Unpopularity Contest

For over 100 days, angry fishermen—backed by the Catholic diocese—have staged a blockade of a $900 million Adani project.

Chinese citizens streamed into the streets to express their anger at the harsh Covid safety policies. What makes this notable and unprecedented: they openly called for the resignation of President Xi and the Communist Party.

Since the beginning, the Chinese president has framed the pandemic as a “people’s war.” Adhering to zero Covid was not just good policy, but also a mark of true patriotism. But a policy that seemed wise in 2020 has proven to be a disaster in 2022. But why won’t Xi change his mind?

In a rare show of public fury, workers at an iPhone factory in Zhengzhou rioted against the country’s strict pandemic rules. The rules have imposed a high price on its citizens and the economy—even as Covid cases reach a new peak. The rest of the world has moved on from lockdowns and closed borders, why is Beijing refusing to budge?