Conflicting orders from Chinese authorities at the central and municipal levels were issued throughout the past week regarding mandatory COVID-19 vaccination. The Chinese Communist Party has handled vaccine mandates for students and government workers in an inconsistent manner. Several provincial governments either mandated vaccination or required vaccine certificates for students to enroll in the coming school year, and for public servants to be able to come to work. However, central government announcements have all called for voluntary vaccination. China’s National Health Commission announced on July 20 that over 1.4 million people from 31 provinces, including the autonomous regions, have been vaccinated. Beijing recently announced that its goal is to have 80 percent of its 1.4 billion citizens vaccinated by the end of this month, according to a BBC report. Student Mandates As students in China prepare to return to school, officials in several provinces gave varying orders for students or …