Blink and you’ll miss it

Trying to keep up with the rather rapid spread of Covid in the Mainland – the virus has reportedly infected 90% of Henan.

China Media Project looks at a People’s Daily editorial that’s ‘one of the more egregious efforts’ to whitewash Beijing’s handling of Covid…

On the question of responsibility, the “Zhong Sheng” commentary turns legitimate concerns on their head.

Baldly insisting that the sudden policy reversal is scientific and perfect (and foreign reports to the contrary smears) seems counterproductive when everyone can see hospitals overflowing and elderly scientists dying. In terms of basic image, the authorities would surely enjoy more credibility if they openly admitted that things could have been done better, promised an enquiry, and fired a few top health officials. But what do I know about Marxist-Leninist public-relations theory with Chinese characteristics?

Science on the lack of Chinese epidemiological, genomic and other data. 

The (probably paywalled) WSJ describes the broader uncertainty, foreign investors’ bemusement, and Chinese officials’ anger towards foreign media coverage of the confusion…

The whiplash from China’s about-face on its zero-Covid strategy exemplifies the uncertainties that businesses, foreign governments and academics face in dealing with a black-box political system that has become increasingly impenetrable as Mr. Xi has accumulated more power.

…“In some ways, Omicron is easier to predict than the Chinese government,” [European Chamber head] Mr. Wuttke said. 

The Diplomat tries to find logic behind Beijing’s Covid U-turn…

…moderating a mobilization campaign is extremely difficult. The central government must simultaneously signify a change of the top leader’s specific preference without jeopardizing the overall correctness of mobilization itself. Therefore, local officials tend to play it safe and follow the dependent path when faced with conflicting or confusing signals.

(Includes some interesting historical precedents.)

And the SCMP…

“March would have been a better time,” [a health official] said. “We would have had more time to shore up the vaccination rate, especially among senior citizens.”