the new quarantine is gripping every city in China and He stated that some of them are still suitable for regional quarantine.

City and national officials have not apologized for their “zero Covid” policies – not even Shanghai boss Li Qiang. go On Saturday, he said his city’s two-month hellish shutdown was “totally stable” – so Chinese citizens have every reason to believe they can survive the next five years under constant testing, electronic surveillance, restrictions and complete lockdown.