Chaguan China is keeping its borders closed, and turning inward

I T IS BECOMING clear that China will not, or perhaps cannot, re-open its borders soon. The reasons are many. Chinese leaders have declared that zero tolerance of covid-19 is a mark of good government. Officials are fired if cases are found on their patch, so they lock down whole cities to crush even tiny outbreaks. Ordinary Chinese associate the virus with fear and stigma, knowing that a single infected person may force thousands of neighbours, colleagues or classmates into quarantine.

The outside world stands for chaos. Propaganda outlets stress that new cases involve arrivals from abroad. State media describe foreigners, notably Americans, as too selfish, science-scorning and obsessed with individual rights to control the virus. Images of mask-less Westerners on crowded beaches or rampaging at anti-lockdown protests are a staple of Chinese news coverage. Lots of Chinese are cross about a lack of overseas praise for their country’s strict approach. Their resentment is both sincere and stoked by propaganda that accuses American leaders of slandering China to cover up their cruel incompetence and 600,000 pandemic deaths.

Finally, though open discussion of this question is taboo, the authorities are being oddly secretive about how well Chinese-made vaccines work. Locally made jabs have been given to two-fifths of the population, with assurances that they are highly effective. But few data have been released about how Chinese vaccines cope with variants, or how long they work. This opacity is a problem. Many developing countries have relied heavily on Chinese shots. Indonesia and Thailand are among those now planning booster jabs with Western vaccines, at least for medical workers.

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