China’s ‘zero-COVID’ U-turn leads to loss of faith in leadership

Residents reappear on the streets of Shanghai, China, in June 2022 after a strict two-month lockdown was lifted [File: Ng Han Guan/AP Photo]

As years of severe “zero-COVID” restrictions come to an abrupt halt in China, relations between the country’s rulers and the ruled are under strain.

People who once supported zero-COVID have been left wondering what the years of tough restrictions were for now that nearly all the policies put in place to protect people have been dropped and COVID-19 is running rampant through China’s population.