In the spring of 2022, the entire Shanghai was put in strict lockdown, known as “static management,” for more than two months due to Covid-19 outbreaks. When the government released the schedule for lifting the lockdown, professor Qu Weiguo from Fudan University raised a critical voice: “Although the authorities have expressed gratitude to the people of Shanghai, it’s regrettable that there was no apology for the suffering of Shanghai residents over the past two months, which was as a result of the government’s mistakes.”
Public apologies by the government falls within the scope of modern democratic politics and responsible governance; it’s different from the ancient imperial edict of repentance in which the ruler would admit a mistake and reproach himself. In modern politics, an apology from the government is connected to governing legitimacy.
