As of: 02/15/2023 6:14 p.m
Hundreds of pensioners gathered in the Chinese city of Wuhan for a protest. Their health allowances are to be reduced, and the police tried to break up the meeting.
Larger protests and demonstrations in China are rare, but in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, several hundred pensioners have taken to the streets to protest cuts to health insurance.
In videos distributed online, hundreds of older people in particular could be seen in front of a park in the center of the metropolis of Wuhan. Some sang songs, including the Internationale. Countless police officers tried to deny people access to the park. Protests were also reported from the northeast Chinese port city of Dalian.
Significant cuts in health allowances
The pensioners protested against cuts in health insurance benefits. Monthly allowances for healthcare expenses were cut significantly in early February. Many older people are not wealthy, the Reuters news agency quoted a man in Wuhan as saying. Every little bit of money is extremely important.
The cuts are part of a healthcare reform that the Chinese leadership launched in 2021. A week ago there was a similar protest by older people in Wuhan.
Chinese municipalities lack the funds
The health allowance is administered by government agencies in the municipalities. However, the finances of many municipalities are strained. The strict zero-Covid policy of the past three years, which applied until December, has put a heavy strain on public coffers.
Larger protests are very rare in China. The authorities usually take strict action against demonstrators. At the end of November, protests in several Chinese cities against the strict Covid measures at the time made headlines around the world.