The hashtag “In the next five years” has been removed from Chinese social media as fears grow over the wording of a media report on Beijing’s COVID strategies for the coming years.
“In the next five years, Beijing will resolutely, unremittingly, do a good job in normalizing pandemic prevention controls,” the state-backed Beijing Daily originally reported on June 27, quoting the city’s party chief, Cai Qi. Cai is widely considered a close political ally of Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
The city “will implement high quality regular PCR tests, and screening at key points, and strictly inspect entries in residential communities, work units, and public institutions,” said Cai, according to Beijing Daily….