Beijing, May 6 (Agency) Amid rise in Covid cases and stringent lockdowns, Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday warned against anyone questioning country’s zero-Covid policy. According to CNN, at a meeting chaired by Xi the ruling Communist Party’s supreme Politburo Standing Committee vowed to “unswervingly adhere to the general policy of ‘dynamic zero-Covid,’ and resolutely fight against any words and acts that distort, doubt or deny our country’s epidemic prevention policies.” This was the first time Xi made such public remarks on China’s fight against Covid. Xinhua quoted the seven-member committee as saying, “Our prevention and control strategy is determined by the party’s nature and mission, our policies can stand the test of history, our measures are scientific and effective. “We have won the battle to defend Wuhan, and we will certainly be able to win the battle to defend Shanghai.”
The Standing Committee also asked cadres to have a “profound, complete and comprehensive understanding” of the policies set by the party’s central leadership. “We should resolutely overcome the problems of inadequate awareness, inadequate preparation and insufficient work, and resolutely overcome contempt, indifference and self-righteousness in our thinking.” CNN quoted the analysts as observing that the stern warning is a sign that there has been internal pushback against Xi’s zero-Covid policy from within the party. David Bandurski, co-director of the China Media Project, said, “This language should be read as a direct criticism of unspecified local CCP leaders who have questioned the policies at the center, or who have been insufficiently successful in applying them. “And it is difficult not to hear in this phrase about ‘self-righteousness’ condemnation of leaders in Shanghai in particular.” In past several weeks, the Shanghai residents took to social media to call for help amid severe food shortages and lack of access to medical care.