The Chinese government eases COVID-19 rules amid dire economic conditions
The Chinese government has implemented a new round of easing COVID-19 control measures in the country, which includes examples such as not requiring the hospitalization of patients with mild symptoms and also easing testing regulations. For outside observers, such relaxations may seem minor, yet for Chinese citizens who have lived under these rules for a long time, they are a significant achievement.
These changes are happening gradually while new statistics indicate a severe weakening of the Chinese economy and trade. Exports, imports, and the circulation of goods in China in November decreased to such a low level that it reached the very low levels seen at the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis and the shutdown of the European economy and half of the United States. The lockdowns and quarantines, which have been a major policy of Chinese leader Xi Jinping, are the sole cause of such a remarkable decline.
