Foreign PolicyForeign Policy

China’s government is a self-made COVID-19 victim

By Howard W. French

28 Dec 2022 · 7 min read

Editor's Note

China's shambolic response to its COVID crisis is exposing "serious foundational cracks" in a political system that until recently seemed confident and unshakable, according to this FP analysis.

Most reasonable people would agree that after years of what appeared to be remarkable success in containing the virus, China’s COVID-19 situation has turned to outright disaster.

Following the government’s sudden and unplanned dropping of strict quarantine and testing rules, hospitals in even the biggest and richest of the country’s cities, starting with Beijing, have been overrun. Patients struggling to breathe or showing other signs of distress are seeking urgent care.

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