China’s ruling Communist Party issued a rare call imploring rank-and-file members to help contain the coronavirus in Shanghai, a sign of the strain the locked-down financial hub of 25 million people is under as its worst outbreak to date spreads.
“We must dare to draw our swords and fight against all kinds of behaviors that interfere with and undermine the overall situation of the fight against the epidemic,” the top party branch in Shanghai wrote to members late Wednesday, the same day the number of new cases in the city rose to more than 19,900.
“Wherever there is a need, there must be a Communist Party member,” it added in the open letter posted on an official government social media account.
People across Shanghai have been struggling with food shortages and a lack of medical care in the 10 days since a lockdown started in the eastern half of the city that was later expanded to include the more populous western half. The outbreak has virtually paralyzed one of China’s most populous and recognizable cities, with businesses shuttered and factories of companies like Tesla Inc. suspended because of the curbs.
There are rising signs of frustration among residents of the city that is home to top banks, insurers and the biggest stock exchange in the world’s No. 2 economy. Videos of a rare protest in a locked-down housing compound were said to have been deleted from a social media platform by tech giant Tencent Holdings Ltd., according to Bloomberg News reporting.
The letter from the Communist Party committee in Shanghai Wednesday hinted at those tensions, urging party members to “take the initiative to speak out against all kinds of noises, especially rumors, to clarify right and wrong, and to unite a strong force to overcome the difficulties together.”
It also appealed to members’ sense of history and patriotism, pointing out that Shanghai was the birthplace of China’s Communist Party.
“Today, we communists in Shanghai must carry forward the founding spirit of the party, and let the party flag stand high on the front line of the fight against the epidemic,” it said.
