Inside Asian Gaming

IAG JAN 2023年1月 亞博匯 18 EXPERTS have expressed widespread shock at the speed at which China appears to have shelved its controversial COVID-zero policy, according to a report by Bloomberg , with the country’s new COVID policy described as “let it rip”. Just weeks after protests rocked the mainland in response to the harsh lockdowns being imposed amid rising COVID cases, Beijing has significantly wound back its COVID-zero response, with most internal restrictions removed and many testing facilities dismantled. While there have long been calls for China to ease its COVID-zero policies, the speed at which they have done so and the resulting surge in cases and hospitalizations in major centers like Beijing has taken many by surprise. “Logic doesn’t seem to apply here,” said Bloomberg Intelligence ’s chief pharmaceutical analyst Sam Fazeli, adding that China’s attitude now appears to be, “there’s not so much we can do, we’ve done the best we can. We’ve got the blueprint for what the West did and what happened, so let’s just let it rip – which is what I think is going on.” Steven Lynch, Managing Director of the British Chamber of Commerce in China, tells Bloomberg , “I wasn’t expecting China’s exit strategy to be so rapid. I thought it would be a gradual process. But again, you know, this speaks to the outpouring of anger and anxiety that people have had around COVID-zero.” According to Bloomberg Economics chief Asia economist Chang Shu, China is now on track to be free of all COVID restrictions by the end of March. EXPERTS SHOCKED BY SPEED OF CHINA’S NEW “LET IT RIP” COVID-ZERO EXIT STRATEGY 專家們對中國快速拋棄清零政策感到震驚 根據 彭博社的一篇報道顯示，專家們對中國似乎 正在迅速拋棄早前頗有爭議的清零政策的速度普 遍表示震驚。目前該國的新疫情防控政策被描述 為「大撒手」。 在早前內地多點爆發針對清零政策的抗議活 動後，北京方面大幅放鬆其疫情防控措施，取消 大部分內部防控政策，並取消多個核酸檢測點。 儘管長期以來一直有多方呼籲中國放鬆清零 政策，但該政策的放寬速度導致北京等主要城市 的確診病例及入院人數的激增，頗令許多人感到 意外。 Bloomberg Intelligence的首席醫藥分析師 Sam Fazeli表示：「整件事情似乎看不到邏輯。 」並補充稱：「中國現在的態度似乎是，『我們 能做的不多，我們已經盡力了。我們看到西方放 開之後所發生的事情，所以就讓我們放開吧。』 我認為這就是正在發生的事情。」 中國英國商會常務董事Steve Lynch向彭博 社表示：「從沒想到中國退出清零政策會如此迅 速。我本以為這會是一個漸進的過程。但是，你 知道的，這再次表明了人們對清零政策所表示的 憤怒及焦慮。」 彭博經濟研究首席亞洲經濟學家Chang Shu表示，中國現在有望在三月底之前結束所有 的新冠防控措施。