China retreating from zero-COVID policies?

In the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou, residents returned to work on Thursday for the first time in weeks after Covid-19 lockdowns were lifted. In Chongqing, in the southwest, some residents were no longer required to take regular Covid tests. And in Beijing, a senior health official played down the severity of current Omicron variants, a rare move for the government.

The developments suggest that the ruling Communist Party may be starting to back down on unpopular Covid restrictions in response to a wave of mass protests that have been the most widespread challenge to Beijing in decades.

When protesters rallied in a dozen cities over the past weekend, fueled by anger over the country’s strict lockdowns, Beijing initially responded with security measures focused on rounding up protesters and deterring others from taking part in gatherings. Now the party is also, to some extent and in some places, signaling a willingness to address the root cause of the public anger: intrusive pandemic controls that have stifled economic growth, left millions of people confined in their homes for long stretches and set off violent clashes as recently as this week.