WASHINGTON — The Biden administration is “closely” watching protests over President Xi Jinping’s COVID Zero lockdowns but does not yet see any threat to U.S. supply chains, a White House spokesman said.
“People should be allowed the right to assemble and to peacefully protest policies or laws or dictates that they take issue with,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters Monday.
“We continue to stand up and support the right of peaceful protests. We’re going to watch this closely.”
The White House has so far had a muted response to the protests, which Beijing has sought to suppress with a massive deployment of police across the country. Kirby said the U.S. doesn’t yet see any impact to the economy from the demonstrations, though they have interrupted production at a major Apple supplier.
“We don’t see any particular impact right now to the supply chain as a result of these protests,” he said.
In a rare display of public anger over Beijing’s “COVID Zero” policy, Chinese residents have taken to the streets in cities across the country in recent days to demonstrate against the strict lockdowns and mass-testing regime, clashing with police. Some demonstrators have even called for Xi to step down.
President Joe Biden met with Xi on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit earlier this month, where they discussed “COVID and the effect the pandemic had had around the world,” Kirby said. But he said he didn’t know if China’s “COVID Zero” policies had come up.
The developments are causing market turmoil and risk economic spillover for the U.S. and other nations. Apple Inc. said it expected a massive production shortfall of iPhone Pro units due to unrest at a critical plant in Zhengzhou, where workers have pushed back against pay and quarantine practices.
The tumult in the world’s second-largest economy follows Biden and Xi’s G-20 agreement to ease tensions and reestablish communications on climate, health and other international matters.
The protests have ranged from a few people to rallies of hundreds, posing a dilemma for Xi who secured a precedent-breaking third term in power and has packed the country’s leadership with loyalists. The demonstrations represent one of the most significant challenges to Communist Party rule since the student-led democracy protests in Tiananmen Square more than 30 years ago.
———
(With assistance from Jordan Fabian.)
