“The government will not explicitly abandon the zero Covid policy, but will tone it down”

The protests began after ten people died in a fire at a building in Urumqi, Xinqiang, whose exits had been padlocked as part of the fight against the epidemic.
Last weekend, the movement took an unprecedented political turn since that of Tiananmen, in 1989. “Xi Jinping, resign! », “Stop the presidency for life! », “We don’t need tests but freedom! », chanted the demonstrators, many of whom brandished these sheets of white paper, symbols of censorship.
Although omnipresent, the police have for the moment refrained from reacting violently, but have made dozens of arrests. Politically, the answer is not easy to find. If the power does not let go, tensions will increase but, if it relaxes health measures, the epidemic will progress. Be that as it may, Xi Jinping, triumphantly reappointed as head of the Communist Party in October, is facing the most serious crisis since coming to power.
Frédéric Lemaître, our correspondent in Beijing, answers your questions at 12 noon.

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