Xi Jinping has heard the voice of the people
Last week, with the first signs of flexibility from Chinese officials in implementing COVID-19 policies and reducing the severity of restrictions, especially testing regulations, public protests in China declined. However, the fundamental demands of the Chinese people and political activists in the country have nonetheless come to the forefront.
Testing regulations and the mandate to close public places in various Chinese cities are being reduced and eased, and in some areas, they are being eliminated. Beijing and Shanghai are witnessing the reopening of many businesses and the revival of public transportation, and the requirement for testing based on the rule of having a negative test certificate every two days is disappearing in many cities.
It is still unclear how far these changes will extend. Nevertheless, it seems that the Chinese leader and the officials under his command have been influenced by public protests regarding COVID-19 policies.
