There is an unprecedented experiment under way in China as it reshapes its economy to accommodate its zero-Covid strategy. There are two elements to the policy. The more visible one is the harsh lockdowns, enacted most recently in Shanghai – where for the past two months 25 million people were confined to their homes or forced into quarantine holding centres. Though restrictions were officially eased last week, already 2.7 million residents are back under lockdown and confined to their homes following an outbreak in the city. Anyone who catches Covid faces quarantine or hospital.
The second element of China’s zero-Covid policy is the continued closure of its borders. This has been less noticed until now. Yet the slow but steady reopening of some of the most cautious major economies, such as Australia and Japan, along with the reopening of borders in the US, Canada, India and Europe with minimal bureaucracy, means China’s border policy is now a global outlier.
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